Transcript GRADUTION PLANS & SCHEDULING

For 2013-14
Chaparral Star Academy
• Your graduation plan contains numerous sections each with a
different meaning for your specific graduation requirements
• Please make sure to cross-reference this information with the
information on your transcript
• If you see any error or discrepancy, please contact Mr. Barnett
immediately
• There are three graduation plans under the State of Texas
• DISTINGUISHED ACHEIVEMENT PLAN (DAP)
• RECOMMENDED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM (RHSP)
• MINIMUM HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM (MHSP)
• Each graduation plan contains specific requirements
• For more information about graduation plans and specific
requirements, please refer to the school’s website under “Academics”
and then subheading “Graduation Plans”
• The Chaparral Star Academy Governing Board expects and
encourages all students to graduate under the Distinguished Plan – the
plan that best prepares a student for the rigor of college
• Look at the top of the graduation plan to determine the specific plan
on which a student is
• Student level classifications are completely dependent on the number of
credits a student has earned toward graduation.
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Freshman: 0 – 5.5
Sophomore: 6 – 11.5
Junior: 12 – 17.5
Senior: >17.5
• The graduation plan lists number of credits at the top
• Since both the Distinguished Plan and the Recommended Plan require 26
credits to graduate, 8th graders are scheduled for 2 high school credits
• As a result, at the time of scheduling, each classification will have the
following typical number of credits:
• Freshmen: 5
• Sophomore: 11
• Junior: 17
• If a student does not have AT LEAST these typical credits at the time of
scheduling, taking courses in addition to those at Chaparral Star Academy
may need to be an option to graduate with the current class.
• The graduation plan is color-coded to explain the specific
credits earned.
YELLOW refers to
courses for which the
student has passed and
earned credit
GREEN refers to courses
for which the student has
passed and earned
credit
PURPLE refers to
courses for which Mr. B
suggests the student
take next year
BLUE refers to courses
for which the student is
currently enrolled
BY THE TIME A STUDENT GRADUATES, ALL COURSES MUST BE “FILLED IN” OR “COLORED”
• To graduate under the Distinguished Plan, a student must earn FOUR
advanced measures
• Advanced measures can be any of the following:
• Earning a B or higher in a college dual-enrollment course (e.g. ACC)
• Earning a 3 or higher on an AP exam
• Advanced measures are indicated at the bottom on a student’s graduation
plan:
• The advanced measures are BLUE if a student is currently enrolled in the
situation or YELLOW if they have already earned the advanced measure.
The example shown is a student who has earned NO advanced measures.
• Students should be aware of these advanced measures and not wait until
senior year to fulfill them
• This does not relate to current juniors
• To graduate under each graduation plan, a cumulative score
from state assessments (EOC exams) under each tract must be
earned
• The specific cumulative score affects under which graduation
plan a student can fulfill
• Current cumulative scores are at the bottom of a student’s
graduation plan
For more information about EOC Cumulative Scores and
Graduation Plans, please refer to the “EOC Exam Policies”
presentation on the school’s website. It can be found under
“Academics” and then under subheading “Graduation Plans”
• Based on information from the graduation plan, Mr. B has
looked at previous courses completed as well as the next course
in each of the tracts:
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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 3, 2013
• 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.
• 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 “Sophomore Math Choice”
• 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.
• Typically, sophomores have a decision to make in regard to his/her math
tract that could affect his/her graduation plan
• In order to graduate on the Distinguished Plan (DAP), students must take
Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II and PreCalculus primarily in that order
• However, students have a choice to take another math tract: Algebra I,
Geometry, Math Models, Algebra II
• In other words, typically, sophomores (after taking Geometry) need to
choose between taking either Algebra II OR Math Models
• The math tract that includes Math Models is typically designed for students
whose math abilities are not his/her strong suit and would like Algebra II
(rather than PreCalculus) to be his/her final math course.
• However, if a student chooses to take Math Models, he/she automatically
switches to the Recommended Plan (RHSP)
• Completion of Algebra II is considered the “point of no return.” Once a
student takes Algebra II, he/she cannot “backtrack” and take Math Models.
For example, if a student wishes to stay on the DAP, but then determines that
PreCalculus may be too tough, he/she cannot switch to the Recommended
Plan as he/she would have already taken Algebra II.
• 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
• Section 3 represents various electives students can take
• 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:
• Scheduling takes place according to the following priority:
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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
• If a student and/or parent wants to communicate to Mr. B about a
specific concern, section 4 is a great place to inform him
• Some typical concerns written in section 4 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 8th
graders desire to take Algebra I & Geometry 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 4. Also, some parents and students may wish to individually
schedule a meeting with Mr. B.
• 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 Exams
2.) Correspondence Courses
3.) Summer School
4.) ACC Dual Enrollment Courses (once a student has earned 12 credits)
• 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!
• 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
• Please realize that steps 1- 8 on the ACC Registration Process
document must be completed BEFORE APRIL 30th for returning
students and BEFORE MAY 6th for new students for summer 2013
courses.
• 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
• This is the signature section of the Scheduling Worksheet
• BOTH the student AND the parent need to sign Section 6
• The completed is form is due to the front office by
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2013