OTHS 9TH GRADE PARENT NIGHT

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS• Foundation High School plan with endorsements

• Students must choose an endorsement (STEM, Public Services, Multidisciplinary Studies, Business and Industry, Arts and Humanities)

• Parent Course Selection Meeting will be held in January 2016

• Students will begin bringing home course selection sheets in January.

FRESHMAN CHECKLIST• Take the right courses

• Challenge Yourself

• Get off to a strong start

• Explore career options

• Research Colleges

• Create a college admissions plan

• Get involved

• Start a brag sheet

GRADE LEVEL CLASSIFICATIONStudents are classified based on the year they first entered 9th grade and the number of academic credits they have earned at the beginning of the school year.The FHSP + Endorsement requires a total of 26 credits.

CLASS RANK

Class rank is based on the cumulative grade point average of high school credit courses. A student’s grade point average is derived by dividing the total number of grade points by the number of semester courses attempted.

Class rank is first officially calculated during the SPRING semester of the JUNIOR year and is updated after each subsequent semester.

GPA-GRADE POINT AVERAGE• Students receive a GPA as soon as they take a high school course.

• Class ranks are distributed in the spring of a student’s Junior/11th Grade year

• Types– Weighted

Unweighted

– Reminder: We are on a 4.0 grading scale

GPA EXEMPT COURSES-NOT UNTIL THE 3RD OR 4TH YEAR OF ENROLLMENT IN THE COURSE

• Athletics (Continuous enrollment for 2-3 years in any designated athletic course regardless of sport; does not include PE)

• • Band • • Cheerleading • • Choir • • Dance Colorguard • • Dance Team

GPA EXEMPT COURSES

• Advanced Journalism

• Newspaper

• Yearbook

• • Agricultural Science Courses:

GPA EXEMPT COURSES• • Debate

• • Oral Interpretation

• • Orchestra

• • Theatre

• Technical Theatre

• Theatre Arts

• Theatre Production

WHAT IS A QUARTILE?• Each class is divided into four.

• Example:

SENIORS 2016 CLASS RANKINGAS OF 1ST SEMESTER

Q1 4.826 - 3.9800  

Q2 3.9792 - 3.4872  

Q3 3.4773 - 2.8478  

Q4 2.8293 - 1.3810  

WHY DOES IT MATTER?• Many Texas Public Universities accept the top 10% automatically.

• University of Texas: Currently accepts the top 7% automatically; All others by individual review.

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

Class Rank Test Scores*  

  ACT SAT

Top 10% No minimum  

First Quarter (excluding top 10%)

251140                                        

Second Quarter 28 1230

Third Quarter 29 1270

Fourth Quarter Application Review  

Assured Admission

SAT• Students typically sign up in the spring of their Junior Year.

• https://sat.collegeboard.org/home

• New Format: Begins in the Spring 2016

• KHAN ACADEMY: Free study materials-https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/

SAT QUICK FACTS• 4 parts: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and the optional

SAT Essay

• 400–1600 score scale

• 3 hours and 50 minutes with the SAT Essay — or 3 hours without it

• 4 answer choices

PSAT-PRELIMINARY SAT• Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016 Anticipated Date

• Practice for the 10th Graders

• Qualifies students for National Merit Status after the 11th grade exam

• Free study materials on the College Board website

CREDIT BY EXAMINATION• Next window due date is October 21

• Most core classes are offered except STAAR tested areas and science

• Contact your child’s counselor for more information

• CBEs are offered in the spring and summer as well

• Students only receive academic course credit for a CBE exam.

KUDER CAREER ASSESSMENT• Registration for New User

• Go to www.kudernavigator.com.

• Select New Users.

• Select Student and choose your grade level from the drop down menu.

• Click Continue to create your account.

• During the process you will need to create a unique user name and password. Write down your user name and password in the space provided for future reference. 

KUDER CAREER ASSESSMENT• User Name: KISD Student ID

• Password: Falcons

•  

• Registration for Returning User

• Go to www.kudernavigator.com.

• Select Log-in (please enter your same user name and password)

•  

• Activation Code

• You will also be asked to enter your N Activation Code that was provided by your school:

•  

• Activation Code: N3886597NPA (valid 8/1/2015 – 8/1/2016)

KUDER CAREER ASSESSMENT• Courses will be taught by the counselors in the fall and the

spring

• Make sure your child signs up as soon as information is announced

SCHOLARSHIPS• Check the campus’ counselor page

• https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

• Place of employment

KATY VIRTUAL SCHOOL• Courses Offered for 2015 - 2016

• AP Art HistoryAP EconomicsAP European HistoryAP GovernmentAP US HistoryPreAP World GeographyCreative WritingHealthPE Individual and Team SportsPractical Writing Professional Communications

KATY VIRTUAL SCHOOL• Special Courses

• OnlineStudyandMentorship  OISM is offered through Miller Career and Technology Center and hosted by KVS. Students interested in taking the OISM course can click on the link for more information. Online Independent Study and Mentorship

• APPhysicsC TestPrep  is a non-credit test prep with online content and face to face lab sessions to prepare students for the AP Mechanics and the AP Electricity and Magnetism tests. the test prep is facilitated by a current Katy ISD AP Physics II teacher. For more information, contact your current AP Physics II teacher. 

• APCalculusC  is a non-credit review for students who have completed AP Calculus A/B and are entering AP Calculus C.  For more information, contact your AP Calculus teacher. There is no cost for this review as it is self guided

SUMMER SCHOOL INFORMATION• Typically is released after spring break

• Popular classes are World Geography Pre AP, Geometry Pre AP

• Past Cost: $200.00 per semester

FUTURE COUNSELOR ASSIGNMENTS• Counselor assignments may change from year to year.

• One day, we anticipate having two 9th grade counselors and 5 upper level counselors.

FORCE VOLUNTEERING• Falcons Out Rendering Community Engagement-FORCE

• Volunteering is not a requirement for graduation.

• Yet, it does look good on applications

• Online method of keeping up with your hours

• Recognized at graduation 

• Next Intro Meeting: October 29 7am or 2:40pm 

• Lab 1633 (only attend if you have not joined or attended a previous meeting)

COLLEGE VISITS• Students begin to qualify for college visits during their Junior

Year.

• 2 college visits during Junior Year

• 2 college visits during Senior Year

EXEMPTIONS• 9th Grade students get one exemption

• The same class may not be exempted for both semesters

• See Final Exam Schedule

EXEMPTIONS• Attendance Requirements

– A no more than 3 absences (excused and unexcused)– B no more than 2 absences (excused and unexcused)– C no more than 1 absence (excused and unexcused)– All absences will count against exemptions unless specifically stated

otherwise.

– Conduct Grades– N in any course results in loss of exemptions in that course for that semester– U in any course results in the loss of exemptions in all classes.

UPCOMING INFO• College Day during lunches: October 29

• See weekly eblast regarding upcoming counseling groups– Self esteem and Grief

– Parent Online Book Study in the spring

– Take Flight Mentors• If interested, email remonalclark@katyisd.org

CONTACT US• High School CEEB Code: 443726                                                          

•   Follow us on Twitter @othscounselors                    

• Remind Senior  Text 81010  @othssen

• Remind Tompkins Counselor  Text 81010  @othscounse

QUESTIONS