A Mixed Bag: How a variety of courses can be used to meet the A-G requirements UC Counselor Conference September 2015

A Mixed Bag: How a variety of courses can be used to meet

the A-G requirementsUC Counselor Conference

September 2015

COUNSELOR CONFERENCE 2015

Focus of Presentation

Students often present a complex array of courses from a variety of entities -

other states, another California high school, other countries, online courses,

home-schooling experiences, and colleges courses - that can make it difficult

to determine if they have met the UC freshman admission subject

requirements.

• The panel will provide various examples and scenario combinations to illustrate the best ways to assist students in meeting the requirements.

We will help you answer the question:

Have the

requirements been met?


Different Schools

How can students meet subject requirements when they transfer to a different school?

• Transferring schools in the same school district, from a different school district in California, and/or another U.S. State: o UC accepts pass along credit from one U.S. high school to another as long as the

coursework appears on the final transcript.

• Transferring from an unaccredited school• UC does not recognize courses completed at an unaccredited school – students with

solely unaccredited education must meet UC requirements by Examination Scores alone

• Transferring from schools in another country to a U.S. high school: o Students need to submit their international high school transcript and their U.S. high

school transcript. We do not accept pass along credit in cases of international schooling.

UC’s Quick Reference for Counselors guide is available for counselors to assist students in meeting admission requirements.


Home-School Courses• All home-schools

Family-created school - admission by exam only

Oversight by public high school district – school district issues official transcript and awards diploma

All online courses –the online school has a UC-approved course list and issues official transcript and awards diploma

• Mixed Academic Records Some home-schooling, some California high school enrollment and/or college

courses

Combination of home-schooling, some out-of-state and some CA high school enrollment

• Question Do previously home-schooled students need to retake UC approved courses if

they begin attending a traditional high school?


Online Schools versus Online Course Publishers

• Online schools are credit-granting institutions that offer the majority of their courses through internet-based methods• School must have a UC-approved course list• Issue an official transcript and awards a diploma

• Home high school should not transcript the course• Student must indicate enrollment with the school on the admission

application

• Online Course Publishers develop curriculum and sell/license their online courses for delivery by a high school or school district• Does not issue credit toward a diploma; instead credit is issued by the

student's home high school.• When a high school contracts with an online course publisher it must:

• Add the providers’ course on the school’s course list• Transcript the course


Online Courses• Only UC-approved online courses can be used

Principal certification of non-UC approved online courses is no longer acceptable

• Online courses that were completed and certified prior to the 2013-2014 are exempt

• Online college courses can be used to meet all subject requirements

• Online High School versus College Courses

Lab Science• Online high school-level lab science course may be UC-approved

if the course includes a supervised, on-site, wet lab component• Online college-level lab science ARE acceptable

VPA• Online high school-level visual and performing arts (“f”) courses are NOT

acceptable• Online college-level VPA courses ARE acceptable


College Courses

• College/University courses can be used to meet subject requirements

Individual courses completed during summer or academic year Dual Enrollment = high school & college simultaneous enrollment at

two different school in an official program Middle College High School = completion of high school and

college course on a college campus

• UC-transferable College Courses

CCC transferability can be searched using the TCA on ASSIST.org Non-CCC courses can also be used to meet A-G

• Statement of Transfer Credit Practices


College Courses

Non-transferable college courses acceptable for areas

“b” & “c” only

• Area “b” - English composition/literature A non UC-transferable course can be used to meet the first 3

years of the area “b” requirement

• Area “c” - Math Non UC-transferable courses in elementary algebra,

geometry, or intermediate/advanced algebra can be used to meet 1 year each of the requirement


International Courses

• Passport or Residency not the Issue

System of Education/Curriculum is what matters

• Language of Instruction (LOI), Courses, Grading Scale

Courses can meet subject requirements

• Mixed Records

Combination of International, Non-California, and/or California

Records


International Courses

• Repeating Classes

Students should be placed in appropriate grade level based on

previous knowledge

Only courses with deficient grades can be repeated Be aware of similar course titles -- do not have students repeat

the same course; rather have students move forward

• Successful completion of a similar courses abroad can meet subject requirements


Study Abroad for U.S. Students

• Excellent opportunity for students

• College-prep courses taken abroad can be used to meet subject requirements

Example: Carole studies abroad in France, language of instruction is French; the student takes the same courses as the French students

• The courses will be evaluated in the same way;

whether the student is a U.S. citizen or not.

• UC strongly prefers an official academic record from the study abroad school but will accept course/grades added to home high school transcript as pass along credit.


Area “b”: Composition/Literature Requirement• 4 years required

No more than 1 year of an ESL/ELD Cannot be completed in the senior year

• ACT/SAT and AP/IB • Minimum score requirements in Quick Reference on page 9

• College Courses

A letter grade of “C” or better is required A non-transferable English Composition and Literature course can be

used to meet 1 of the first 3 years of the requirement

A UC-transferable course can meet the 4th year or the full requirement


Area “b”: Composition/Literature

Requirement• International Courses

Use composition/literature courses in the language of instruction

(e.g. German Language Arts)

• Mixed Records – Intl and US

Use the language of instruction


Is the area “b” requirement met? • Shawn completed grades 9 and 10 at an international school with English as the language

of instruction (LOI). Then, he completed English courses in grades 11 and 12 in the U.S.

YES • Mi-Hi completes grades 9 and 10 at an international school with non-English as the LOI

(e.g. Chinese, Korean). She then completes regular English in grades 11 and 12 in the U.S.

YES • Mary completes 3 years of regular English in a U.S. high school and then completes a non-

transferable English course at a college during senior year.NO

• Jordan completes 3 years of high school with non-English as the LOI and 1 year of ESL in

grade 12 in CA.

NO


Area “e”: Language Other than Language of Instruction (LOTE)

Requirement•2nd level of a language (other than the language of instruction) is required

• How to meet the requirement for a student who is coming from a

high school where the Language of Instruction was NOT English

• Additional methods of documenting proficiency in a language

other than English:

Formal Schooling in a Language other than English = 8th grade

Assessment by a college/university

Certification by high school principal

• Validation of Language Courses


Is the area “e” requirement met? • Giovanni studied in Italy and the language of instruction was Italian. He then moved to the

U.S. for 10th grade.

YES • Amara studied in India, with an English speaking curriculum, her 1st language is not English.

She comes to the U.S. and only completes the 3rd level of Punjabi at a U.S. high school.

YES • Eduardo moves to the U.S., in grade 10, from an international high school w/English as the

LOI, and did not previously complete another language, then he completes Spanish 1 & 2 in the U.S. in grades 11 and 12.

YES • Chun moves to the U.S. from China where the LOI was English. She speaks Cantonese at

home but did not complete another language in school outside the U.S., but insists she is "proficient” in Chinese.

NO


Area “c”: Math Requirement

• Three years are required Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II

or a sequence of integrated-style math

Math I + Math II + Math III

International Math Courses – are commonly taught in an integrated-style

• College Courses Non-transferrable college/university courses are acceptable

• Principal Certification Non-online courses at an institution/program without a UC course

list can be recognized through principal certification.


Area “c”: Math Requirement

• Validation: Subject Omission vs. Grade Deficiency

Subject Omission

Completion of a higher-level course with a letter grade of “C’ or better validates a subject course omission

Grade Deficiency

Grade deficiencies in lower level math courses can be validated by higher-level courses such as Precal, Math lll, Calculus or Math IV


Integrated Math

• In general, a simple way of basically equating single-subject and integrated-style math is as follows:

• Algebra I = Math I• Geometry = Math II• Algebra II = Math III

The phrase “basically equating” is used because Common Core Math

Standards allow instructors flexibility in the topics covered (and the percentage of each topic) in the integrated-style math courses.

UC cannot with certainty know if “sufficient geometry content” is 30, 40, 50 or 80% of a single integrated math course.


Geometry RequirementA full geometry course (or an integrated math course with geometry content) must be completed; it cannot be omitted

• Omission Exceptions• 1st sem omission can be validated by completion of the 2nd sem

geometry

• 1st sem omission of an integrated course (e.g., Math II) can be validated by successful completion of 2nd sem of an integrated course

• Omission of a yearlong integrated course (e.g., Math II) can be validated by completion of a higher-level integrated course (e.g., Math III)

• In all instances validation is met the student earns a letter grade of C or better.


Geometry Requirement

Challenge Exam

◊◊◊UC will accept a “challenge” examination administered by the high school math faculty to demonstrate proficiency to validate the omission of a Geometry course if

the high school awards both grades and units for the successful completion of a Geometry

challenge exam.


Is the area “c” requirement met?• Lesley completed Algebra I and Algebra II with letter grades of C or better, has never taken

Geometry but is taking Calculus now.

NO

• Malcolm completed Algebra I in 8th grade; completed Algebra II at a college earning a grade of B; completed Geometry in which he received an F; and earned a C in Pre-Calculus.

YES

• Meredith has passed Algebra I and Algebra II, failed the first semester of Geometry but passed the second semester of Geometry.

YES

• Robert attended an international high school for the 9th and 10th grades. His math courses were integrated and were listed on his secondary school record only as “Math”. Then he completed Pre-Calculus and Calculus at a California high school.

YES


Area “f”: VPA Requirement

• One year-long course required

• However effective for 2015-16: two one-semester courses from the same

discipline are acceptable

Disciplines: Dance, Music, Theater and Visual Arts

• International Schools – often don’t offer VPA-type courses

• Mixed Records - International and California enrollment VPA course at the California high school may be

required


Is the area “f” requirement met? • Zaid completed a year of online high school music appreciation course.

NO

• Andrea completed one semester of Chamber Orchestra in 10th grade and one semester of Concert Band in 11th grade.

YES

• Hannah completed one semester of Drama and one semester of Intro to Design in 10th grade.

NO

• Brian completes one semester of Ceramics and one semester of Photography.

YES

• Franco attended a school outside of the U.S. for 9th – 11th grades and did not complete a VPA course. He now attends a CA high school for senior year but isn’t enrolled in a VPA course.

NO


Resources

• Quick Reference for Counselors: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference-2015.pdf

• The September 2015 version will be available in a few weeks; the current version is still on the web.

• Online Course Guidelines: ucop.edu/agguide/online-learning/

• Home-Schooled Student Information: admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/freshman/homeschool/index.html

• Using International Courses to meet subject requirements: Refer to the Quick Reference for Counselors guide


Resources

• Transferable Community College Courses: A-G Course List website hs-articulation.ucop.edu/agcourselist

Transferable Course Agreement (TCA) at assist.org

• A-G Subject Requirements

Content Expectations and FAQs:

• Click on each link on the left:

ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/index.html

Thank you!

Questions??Admission requirements, policies and practicesWrite to [email protected]

Documents

A Mixed Bag: How a variety of courses can be used to meet the A-G requirements UC Counselor Conference September 2015