For 2015-16 (Class of 2018)
Chaparral Star Academy
• Your personal graduation plan (PGP) contains numerous sections
each with a different meaning for your specific graduation
requirements
• On the school’s website, there is a helpful presentation that
explains each section of both your PGP and your Program of
Study (PoS)
• You have also been given a copy of your transcript, which shows
the credits you have earned toward graduation, your chosen
endorsement and your updated class rank & GPA
• In order to receive a high school diploma, a student needs to
earn AT LEAST the requirements for the FOUNDATION PLAN
• The Foundation Plan is:
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English I, II, III & an advanced English course [4 credits]
Algebra I, Geometry & an advanced math course [3 credits]
Biology & 2 advanced science courses (one could be IPC) [3 credits]
US History, Gov/Econ & (World Geography OR World History) [3
credits]
PE [1 credit]
Language Other than English I & II [2 credits]
Fine Arts [1 credit]
Electives [5 credits]
• This is for a total of 22 credits
• This is now considered a high school diploma and is all that is
required for graduation.
• The FOUNDATION PLAN expands the availability of career and
technology (CTE) courses, and encourages students to select a
personal pathway of study, called an ENDORSEMENT
• In addition to the foundation plan, a student can choose to take
additional courses to earn an ENDORSEMENT
• A student must earn at least 26 credits to earn an ENDORSEMENT
(basically 4 more credits)
• 2 of those 4 additional credits must include additional math & science
courses (bringing each of those up to 4 credits)
• The commissioner & the state recommend that all students graduate
with an endorsement
• Chaparral Star Academy expects & encourages all students
to graduate with an endorsement
• Doing so ensures students have the maximum opportunity and options
available to them
• There are 5 possible ENDORSEMENTS (each with a distinct
theme)
•STEM
•Business & Industry
•Public Services
•Arts & Humanities
•Multidisciplinary
• Your PoS indicates which endorsement you have chosen
• You can change your endorsement at any time!
• A student may earn a distinguished level of
achievement by successfully completing:
• four credits in mathematics, which must include Algebra II
• four credits in science
• the Foundation Plan requirements
• the curriculum requirements for at least one endorsement
• A student may earn a PERFORMANCE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
by doing any of the following (1 for each one completed):
• Completing at least 12 hours of college academic courses with an
A or B in each course
• Earning an associate’s degree
• Taking 4 years of a foreign language with certain qualifications
• Earning a score of 4 or 5 on an AP exam
• Earning qualifying scores on PSAT, ACT and/or SAT
• Earning a business or industry certification
• Coherent sequences of CTE courses parallels the mission of the
career clusters
• A coherent sequence is a sequence of ELECTIVE courses that a
student can take through a career cluster to help him/her
achieve college-ready skills in the cluster most closely related to
the program of study chosen
• Basically, it’s 3-4 ELECTIVE courses that a student takes
throughout high school that helps him/her gain skills for a
certain profession.
• Last year, you made a choice of which coherent sequence to
start (PIT or COMP PROG, PAAVTC or PHS)
• CSA offers 3 different coherent sequences
CSA will offer the following coherent sequence
under Human Services:
1.) Principles of Human Services
2.) Interpersonal Studies
3.) Counseling & Mental Health
4.) Practicum in Human Services
CSA will offer the following coherent sequence
under Arts, A/V Technology and Communication:
1.) Principles of AAVTC
2.) Graphic Design & Illustration
3.) Commercial Photography
4.) Advanced Commercial Photo.
CSA will offer the following coherent sequence
under Information Technology:
1.) Principles of Information Tech
2.) Computer Programming
3.) Adv. Comp. Programming
4.) Research in IT Solutions
• Based on information from the PGP, Mr. B has looked at
previous courses completed as well as the next course in each of
the tracts:
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English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Sciences
Foreign Language
• Students AND parents should review the information on the
scheduling worksheet and return the signed and completed
document to Mr. B by FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015
• Mr. B has made suggestions for the next course to take in each of the
tracts, as well as any necessary courses (e.g. Comm App & Health, or
Theatre)
• Students should determine whether he/she accepts or denies the
suggestion
• If a student denies the suggestion, Mr. B would like to know the
reason. Students and parents can inform him of this in SECTION 4 or
via scheduling a meeting. Typically, denying the course selection
could alter the path for graduation significantly.
• Sometimes, the scheduling worksheet may say “see section 2.” This
represents a choice that the student needs to make with regard to
that particular tract.
• Section 2 of the scheduling worksheet represents choices that the student
needs to make in regard to each tract, IF there are choices to make
• Typical examples include:
• The choice of taking an AP version of a course
• The choice of taking the next course in a sequence where the course is not needed for
graduation (an “or NOT” situation)
• In section 2 on the scheduling worksheet, students should indicate whether
he/she wants the choice ON THE LEFT or ON THE RIGHT or NEITHER.
• If a student chooses NEITHER, Mr. B would like to know the reason. Students
and parents can inform him of this in SECTION 4 or via scheduling a meeting.
Typically, denying the course selection could alter the path for graduation
significantly.
• Advanced Placement courses (labeled with an (AP) afterward) are
courses designed to better prepare students for the rigor of
collegiate education by mirroring similar expectations
• Typically AP courses require higher-level thinking, placing students in
a role of strong expectations
• AP curriculum is created for the College Board by a panel of experts
and college-level educators in each subject
• For a high school course to have the AP designation, the course must
be officially audited by the College Board and granted use
• When evaluating competitive applications, 4-year universities weigh
a student's course selection heavily
• Universities want to see students who push themselves toward rigorous
challenges, such as AP courses. In fact, universities often compare the
number of AP courses in which a student is enrolled to the available
courses at the school.
• Also, when it comes to GPA Calculations, grades in AP courses are
weighted more. In other words, typically grades in AP courses
increase a student’s overall GPA
• In section 3, please CIRCLE YES or NO as to whether or not you
wish to continue on your coherent sequence
• Staying on a coherent sequence could help you reach a certain
endorsement
• By choosing YES, the next course in your chosen coherent
sequence will take priority over elective choices
• By choosing NO, realize that it doesn’t mean you won’t be
scheduled for the course. Due to elective scheduling, this could
still happen
• Section 4 represents various electives students can take
• This section will be used if you choose to NOT follow your
coherent sequence
• Students should RANK the electives in the order of preference
(with #1 being the most desired choice)
• By placing the numbers in the boxes (NOT checkmarks), students
are indicating his/her preference.
• A FINAL example would look like:
• Scheduling takes place according to the following priority:
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JUNIORS are scheduled first to ensure timely graduation
SOPHOMORES are scheduled second
FRESHMEN are scheduled third
8th GRADERS are scheduled fourth
• Core courses (ELA, MATH, SCI, SS & FL) are scheduled primarily
• After this, free periods of teachers are matched with students
who have free periods
• Electives that the teacher can teach depend on the teacher’s
qualifications
• However, rankings from the scheduling worksheets are taken
into consideration and a majority of those rankings for each
period are factored into scheduling
• Overall, electives are primarily chosen based on availability
• If a student and/or parent wants to communicate to Mr. B about a
specific concern, section 5 is a great place to inform him
• Some typical concerns written in section 5 are:
• Possible ACC courses the student wishes to take. These may take the place of
a course in section 1 or 2.
• Possible summer school courses the student plans to take. These courses may
take the place of a course in section 1 or 2.
• Possible correspondence courses the student plans to take. These courses may
take the place of a course in section 1 or 2.
• Possible “out-of-order” or “doubling-up” course desires. For instance, some
freshmen desire to take Geometry & Algebra II in the same year. Or some
freshmen want to take World History & US History in the same year.
• A majority of worksheets typically don’t have anything written in
Section 5. Also, some parents and students may wish to individually
schedule a meeting with Mr. B.
• Students may wish to take courses outside of Chaparral Star
Academy. Typical reasons for doing this include:
• To advance in a tract (e.g. take Geometry over the summer after
Freshmen year to advance a year in math)
• To recover lost credit (e.g. failed first semester of a course)
• To take a course not offered at Chaparral Star Academy (e.g. take
another language versus Spanish)
• Students have four main options for this scenario:
1.) Credit-By Exams
2.) Correspondence Courses
3.) Summer School
4.) ACC Dual Enrollment Courses (once a student has earned 12 credits)
• Once a student has reached junior status (at least 12 credits earned;
typically the summer after a student’s sophomore year), he/she can
take advantage of Austin Community College’s Early College Start
(ECS) program.
• The ECS program allows students to take FREE college-level courses
while in high school, and have the course count for high school credit
as well.
• Typically, students only have to pay for books! But there are some
courses for which you have to pay.
• Please refer to the ACC Dual Enrollment section of the school’s
website under “Academics” under subheading “ACC Dual Enrollment
(ECS)” for more specific information and necessary logistics about
taking courses through ACC
• An e-mail went out to all sophomores and juniors about important
ACC dates
• An office AIDE period is placed in a student’s schedule to fill
any “holes” that may have been created due to scheduling, etc.
• However, AIDE periods will be minimal next year
• In fact, a student must be enrolled in at least 6 instructional
courses (except for half-time seniors)
• This could mean that you will end up taking an elective you
didn’t request
• This also means that if you want to make a schedule change
after the master schedule has been finalized (i.e. after RoundUp), there would need to be another course for you to take
during that period or else, the schedule change cannot be made
• For juniors & seniors who will be taking ACC courses during the
year, you can count each college course as 1 of your 6
• Student AIDE periods/Study Hall does NOT count toward the 6,
so a student will be placed in a course until the 6 is met
• Sometimes, individual notes from Mr. B are written on a student’s
worksheet
• These notes should be read BEFORE the student completes the
worksheet as this information could change how the student
completes the worksheet
• Not all students will have something written in Section 5
• Typically, 8th graders & freshmen will not have anything written
in section 5
• This is the signature section of the Scheduling Worksheet
• BOTH the student AND the parent need to sign Section 7
• The handouts given to you contain valuable information about:
• the benefits of rigorous coursework in high school for postsecondary
success
• the benefits of a student graduating on the distinguished plan
• the requirements and benefits of a student graduating in the top 10% of
his/her class for automatic college admission
• the benefits of postsecondary education
• eligibility for financial aid
• The completed is form is due to the front office by
FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2015