CURTIS FORD ERECKSON Middle School Advanced Academics Planning

CURTIS FORD ERECKSON Middle School Advanced Academics Planning and Beyond Spring ALLEN 2019 ISD

Middle School Principals CURTIS Sonya Pitcock, Principal Curtis Middle School Matt Russell, Principal Ford Middle School FORD Leslie Norris, Principal Ereckson Middle School ERECKSON

Benefits of Advanced Courses • Advanced courses achieve two important goals: – They offer all students exposure to rigorous academic work; and – They prepare every student for higher intellectual engagement. • We encourage students to take advanced courses because: – Colleges carefully evaluate the rigor of the student’s high school coursework; and – Students who take one or more AP/IB courses in high school are more likely to finish college in four years.

Advanced Academic Course Options • • Pre-AP/Pre-IB Advanced Placement (AP) International Baccalaureate (IB) Dual Credit Refer to side-by-side comparison chart for more information.

Middle School Selections and Qualifications • Exploring advanced learning opportunities! Refer to Middle School Advanced Academics brochure for more information.

Advanced Academics Open Enrollment Courses • Science – Science 7 Pre-AP/IB – Science 8 Pre-AP/IB • These courses require students to perform field and laboratory investigations at a more advanced level using the scientific method in relation to Earth, Life, and Physical Sciences. • Students will have the opportunity to participate in the science fair.

Advanced Academics Open Enrollment Courses • Social Studies – Texas History 7 Pre-AP/IB – U. S. History 8 Pre-AP/IB • These courses afford advanced level studies in Social Studies with emphasis on critical thinking, document analysis, historical understandings and information literacy.

Advanced Academics Open Enrollment Courses • English Language Arts (ELA) – English 7 Pre-AP/IB Double-Blocked – English 8 Pre-AP/IB • The goals of English/Language Arts courses foster: reading, composing, research and communication. • All students have a required summer reading assignment each year.

Gifted and Talented All identified students will automatically be placed into Humanities 7/8 GT/Pre-AP/IB and Leadership through Literacy 7 GT/Pre-AP/IB AIM Grades K-6 GATE Grades 1 -6 Humanities Grades 7 -8 Pre-AP/IB/GT Phoenix English Grades 9 -10 AP/GT Phoenix English Grades 11 -12 IB/GT English Grades 11 -12

GT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND OPTIONS

GT Middle School Programming • GT Humanities 7 th and 8 th – – – Integration of Social Studies and English Collaboration Compacting course TEKS Learning Environment GT Extensions (Genius Hour, PBL) GT Nature and Needs • GT Leadership through Literacy 7 th – Integrates Reading and Writing Skills – GT Extensions (Genius Hour, PBL) – GT Nature and Needs • All current GATE/AIM 6 th grade students will be placed into GT Humanities 7 th and GT Leadership through Literacy 7 th. • Current GT Humanities 7 th will move forward to GT Humanities 8 th.

GT Middle School Programming Options GT Science 7 th and 8 th – Optional/self-select for GT identified students ( or Pre-AP, Science 7/8) – Compacting of core Science 7 th and 8 th – Depth and Complexity – Experimental Design – GT Extensions • • • PBL STEM Makerspace

Advanced Academics Math 7 Pre-AP/IB This course covers concepts of Math 7 and Math 8 with concentration in Pre-Algebra. Students must qualify to enroll in this course. Algebra I Pre-AP/IB (Grade 8 only) Qualification is based on successful completion of Math 7 Pre-AP. In Algebra 1 Pre-AP/IB: • Students receive 1 high school credit • Students will take the EOC in Algebra I • The grade earned is not included in high school GPA

How do I qualify for Advanced Academics Math? Incoming 7 th Graders Evaluations are based on 3 components ALL 6 th grade students are evaluated for Math 7 Pre. AP/IB 1 st Semester Math Grade typically 90 or above 4 th Grade Math STAAR Score (Masters) 5 th Grade Math STAAR Score (Masters) Placements are made based on meeting criteria in two of the three areas Students who do not qualify initially will be re -evaluated at the end of 6 th grade with new data; 6 th Math STAAR and Final Math Grade.

How do I qualify for Advanced Academics Math? Incoming 8 th Graders All students who successfully complete Math 7 Pre. AP/IB are eligible for placement into Algebra I Pre. AP/IB. New students to AISD must submit a request to the Advanced Academics office for Math 7 Pre-AP/IB and Algebra I Pre-AP/IB consideration. Advanced Academics web site : www. allenisd. org Click on Learner Services/Advanced Academics Math 8 Boot Camp contact advancedacademics@allenisd. org for further information.

Languages other than English (LOTE) Spanish I Pre-AP/IB French I Pre-AP/IB These courses emphasize development of the four basic language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. In these courses: • Students receive 1 high school credit • The grade earned is not included in high school GPA

LOTE How do I qualify? Qualification based on 7 th grade fall semester grade of 85 or higher in both Math and English.

What if my student does not qualify initially? • Students who did not qualify for LOTE based upon first semester averages may contact their middle school counselor to request a re-evaluation at the close of school. Re-evaluation qualification will be noted on student’s schedule in August.

Notification of Placement in Advanced Academics Courses Advanced course placement will be noted on the student’s Spring Course Selection Preference. Each campus will send out notification when Spring Course Selection Preferences may be viewed through Family Access.

NEXT STEPS Advanced Course Options in Grades 9 -12

Advanced Academics in Middle School • Enroll in Pre-AP/IB courses that align with your interests. • Make time for yourself, family, extracurriculars, etc. • Remember the end goal…taking Pre-AP/IB courses is preparing you to take AP courses, enroll in the IB program, and/or to take Dual Credit at the high school!

How Middle School Students Can Prepare for High School Advanced Courses • Develop Algebra skills • Write with a purpose: Answer the prompt, develop thoughts, provide details • Read books that are challenging. Having an academic vocabulary is important! • Embrace failure. Learn how to seek help! • Focus on learning- NOT grades! • Carefully consider which foreign language to take, especially if the student is planning to pursue an IB diploma. American Sign Language (ASL) is not an IB language.

Advanced Academic Course Options • • Pre-AP/Pre-IB Advanced Placement (AP) International Baccalaureate (IB) Dual Credit Refer to side-by-side comparison chart for more information

Languages other than English (LOTE) Native Speaker Spanish I&II Pre. AP/IB Spanish I and II Pre-AP/IB for NATIVE Spanish Speakers is designed to provide learning opportunities for Native Spanish Speakers who can speak, read, and write in the language. This course covers the curriculum of two classes, Spanish I and Spanish II, with the goal of preparing the student for the next level, Spanish III Pre. AP/IB / IV AP Native Speakers. In this course: • Students receive high school credit for Spanish I and Spanish II

® Advanced Placement (AP ) • AP mission: To provide high school students access to rigorous college coursework before they get to college. • Students can begin taking AP courses in 9 th grade (AP Human Geography). • AP courses are open-enrollment and have a 5. 0 GPA weight • Students can earn college course credit by taking and passing the AP exam.

International Baccalaureate (IB) • IB mission: To develop internationallyminded people who help to create a better and more peaceful world. • Similar to AP in rigor, workload, grade weight (5. 0) and opportunities for college credit. • Different from AP in other ways: – Concurrency of learning: Each IB class connects to other IB classes – Open only to 11 th and 12 th grade students – Some IB courses are two-year courses – Not every IB course is open-enrollment – IB offers the option to earn a second high school diploma – Students learn how to have articulate and civil arguments on every side of an

To Earn an IB Diploma • Take 6 IB courses in 11 th-12 th grades – English – Second language (Chinese, French, German, or Spanish - not ASL) – History – Science – Math – Elective (Art, Music, Psychology, or a second science course) • Take a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course in 11 th and 12 th grades. • Write a 4, 000 -word independent research dissertation (the Extended Essay) • Complete CAS (Creativity-Activity-Service) experiences in 11 th- 12 th grades • For more information about IB at AHS, visit our website: http: //allenisd. org/domain/4072

Dual Credit • Open to 10 th, 11 th, and 12 th grade students • Concurrent enrollment with AHS and Collin College • Credit on Collin College transcript may be transferred to other colleges/universities • Offers a variety of technical courses as well as core courses

Advanced Math Options 9 -12 • 8 th grade students who qualify for Algebra 1 are expected to take a math class all 4 years of high school. • May dual-enroll in Pre-AP/IB Geometry and Pre-AP/IB Algebra 2 in 9 th or 10 th grade (must meet campusbased criteria and must have Algebra 1 credit). • IB HL (Higher Level) Math 2 and AP Physics C are our most rigorous math courses at AHS: – IB HL Math begins in grade 11 with AP BC Calculus and continues in 12 th grade with more calculus plus vectors and 3 D Geometry – AP Physics C includes a significant amount of engineeringbased Calculus and is an option for 12 th grade students.

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS

• The Duke TIP 7 th Grade Talent Search helps families better understand their students’ academic abilities. Since its inception in 1980, over 2 million students have participated in a Duke TIP Talent Search. • Eligibility Is an Honor • Seventh grade students with strong intellectual abilities are invited to participate if they achieve a qualifying score at or above the 95 th percentile on a recent gradelevel STAAR assessment. • Upon enrollment, Duke TIP registers this select group to take the ACT or the SAT college entrance exam. • All AISD 7 th grade students are reviewed using 4 th-5 th- 6 th STAAR data. • AISD held a Duke TIP Workshop in November to support preparation. • Parents receive students’ SAT or ACT scores in early spring. For more information visit: https: //tip. duke. edu/programs/7 th-grade-talent-search

College and Career Readiness PSAT/NMSQT • Promotes college readiness • Assesses reading, writing, and math skills • Provides feedback about students’ academic strengths and areas needing additional support • Is aligned with the SAT (same format, same areas tested) • Connects students to personalized online tools • Is the qualifying test for the National Merit Scholarship AISD currently offers the PSAT/NMSQT in grades 10 and 11, and the PSAT 9 in grade 9. Click to visit site

Additional Resources Allen ISD Advanced Academics Website AHS International Baccalaureate Website College Board Big Future PSAT/NMSQT SAT Suite of Assessments National Merit Scholarship Corporation Daily Practice for SAT

Closing • Questions (general) • Tables for Specific Questions – Middle School Counselors • Curtis: Amy Smith, Roxanne Le. Croy and Loren Clanton • Ford: Debra Day and Heather Youngquist • Ereckson: Renae Perez, Jennifer Wedge and Emily Danner – – – Advanced Academics/GT District Coordinator Kelsey Karcher LFC Campus Advanced Academics Coordinator Carrie Rivera AHS Campus Advanced Academics Coordinator Shelly Holmes