Welcome to State High

Tanya Anderson – A-K

Alice Wechsler Ball – L-Z

Susan Marshall – H.S. Counseling

Dept. Head

A conversation about transitioning from Middle

School to High School

WHAT IS YOUR GAME PLAN…

to guiding your student through high school?

1. Parents and guardians move from “Supervisor” to “Consultant” as their children grow and develop.

2. Learning to trust your children to make their own decisions and then being there for them when they need your support.

3. They will make mistakes – so expect them to.

4. Learn to make the school your partner. We all want to see your child succeed.

Let’s start at the beginning: 9LC

What is the 9th grade Learning Community all about? • 9LC is mostly invisible –Students are scheduled together around English,

History, Science, Health and Phys. Ed. This allows for increased teacher communication, and therefore, increased intervention for students who need help.

• Increased expectations that work will need to be done at home. Teachers don’t allow students to retake tests if they do poorly, so there is an increased importance on knowing how to study.

• Follow course recommendations! Those students who struggle the most are often in classes over their heads. We don’t want that to happen to your child.

• Lots of academic supports: Peer tutoring during school program, tutoring center, after school tutoring. Don’t wait to get your child help with study skills – providing a quiet place, necessary materials, regular routine and then tutoring if needed.

• Advanced Classes versus non-advanced = Do what is right for your child!

• SWPBS – lessons that set the tone for high school rules and expectations.

• Students need to get involved to make connections and meet new peers.

• PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY of the student becomes very important.

BLOCK SCHEDULING

DAY A DAY B

1. Earth Science – 90 min. 1. Algebra 1 – 90 min

2.World History 1 - 90 min 2. Spanish 1 – 90 min

3. English- 45 min Lunch – 30 min. English – 45 min.

3. Lunch – 30 min Study Hall – 90 min.

4. PE (Fall) – 90 min Health (Spring) – 90 min

4. Drawing (Fall) – 90 min Exploring Business (Spring) – 90 min

CONSTRUCTION

• We will be under Phase 1 of construction next year, so it may be crowded and walking between classes may be challenging.

• A positive outlook will shape your experience. We are all in this together and it will be worth the end project (which you will get to experience before you graduate).

GRADES

A = 90 - 100%

B= 80 – 90%

C= 70 – 80%

D = 60 – 70%

E or failing grade = less than 60%

This is the grading policy across all curriculums.

Weighted Grades

In advanced and AP courses, students will be expected to work with greater rigor and at a more challenging pace. To compensate for the difficulty of these courses, higher point values are assigned to grades earned.

Regular Scale: Advanced Scale:A = 4.0 A = 5.0B = 3.0 B = 4.0C = 2.0 C = 3.0D = 1.0 D = 2.0E = 0.0 E = 1.0

Highest GPA = 4.0 Highest GPA = 5.0

Your transcript• Is an accurate academic record reflecting your

cumulative GPA and course completion.

• Is used for jobs, scholarships, summer opportunities, college admissions, military entrance, etc.

• What 8th grade courses count for high school credit? (Adv. Geom)

• 22.5 credits are currently required for graduation from State High.

• If you earn a D or E, you can choose to remediate in several ways and have the D or E removed.

Sample transcript

This leads to…

• Competitive academic GPA’s.

• Lots of options for electives.

• We advise that you follow teacher recommendations when selecting courses.

• Top GPA of our graduating senior is around a 4.9 because some required courses for graduation are NOT weighted (like Phys. Ed, Health, many electives).

• We don’t rank our students.

What happens at State High?

Why do we talk so much about going to college here at State High?

Stats. of the Class of 2014: - 82% went on to 4 year colleges

- 6% went on to 2 year colleges

- 1% went to the Military

- 3% unknown

- 8% went directly to work

Buying an Education

• For most students who go to college, the increase in their lifetime earnings outweighs the cost of their college education. The unemployment rate among college graduates ages 25 to 34 is just 2 percent! But this is not the only positive outcome.

• Better health, more security, closer family and stronger community ties have all been linked to earning a college degree. But remember, you are buying an education, so it is a financial decision.

GET SAVVY ABOUT COLLEGE COSTS

GET SAVVY ABOUT COLLEGE COSTS

• Research, research, research college options when applying. (collegeboard.org)

• Save your money (529 plans)

• Learn about scholarships (very rare), grants, loans, work study, financial aid process.

• Come to our evening presentations! (FAFSA, Senior College Unit, Transitioning to College, etc)

What are your future plans?

College Entrance Exams

• PSAT -Measures critical thinking skills important for college success and beyond. -Mathematics (Geometry, Algebra 1, Algebra 2) and -Critical Reading Administered by high schools only in October - only offered once per school year. Nationally - 56% are 10th grade and younger. So, if your child has completed Geometry by 10th grade, it’s a good idea to take the PSAT in 10th grade.

• SAT - one of several factors used to make admission decisions. Used as a check against grade inflation and variation in high school programs. 90% of 4 year colleges use the SAT (but there are almost 400 schools that accept alternatives to standardized test scores) . Recommended to take it at least once, if not twice, during 11th grade.

• ACT - 4 or 5 sections of English, Math, Reading and Science. Writing is optional, but many schools require it (like PSU). No penalty for guessing. More practical. Stronger grammar and punctuation, excerpts rely more on retrieving info from the text. Questions are straightforward and covers more advanced Math. Recommended to take it at least once, if not twice in 11th grade.

• Keystones – starting with the class of 2017, Keystones must be passed in Literature, Alg 1 and Biology to graduate.

Factors used in College Admissions:

• GRADES in core courses

• Strength of curriculum

• Admission test scores (SAT, ACT, TOEFL)

• Overall (weighted) GPA in all courses

• Essay or writing sample

• Class rank (we do not use)

Additional considerations: letters of recommendation, activities, leadership positions, community service involvement , etc.

Students: GET TO KNOW YOUR SCHOOL

COUNSELOR• Start in 9th grade by scheduling an appointment

to see your counselor.

• Keep us informed about your interests and out of school experiences.

• Touch base every year to talk about your academic progress and goals after high school.

• Don’t forget to check out our links and read all of our emails, mailings and attend our programs.

• Go to Back To School Night to meet your child’s teachers.

RESOURCES

• http://gettingthemthere.com/

• http://www.scasd.org/

Summer Orientation & Summer Scheduling

• Summer days set aside for freshman to come to the high school and find their classes and familiarize themselves to the high school layout. These days are currently scheduled for Mon. Aug. 24th and Fri. Aug. 28th. This is subject to change because of the building construction. More info. will be sent home this summer.

• August: schedules can be viewed online and changes requested if necessary. One change per student during this schedule change window.

And last, but not least

• You and YOUR CHILD NEED TO CHECK YOUR SCASD EMAIL WEEKLY, IF NOT

DAILY!

All of the important information and communication from counselors, teachers, and the school at large comes

to the student (and you) through scasd email.

PARENTS – Please read our Looking Ahead brochure and

bi-monthly Counseling Bulletin.

Summary: tips to being successful in high

school• Students - get to know your school counselor.

• Parents need to be involved. Go to evening programs that your school offers. Talk to your students about their courses. Ask questions if you need support.

• Students – get involved in more than just your academic classes.

• Read the announcements, look for opportunities.

• Students – stretch yourselves academically and socially.

• Plan ahead. Think to the future.

• Have some fun – this is only high school.

Departing Wisdom

If you protect your children

from experiencing adversity, then you have

failed as a parent.