Grade 9/10
Understand Transcripts and Graduation Requirements
Update Four-Year Plan
1-2 Class Period(s)
Objective/Goals: For students to understand transcripts, DPS graduation
requirements, the credit system and a four-year plan.
What ASCA/DPS Standards and Competencies are you addressing?
Standards: ACADEMIC DOMAIN
Standard B: Students will complete school with the academic preparation essential to choose from a
wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college.
Standard C: Students will understand the relationship of academics to the world of work and to life at
home and in the community.
Competencies:
A:B2: Plan to Achieve Goals
A:C1: Relate School to Life Experiences
Preparation:
 Photocopy pre/post tests. (2x the number of students)
 Obtain students’ career cluster goals, if possible.
 Photocopy Know-Want-Learn (KWL) chart. (1x the number of students)
 Obtain and copy your high school course booklet. (1x the number of students)
 Obtain an overhead projector and markers.
 Make an overhead of DPS High School Requirements.
 Make an overheard of sample transcript.
 Obtain and Photocopy a sample transcript. Cover up name, student number,
address, birthdate, etc. (1x the number of students)
 Make an overhead of the Four-Year Planning Tool.
 Photocopy the Four-Year-Planning Tool. (1x the number of students)
 Bring pens or pencils.
Activity
Description
Pre-test: One week prior to giving the lesson, pass out the 9/10th grade
transcripts/grad requirements pre- test. Have students complete and
collect. Collate the information. Determine information that the majority
of the students know (this will help guide you on what activities to include
in the lesson and where to “take time”). Keep the results to compare to your
post-test results. Note those students who may need extra help with the
information.
1) Warm-Up (5 minutes): Introduce yourself, describe what a school
counselor is and what you do.
Acknowledge that although this may be a review for students who
attended 9th Grade Summer Academy, the information is very
important for all students to learn and be prepared to use.
2) Lesson (50 minutes or more):
Pass out the Know-Want-Learn (KWL) chart to every student.
Instruct the students to fill in what they already know about credits,
transcripts, graduation requirements in the KNOW section. Once
they are finished, ask for volunteers to share what they wrote.
Instruct the students to fill in what they want to learn in the WANT
section. Once they are finished, ask for volunteers to share what
they wrote.
Note: Modify the lesson below, if needed, according to level of
knowledge of the class.
Discussion/Instruction: Place DPS High School Requirements
on overhead and refer to as needed.
The students can take notes on their KWL chart.
Explain:
A) Students need 240 credits to graduate.
-That equals about 60 credits a year.
-Each high school year is divided up into 2 semesters.
-Students need to take an average of 30 credits per semester.
-Some classes are year long, some are one semester long.
-One semester class is usually 5 credits. Year-long classes are 10 credits.
-In order to earn at least 30 credits per semester, you should take at least 6
classes.
B) Students earn credits by getting an A, B, C or D in a course.
-Again, most one-semester courses are worth 5 credits.
-If you fail (earn an F) in a course, you do NOT earn any credits and will
need to repeat that requirement.
C) There are 2 types of classes.
- There are core or academic classes which include English/Language Arts,
Math, Social Studies, and Science.
-There are elective classes which include PE, Fine Arts, World Language,
and many more.
-There are both academic and elective requirements for high school
graduation.
D) Review requirements for each subject:
-Language Arts: 40 credits total
-Math: 40 credits total
-Science: 30 credits total
-Social Studies: 30 credits total
-PE/Dance, Citywide Marching Band, or ROTC: 10 credits total
-Electives: 90 credits total
-Academic Electives (World Language, AVID, Gear-Up, AP/IB
courses): 10 credits
-Fine Arts or Career & Technical Education: 10 credits
-Other Electives: 70 credits
Answer any questions if needed.
Place sample transcript on overhead.
Pass out sample transcript to each student. They should take
notes on the transcript if needed.
Explain what a transcript is, what information can be found on it,
what it is used for, etc.
Check for transcript understanding; ASK:
-What classes did this student take their 9th grade year, 2nd
semester?
-How many credits did this student earn their 11th grade year, 1st
semester?
-What academic electives did this student take their 10th grade
year?
-Is this student on track to graduate with 240 credits by the end of
their senior year?
State: To ensure that you all take the necessary courses, complete
the required credits and stay on track to graduate, you will
choose your courses and fill out the Four-Year Planning tool.
If possible, pass out each student’s career cluster goal. They
should choose courses that support and align with their career
goal.
Pass out a Four-Year Planning Tool and high school course
booklet to every student.
Place Four-Year Planning Tool on overhead and refer to as needed.
Introduce the high school course booklet and how to read it.
Looking at the English/Language Arts row, guide students through
the process of filling out the blank squares and demonstrate how to
fill in the squares on your overhead copy.
Tell the students to find the upper division writing or world
literature courses in the booklet. Guide students to find one that
sounds interesting, one that would possibly support or align with
their career goal, and have them write that title on their planning
tool. Guide students to other English/Language Arts courses in the
booklet so they can fill in the last year of English/Language Arts.
Instruct the students to fill in the rest of the Four-Year Planning
Tool using the course booklet.
Counselor to walk around and assist as needed.
If time, show the students the Extracurricular Activities and/or
Community Service row at the bottom of the tool and discuss
the importance of these experiences. Also, point out the
Assessments row and inform them of the tests, especially
required tests, they will be taking each year.
Remind the students that they should be choosing courses that
support and align with their post-secondary education and career
goals.
3) Closure (10 minutes)
Instruct students to fill out what they learned in the lesson in the
LEARN section of their KWL chart. Once students are finished, ask
for volunteers to share what they wrote. Collect.
Collect Four-Year Planning Tools- make sure the students’ names
are on them. You will need these tools for a later lesson where the
students enter them into Naviance. Collect the course booklets.
Pass out post-tests for student completion. Collect.
Pre/Post Test Data Collection:
Type of Data
Process Data
Perception
Data
Results Data
Data Collected
How many students took the pre- test? How many students took the posttest?
Collate answers: determine the number of correct answers for skill (what did
they learn) and knowledge (can they apply the information) questions, the
totals for the attitude questions.
Achievement/Achievement Related Data: Long term intent is to improve
GPA, increase course enrollment patterns, graduation rates.