STAYING THE COURSE

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STAYING THE COURSE

• Sophomore Year at Cranston High School West

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What you do today affects what you can do
tomorrow

• Future success often depends on your high school
  effort
• Aim high and work hard to create as many
  postsecondary options as possible when you
  graduate from CHSW
• Freedom in high school requires greater
  responsibility

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General Overview of Proficiency-Based Graduation
Requirements (PBGR)

• Credits
• Required Courses
• Graduation Portfolio
• Standardized Assessments
• Comprehensive Course Assessments

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PBGR Credits

• 20 credits for Class of 2008
• 24 credits for Class of 2011 and subsequent
  classes (pending School Committee approval)
• Credit awarded for final grade of D minus or
  higher (however, 4 year colleges require grade of
  C minus or higher)
• Depending on course, student will receive 1.0,
  .5, or .25 credit(s)

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PBGR Required Courses

• General rule take four years of all major
  disciplines (e.g. English, math, science, social
  studies) and fill open periods with
  required/meaningful electives
• 4 credits in English
• 4 credits in math
• 3 credits in science (pending school committee
  approval)
• 3 credits in social studies 1 credit must be US
  History (pending school committee approval)
• .5 credit in computer technology
• .5 credit in fine arts

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PBGR Working Portfolio/Graduation Portfolio

• Working Portfolio consists of artifacts and
  accompanying reflections
• Artifacts are evidence of proficiency in
  communication, problem-solving, technology,
  research, health, and the fine arts
• After school support is available for assistance
  and make-up work times TBA
• Graduation Portfolio is a subset of the Working
  Portfolio
• Senior year presentation of Graduation Portfolio

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PBGR Comprehensive Course Assessments

• Students are required to complete final exams in
  all courses

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PBGR Standardized Assessments

• Every student is required to participate in the
  New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP)
  during the junior year
• Results will become part of the students
  official transcript

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Admission to Four Year Post Secondary
Institutions

• Differs from PBGR for CHSW
• General rule Students should engage in and earn
  a C minus in a challenging program of studies
• Consult Cranston Public Schools Program of
  Studies for course descriptions to determine
  appropriate course of study for admission to
  technical, 2 year, or 4 year post secondary
  institutions (available at www.cpsed.net)

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Basic Admission Requirements for Public Four Year
Institutions Courses and Credits

• 4 credits of English
• 3 credits of math (Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra
  2)
• 2 credits of social studies
• 2 credits of lab science (Biology and Chemistry
  or Physics)
• 2 credits of foreign language
• .5 credits of fine arts
• 4.5 credits in additional electives

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Basic Admission Requirements for Public Four Year
Institutions Standardized Assessments

• PSAT in sophomore year for practice
• PSAT in fall of junior year for additional
  practice and qualification for National Merit
  Scholarship
• SAT or ACT in spring of junior year
• SAT Subject Test (if needed) as soon as possible
  after completion of advanced courses
• SAT/ACT in fall of senior year

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Standardized Assessments for Post Secondary
Institutions PSAT

• PSAT is solely designed to predict possible
  performance on SAT
• Review all information on PSAT Score Report Plus
• Will assist in identifying strengths and weakness
  for SAT
• Will help gauge your performance compared to
  students at CHSW, the state, and the nation
• Identifies specific skills that need improvement

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Standardized Assessments for Post Secondary
Institutions PSAT

• Get your personalized PSAT college planning
  package at www.collegeboard.com/psatextra
• Access code is included in PSAT Score Report Plus
• Online interactive supplemental score report that
  covers question and answer explanations
• State percentiles
• Personalized SAT study plan
• Personalized college and career planning with
  MyRoad

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MyRoad ONLINE COLLEGE AND CAREER PLANNING PROGRAM

• MyRoad offers a variety of college and career
  planning tools
• Insights online periodical covering college and
  career trends personal reflections from high
  school and college students, educators, and
  individuals in various careers
• I.D. Me personality profile (college major and
  career interest inventory)
• Explore Majors research various college majors
• Find a College provides four different college
  search engines
• Research Careers research various career options
• My Plan personal online database and college
  application management system

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General Information Attendance

• Be aware of the importance of good attendance.
  Employers and college admissions officers usually
  inquire about a students attendance record. See
  the student handbook in your planner or the main
  office for attendance policies
• Excessive unexcused absences may result in a
  referral to Rhode Islands Truancy Court

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General Information Attendance

• When absent, a parent must call the main office
• If student is absent or it is projected that the
  student will be absent for three or more days of
  school, the parent may request assignments by
  phoning the main office please allow twenty-four
  hours for teachers to process the request
• Student is responsible for making up all missed
  assignments and/or assessments. See all teachers
  immediately upon return to class set up a
  schedule for submitting all assignments and
  taking all assessments
• In cases of extended absences, please notify the
  guidance counselor
• If incomplete grades are issued, you may be
  academically ineligible

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General Information Assessment of Coursework

• Approximately midway through each report card
  period Interim Progress Reports will be issued
  through the advisory
• If you are not doing satisfactory work, you may
  need to modify your study habits, see your
  teacher(s) for extra help, and/or have a
  parent/teacher contact. Contacts can be arranged
  through your guidance counselor
• Report cards are issued each quarter. They are
  distributed in advisory except for the fourth
  quarter which are mailed to the students home
  address

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General Information Weekly Progress Reports

• If you or your parents would like a weekly update
  of your academic performance, you may pick up a
  Weekly Progress Report form in the guidance
  office or download a copy of our Weekly Progress
  Report form by clicking on the guidance link or
  Falcon Family link on the CHSW homepage
• The weekly report process is driven by the
  student and parent. Guidance counselors and
  teachers do not initiate, maintain, and/or
  provide consequences for academic performance
  based on weekly reports

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General Information Eligibility

• Students who do not meet satisfactory behavior
  guidelines and academic criteria are placed on an
  ineligibility/unsatisfactory conduct list(s) and
  will be restricted from participating in
  school-related extracurricular activities
• Unsatisfactory conduct
• Student incurs three or more 3s in Citizenship
  in a marking period
• Student may ask for a review of status (see
  Student Planner for procedure)
• Academic ineligibility
• Follows RI Interscholastic League guidelines
• Student must pass 60 of scheduled courses (see
  Appendix C in Student Planner)
• Student may ask for review of status (see Student
  Planner for procedure)

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General Information Summer School

• If you fail a course or receive a D, you should
  repeat the course in summer school to recover
  credit and/or enhance your transcript
• It is strongly recommended that students attend
  summer school because failure to do so will
  negatively impact your program of studies
• Guidance counselors will provide information
  regarding summer school attendance at the close
  of the school year
• Please note If you earn a F minus in a course,
  you do not qualify for summer school

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General Information Keep Informed

• Keep informed of all student and school
  activities through the daily bulletin that is
  read in advisory each morning
• Typical announcements concern meetings with
  college representatives, athletic events, student
  elections, club notices, and other pertinent
  information
• Periodically visit the CHSW website for school
  information and add your email address to the CW
  Family listserv for school announcements and
  updates

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General Information Scheduling Courses

• During the fall of each year, teachers will
  recommend courses for the following academic year
• Recommendations are based on perceived ability,
  work/study skills, and academic performance
• Recommendations are also based upon performance
  on standardized assessments (e.g. NECAP, Iowa)
• Students and parents may elect to override a
  teachers recommendation, provided that a course
  override form has been completed, signed, and
  returned to the guidance counselor
• Until the master schedule is created in late
  August, the courses are requests only. Students
  are ultimately placed in courses based on
  requests, requirements, availability, and
  faculty/student ratios

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General Information Teacher Rapport

• Your relationship with your teachers and staff is
  an important one.
• Establish a good rapport as soon as you can. Let
  them know that you are interested in doing well
  in their class.
• You may need a letter of recommendation for
  college and/or employment

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General Information Guidance Folder

• Continue your Guidance Folder, either in paper
  form or in your Portfolio
• Consult the CHSW website in order to download the
  Individual Learning Plan Worksheet and Activity
  Sheet templates
• Include all the awards and achievements you
  receive in school and the community (CLCF,
  part-time jobs, volunteer work, VICA awards,
  Contempora, etc.)
• This folder will prove helpful as you begin the
  college application and/or employment process in
  your junior and senior years

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General Information School Activities

• Become involved in the school community!
• There are a variety of athletic, academic,
  musical, and social extracurricular activities
• Benefits include better school performance, sense
  of belonging, increased pride in school, and more
  competitive college and employment applications
• Consult the student planner or CHSW website for a
  current list of all activities

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Guidance Services Requesting an Appointment

• Students Ask your advisory teacher for a
  Request for Counselor Appointment form or fill
  out one in the Guidance Office. Please include
  the reason for the visit so your counselor can
  plan the time accordingly
• Parents Call the Guidance Office at 270-8063 or
  email the guidance counselor to schedule an
  appointment. Please refrain from walking in
  without an appointment

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Guidance Services General Overview

• Counselors are available to assist students in
  dealing with academic, career, and personal
  issues
• Counselors can provide referrals to other support
  staff members (school social workers,
  psychologist, nurse)
• Counselors play an integral role in the selection
  of courses
• Counselors can assist in the college and/or
  employment application process

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Guidance Services Post Secondary Options

• You will soon begin thinking about your plans
  after high school and will need to discuss these
  plans with your parents and guidance counselor
• You need to consider your achievements, abilities
  and personality. There are computer assisted
  interest surveys and post secondary reference
  material on such websites as MyRoad.com and
  collegeboard.com. Check with the librarian or
  your guidance counselor for help
• Guidance counselors will meet with all students
  both individually and in groups to discuss post
  secondary options

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Reference

• Support staff
• Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs Lynne
  Burke
• Assistant Principal of Special Education and
  related Services D. Schiappa
• School Counselors P. Bouchard, D. Ciccone, J.
  DiOrio, S. Masso, M. Tomasso, L. Velino, M.
  Watson, and R. Willette
• Social Workers M. DelRosso, J. Merolla
• School Psychologist G. Blessing
• School Nurse D. Mollicone
• Location A-1 Wing
• Phone number [phone] Fax [phone]
• School address 80 Metropolitan Avenue,
  Cranston, RI, 02920
• Website address www.cpsed.net/chsw/index.htm
• Email addresses available at school website
• CEEB school code 400036