CTAE, Pathways, and Electives, Oh My!

1. CTAE, Pathways, and Electives, Oh My! Surviving the High School Years

2. High School Requirements • All students need a minimum of 24 credits to graduate • 20 core credits • 4 Pathway credits • 20 minimum hours of community service (starts in 9th grade) • Pass required end of course tests (EOCT) {I’ve marked these classes with “@”}

3. Math Core • Mathematics CCGPS 9th - Coordinate Algebra@ 10th - Analytic Geometry@ 11th - Advanced Algebra 12th - Pre-Calculus or Approved 4th Option OR 9th - Accelerated Coordinate Algebra/Analytic Geometry A@ 10th - Accelerated Analytic Geometry B/Advanced Algebra@ 11th - Accelerated Pre-Calculus 12th - AP Calculus, AP Statistics, Advanced level Mathematics course or Approved 4thOption Note: For math, “Accelerated” means “Honors”

4. English Language Arts Core • 9th Literature & Composition @ • 10th Literature & Composition • 11th American Literature & Composition@ • 12th grade British Literature & Composition *Note: AP, IB, or college credit classes may be substituted for American or British Lit.

5. Science Core • Biology@ • Physical Science@ or Physics • Chemistry, or Earth Science, or Earth Systems • Approved fourth year science Note: AP, IB, or college credit courses may be substituted for any of these courses if available

6. Social Studies Core • World History (1 credit) • American Government (.5) • United States History@(1 credit) • Economics@ (.5 or 1.0) Note: AP, IB, or college credit may be substituted for any of these courses.

7. Everything Else in the Core • 2 consecutive credits of a World Language • 1 unit of Health and Personal Fitness • 1 unit of CTAE (Careers, Technology, Agriculture, and Engineering), usually an introductory business and computers class

8. What are Pathways? • The idea is to have a “well rounded” high school diploma • All students are potentially “college ready” or “work force ready” (depending on their interest) once they graduate high school, potentially both! • Students who are unsure will have opportunities to “dabble” while still having a college ready diploma • Will help prevent students from having transcripts with the dreaded “Seven Credits of Weight Lifting” by graduation • A Pathway is a set of classes in a particular area of interest to a student that goes above and beyond the Core Graduation Requirements that the student is interested in learning more about

9. The Four Pathways • Advanced Academics • World Languages • Fine Arts • CTAE

10. Advanced Academics • Students must complete 4 credits in any core area with one unit being Advanced Placement • Students must earn two sequential courses in one World Language NOTE: colleges like to see at LEAST three units of World Language (in fact, some require it if your child is looking out of state or at certain Universities)

11. World Language • Students must earn 3 sequential credits in the same World Language NOTE: by the end of this year, students will have only earned one (1.0) credit in Spanish. Students MUST pass part A and part B to earn a FULL credit. There is no such thing as partial credit for foreign language!

12. Fine Arts • Students must complete 4 sequential credits in one Fine Arts Subject (provided the school offers it). • Visual Arts • Music • Dance • Journalism YES: Intermediate Band 1, Intermediate Jazz Band 1, Intermediate Band 2, Mastery Band 1 NO: Visual Art 1, Intermediate Band 1, Journalism 1, Photography 1

13. CTAE (Careers, Technology, Agriculture and Engineering) • Students must earn 4 credits in a specific CTAE Pathway • Option A: at zoned school in a program like business or ROTC • Option B: at Specialty School (Islands Vet. Program, Jenkins Engineering) • Option C: attend Woodville Tompkins part-time (firefighting, CISCO, nursing, piloting, hospitality, etc). Many of these students will be at least certified to enter workforce by graduation!

14. How it all works • Between now and the end of the year, students will begin exploring various options through the GA411 program to help them to start thinking about some of the choices they need to make • Students will work with Miss Eallonardo to complete the Four Year Plan online (GA411). • Students will be making their first “Pathway Decision” by the end of this school year. This is not “set in stone”! • Pathway decision will be revisited again between now and tenth grade, so students are allowed to change their mind • By tenth grade, some of the programs are sequential, so students will have to have their minds made up

15. Specialty School Process • January 8: applications were made available online, paper applications are still available at the schools and at the front desk of the Central Administration Building, 208 Bull Street. You may apply only once to a school. You may apply to no more than three (3) schools per child. • You will also need to complete the "Specialty School Lottery Application Checklist" • During the month of January (if you haven't made up your mind) the schools will be having their open houses as well as offering tours. Many of them come to Coastal to meet with our students. • Between January 8th and February 7th, Miss Eallonardo and Ms. Shambayati will be available to make copies of records (ex, CRCT scores, report cards, etc) for you. You will need to take the documentation to the respective school(s). • All applications and supplemental paperwork are due by noon on Friday, February 7, 2014 to their respective schools by noon. • February 26, 2014: emails are sent to parents with their child's placement. Also, letters are sent out with notices of acceptance or Wait list status will be mailed. • February 27- March 14, 2014: Registration for Specialty Schools online. Computers are available at the schools for those who need them. • If available, March 17, 2014: Wait List callouts begin for untaken seats. You will have only 24 hours to accept the spot. If you do not accept within 24 hours, the seat goes to the next student on the list.

16. Specialty Schools • If you hit submit and realize you made a mistake, contact Andrea Deshazo @ Academic Affairs (395-3450). Do not resubmit a new application! This will count as two applications and your child will be disqualified! • If your child decides after you have submitted the application they want to apply to another school, DO NOT start a new application! This is grounds for disqualification as it counts as “double applying” and your child will be disqualified. Again, contact Andrea and she will add on the new school. • It is okay to do siblings on separate applications at different times. • For Savannah Arts: students will do their auditions first. If they pass their audition, then their applications will be sent along for the lottery.