High School Planning

1. High School Planning

2. Graduation Requirements In order to receive a high school diploma from Mesa Public Schools, students must: Complete the credit requirements for one of the two offered diplomas: • Standard Diploma • Scholastic Diploma

3. *Meet attendance requirements *Meet or Exceed the Standard in all three areas of the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) in: • Reading • Writing • Math

5. College Core

6. What are grade points and weighted grades? • Grade points are the numeric equivalent of letter grades • An “A”, for instance equals 4 grade points • Weighted grades are worth additional grade points • A weighted “A” is worth 5 grade points

7. What is a G.P.A.? • Grade Point Average (G.P.A.) is a numerical average of all the grades you’ve earned for all the classes you’ve taken in high school • GPA is calculated by totaling your grade points and dividing that total by the total number of classes you’ve taken

8. Calculating your GPA Total number of classes taken Total number of grade points earned in all your classes

10. What is class rank? • Class rank is a measure of how your academic performance compares to other students in your graduating class • Colleges often use class rank as a factor in college admissions and for awarding scholarships

11. The College Core • Beginning with the class of 2013, Mesa Public Schools will use our core courses, or the College Core, as the basis for determining class rank.  • Core courses fall in the categories of English, Math, Natural/Physical Science, World Languages, Fine Arts, and Social Studies.   • We will total the number of grade points earned in the 17 core courses and divide that number by 34.  If students take more than the minimum number of core courses, we will take the highest grade points earned in that particular core area.

12. The College Core Courses

13. What the College Core is not • College Core is not to be confused with a Grade Point Average (GPA) • GPA is calculated using the sum total of all your grade points and dividing by the total number of classes • The College Core is calculated by adding up your highest grade points in the 17 core academic areas and dividing by 34.

14. Calculating your College Core Total number of grade points earned in the 17 College Core classes *34 *In calculating the College Core, the divisor is always held at 34.  Thus, students who do not take all of the College Core courses (e.g., a student earning a standard diploma) will always have a lower College Core than a student who took all of the College Core courses.)

17. When and where • Your College Core will first appear on your high school transcript at the completion of your junior year • At the completion of your junior year, we will be dividing by 28, because by this time the maximum number of College Core courses you could have completed is 14 • At the completion of the junior year, those students who have taken the most rigorous schedule of advanced courses and earned the most grade points will have the highest College Cores

18. The importance of planning • Those students who have taken the most rigorous schedule of college preparatory courses and earned the most grade points will have the highest College Core and will be ranked highest in their graduating class.  • Those students who do not take College Core courses or have fewer grade points will have lower College Cores and will be ranked lower in their graduating class. 

19. Set your plans in motion • Decide what you want to do after you graduate from high school • Decide what classes you’ll need to take to get you where you want to be • Take as many advanced or college preparatory classes as you can • Earn the most grade points you possibly can by earning the best grades you can

20. Service Learning • Earn the Graduation Honor for Excellence in Service Learning by working 150 hours for a non-profit organization between 9th and 12th grades • See Mrs. Bodine during 4th quarter this year to get an application. • Once your application is approved, you will receive a time card to keep track of your hours over the summer. • Next fall, you will turn in your time card to the Service Learning coach at Red Mtn. H.S.

21. Kuder Career Navigator • www.mpsaz.kuder.com • user name: st + ID number (ex: st111111) password: ID number (no st)

22. 8th grade timeline • September24 - 28: Kuder Navigator begin four-year plan for high school (one day per English teacher) • October 15 -19: ACT Explore Exam • November 5 - 9: finish four-year plans (one day per English teacher) • Dec. 3 - 7: Explore results and high school registration • February: High School registration • April: AIMS • May: Choices unit with counselors

23. AZ High Honors Tuition Scholarship The Arizona Board of Regents High Honors Tuition Scholarship (AIMS Scholarship) is a university academic merit scholarship administered by the Arizona Department of Education on behalf of the Arizona Board of Regents. Qualified students who graduate from high school in 2013 and beyond will receive a 25% in-state university tuition scholarship.

24. Part 1 (Course Competency) • Students must complete all 16 Core Competency Courses by graduation with a B* or better in each unit of credit awarded or receive an acceptable score on the Advance Placement (AP) test or a 4 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) test for that subject area. • The 16 Core Competency Courses as defined by the Arizona Board of Regents Tri-University Admission requirements are: 4 units English; 4 units Math; 3 units Lab Science; 2 units Social Science; 2 units Foreign Language; and 1 unit Fine Arts. • * A "C" in a weighted course in any credit bearing unit of a core course does not convert to a "B". The grade is as reflected on the student's transcript. • - If a student receives a "C" in a core course he/she must complete one of the following options to remain eligible: • Retake the unit of credit and receive a "B" or better • Take an additional unit of credit in that subject matter and receive a “B” or better • Receive an Acceptable Score (See Table 1) on the Advance Placement (AP) Test or a 4 on the International Baccalaureate (IB) test for that subject area

25. Part 2 (GPA/Class Rank)Students must meet at least ONE of the following academic requirements: Option 1 - GPA: A CORE GPA of 3.50 IN THE 16 CORE COMPETENCY COURSES on an un-weighted 4.00 scale. Option 2 - Class Rank: Student is in the top 5% of high school graduating class upon graduation.

26. Part 3 (AIMS Exams)Students must meet the following assessment options: • Option 1: EXCEED Standards on all 3 of the AIMS Exams (Reading, Writing, and Math) by the end of junior year. The AIMS Science exam does not count as one of the 3 AIMS exams, for purposes of this scholarship. • Option 2: EXCEED Standards on 2 of the AIMS HS Exams (Reading, Writing, and Math) and MEET Standards on 1 of the AIMS HS Exams by the end of their junior year. Additionally, student would need to receive a minimum score of 3 on any two Advanced Placement tests or a minimum score of 4 on any two International Baccalaureate exams. AP/IB exams may be taken during the senior year. For additional information, see FAQ #12.

27. Part 4 (SAT1/ACT) • Students must meet at least one of the following admissions test options and submit scores to the university they apply to • Option 1: At least a 28 on the ACT test • Option 2: At least a 1300 on the SAT1 test (critical reading & math, excluding essay)