Preparing 8th Grade Students
for the Next Step
Mrs. Laura Arrington-Rose
Professional School Counselor
September 10, 2014
Preparing 8th Grade Students
for the Next Step
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The Role of the Counselor
Information for the 8th grade school year
Career Exploration
What’s Next Illinois
New for 2015-16 Application process
High School Choices
High School Fair
Required Examinations
Application Process
Role of the Counselor
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Academic
Career
Personal/Social
High School Articulation Activities
Information for School Year 2014-15
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8th Grade Parent/Student Meetings
8th grade contract
Graduation Activities
Activity Fees
Trip Fees
Fee Due Dates
O’Keeffe on Track Requirements
Career Exploration
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High School Choices should relate to:
Educational
Career
Personal and Occupational Goals
What’s Next Illinois
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Web based online career and college
preparation program.
Use to search for high schools
Complete Guideways as they provide a
timeline for activities relevant to high school
and college
Set goals and create a high school study plan
www.whatsnextillinois.org
Assessments
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NWEA
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What's new for the 2015-2016 application process?
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NWEA MAP used for all applicants to schools with minimum eligibility requirements
In order for students to apply to schools with academic criteria in previous years (i.e., Selective Enrollment
Elementary and High Schools, IB High Schools, Magnet High Schools, Military Academies, and CTE-College
and Career Academies), the Chicago Public Schools used students’ ISAT scores or other standardized
tests that were compatible with the ISAT. Beginning with this year’s application process, eligibility
for applicants to these schools will be based on your scores on the Northwest Education
Association Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP).
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The NWEA MAP is administered to all CPS district, charter, and contract school students. CPS
also administers the NWEA MAP, free of charge, to non-CPS students who are applying for ninth grade.
(Only scores from the NWEA MAP administered by CPS will be accepted for the application process.) If you
are a non-CPS student in grades 5-8, you plan to apply to schools with academic criteria, and you have not
yet registered for the NWEA MAP, contact the Office of Access and Enrollment at (773) 553-2060 or
oae@cps.edu to register no later than December 12, 2014.
New for Fall 2015-16
New this year:
Each eighth grade student receives an Eligibility Letter, which is created
by the Office of Access and Enrollment and contains the following:
the student's NWEA MAP scores; the student's final (cumulative) grades
from seventh grade in reading, math, science, and social studies;
a list of schools with centrally managed application processes to which the
student is eligible to apply (i.e., CTE-College and Career Academies,
International Baccalaureate High Schools, Magnet High Schools, Military
Academies, and Selective Enrollment High Schools); and
the student's Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the online
application site
Application Process
Online self-service scheduling
You will be able to use the online application site, www.apply.cps.edu, to
schedule and reschedule your own appointments.
Apply for Pin beginning September 29th. Applications are accepted
starting October 1st.
If you plan to apply online, you must schedule your appointments
BEFORE you submit your applications.
If you do not want to schedule/apply online, submit a paper application
and your appointments will be scheduled by the Office of Access and
Enrollment (or, in the case of SennFine and Performing Arts Program, by
the school). You will receive letters notifying you of the dates, times,
and locations of your appointments
Schedule Testing Early
Early Testing = Early Results
Last year: All students, regardless of when they took the Selective Enrollment High
Schools (SEHS) admissions exam, received their results in February with their
notification letters.
New this year: Testing will begin in October. If you take the test in October or
November, you will receive their SEHS exam results within three weeks of the
testing date. This will help inform your decisions regarding the schools where you
want to apply.
(If you take the test after the November test date, your test results will be in the
notification letter you receive in February.)
October 26 is the first test date for SEHS:
Other dates:
(Nov 23, Dec 14, Jan 11, Jan 25)
High School Choices
Selective Enrollment
Magnet High Schools
Neighborhood Schools with Magnet Programs
Education to Careers academies and programs
JROTC Academies and Programs
Military Academies
Small High Schools
Charter High Schools
Private High Schools
Finding the Right High School
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Help identify talents, interests and needs
Attend Open Houses
Research your top choices
Apply to at least 5 schools outside of the online
application process.
September 19 – Open your online account:
www.apply.cps.edu - Click –Step One
Know the deadlines – High School Scheduling period
opens September 23rd
December 13 – for Options for Knowledge
Applications deadline
Cps.oae.org
Career & Technical Education (CTE)
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Career & Technical Education (CTE) College & Career Academies (CCA) offer an exciting
pathway to college and careers, giving students a head start on preparing for their futures.
While in high school, in addition to taking all CPS college prep core courses like math,
science and English, students participating in CCAs will experience hands-on training in their
chosen industry.
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CCA students may also have the opportunity to:
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Receive college scholarships
Attain industry-recognized certifications
Earn college credit
Participate in job shadows & internships
Attend college fairs & tours
Compete in city, state and national competitions
Magnet High Schools and
Programs
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Magnet high schools offer one or more specialty
programs, such as fine and performing arts,
agricultural sciences, or International Baccalaureate.
With the exception of Curie, magnet high schools do
not have an attendance boundary. Students are
selected through a computerized lottery; students
must pre-qualify for inclusion in the lottery based on
scores from the NWEA MAP.
Magnet High Schools
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Chicago Academy for the Agricultural
Sciences
Curie Metropolitan High School
Von Steuben Metropolitan High School
Clark Academy Prep Magnet High
School
Disney II
Selective Enrollment High Schools
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Selective Enrollment High Schools provide academically
advanced students with a challenging and enriched college
preparatory experience. Each of the Selective Enrollment High
Schools offers a rigorous curriculum with mainly honors and
Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Teachers expect students to
be self-driven and highly engaged with their studies. The
schools strive to develop students’ critical and analytical thinking
skills, and promote diverse academic inquiry by bringing
together students from a wide range of backgrounds and
experiences. Applicants should learn everything they can about
what the competition is like at each of the Selective Enrollment
High Schools so that realistic and sound decisions are made as
to where to apply.
Selective Enrollment High
Schools
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Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep
Jones Commercial College Prep
King College Prep
Lane Tech College Prep
Lindbloom Math and Science Academy
Northside College Prep
Walton Payton College Prep
Westinghouse High School
Whitney Young College Prep
Military Academies
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The Military Academies offer a unique high school option for highly motivated
students, providing an academically rigorous curriculum with a focus on
leadership and citizenship. Students study in a safe and supportive school
environment that allows them to reach their full potential. The Academies'
primary goal is to prepare students to attend the four-year college or university
of their choice.
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By allowing them to develop as leaders, the Military Model prepares students for
successful careers and a life of active citizenship. Each academy focuses on a
specific branch of the military. The experienced teaching staff at each Military
Academy is joined by a small team of retired military personnel who are branchcertified instructors, and who help to foster student success. The Military
Academies also offer unique extracurricular trips, activities, and academic
opportunities for students.
Special Academies
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Technology Academies
Military Academies
JROTC Academies
Medical Career Academies
Academies of Finance
International Language and Career
Academies
Law and Public Safety Academies
Career Academies
Magnet Programs
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International Baccalaureate diploma program
Math, Science and Tech Academies
Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Academies
World Language and International Studies
Paideia Program
Allied Health
Metropolitan Studies
International Baccalureate (IB)
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The International Baccalaureate® (IB) offers a continuum of highquality education that encourages international-mindedness and a
positive attitude to learning. These programs are accessible to students
in 138 countries.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a
comprehensive and challenging pre-university program for
academically advanced and highly motivated students in grades 11 and
12. The program is widely recognized throughout the globe for its high
academic standards. The Chicago Public Schools offers the IB Diploma
Programme at 15 high schools. Seven additional high schools are
candidates to offer it. The IB curriculum is vital as it prepares youth
for higher education. IB Diploma Programme graduates are better
prepared for college courses, and attend and successfully complete
college/university study at a higher rate than their peers. Furthermore,
they enter the world being culturally and internationally aware, openminded, and confident in a language other than English.
Small High Schools
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The number of students is limited to
400.
Charter High Schools
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Independently operated public schools
each with their own educational
philosophy and district learning
environment.
Eligibility Requirements
Program
Eligibility
CTE-College and Career Academies
No requirements except: Jones CTE
minimum Map 24
International Baccalaureate (IB High Minimum 24 MAP in both reading
Schools)
and math and minimum GPE of 2.5
Magnet High Schools
Minimum 24 MAP in both reading
and math; Scholars Program at Von
Steuben requires a minimum
percentile of 60 in reading and math
Military Academies
Minimum MAP reading and math
percentiles that equal at least 48
Selective Enrollment High Schools
Minimum NWEA MAP percentile of
24 in both reading and math
Scholarship Opportunities
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Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund
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Applications Due October 10
First Steps
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Look at your eligibility report and determine what schools you
are eligible to apply to based on your 7th grade academic
profile.
Begin scheduling test appointments for those eligible schools
Between now and November we will cover the application
process and admission and selection criteria.
Refer to the options for knowledge guide and the High School
directory.
Confer with elementary school counselor
Understanding your chances
for admission to SEHS
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Last year more than 15,000 students applied
to 9 school choices
Some schools had more than 7,000
applications
Most freshman classes have 200 to 250 seats
Lane Tech and Whitney Young have more
seats available.
Wait for test results before applying and look
at cut off scores and tiers
Where do I stand?
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Less than 1 in 6 is accepted
All A’s for final grades in core subjects
Stanine of 7, 8 or 9 on achievement
tests
Last year
How can I achieve my goal?
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Apply to all schools that meet your
needs
Requirement to apply to at least 5
schools outside of On-line applications.
Applying to selective enrollment schools
is only one choice
Maximize your options by applying to all
schools that interest you.
Begin Preparation Now!
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Freshman year is the greatest indicator
of high school success
Keep track of grades and attendance
Eligibility Letter
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Each eighth grade student receives an Eligibility Letter, which is
created by the Office of Access and Enrollment and contains the
following:
the student's NWEA MAP scores;
the student's final (cumulative) grades from seventh grade in
reading, math, science, and social studies;
a list of schools with centrally managed application processes to
which the student is eligible to apply (i.e., CTE-College and
Career Academies, International Baccalaureate High Schools,
Magnet High Schools, Military Academies, and Selective
Enrollment High Schools); and
the student's Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the
online application site.
Eligibility Letter
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Eligibility requirements for students with a 504 Plan
Students who have an Individualized Educational Program (IEP) have minimum eligibility
requirements that differ from those of general education students. In previous years,
students with a 504 Plan also had different minimum eligibility requirements. This is no
longer the case. Students with a 504 Plan now have the same minimum eligibility
requirements as general education students. However, any testing
accommodations identified in students’ 504 Plans will be provided for the purposes of
Selective Enrollment Elementary and High School exams.
Self-scheduling for students applying to Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools
Parents of students applying to the Selective Enrollment Elementary Schools (grades K-8)
can now use the online application site to schedule their children's tests for the date(s) and
time(s) that are most convenient for them. To use the online process, go to
www.apply.cps.edu and click 'Step 1' to open an account and request a Personal
Identification Number (PIN). You can request your PIN starting September 29, 2014.
Beginning on October 1, 2014, you can go to the online site to schedule your child's test(s)
and submit his/her application. Remember, this is a two-step process: (1) Schedule,
then (2) Apply.
Online Scheduling
Selective
Enrollment
International
Military
Magnet
CTE-College
& Career
Academies
One entrance
exam for all
schools
Information
sessions
required at
each school
One
information
session
required for all
schools
One audition
for Senn Fine Arts
No scheduling
required
Baccalaureate
High School Fair
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High School Fair at O’Keeffe in October
Questions