The Scholars Academy: An Accelerated Program for Horry County’s Gifted Learners

1. The Scholars Academy: An Accelerated Program forHorry County’s Gifted Learners

2. What We Are… Established in 2003 as a partnership between Horry County Schools and Coastal Carolina University, the Scholars Academy program enables gifted learners to meet the requirements for a high school diploma while being challenged by a combination of honors, Advanced Placement, and dual credit courses.

3. Where We Are… The Scholars Academy is located on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. The high school classroom setting is in Baxley Hall, but students have classes in other locations as well.

4. Who We Serve… College X HighSchool Diploma HSAP X X X X Continuum of Learning X XX X X X X X X

5. Students enter the Scholars Academy as 9th graders only. They may remain at the Scholars Academy for 4 years or enter the International Baccalaureate program their junior year. Students graduate with a high school diploma from their base schools with up to two years college credit. How We Work…

6. How We Work… Students remain enrolled in their base schools and retain opportunities and eligibility for fine arts, sports, and other extracurricular activities. Students are bused to and from the base high schools to CCU.

7. How We Work… Ninth and tenth graders are taught and supervised primarily by teachers from Horry County Schools with some integration into Advanced Placement and dual credit courses. Eleventh and twelfth graders take a combination of Advanced Placement and college courses.

8. CCU Campus The Wall Building The Prince Building The Edwards Building Bill Baxley Hall CINO Grille

9. COURSE OF STUDY

10. Requirements • Students are required to take the following courses: • AP English Literature • AP English Language • AP Government & Politics • AP US History • One AP mathematics course • One AP science course • At least one college course each semester beginning with the spring semester of the freshman year.

11. Requirements, continued • Students are expected to maintain a 3.0 grade point average on all high school and college courses. • Students who make below a C in any course are placed on Academic Probation. Earning a grade below a C in any class the following term results in dismissal from the program. • Any student who makes below a C in a college course must reimburse the district for the cost of the course and the textbook(s). • Students complete 24 Hours of Community Service each year.

12. Advanced Placement Opportunities Face-to-face learning opportunities in the following Advanced Placement courses are currently available to students at Scholars: • AP Calculus AB • AP Calculus BC • AP Statistics • AP Biology • AP Chemistry • AP Physics • AP English Literature & Composition • AP English Language & Composition • AP Government & Politics • AP World History • AP US History & Constitution • AP Comparative Government

13. NINTH GRADE Fall Term English 1 Honors or English 2 Honors Geometry Honors or Algebra 2 Honors Physical Science Honors AP Government Freshman Seminar Music Ensemble Spring Term English 1 or 2 Honors Algebra 2 Honors or Pre-calculus Honors Chemistry Honors AP Government Economics Honors Dual Credit Foreign Language (110) Physical Education

14. TENTH GRADE Fall Term AP Language & Composition AP US History Biology Honors Algebra 3-Trig Honors, AP Calculus, or AP Statistics Dual Credit Foreign Language (120) Music Ensemble, Yearbook or Newspaper Spring Term AP Language & Composition AP US History Physics Honors Pre-calculus Honors, AP Calculus, or AP Statistics Dual Credit Foreign Language (130) Physical Education Music Ensemble, Yearbook, or Newspaper

15. ELEVENTH GRADE Fall Term AP Literature & Composition AP World History or dual credit history AP Calculus or AP Statistics AP Biology or AP Chemistry Dual credit electives Spring Term AP Literature & Composition AP World History or dual credit history AP Calculus or AP Statistics AP Biology or AP Chemistry Dual credit electives

16. TWELFTH GRADE Fall Term • AP Calculus or AP Statistics • AP Physics or AP Biology • AP Comparative Government • College English • College mathematics (Calculus III, etc.) • Teacher Cadet Spring Term • AP Calculus or AP Statistics • AP Physics or AP Biology • AP Comparative Government • Dual credit electives • College English or math • Teacher Cadet

17. Distinctions AP Success Rates We administered 13 different AP content area exams in May 2008, to all students who took an AP course. Success rate of students scoring 3-5 was 95%. The percentage of 4’s and 5’s scored on all exams was 74%.

18. AP Comparisons

19. Distinctions There are 6 National Merit Semi-Finalists in the district this year. Three of them are Scholars Academy students: Denrey Christy, AHS Ben Ujcich, CFHS Logan Chestnut, CHS

20. State Champions:06-07 and 07-08We the People Sophomore Class 06-07 Sophomore Class 07-08

21. SA Students Win in Math Denrey Christy and Clayton Turner took 1st and 2nd places on the mock BC Calculus exam at the Regional Math Competition. Kaylen Warren and Lisa Lynn Schexnayder took 2nd and 3rd in the AB Calculus competition. Denrey Christy also won 2nd place in the individual category at the AVX/CCU Math Competition.

22. SA Students Win in Science AP Biology students earned awards at the Sandhills Region IV Science Fair at Francis Marion University with 1st place finishes in the Social/Behavioral Category, 1st and 2nd place team finishes, and several individual 2nd and 3rd place wins.

23. Induction into Phi Eta Sigma Phi Eta Sigma, a national honor society for college freshmen, has invited 34 Scholars Academy students to join based on their number of college credit hours and a college GPA of 3.5. Anna Dierksheide, CFHS

24. 2009 Seniors SAT Data Scholars Gov Sch AMHS State Nation Average Reading 661 674 625 486 501 Average Math 706 682 626 496 515 Average Writing 650 669 618 470 493 Composite 2017 2025 1869 1452 1509

25. SAT Data

26. GPA Comparison with CCU Freshmen The cumulative GPA of Coastal Carolina University freshmen at the end of the spring 2009 semester was 2.822. Comparatively, Scholars Academy seniors’ GPA was 3.8.

27. Scholars Academy Graduates…. The graduating class of 2009, only 13 students, earned 3.6 million dollars in scholarship money. Currently, these and former SA graduates are attending: • Duke University • Johns Hopkins University • Virginia Tech • Stanford University • Wofford College • University of Central Florida • Coastal Carolina University- Honors Program • College of Charleston-Honors College • University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill • University of South Carolina- Honors College

28. CWRA Scoring and our CWRA Results Holistic assessment of common skills • Critical Thinking • Analytic Reasoning • Written Communication • Problem Solving Measurement of college readiness Blue squares = 177 colleges Orange squares=schools that also tested high school seniors Solid orange square=SA seniors

29. 2009 CWRA Results Stated… “Without adjusting for academic ability, your participating seniors performed, as a group, better than 99% of the institutions of higher education that tested college freshmen as part of the CLA in fall 2008.” Adjusting for ability as indicated on SAT and ACT…”your seniors performed well above the expected performance of first-year student samples at CLA colleges with similar mean EAA.” …from the CWRA College Readiness Report

30. From the Students:

31. Community Service

32. Student Learning Opportunities “Canstruction” Project AP Chemistry Halloween Show Balloon Powered Car Races

33. Teacher Cadets Student Learning Opportunities Poetry Out Loud Hands-On Calculus

34. Erin Kelly, SHS, with CCU professor Students in the St.A.R.T. program: • participate in real on-going research with CCU professors • learn advanced research techniques and develop an original research project ● enter research projects in local and regional science fairs ● present research at CCU’s “Celebration of Inquiry” during the spring

35. Campus Life

36. SA Traditions The Coffeehouse Tailgating The Dance

37. SA Traditions Huntington Beach State Park

38. Base School Student Involvement • Sports: track, cheerleading, basketball, baseball, golf, tennis, cross country, volleyball, football, soccer, and swimming • Orchestra and band • National Honor Societies, Beta Club, • Academic Teams • Mock Trial • Student Government • FCA MBHS Marching Band

39. Applicant Selection Process Round One: PSAT/EXPLORE Scores Aptitude/Achievement Scores Academic Course Grades Discipline & Attendance Records Application Responses Academic Recommendations

40. Applicant Selection Process Round Two: Student Interview Essay Prerequisite for Admission Consideration: Honors Algebra 1 Strongly Recommended Prerequisites: Honors Geometry and Honors English 1

41. Opportunity to Visitat Scholars Eighth Grade students may schedule a time to visit the Scholars Academy once a completed application is on file. Please call 349-4117 to schedule a time to visit during the months of December, January, or February. Tours last 1.5 hours and will be conducted by Scholars Academy upperclassmen.

42. Applications 2009-2010 applicationsare available on our website athttp://scholars.horrycountyschools.net. or from your guidance office.Applications are not evaluated until the closing date of January 31, 2010. Applications received after the deadline will only be considered if space is available.

43. Horry County Schools Accelerated Secondary Programs