Few decisions that students are called upon to make in high school are as important as the decisions relating to the selection to courses. These choices, to a large extent, affect students’ ability to achieve the goals in life that they have established or will establish for themselves. Students and parents should discuss course choices before signup. It is important to note that, due to class sizes and staffing needs, it will be very difficult to change courses after registration. Very few adjustment requests will be granted, so please choose your courses carefully at this time.
Follow these scheduling steps:
1.
Check the DAHS graduation requirements to be certain you will have the number and type of credits needed. You can find the specific requirements below:
Graduation requirements for students graduating prior to 2017 :
2 credits Math
2 credits Science
4 credits English
1.5 credits Physical Education
.5 credit Fine Arts/Voc. Ed course
3 credits of Social Studies
*A total of 22 credits are required for graduation.
Graduation requirements for students graduating in 2017 and beyond :
3 credits Math
3 credits Science
3 credits Social Studies
4 credits English
1.5 credits Physical Education
.5 credit related to a career pathway as identified in your
Academic and Career Plan.
.5 credit of Health
*A total of 24 credits is required for graduation.
2.
Consider your plans for post-secondary education. Each college will have specific entry requirements for admission to the school and to majors/programs within that school. You will find this information on their websites, or check with your school counselor. Make sure you are taking the classes at DAHS that you need to meet your intended college’s admission requirements.
3.
Look at the course description handbook. You can find it by going to the DAHS home page and click on “Scheduling” on the right side of the page. This will take you to the School
Counseling Scheduling Page. Click on the “2015-2016 Course Description Handbook” icon in the center of the page. Discuss your choices with your parents. See your counselor if you have

any questions or concerns. Circle those course numbers you will select on your course selection sheet (you received this in advisory) and complete the grid on the back of the sheet. Have your advisory teacher check your schedule for accuracy.
Start the Skyward scheduling process:

Login to a computer
 Go to www.deforestschools.org
 Click on “For Students.”
Click on Family Access on the right side of the screen.
 Log in. You need your Skyward student log-in to log into your own account. You can’t use your parents’ account. If you don’t have your login information, see Mrs. Orcholski in Guidance or Mrs. Mayer or Mrs. Blood in the Main Office.
Select Your Courses
 Click on the “Schedule” tab on the left side of the screen. Click on “Request Courses for
2015-2016 in DAHS” on the top right of the schedule screen.
 A list of available courses will appear on your screen.
 Check your Course Selection Sheet and enter the course # in the box at the bottom of the
“Available Course” column. Click “Search” and it will bring you to the course you
 requested or you can scroll down the column and click on the course that you want to select. Many courses may have a similar title, but are taught in another format. So, for example, if you are choosing Contemporary US History, make sure you look for the course # first – 7344 – and then check the title. If this is correct, go to the next step.
Click on “Add Course” – this will move your request to the right side of the screen under
“Course(s) Requested.” Please note if you select a year-long course with an “A” after the number, it will take over both the “A” and “B” selections for that course. If you need to remove a course from the course(s) requested, click on the course to highlight it and click the “Remove Course” button at the bottom. If it is a year-long course, it will also remove both the “A” and “B” selections.
 When you have selected all of your courses, double-check that you have enough credits.
Seniors must have at least 6; juniors and sophomores must have 7 credits. Advisory and study hall will be scheduled for you at a later date.

Select Alternates: You must select at least three, and in the order of preference.
Click on the “Request Alternates” tab at the top of the screen.
 You should see the classes you have selected already. They will have the letter “R” under the priority column. This indicates that this is a course you have requested in your schedule for next year.
-Still in the “Alternates” tab, it’s time to choose three classes you would be willing to take if one of your “R” classes is not available. Click on the first
 alternate course that you want to select under “Course(s) Available.”
Click on “Add Course” – this will move your request to the right side of the screen under
“Alternates.” It will show up in the “Alternates” list with a number “1” priority, meaning that you want this course first if something on your “R” list is not available. Once you have three alternates selected, you can change your preference order by using the buttons

 on the bottom. If you need to remove a course from the alternate course(s) requested, click on the course to highlight it and click “Remove Course.”
Are you finished?
When all your courses and alternates are entered, simply log out in the upper right hand corner of the screen.
Turn in your planning sheet (attached to these directions) to your advisory teacher or counselor.
You will have until the February 16 th
to complete this process and make any changes. Please give your advisory teacher the paper copy of your planning sheet.
Notes on scheduling:
Sophomores: Don’t forget to schedule your sophomore planning meeting with your counselor. You can review your choices again at that time as you discuss your postsecondary plans. Stop in the guidance office to schedule it soon. Your parent(s) should also attend.
Juniors and Seniors: If you are planning to be in an Internship Program (seniors only) next year, see the teacher involved for an application. If you want to be in Youth
Apprenticeship, see Ms. Diederich for an application. Don’t hesitate to check in with your counselor if you have questions regarding your post-secondary plans.