Freshman Parent NightSeptember 7, 2010

Making High School Count!

• A-E Mrs. Sax• F-Le Mrs. Shearstone• Li - R Mrs. Bruce• S-Z Mrs. Hamrick• Graduation Consultant Mrs. Callahan• Counseling InternMrs. Hall• Counseling Clerks Mrs. Sabo

Mrs. Brown Mrs.

Henderson

School Counseling Office Location: Room 102

The Basics of High School• Transcript & GPA Facts• Graduation Requirements• Honors & AP Courses• What is important to colleges?• PSAT• HOPE Scholarship & Grant• Resources• Advocating for your student

HIGH SCHOOL: The BasicsWhat is a Transcript?

• A transcript lists every course and grade earned in high school, including those earned THIS YEAR as a freshman!

• Colleges and employers will use the transcript to help determine what kind of college student or employee your child will be.

• A transcript includes the student’s GPA and class rank.

• Grades from middle school do not appear on your transcript… students have a fresh start!

GRADING Scale

A 90-100B 80-

89C 74-79D 70-

73F 69 &

below

• If a student fails a required course is failed, he/she will have to repeat that course with lower grade level students, go to summer school, or take a course online through Cobb Virtual Academy to catch up.

• A failing grade will appear on the transcript forever. It will not be removed even if the student repeats the course and receives a passing grade.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE• The Pope GPA (on the transcript) is the average of

all high school grades calculated on a 4.0 scale. Grades are converted to “quality points” and are then averaged to get the GPA:Quality points: A=4 B=3 C=2 D=1 F=0

• In Cobb County, honors courses (after 9th grade) get an extra .5 quality point. AP courses get an extra 1.0.

• Colleges often use a CORE GPA (calculated using only English, Math, Science, Soc. St., For. Lang). Also, they will weight AP and Honors differently, if at all.

• HOPE uses all CORE courses (including failed grades) and only weights AP courses with 0.5 extra quality point.

• Rank is determined by the order of all students’ GPA’s in the class

HOW TO EARN CREDIT IN HIGH SCHOOL

• Credit? The currency of high school classes• Pope is currently on a traditional schedule,

meaning each class lasts for the whole year.• Students earn .5 units of credit each

semester for every passed class.• Each semester, students can earn 3 units of

credit (6 classes that earn .5 each = 3 units)• By the end of this school year at Pope,

students can earn a total of 6 units of credit.• So, how many credits are possible in 4

years?

How many credits are required for graduation?

• In order to graduate, a student needs to have earned a total of 23 credits in specific courses.

•At Pope, students have the opportunity to earn up to 24 credits by the end of 12th grade.

It is very important to pass

every class!

Promotion Requirements

To promote to:• 10th grade – earn 5 units, including 1 full

unit in required English, Math, and Science• 11th grade – earn 10 units, including 2 full

units in required English, Math, and Science

• 12th grade – earn 16 units, complete EOCT requirements, have taken GHSGT.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

English 4 Units Required

9th Grade Literature

English Literature

American Literature

Senior Literature (World or Multicultural)

Honors and/or AP available at each level.

Mathematics: 4 units required

Math I or Accel Math I

Math II or Accel Math II

Math III, Accel Math III, or any higher level math course, incl. AP

4th Unit of Math

Other math options are recommended by teacher (AP, Math Support, etc.)

SCIENCE4 Units Required

Biology

Physics

Chemistry or Environmental Science or Earth Science or AP

Science

4th Science (academic or career tech)*

*A career tech science (ie Horticulture) may not meet admissions requirements at some colleges. However, it will

count for HOPE!

Honors and/or AP available at

each level.

Social Studies3 Units Required

World History

U.S. History

Economics/Government

World Geography is important preparation for the Social Studies graduation test.

Honors and/or AP

available at each level.

Health/Personal Fitness

½ credit Personal Fitness

&

½ credit HealthOther PE courses are

available, but do not count for the graduation requirement.

3 units required

Foreign Language/Fine Arts/Career Tech

**4-year college admissions require 2 units of the same Foreign

Language. Many recommend 3 units.**

GENERAL ELECTIVES4 units required

Elective 1

Elective 2

Elective 3

Elective 4

For detailed info on the graduation requirements, visit http://www.cobbk12.org/centraloffice/adminrules/I_Rules/Rule_IK

F.pdf

Georgia High School Graduation Tests

• All 5 sections of the GHSGT must be passed in order to receive a diploma and participate in graduation.

Language Arts Math Science Social

Studies Writing

• These tests are taken in the 11th grade.

• There are several opportunities to pass each test.

End of Course Tests (EOCTs)

• End of Course Tests (EOCTs) are state exams given in the following courses:

• The EOCT is counted as 15% of the final grade.

• EOCT’s CANNOT be exempted.

9TH LITERATURE AMERICAN LITERATURE

MATH 1 MATH 2

BIOLOGY ECONOMICS

US HISTORY

Honors & AP CoursesPope offers Honors and AP courses in each

subject, including some electives.• Rigorous courses prepare students the best for

college and selective colleges look for Honors and AP courses on the transcript for admissions.

• If you plan to take an AP course, be prepared for college-level coursework.

• AP Exams are given in May. You may earn college credit if you earn certain scores!

• Honors and AP courses carry heavier weight on the Pope GPA (for ranking purposes):– Honors receive .5 extra quality point (i.e. A = 4.5)– AP’s receive 1.0 extra quality point (i.e. A = 5.0)

What factors do colleges consider?

GRADES

Rigorous classes

SAT and ACT

Essays

Rank

Recommendations

Activities

What? A practice test for the SATWhen? October of your 9th,1oth, and

11th grade years (9th graders - come pay $15 in counseling office by Oct. 11 to receive your

score report)

Why? - Prepare for the SAT- Get a higher score on the

SAT

- College exploration & planning - A chance to earn $$ for college

PSAT

The PSAT is an important test… take it seriously and it can be quite beneficial in

planning for your future!

What is the HOPE Scholarship?

Earn $$ for college for getting good grades!

• Students must graduate with a 3.0 GPA in all core curriculum subjects to receive this scholarship. AP courses receive a .5 extra quality point (excluding A’s, to keep GPA at 4.0).

• Core curriculum subjects: English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language

• The HOPE Scholarship pays the tuition, fees, and gives a small book allowance for any public college in Georgia!

• Encourage your students to create an account on www.gacollege411.org in the spring to see the current HOPE GPA.

What is the HOPE Grant?

• The HOPE Grant is available to students who attend a Technical College in Georgia to pursue a diploma or certificate, regardless of GPA or numeric average.

• The HOPE Grant pays tuition, fees, and a book allowance.

• Chattahoochee Tech is apopular local technical college

PopeCAREER CENTER

Coming Soon!!- Research: Careers & Colleges- Learn about yourself- Utilize computer programs and

websites like Career Cruisingand GACollege411

- Get assistance with all of the above

Great Resources to Use Now!• www.careercruising.com • Research careers, colleges,

scholarships and more.• Log-in:

– User: pope– Password: greyhounds

• Take the “Matchmaker” assessment to find careers for you.

• Save your results for later.

• www.gacollege411.org• “Plan, Apply, and Pay for

College”• View your current HOPE

GPA (first time in the spring)

• Learn about careers, take personality assessments, research Georgia colleges, prepare for SAT/ACT, learn about financial aid/scholarships (including HOPE), and much more!

Many people at Pope can help your child be successful…

• Teachers can help with academic issues and class problems. Tutoring is available.

• Counselors can help with planning courses, personal issues, academic issues, and college & career planning.

• Counseling staff can help with transcripts, counselor appointments, and general questions.

• Administrators can help handle conflicts with students or teachers.

• The social worker can help utilize school and community resources when faced with personal and economic challenges.

How to advocate for your student!

• The key to successful advocacy is good communication and a knowledge of how the school system works. – Make an effort to get to know your child's

teachers. – Let teachers know that you are available and

open to talking about your child and any issues that arise.

How to advocate for your student!

• Stay informed – Blogs, Hounds Highlights, Pope website, Pinnacle, PTSA meetings, etc.

• Establish and maintain contact, as well as a good working relationship, with your child’s teachers.

• Get involved.• Alert the teachers if there are any major

changes in your child's life.

• The teacher is the first point of contact.• Address concerns as soon as they arise. • If you request a meeting, briefly state your

reason to the teacher so he or she can prepare. • If you need to meet with multiple teachers,

contact the counselor to assist you.• Department chairs and administrators can

assist with personnel and discipline issues.• Remember, your child may not always be the

best source of information!

When There's a Problem

9th Grade Advisement

• Parent/student meeting to create a 4-year plan to map out your high school classes.

• Will occur in the Spring• More info to come!!

Questions??