Kingwood High School Welcomes Parents of the Class

Kingwood High School Welcomes Parents of the Class of 2019

Communication • • Email- provides the quickest response KHS Website – Counseling Page School email through PTSA Home Access Center

Planning for High School and Beyond

HISD Course Guide (available on the KHS website & through Bridges) • • • Graduation Requirements Grade Point Equivalencies GPA Explanation Award of Credit Recommended Course Placement Course Descriptions

End-of-Course Exam Requirements Algebra I Biology English I (r+w) English II (r+w) US History

What’s a credit? o High school students earn a half-credit for successful completion of each course each semester. n Semester average must be 70% or better. n Students may earn credit if the year -end average is 70% or better. n Attendance matters! Students who fail to be in class 90% of the time may lose credit for the course. n 26 credits are required for graduation.

Graduation Requirements O Students in the class of 2018 and beyond will be on the Foundation High School Program (FHSP). O All students will choose an endorsement. v Each Endorsement requires a series of courses. v Most of these courses have a required sequence. v Students may earn more than one Endorsement. v See your Planning Guide for specific Endorsement requirements.

? What is an endorsement? u An endorsement is a broad area of study u It’s a bit like a college major

FHSP + Distinguished Level of Achievement To earn the distinguished level of achievement, students must complete: • The FHSP • An endorsement • Algebra II Students completing the distinguished level will be eligible for college admission under the Top 10% automatic admissions provision.

Why are students being pushed to choose a career pathway? u Students with career goals are 16% more likely to graduate from high school. u Students who participate in CTE courses are 30% more likely to complete high school. u Students with well-defined career goals are more likely to persist in college. u Students with well-defined career goals are more likely to attain jobs in their chosen career field after college.

Why choose so early? u Having a plan early allows you the chance to take advantage of all the opportunities that exist in Humble ISD. u Choosing your path early does not “lock” you in to that path. You can change your mind! u Exploring options early gives you a chance to figure out what you like and what you don’t.

? How will colleges view the new graduation requirements? u Because the new graduation requirements have recently been developed, no one knows exactly how the new requirements will affect college admissions. u Therefore, it is VERY important for parents and students to check the specific admission requirements for any college a student may be interested in attending.

Sample College Admissions Requirements College English Math Science Social Studies LOTE U of Houston- Main 4 3 2 3 (2) TX A&M 4 4 4 UT Austin 4 3 (4) 2 (3) 3 2 (3) TX State 4 4 4 3 2 (3) Baylor 4 4 4 3 2 UT San Antonio 4 3 3 2 2 Texas Tech 4 4 4 Sam Houston State 4 2 2 3 Stephen F Austin 4 3 3 (4) 2 Rice 4 3 (4) 2 (4) UT Dallas 4 3 (4) 2 (3) LSU 4 4 2 TCU 4 3 3 3 2 Lamar 4 3 2 2. 5 (2) 2 2 Numbers are credit requirements for admissions. Numbers in parenthesis are recommended subject credit(s) for admissions.

English Graduation Requirements English I (EOC) English III Additional English Recommendations: 1. Choose a challenging level of rigor that prepares you for your career goals. 2. The 4 th English should be a bridge between high school and postsecondary goals. Humble ISD recommends taking a college-level course at least by senior year for those students planning on going to college.

Math Graduation Requirements Algebra I (EOC) Geometry Algebra 2 and 1 additional credit Recommendations: 1. Choose challenging math courses that will prepare you for your career goals. 2. The 4 th math course should be a bridge between high school and post-secondary goals. Humble ISD recommends taking a college-level course at least by senior year for those students planning on going to college.

Science Graduation Requirements Biology (EOC) 1 credit lab-based course 2 additional credits Note: Students may not take IPC after taking Chemistry or Physics. Recommendations: 1. Choose a challenging level of rigor that prepares you for your career goals. 2. Students may take either IPC or Biology their freshman year. Laboratory-based Courses: 1. IPC 2. Chemistry 3. AP Chemistry 4. IB Chemistry 5. Physics 6. Principles of Physics 7. AP Physics 8. IB Physics

Recommendations: Social Studies Graduation Requirements World History or World Geography U. S. History (EOC) U. S. Government and Economics 1. Humble ISD recommends four years of social studies beginning with World Geography. 2. Choose a challenging level of rigor that prepares you for your career goals. 3. If students/parents wish to “skip” a year of social studies, Humble ISD recommends skipping the freshman year. Note: All students are required to take US History in the junior year.

OTHER Graduation Requirements 2 Credits LOTE Recommendation: 1 Credit Physical Ed. 1 Credit Fine Art Total of 26 Credits Humble ISD recommends beginning your foreign language requirement in your sophomore year unless you’ve already begun foreign language in middle school.

The FHSP with Endorsements With few exceptions, ALL students will be required to earn an endorsement in one of the following areas: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Business and Industry Public Services Arts and Humanities Multidisciplinary Studies

How can parents help? u Partner with counselors & teachers. u Ask questions!!! u Learn more –visit the Humble ISD & Bridges websites frequently. u View your child’s PGP, goals, interest & values inventories, and more on www. bridges. com! u Check your child’s four year plans before you allow your child to submit the plan to his or her counselor.

Planning for high school The courses you choose for high school should align with your college and career goals.

We have Choices! • Choices Planner is the career exploration & high school & college planning service for HISD students & parents. • Course registration is now completed through Choices Planner.

th 8 What have graders completed so far? Interest Inventories: • Interest profiler • Work values sorter • Cluster finder 4 -year Plan

4 year course plans in Bridges O www. bridges. com O Portfolio name: humble + 6 digit ID (Ex: humble 123456) O Password: 6 digit ID (Ex: 123456)

1 st 1. Take the Cluster Finder assessment to decide which Career Cluster fits your interests 2. Build your high school Course Plan with courses that match that Career Cluster 2 nd

Edit Your Master Course Plan • To edit you current plan: Click “Edit” by the Basic plan • To create a new plan with a new endorsement: Click “Start a new school course plan”

Starting with English, edit each cell to add or delete courses

One row at a time, edit the 4 core areas. Every row should have a green “On Track” check.

Editing To find courses not listed in Step 1, change the school at the bottom to “Kingwood High School” and click “Find courses. ” *Grade level restrictions apply.

Add the extracurricular activities you intend to take through high school O Athletics or ROTC (Physical Education row) O Ag classes for FFA participation (CTE row) O Drill Team, Art, Theater, Choir, Orchestra (Fine Arts row) Band A (Physical Education row) Band B (Fine Arts row)

Plan for the recommended CTE courses for your endorsement and add remaining requirements to your plan O Don’t forget to add Fine Arts (1 cr) PE (1 cr) Foreign Language (2 cr) Ex: Spanish 1 & Spanish 2

Check the column totals: 7 credits per year

When it’s perfect, click Submit for approval

Am I locked into this cluster and these courses? No. You will look at “next year’s courses” each spring while in high school. You will need to be sure to take the required courses for your endorsement.

What will happen next? • • Students and parents are encouraged to view and discuss 4 -year plans KHS Counselors will visit with 8 th grade students individually on: • 1/13 & 1/14 (CMS) • 1/20 -1/21 (RMS) *4 -year plans will be “locked” after individual meetings. Schedule changes will need to be submitted to current counselor after this time.

Pre AP Courses • Pre AP courses are designed for students who show a high level of interest in and/or commitment to English, World Geography, Algebra, Biology, etc. • Pre AP courses are designed to teach students the skills necessary to be successful in junior and senior level AP courses. • Pre AP students will learn the same content as level classes but will move faster in order to go more in depth.

Success in Pre AP requires students who: • Have excellent attendance. Catching up in a Pre AP class can be very difficult. • Have a history of completing assignments accurately and on time. • Are capable of success with challenging material presented at a faster pace. • Possess strong organizational and time management skills. • Have a strong ability to work independently and/or provide leadership in groups. • Are willing to take assignments beyond basic requirements. • Are able to prioritize and balance commitments both in and out of school. *Weigh the number of advanced courses with extracurricular and family commitments.

Homework Expectations • Level classes: – 30 minutes per class per night • Pre AP classes: – 45 minutes per class per night

Changes? • Course verification sheets will be sent home later in the spring semester. • Change requests may be turned in to current counselor with parent signature.