Graduation Plans & Scheduling for Class of 2018 & 2019 at Chaparral Star Academy

1. GRADUTION PLANS & SCHEDULING For 2016-17 (Class of 2018 & 2019) Chaparral Star Academy

2. PERSONAL GRADUATION PLAN OVERVIEW • Your personal graduation plan (PGP) contains numerous sections each with a different meaning for your specific graduation requirements • This presentation will explain each section of your PGP • The school’s website also has great information on the following topics: • House Bill 5 (HB5) Graduation Plans: http://chaparralstaracademy.com/hb5-graduation-plans/ • Programs of Study (PoS): http://chaparralstaracademy.com/programs-of-study-pos/

3. THE FOUNDATION PLAN • The Foundation Plan is: • English I, II, III & an advanced English course [4 credits] • Algebra I, Geometry & an advanced math course [3 credits] • Biology & 2 advanced science courses (one could be IPC) [3 credits] • US History, Gov/Econ & (World Geography OR World History) [3 credits] • PE [1 credit] • Language Other than English I & II [2 credits] • Fine Arts [1 credit] • Electives [5 credits] • This is for a total of 22 credits • This is now considered a high school diploma and is all that is required for graduation.

4. ENDORSEMENTS • The FOUNDATION PLAN expands the availability of career and technology (CTE) courses, and encourages students to select a personal pathway of study, called an ENDORSEMENT • In addition to the foundation plan, a student can choose to take additional courses to earn an ENDORSEMENT • A student must earn at least 26 credits to earn an ENDORSEMENT (basically 4 more credits) • 2 of those 4 additional credits must include additional math & science courses (bringing each of those up to 4 credits) • The commissioner & the state recommend that all students graduate with an endorsement • Chaparral Star Academy expects & encourages all students to graduate with an endorsement • Doing so ensures students have the maximum opportunity and options available to them

5. ENDORSEMENTS • There are 5 possible ENDORSEMENTS (each with a distinct theme) • STEM • Business & Industry • Public Services • Arts & Humanities • Multidisciplinary • Your PoS indicates which endorsement you have chosen • You can change your endorsement at any time!

7. DISTINGUISHED ACHEIVEMENT • A student may earn a distinguished level of achievement by successfully completing: • four credits in mathematics, which must include Algebra II • four credits in science • the Foundation Plan requirements • the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement

8. PERFORMANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • A student may earn a PERFORMANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT by doing any of the following (1 for each one completed): • Completing at least 12 hours of college academic courses with an A or B in each course • Earning an associate’s degree • Taking 4 years of a foreign language with certain qualifications • Earning a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam • Earning qualifying scores on PSAT, ACT and/or SAT • Earning a business or industry certification

9. COHERENT SEQUENCE • Coherent sequences of CTE courses parallels the mission of the career clusters • A coherent sequence is a sequence of ELECTIVE courses that a student can take through a career cluster to help him/her achieve college-ready skills in the cluster most closely related to the program of study chosen • Basically, it’s 3-4 ELECTIVE courses that a student takes throughout high school that helps him/her gain skills for a certain profession. • Last year, you made a choice of which coherent sequence to start (PIT or COMP PROG, PAAVTC or PHS) • CSA offers 3 different coherent sequences

10. HUMAN SERVICES CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Human Services: 1.) Principles of Human Services 2.) Interpersonal Studies 3.) Counseling & Mental Health 4.) Practicum in Human Services

11. ARTS, AV TECH & COMM CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Arts, A/V Technology and Communication: 1.) Principles of AAVTC 2.) Graphic Design & Illustration 3.) Commercial Photography 4.) Advanced Commercial Photo.

12. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Information Technology: 1.) Principles of Information Tech 2.) Computer Programming 3.) Adv. Comp. Programming 4.) Research in IT Solutions

13. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan includes the specific plan (FHSP – Foundation High School Program), endorsement, Career Cluster, Program of Study (PoS), and session at CSA

14. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also outlines the expectations of the Foundation High School Program. For more information, please visit our website at http://chaparralstaracademy.com/hb5-graduation-plans/

15. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also outlines the expectations to earn an endorsement. For specific methods of earning an endorsement at CSA, please visit http://chaparralstaracademy.com/hb5-graduation-plans/ and look at the “How can a CSA student earn each endorsement?”

16. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also outlines the expectations to meet in order for the student to graduate distinguished.

17. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also indicates the specific endorsement he/she chose. “Pursuing” is listed next to the specific endorsement he/she chose.

18. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also indicates how he student performed on the 5 necessary EOC exams for graduation. II indicates Level II Satisfactory performance, and III represents Level III Advanced performance. N/A indicates the student did not take the exam, but met the requirements otherwise.

19. Personal Graduation Plan Overview The student’s chosen graduation plan also indicates the student’s current GPA & Class rank.

20. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section indicates standardized testing results. If you feel there are results missing, please contact Mr. Barnett.

21. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section indicates various diagnostic information about the student.

22. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This middle section represents the courses chosen for the student’s actual graduation plan. During a student’s 8th grade year, this 4-year plan was created. Each year, there is an update process before finalization of scheduled courses for next year.

23. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section indicates if the student has earned an industry certifications or credentials

24. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section indicates if the student has been labeled at-risk because of unsatisfactory performance on a state assessment and his/her respective accelerated instruction (AI) plan

25. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section indicates how the school will monitor the progress of the student throughout high school.

26. Personal Graduation Plan Overview This section is acknowledgement from the parent, student & administration that the importance of a High School Graduation Plan, its endorsements, the distinguished level of achievement, and the importance of postsecondary education, automatic college admission, and eligibility for financial aid have been explained to the parent & student.

27. AP COURSE DECISIONS • Advanced Placement courses (labeled with an (AP) afterward) are courses designed to better prepare students for the rigor of collegiate education by mirroring similar expectations • Typically AP courses require higher-level thinking, placing students in a role of strong expectations • AP curriculum is created for the College Board by a panel of experts and college-level educators in each subject • For a high school course to have the AP designation, the course must be officially audited by the College Board and granted use • When evaluating competitive applications, 4-year universities weigh a student's course selection heavily • Universities want to see students who push themselves toward rigorous challenges, such as AP courses.  In fact, universities often compare the number of AP courses in which a student is enrolled to the available courses at the school. • Also, when it comes to GPA Calculations, grades in AP courses are weighted more. In other words, typically grades in AP courses increase a student’s overall GPA

28. AP COURSE DECISIONS • When it comes to making the decision to take an AP version of a course or not, a common question students have is IS A B/C IN AN AP COURSE BETTER THAN AN A/B IN A NON-AP COURSE? • And the answer isn’t completely clear • If you are talking about GPA and worried about whether it will “drop my GPA,” it all completely depends on what your current GPA is. Let’s look at the chart to explain. • If you are talking about college admissions, admissions officers look at your courseload and your GPA as two major factors (often times as equals). • Taking AP courses is a great way to show you have pushed yourself and risen to the challenge because … THEY ARE TYPICALLY MORE CHALLENGING THAN A NON-AP VERSION (sometimes more work, “harder” homework, higher expectations, more thought-provoking)

29. ELECTIVES & SCHEDULING • Scheduling takes place according to the following priority: • JUNIORS are scheduled first to ensure timely graduation • SOPHOMORES are scheduled second • FRESHMEN are scheduled third • 8th GRADERS are scheduled fourth • Core courses (ELA, MATH, SCI, SS & FL) are scheduled primarily • Courses necessary for a student to earn an endorsement are included with scheduling core courses • After this, free periods of teachers are matched with students who have free periods • Electives that the teacher can teach depend on the teacher’s qualifications • Overall, electives are primarily chosen based on availability

30. TYPICAL TRACKS Let’s look at the typical track diagram and go through each track explaining your different options!

31. COURSES TAKEN OUTSIDE OF CHAPARRAL STAR ACADEMY • Students may wish to take courses outside of Chaparral Star Academy.  Typical reasons for doing this include: • To advance in a tract (e.g. take Geometry over the summer after Freshmen year to advance a year in math) • To recover lost credit (e.g. failed first semester of a course) • To take a course not offered at Chaparral Star Academy (e.g. take another language versus Spanish) • Students have numerous options (which are explained in a separate document entitled “Courses Other than CSA Overview), which include: • ACC Dual Enrollment • Distance Learning • TxVSN Courses • Credit-By-Exam • Correspondence Courses • Summer School • Credit via CLEP or AP Exams

32. AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGEDUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES • Once a student has completed 8th grade and has enrolled in a high school, he/she can take advantage of Austin Community College’s Dual Credit program. • The Dual Credit program allows students to take FREE college-level courses while in high school, and have the course count for high school credit as well. • Typically, students only have to pay for books! But there are some courses for which you have to pay. • Please refer to the ACC Dual Enrollment section of the school’s website at http://chaparralstaracademy.com/acc-dual-enrollment-ecs/ for more specific information and necessary logistics about taking courses through ACC

33. OFFICE AIDES & FULL SCHEDULE • An office AIDE period is placed in a student’s schedule to fill any “holes” that may have been created due to scheduling, etc. • However, AIDE periods will be minimal next year • In fact, a student must be enrolled in at least 6 instructional courses (except for half-time seniors) • This could mean that you will end up taking an elective you didn’t request • This also means that if you want to make a schedule change after the master schedule has been finalized (i.e. after Round-Up), there would need to be another course for you to take during that period or else, the schedule change cannot be made • For juniors & seniors who will be taking ACC courses during the year, you can count each college course as 1 of your 6 • Student AIDE periods/Study Hall does NOT count toward the 6, so a student will be placed in a course until the 6 is met

34. ONLINE SCHEDUILNG FORM • Students & Parents will complete an online form for scheduling for the 2016-17 school year • The online scheduling form will be e-mailed to the student soon after the initial delivery of this presentation • Shortly after completion of the scheduling form, correspondence with Mr. Barnett may begin to finalize and update the graduation plan • However, completion of the scheduling form is due by DATE TBD • Once the graduation plan has been updated, a new one will be printed and sent home (along with other paperwork) to gather signatures. • Signed graduation plan are due back to the front office by DATE TBD

35. QUESTIONS? Please direct all questions to Mr. Barnett at krisbarnett@chaparralstaracademy.com Or by calling the front office at 512.989.2672