Freedom Intermediate Freedom Intermediate SchoolSchool

Honors Parent Orientation

Honors Program VisionHonors Program Vision

• The vision of the Honors program The vision of the Honors program is to is to empowerempower studentsstudents to acquire to acquire academic skills necessary for academic skills necessary for successsuccess in in AdvancedAdvanced Placement Placement (AP)(AP) courses. courses.

HOW???

• Accelerated Classes• Challenging Materials• Emphasis on Rigor• Higher Order Thinking Skills• Compacting Material• Coaching Student Responsibility• Allow/Learn from Failures

Honors Qualification

• Meet qualifying cut scores on Explore Test for your grade level.

Explore Test

• 8th Grade Level Test

• A predictor of future success on ACT & AP

• Performance Standards aligned with College Performance Standards aligned with College Readiness Standards Readiness Standards www.act.org/standard/index.html

Assessment Swim…

• Who can swim across the POOL? TCAP Proficient (on target)

• Who can swim across the POND?TCAP Advanced (above target)

• Who can swim across the RIVER? EXPLORE/PLAN/ACT (college/AP ready)

• Who can swim across the OCEAN?AP Exam - College Success!

Honors Qualification• Explore cut scores 2013-14: 5th grade 6th grade

Lang. Arts*: 15 16Reading*: 16 17Math: 16 17Science: 17 18

*Social Studies: Qualify in Lang. Arts and Reading

• RLA is tested as one class and student must qualify for both

• May qualify in one or more subjectsMay qualify in one or more subjects

Student CharacteristicsStudent Characteristics

• Demonstrates an ongoing ability to Demonstrates an ongoing ability to actively participateactively participate in class and in class and punctuallypunctually complete complete advancedadvanced level level assignmentsassignments

• Thrives upon learning beyond the Thrives upon learning beyond the basic element of a conceptbasic element of a concept

• Has sufficient Has sufficient organizationalorganizational skill to skill to sustain the sustain the rigorousrigorous pace of course pace of course workwork

www.collegeboard.org

• 32.4 percent of U.S. high school graduates in the class of 2012 took an AP Exam at some point in high school.

• Among the class of 2012, 19.5 percent of U.S. public high school graduates scored a 3 or higher on an AP Exam during high school.

Honors CriteriaHonors Criteria

• A student does A student does notnot need to re-qualify each year need to re-qualify each year• Once a participant - always participant if:

• Maintain a Maintain a ““CC”” in all Honors Classes, and… in all Honors Classes, and…• Continue quality work ethicContinue quality work ethic

• Parents will be asked to sign a commitment Parents will be asked to sign a commitment form each yearform each year

• Must re-qualify if a student drops Honors • See complete Honors Guidelines on school

website

New In 2013-14

• Common Core State Standards (CCSS)– Full Implementation in Math

– Partial Implementation in English/Language Arts

• Tncore.org

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We will begin state-wide implementation of 3-8 math standards this coming school year

2011-12 2012-13 2013-14

Grades K-2 Math and ELA

Grades 3-8 Math (partial)Math and

ELA (partial)

Grades 9-12 Math and ELA

Grades 6-12

Literacy for social studies, math, and

science

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We will narrow the focus of the TCAP and expand use of Constructed Response Assessments

NAEP

NAEP

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015

Constructed Response

We will expand the constructed response assessment for all grades 3-8, focused on the TNCore focus standards for math.

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Our transition to Common Core Standards is central to strengthening Tennessee’s competitiveness

Source: “Projections of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2018” (The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce), 2011 NCES NAEP data, ACT

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The Common Core State Standards represent six key instructional shifts

ELA:

1. Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational texts

2. Reading and writing grounded in evidence from text

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic vocabulary

MATH:

– Focus strongly where the Standards focus

– Coherence: think across grades, and link to major topics within grades

– Rigor: require conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application with intensity.

What does this mean for my student?

• High standards in ALL classes for ALL students

• Students expected to perform at higher levels of THINKING

• Students will be expected to reason, explain, and give evidence

• How we assist students as they struggle will be different

FSSD 5th-8th Grade Honors path…

Honors is NOT…..• …a program for giftedness

• …for those who do not want to make a B

• …easy

• …a social club

• …a group of students that are “smarter” than everyone else

• …a requirement for those who qualify

• …an automatic course placement (i.e. 7th grade Algebra)

Honors is…..• An excellent opportunity for

students to be challenged and pushed to reach full potential for growth in future AP success.

Freedom Freedom Intermediate SchoolIntermediate School

Questions…????

Please be sure to submit your signed

Honors Parent Commitment Form.

Please be sure to submit your signed

Honors Parent Commitment Form.