8th Grade Parent Meeting

Getting Ready for HS

Begin Your Journey With the End in Mind!

Every step beyond high school requires a high school diploma – Military; Technical School; CollegeWhere do want YOUR journey to end?

Organize for Success!

Use some system – Folders; Spirals; Binders; Calendars

Study DAILY & divide study time into increments

Take advantage of tutorials

Stay on Target

High School Policies

Must attend 90% of class days for creditUIL Rules in Academic Planning Guide (APG)Seven period school day (7:30-2:30)–7 periods over 4 years = 28

possible creditsWork must be turned in on time

Freshman Year Timeline

August- Orientation/Fishcamp

September- Open House, College Night, Club and Organization Fair

October- Explore Test

End of First Semester- Final Exams

January/February- Review 4-year plan/Explore Results begin making selections for sophomore courses

March-April- Begin reviewing college websites

April-May- End of Course Exams

May- Review Summer School options (acceleration)

GRADE PoliciesProgress reports at the end of each 3 weeks

Report cards issued every 9 weeks

Final course grade must be 70 or better to earn credit

Students are promoted to the next grade, based on the number of credits earned. In order to be classified as a sophomore students must earn 6.0 credits

MISD Grade Point System

Weighted system

More grade points are awarded for Pre-AP and AP courses

Subject to Change

Freshmen courses are foundational to a strong GPA throughout HS

GPA & Class Rank

The GPA = (all grade points / number of courses)Rank is based on GPAGrade pts are based on semester averageGrades below 70 earn 0 grade pts!

Semester Averaging

May restore credit for a failed 1st semester course if the average of 1st and 2nd semesters grades is equal to 70 or better

Cannot average summer school with regular school grades

Academic Planning

Requirements for Graduation:see Academic Planning Guide

4 credits English

4 credits Math

4 credits Science

4 credits Social Studies

2 years of the same Language Other Than English

1 credit Fine Arts

.5 credit Professional Communications

.5 credit Health

1 credit P.E. or Athletics

5 credits of electives 26 Credits TOTAL

Recommended Vs. DAP

Both Plans Require: 26 credits total Passing scores on End of Course Exams

Distinguished Achievement Plan ALSO requires:One of your electives must be a 3rd year of your current world language IPC and Math Models cannot be used as core credits on the DAPYou must complete any combination of 4 of the following advanced measures: Original Research Project Test Data (AP Exam with 3 or higher) College Courses (Eng, Gov or Econ) with grade of 80+

Additional Details in the Academic Planning Guide.

Pre-AP Expectations Preparation for college level courses (AP or Dual Credit) Advanced coursework requires significant additional preparation outside of the school dayHeavy emphasis on critical reading (silent, sustained reading), writing, and higher order thinking skills. Summer reading may be required (see APG) Requires strong organizational and time management skills These courses have “open” enrollment, but there are strict guidelines in the APG regarding policies and procedures for the course

So, how many advanced courses should be taken?

Students and parents should carefully consider:

Student abilities and previous performanceStudent interest in a particular disciplineInvolvement in extracurricular activitiesTime requirement for each class

Ways to Get Ahead

Summer School1st sem: usually three weeks in June (dates TBD)

2nd sem: usually three weeks in July (dates TBD)

only one semester per session

$$$ TBD

Limited course selections. Check with MS counselors in May

Possible courses for acceleration:

Fine Arts

PE

Communications

Online Courses

Current Course Offerings:HealthPsychology

First available in the spring of junior year:GovernmentEconomics

If you are interested in taking a course online, stop by your CURRENT counseling office in May to pick up an application!

Early Graduation The state currently offers a $2000

scholarship for students graduating in 36 months or less; There is a $500 scholarship for graduating in 41 months or less.

If you are interested, plan ahead and meet with your HS counselor before the end of 9th grade

Parent Information

• Communication

• Sign up for Email Distribution List

• Check out the Website

• Progress reports are distributed every 3 weeks to students (and available on the HAC)

• Report cards are distributed at the end of each quarter

• Look for the Teacher Syllabi & Contact Information

College Planning

Successful College Planning

Register for challenging classesEarn high grades. Remember, freshman year will make up 1/3 of the GPA you will use to apply to college Read! And, learn to write well – Essays are HUGE!Get Involved! School sponsored activities are a must! Growth and leadership in a few is better than “so-so” participation in many!Give back to your community – Volunteer!Document activities, awards, honors, extracurricular and volunteer activities for college resumeCreate connections with teachers and counselors – Recommendation letters are often required.Search for your passion(s) in life!

WHAT COLLEGES LOOK FOR

SAT or ACT scores

GPA

Rank

Difficulty of courses

Essays

Extracurricular Activities

Community service

Letters of recommendation

Interview• Remember, if you rank in the Top 10% (or 9% at UT) of your graduating class, you are guaranteed automatic admission to the Texas public school, not major, of your choice

• Research potential colleges thoroughly! Each one is different!

Questions?

Have a Great Year