GRADUTION PLANS & SCHEDULINGFor 2015-16 (Class of 2018)Chaparral Star Academy

PERSONAL GRADUATION PLAN OVERVIEW

• Your personal graduation plan (PGP) contains numerous sections each with a different meaning for your specific graduation requirements

• On the school’s website, there is a helpful presentation that explains each section of both your PGP and your Program of Study (PoS)

• You have also been given a copy of your transcript, which shows the credits you have earned toward graduation, your chosen endorsement and your updated class rank & GPA

• In order to receive a high school diploma, a student needs to earn AT LEAST the requirements for the FOUNDATION PLAN

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.

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

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!

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

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

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

HUMAN SERVICES

CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Human Services:

1.) Principles of Human Services2.) Interpersonal Studies3.) Counseling & Mental Health4.) Practicum in Human Services

ARTS, AV TECH & COMM

CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Arts, A/V Technology

and Communication:

1.) Principles of AAVTC2.) Graphic Design & Illustration3.) Commercial Photography4.) Advanced Commercial Photo.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

CSA will offer the following coherent sequence under Information

Technology:

1.) Principles of Information Tech2.) Computer Programming3.) Adv. Comp. Programming4.) Research in IT Solutions

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET OVERVIEW

• Based on information from the PGP, Mr. B has looked at previous courses completed as well as the next course in each of the tracts:• English Language Arts• Mathematics• Science• Social Sciences• Foreign Language

• Students AND parents should review the information on the scheduling worksheet and return the signed and completed document to Mr. B by FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(SECTION 1)

• Mr. B has made suggestions for the next course to take in each of the tracts, as well as any necessary courses (e.g. Comm App & Health, or Theatre)

• Students should determine whether he/she accepts or denies the suggestion

• If a student denies the suggestion, Mr. B would like to know the reason. Students and parents can inform him of this in SECTION 4 or via scheduling a meeting. Typically, denying the course selection could alter the path for graduation significantly.

• Sometimes, the scheduling worksheet may say “see section 2.” This represents a choice that the student needs to make with regard to that particular tract.

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(SECTION 2)

• Section 2 of the scheduling worksheet represents choices that the student needs to make in regard to each tract, IF there are choices to make

• Typical examples include:• The choice of taking an AP version of a course• The choice of taking the next course in a sequence where the course is not needed

for graduation (an “or NOT” situation)

• In section 2 on the scheduling worksheet, students should indicate whether he/she wants the choice ON THE LEFT or ON THE RIGHT or NEITHER.

• If a student chooses NEITHER, Mr. B would like to know the reason. Students and parents can inform him of this in SECTION 4 or via scheduling a meeting. Typically, denying the course selection could alter the path for graduation significantly.

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

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(SECTION 3)– COHERENT SEQUENCE

• In section 3, please CIRCLE YES or NO as to whether or not you wish to continue on your coherent sequence

• Staying on a coherent sequence could help you reach a certain endorsement

• By choosing YES, the next course in your chosen coherent sequence will take priority over elective choices

• By choosing NO, realize that it doesn’t mean you won’t be scheduled for the course. Due to elective scheduling, this could still happen

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(SECTION 4)

• Section 4 represents various electives students can take

• This section will be used if you choose to NOT follow your coherent sequence

• Students should RANK the electives in the order of preference (with #1 being the most desired choice)

• By placing the numbers in the boxes (NOT checkmarks), students are indicating his/her preference.

• A FINAL example would look like:

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

• 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

• However, rankings from the scheduling worksheets are taken into consideration and a majority of those rankings for each period are factored into scheduling

• Overall, electives are primarily chosen based on availability

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(SECTION 5) on back

• If a student and/or parent wants to communicate to Mr. B about a specific concern, section 5 is a great place to inform him

• Some typical concerns written in section 5 are:• Possible ACC courses the student wishes to take. These may take the

place of a course in section 1 or 2.• Possible summer school courses the student plans to take. These

courses may take the place of a course in section 1 or 2.• Possible correspondence courses the student plans to take. These

courses may take the place of a course in section 1 or 2.• Possible “out-of-order” or “doubling-up” course desires. For instance,

some freshmen desire to take Geometry & Algebra II in the same year. Or some freshmen want to take World History & US History in the same year.

• A majority of worksheets typically don’t have anything written in Section 5. Also, some parents and students may wish to individually schedule a meeting with Mr. B.

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 four main options for this scenario:1.) Credit-By Exams2.) Correspondence Courses3.) Summer School4.) ACC Dual Enrollment Courses (once a student has earned 12 credits)

AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGEDUAL ENROLLMENT COURSES

• Once a student has reached junior status (at least 12 credits earned; typically the summer after a student’s sophomore year), he/she can take advantage of Austin Community College’s Early College Start (ECS) program.

• The ECS 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 under “Academics” under subheading “ACC Dual Enrollment (ECS)” for more specific information and necessary logistics about taking courses through ACC

• An e-mail went out to all sophomores and juniors about important ACC dates 

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

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(Section 6)

• Sometimes, individual notes from Mr. B are written on a student’s worksheet

• These notes should be read BEFORE the student completes the worksheet as this information could change how the student completes the worksheet

• Not all students will have something written in Section 5

• Typically, 8th graders & freshmen will not have anything written in section 5

SCHEDULING WORKSHEET(Section 7)

• This is the signature section of the Scheduling Worksheet• BOTH the student AND the parent need to sign Section 7• The handouts given to you contain valuable information

about:• the benefits of rigorous coursework in high school for

postsecondary success• the benefits of a student graduating on the distinguished plan• the requirements and benefits of a student graduating in the top

10% of his/her class for automatic college admission• the benefits of postsecondary education• eligibility for financial aid

• The completed is form is due to the front office by

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015