Honors and AP
Information Night
Mrs. Elliott
LOHS GATE Coordinator
March 31, 2011
What do these terms mean?



GATE
Honors
Advanced Placement (AP)
GATE

Gifted and Talented Education – a term used
to refer to the program or a student in the
program
Honors


A term to describe courses
On our campus these courses are: Honors
English I, Honors English II, Honors
Geometry, Honors Algebra II, Honors PreCalculus, and Honors Biology
Advanced Placement (AP)



Another term to label courses
AP courses emulate college courses in terms
of the curriculum.
AP courses are designed by a national nonprofit organization, College Board, which also
administers other programs, like the SAT.
Advanced Placement (AP)


AP Courses are quite rigorous, but students
have the opportunity at the end of these
courses to take an exam which could earn
them college credit.
Students do not need to be GATE identified
or complete any testing for these courses.
They need to fill out an application which will
be reviewed to ensure the student is
prepared for the course.
Advanced Placement (AP)

The AP Courses we regularly offer are: AP English
Language and Composition (11), AP English
Literature and Composition (12), AP World History
(10), AP US History (11), AP Government (12), AP
Economics (12), AP Statistics (11/12), AP Calculus
AB and BC (12), AP Spanish Language (11/12), AP
Spanish Literature (12), AP French Language (12),
AP Latin (12), AP Biology (10-12), AP Chemistry (1012), AP Physics (11/12), AP Studio Art (11/12), and
AP Art History (11/12).
How do I get into Honors classes?


Begin by completing a GATE application
To be GATE identified (and therefore eligible
for the Honors courses mentioned earlier),
you need to meet one of the following
requirements:
#1: Be previously GATE identified



If you are currently identified as GATE at your junior
high, you will be identified as GATE at Los Osos.
I have access to student records from our feeder
schools, but if you are coming from outside of our
feeder schools, an email or letter from the school will
be necessary.
Taking advanced classes in junior high does not
necessarily mean a student has been GATE
identified.
#2: Have a 5 (advanced) on a 7th grade
CST


I have access to this information for students
from our feeder schools.
If you are coming from outside of these
schools, a copy of this score report will be
necessary.
#3: Have a 90th %ile score on another
standardized, nationally-normed exam

Some private schools give IOWA tests or
other standardized exams. A score on the
Total Reading or Total Mathematics section in
the 90th percentile is required and a copy of
the report will need to be provided.
#4: Qualifying scores on CJUHSD
GATE exam


In April, we will administer a series of exams
to determine GATE eligibility. If you do not
qualify in one of the aforementioned ways,
you may participate in this testing.
You still need to submit an application; I will
send you information about the details of the
testing day.
If I meet the criteria for GATE, what
comes next?



If you meet the pre-qualified criteria, you will
receive a letter inviting you to attend a
question & answer session.
If you need to test, you will receive a letter
inviting you to the testing session.
If you have not received a letter by April 27,
please contact me.
Honors FAQs





What is the difference between Honors classes and
“regular” classes? Are Honors classes just more
work?
What advanced classes can 9th graders take?
What are the benefits of taking these advanced
classes?
What if it is too hard?
How many should I take and how do I decide which
ones to take?
What is the difference between these
courses and “regular” classes?



“Regular” courses – what we call College Prep -are designed for all students who want to meet the
requirements and be prepared for college after high
school.
Honors courses are designed to meet the learning
needs of gifted and high-achieving students
Both courses cover the same standards, but in
different ways (depth, complexity, novelty and pace)
Are Honors classes just more work?

Honors classes often challenge students in
ways they have not been challenged before.
Therefore, the work involves more time and
energy. The goal with these courses is that
they have the appropriate pace, depth,
complexity and novelty for gifted and highachieving students.
What advanced classes can 9th graders
take?

Honors Geometry
–
–

Honors Biology
–
–

Skip Physical Science
Study and organizational skills will be important
Honors English I
–
–

Placement determined by Math Department
H is a bit faster than CP, more advanced application
More advanced readings
Writing tasks become more complex earlier
Summer work: H Bio and H English I
What are the benefits of taking
advanced classes?




Weighted GPA
College Admissions
Peer Group
Ease Transition to College
 Designed
with Gifted & High
Achieving Students in Mind
How many Honors courses should I
take and how do I decide which ones?
Education is not preparation for life; education is
life itself. John Dewey
The journey is as important as the destination.
 Education is not the filling of a pail, but the
lighting of a fire. William Butler Yeats
Find your passions and pursue them.
 Education is not a competition; it is a
collaboration between minds, hearts, and souls.

How many Honors courses should I
take and how do I decide which ones?

Consider:
–
–
–
–
–
Your enthusiasm
Your ability
Your experience
Your other commitments
Your goals
What if the classes are too hard?




We build the number of classes needed to
accommodate the requests you make.
If you are in a class that is clearly above your ability
level, and you realize this early, there is a possibility of
making a change.
If you wait until after the first few weeks, your ability to
drop a course will be based upon the level of effort
you have demonstrated, what circumstances may be
causing the need for change and whether a change is
logistically possible.
I am always available to talk with you if you need help.
Reminder:



ALL students requesting placement in GATE
need to submit an application.
If you have a completed GATE Application,
please turn it in tonight (transcripts can be
sent separately if necessary).
If you do not receive a letter by April 27,
please contact me.
Thank you!
Mrs. Elliott, GATE Coordinator
stephanie_elliott@cjuhsd.k12.ca.us
(909) 477-6900, ext 2047