1. “High School on the Horizon”... Class of 2017
Transitioning into High School
Rising 9th Grade Parent Night
Feb. 7, 2013

2. Goals for Students and Parents
To learn about the “Future Ready Core” high school graduation requirements.
To understand courses your student must take to meet the new graduation requirements.
To better understand the rigor of high school.
To lessen the stress and anxiety of high school transition time.

3. Future Ready Core!
"The Future-Ready Core will help ensure that students graduate with the academic foundation they need for success in the global economy."

4. TOTAL = 26 CREDITS to graduate from a Wake County High School (other counties/magnet school options may be different, such as Enlo, Wake Early College high school programs).

5. FUTURE-READY CORE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
26 Units of High School Credit needed to graduate
(Other magnet schools may have other requirements, such as Enloe and Wake Early College)
High School students are promoted according to credits they have earned – To be promoted to 10th grade, students need 6 credits ( English 1, two credits in the areas of math, social studies or science and three additional credits).
If students fail a core graduation requirement course, that course must be repeated to earn credit in order to meet the graduation requirements – Students do not repeat a grade like they do in elementary or middle school.

6. Taking a high school class in Middle School….
Students taking Common Core I (formerly called Algebra I) or Geometry in middle school may earn a high school credit in math, but the grade will not be part of the high school GPA.
***They must score a level 3 or 4 on the EOC.
***The grade earned in the 8th grade will show up on the transcript.

7. High School Terms to Know
ACT – American College Testing –alternate admissions assessment to the SAT.
AP Course – Advanced Placement course earning the student high school and college credit and 2 extra “quality points” for the final grade earned.
Blackboard
Block Schedule – 90 minute class period for one semester. Students take 4 courses in fall term and 4 courses in the spring term.
CDC- Career Development Coordinator
CFNC – College Foundation of North Carolina. cfnc.org, a free, online resource to assist with “Helping you Plan, Apply, and Pay for College.”

8. High School Terms (con’t.)
Dual enrollment – taking an off-campus course for graduation credit. Application submitted in advance of taking the course (usually with community college).
Elective course – any course not specifically required for graduation but taken as an option to fulfill the required number of credits for graduation.
EOC Tests- End-of-Course Exams created by the state. Counts for 25% of grade. All students must pass the 3 EOC’s to meet graduation requirements- Common Core I (i.e, Algebra I), English II, and Biology.
FRC –Future-Ready Core graduation requirements. All students are in “Future Ready” Core.
GPA – Grade Point Average calculated by dividing the quality points earned by number of courses taken.

9. High School Terms (con’t)
Honors Course-advanced course earning 1 extra quality point for the final grade in the weighted GPA.
IB Diploma Programme- International Baccalaureate – advanced program available at 2 magnet high schools, Millbrook and Garner.
NCAA Clearinghouse – National Collegiate Athletic Assoc.-student athletes must register to participate in varsity college sports (see Athletic director for more info).
NCVPS – North Carolina Virtual Public Schools-online courses available under certain circumstances to students enrolled in NC public schools.
NC Wise Number (same as student’s lunch number).
NHS – National Honor Society

10. High School Terms (con’t.)
Quality Points – Points earned for passing a course, honors, AP, and IB courses are allotted extra quality points for weighted GPA.
Required Course – Course that must be taken and passed in order to earn a high school diploma.
SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test – college/university admission assessment.
SAT II –Subject tests within the SAT – required for some college admissions.
SPAN –Student Parent Access Network – parents and students can monitor grades, attendance, and discipline on this website.
Transcript – Official document listing courses, grades, GPA, class rank.

11. High School Terms (con’t.)
UNC admission requirements- minimum requirements for admission to the 16 public colleges and universities within the UNC system in North Carolina—slightly more rigorous than the minimum NC graduation requirements.
Unweighted GPA – the grade point average calculated without adjustment for academic level of the courses taken.
VoCATS – State-mandated final exams for CTE courses.
Weighted GPA – the grade point average calculated by adjusting quality points according to the academic level of the courses taken – Honors, AP, IB.

12. End Of Course Tests EOC tests are required for:
Common Core Math I (formerly called Algebra 1)
Biology
English II
EOC’s count as 25% of the final course grade!

13. Math – 4 Credits
Common Core Math I (i.e, formerly Algebra I)
Common Core II (i.e., Geometry)
Algebra II (will be called Common Core III in academic year)
and a 4th Math Course to be aligned with the student's post high school plans (example: Advanced Functions and Modeling, Honors Pre-Calculus, Discrete Math, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB & BC). It is recommended by colleges for a student to take a math class in the senior year.
In the rare instance a student is unable to complete the math requirements, upon principal approval, they may be exempt (see Sanderson Program Guide).

14. Science – 3 Credits Earth Science/A.P. Environmental Science
Biology or Hon. Biology (paired with Common Core II, i.e., Hon. Geometry)
Physical Science (Chemistry, Physics, etc.)

15. English – 4 Credits
English I, II, III, & IV

16. Social Studies – 4 Credits
World History
Civics and Economics
American History I: The Founding
Principles, and
American History II.
If a student is taking Paideia, World History, the Social Studies for 9th grade, will be combined with the L/A, as a yearlong class, every other day, with Friday being an integrated class of the two courses.

17. Health and Physical Education – 1 Credit
We highly recommend it be completed during freshman year!

18. World Language
Not required for high school graduation, but 2 credits (minimum) required for admission to the UNC system.

19. Foreign Language
Foreign Language is generally not recommended for 9th graders unless continuing the language from middle school.
Spanish, French, German, Latin
Language course offerings vary from school to school!

20. Computer Skills
No requirement, and currently there is not a computer proficiency test.

21. Future-Ready Core Course of Study
English I,II,III,IV
Math
Science
Social Studies
Healthful Living
10 Total Electives:
6 “Specific Electives” of any combination
from CTE, Arts, Foreign Languages, or
Subject electives:
2 Electives (from CTE, Arts or Foreign Language)
and 4 “Concentration” Electives = 6
4 Electives from any area. 4
Total Credits 26

22. CTE Concentrations (Career and Technical Education)
Electives – 10 Credits
6 “Specific” elective credits of any combination from CTE, Arts, Foreign Languages, or subject areas.
4 of the 6 elective credits are strongly recommended from one of the following areas: CTE, JROTC, Arts or any other subject area (Math, Science, English, Social Studies). Doing this, students are able to concentrate in an area of special interest.
4 elective credits from any area.

23. CAREER CLUSTERS (State Career Cluster list has 16 – not all schools have each cluster.)
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, Technology & Communications
Business Management & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Admin.
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics

24. It All Starts with Recommendations…
The eighth grade teachers will make ninth grade course recommendations in SAM
(School Assistant Model).
High School Levels-
Academic, Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP or IB). AP classes usually start in 10th grade.
The ninth grade teachers will be able to see what the eighth grade teachers recommend.

25. Thoughts to Ponder… The block schedule pace is fast.
4 courses/credits each semester. Each course is 90 minutes.
An entire year’s worth of curriculum is compressed into one semester.
Grades start accumulating from day 1! No time to “catch up” later in the year. So…..
Think carefully about high school activities and how much time they will take (band, athletics, drama, etc.)
Ask yourself—would I have time to do all of this?
Your student WILL HAVE HOMEWORK MOST NIGHTS!
Students do not get to select which courses they get each semester. Students could get 3 honors courses in the same semester, not spread out between 2 semesters.

26. REGISTER FOR 8 COURSES and 3 Alternate Electives on SPAN
English course…
Plus Freshman Seminar
Math course
Science course
Social Studies course
Healthful Living I (Strongly recommended)
Elective Course
And 3 Alternate Elective Courses
* Students do not get to select which courses they actually each semester.

27. Sample Schedule Semester 1 English I /Freshman Seminar (year-long)
MITSA (Microsoft IT Academy)
Earth Science
Common Core Math IA
Semester 2
English/Seminar con’t.
Healthful Living
World History
Common Core Math IB

28. Sample Schedule Semester 1 Paideia English/Paideia World History
Healthful Living
Special Topics in Math (which is Algebra I Plus)
Architectural Drafting I
Semester 2
Paideia English and World History con’t. (yearlong)
Visual Art I
Common Core II Honors (ie. Hon. Geometry)
Biology Honors

29. SPAN
Students can register for high school courses through SPAN at home on the weekend of March 1st. Do not “finalize” the course selections. We will do that in the computer lab on March 6th and 7th.  
All students must have a parent-signed copy of their high school course selection sheet returned to their Social Studies teacher or to Ms. Russell by Friday, March 15th.
During the weeks of March 4th and 11th, Ms. Russell will be available in the computer lab during your child’s Social Studies class and other times, when needed, to help students with SPAN registration.

30. Registering on SPAN
Detailed instructions will be available in the packets that will be sent home the end of Feb.
Students will select 8 primary (1st choice) credit courses AND 3 alternate elective (2nd choice) credit courses.
Choose CAREFULLY because many 9th graders will have alternates in their final schedule.

31. CMS HS Registration Timeline
By Feb. 22nd - Teacher Recommendations will be completed.
Power point presentation on Transition to H.S. will be shown to the students. Packets will be sent home to include:
1. On Line H.S. Registration Sheet for SPAN
2. Sanderson 9th Gr. Course Selection Worksheets . Leesville, Millbrook other high schools 9th grade course selection sheets will be available in the computer lab during registration days.
If you wish to register online on SPAN at home, you will be able to do so over the March 1st weekend. Please do NOT “finalize” the course selections, as we will be doing so in the computer lab on March 6th and 7th.
Weeks of March 4th and March 11th - Students will be doing SPAN high school registration during Social Studies classes in the computer lab on March 6th and 7th. Other times to register will also be available, as needed, on an individual basis the following week of March 11.
By March 15th – Students must turn in signed copy of H.S. course selection sheet to Social Studies teacher for Ms. Russell. Changes will be made the week of March 18th.
All high school registration will be completed by Friday, March 22nd.
We will start filling out the Four-Year-Graduation Plan Sheet after spring break.

32. Sample Four-Year Graduation Plans
Sample Four-Year Graduation Plans. These can help you plan for your high school experience and beyond. Admissions requirements vary from institution to institution. Be sure to check the specific requirements of the college, university, or institution of interest.

33. TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS
Open House Dates
TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOLS
Sanderson – Feb. 12th 6:30-8:30 pm
Millbrook – Feb. 19th 6:30- 7:45 pm
Leesville – Feb. 7th
Southeast Raleigh – Feb. 21st 6:00 pm
TRANSFER DATES…. Available online Feb. 18th to March 1st.
By March 8th, students will know their school assignment.

34. College Planning? In Middle School?
College Admission Offices pay careful attention to the following:
Grade Point Average (GPA)
Difficulty of course load
SAT/ACT scores
Class rank
HS and community activities, involvement
Recommendations
IT’S NEVER TOO EARLY TO START PLANNING!

35. GPA & Quality Points- Grade Point Average is based upon quality points.
Standard
Honors
AP Courses A 4 5 6 B 3 C 2 D 1 F

36. CUMULATIVE GPA 9th GRADE 10th GRADE Course Grade QP Course Grade QP
Honors English I D 2
Common Core I D 1
Earth Science F 0
World Hist D 1
Healthful Liv F 0
Speech C 2
Computer App C 2
Teen Liv F 0
TOTAL QPs 8
8 QP’s divided by 8= GPA
10th GRADE
Course Grade QP
English II C 2
Common Core II B 3
Earth Science A 4
Econ/Civics C 2
Healthful Liv A 4
Chorus A 4
Biology C 2
Computer App II A 4
TOTAL QPs
25 QP’s divided by 8 = GPA

37. EXAMPLE – 11th GRADE COURSE GRADE QUALITY PTS. AP English III B 5
Honors Algebra II A 5
Honors Chemistry B 4
US History A 4
French I A 4
French II B 3
Chorus A 4
Photography A ________4
33 QT. PT
33 QP’s divided by 8 = GPA

38. CUMULATIVE GPA

39. TOTAL QUALITY POINTS Divided by TOTAL CREDITS = GPA
66 QP’s DIVIDED BY 24 credits = 2.75 C+
Remember the 11th grade GPA?? (A)
Freshman Year Counts!

40. CFNC – The College Foundation of North Carolina
Numerous resources for high school/college planning.
Access CFNC, check out the high school planner tab for more information

41. Welcome to the new CFNC.org Hot Topics
My CFNC
Plan
Apply
Pay
Save (NC 529)
Access Your Account
Welcome to the new CFNC.org
Watch a brief video to learn more about the new look of CFNC.org
Hot Topics
Access Your Account
Username:  
Password:  
           
FORGOT YOUR  USERNAME OR  PASSWORD? CREATE MY CFNC ACCOUNT
Hot Topics
Apply to College
You can apply for admissions online to 110 NC colleges and universities, AND request your official electronic high school transcript. Get started today!
             
SAT? ACT? Test Prep Help
Need to get ready for the SAT or ACT? Use our free Test Prep tool to practice your test-taking skills. It's easy on CFNC!
September is College
Check It Out
Financial Aid Primer
eLearningNC.gov
Financial Literacy
My CFNC Story
CFNC Events
Webinars, Seminars, and Training Classes on a Variety of Subjects.
Learn More/Register
CFNC is a tool for all students to create high school graduation plans, search and apply to colleges, and locate information regarding grants and scholarships. In collaboration with all North Carolina colleges and universities, CFNC allows students to browse college majors, careers, and create an individual profile specific to their needs. The site also provides links to various resources, such as a financial aid calculator, a high school planning timeline, and completing practice college applications. Students can directly apply to all North Carolina colleges, and find out key information about each institution such as average GPA, SAT scores, and athletics. Be sure to create your individual profile so that you can take advantage of CFNC’s unique features throughout your high school career.
Featured Resources
News & Notes
College Board Study Praises CFNC
CFNC Wins National 'Best Practices' Award For Electronic High School Transcripts System
NC 529 Plan Offers New Federally-Insured Deposit Account Option
GEAR UP North Carolina GEAR UP North Carolina is committed to helping students reach their full potential and go to college!
NC 529 Plan North Carolina's 529 plan can help make college more affordable.
Paws in Jobland Join PAWS for a fun way to learn about jobs

42. Attendance
Wake County policy dictates that a student absent for more than 10 days in a semester class or 20 days in a yearlong class can be assigned a grade of FF indicating failure due to excessive absences. This includes both excused and unexcused absences.
2 absences in a block scheduled class is like missing 4 days of learning.
Parent may appeal the failure to an attendance committee comprised of teachers and administrators

43. LEARNER’S PERMIT 14 ½ Years old 30 hours in the driver’s ed classroom
6 hours actual driving
DMV and DPI require that students under the age of 18 pass 3 of 4 classes each semester to earn and to keep their Driver’s License.

44. DWFHS (Driving while Failing High School)
Students must pass 70% of courses (3 out of 4 on a block schedule) to be able to obtain or maintain their drivers license!

45. Top Transition Survival Tips
Be interested and enthusiastic about your child’s
move to high school.
Don’t plan family vacations during the school year!
Make sure your child keeps his/her mind engaged during the summer.
Take your child to visit a college over the summer.
When in doubt, ask! You have probably heard that before!
Know your student’s high school’s homepage. Know important dates.
Teach your child how to advocate for themselves – only get involved when necessary - but check their SPAN account!
Know the College Foundation of North Carolina website. Become familiar with the various links. Have your child create a username and password and start the Profile “About Me” page.

46. Day One Counts, Start off on the right foot!!!!!
Remember…
Day One Counts, Start off on the right foot!!!!!

47. THANK YOU for your attendance and assistance in your child’s registration process.
Questions or comments…..
Please contact Barbara Russell,
8th Grade Counselor