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LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FUTURE

NINTH GRADE TRANSITION BOOK

2020-2021

In accordance with Title VI-Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX-Education Amendment of 1972, Section 504-Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of

the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1992, the North East Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national

origin, age, sex or handicap.

Conforme al Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964, al Título IX de las Enmiendas de Educación de 1972, a la Sección 504 de la Ley

de Rehabilitación de 1973 y al Título II de la Ley sobre Estadounidenses con Discapacidades de 1992, el North East Independent School

District no discrimina por motivos de raza, color, origen nacional, edad, sexo o discapacidad.

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NEISD GUIDANCE SERVICES MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the North East Independent School District Comprehensive

Guidance and Counseling Program, in partnership with parents, school and community, is to provide a system of services which fosters the academic,

career, and social development of all students.

Our goal is to empower children to reach their maximum potential and

become caring, productive, and responsible citizens.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Mission Statement 2

Student Support Services 3

Graduation Requirements 4

Four Year Plan 5

Promotion Policy/STAAR 6

Class Rank Policy 7-8

Attendance Regulations 9

Skyward Family Access 10

College Planning 11

PSAT/College Board 12

CaféCollege 13

Clubs and Activities 13

Sample Résumé 14

Community Service Log 15

Helpful Websites 16

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STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

TEACHERS

Academic progress, tutoring, parent conferences

PRINCIPAL

Questions regarding school policies

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS Discipline concerns, attendance, textbooks

COUNSELORS/STAN COUNSELOR

Student support, testing, college/career planning, scheduling concerns, guidance

NURSE

Health concerns, medication questions

POLICE DEPARTMENT Safety and legal concerns

REGISTRAR Transfer grades, credits, transcripts

COUNSELING CLERK

Registration forms, Withdrawal forms, TEA/VOE forms (Driver’s License)

DATA PROCESSOR

Address/phone number changes, progress reports, report cards

BOOKKEEPER Student fees and fines

CAFETERIA MANAGER

Lunch program qualification, lunch accounts

LIBRARIAN

Research and reference assistance

ATTENDANCE OFFICE Student check-out/check-in, attendance reports, extended absence

homework collection site

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS NEISD Students Entering 9th Grade

in the 2015-2016 School Year

Courses Foundation High

School Program

Foundation High School

Program with

Endorsement

Foundation High School

Program with Distinguished Level of

Achievement (requires completion of at

least one Endorsement)

English Language Arts 4 credits 4 credits * 4 credits *

Mathematics 3 credits 4 credits * 4 credits *

(Algebra II required)

Science 3 credits 4 credits * 4 credits *

Social Studies 3 credits 3 credits * 3 credits *

Languages other than

English (LOTE) 2 credits 2 credits * 2 credits *

Physical Education 1 credit 1 credit 1 credit

Health Education .5 credit .5 credit .5 credit

Fine Arts 1 credit 1 credit * 1 credit *

Electives 4.5 credits 6.5 credits 6.5 credits

Total 22 26 26

.

* Students will choose one of five endorsement options: Multidisciplinary Studies; Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Business and Industry; Public Services;

or Arts and Humanities. Each endorsement requires specific courses. Additional credits may

be required depending upon the specific endorsement you choose. Please see your

counselor for more details. Students may also earn a Performance Acknowledgement

through Dual Credit, Bilingualism/Biliteracy, Languages Other Than English (LOTE),

Advanced Placement (AP), PSAT/SAT/ACT, or a Business Certification or License.

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NAME:______________________________________________ _______________ _____________ _____________

(Print) Last First MI Student ID # Year Entered HS Current Grade

NORTH EAST ISD __________________ HIGH SCHOOL FOUR YEAR PLAN for Students Entering 9th Grade in 2014 and beyond

FOUNDATION HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM WITH ENDORSEMENTS AND DISTINGUISHED LEVEL OF ACHIEVEMENT

Endorsement/Program of Study: My Post-High School Plans Credit Requirements--26 total

________ Multidisciplinary Studies include: English Lang. Arts: 4 Physical Ed.: 1

________ STEM ________ Technical training Mathematics: 4 Languages Other Than English (LOTE) 2 ________ Business & Industry ________ Two-year college Science: 4

________ Public Services ________ Four-year college Social Studies: 3 Fine Arts: 1

________ Arts & Humanities ________ Military

Health: 0.5

________ Employment Electives: 6.5

________ Other

HS CREDITS EARNED PRIOR TO ENTERING GRADE 9: SAMPLE

Course Title Credit Course Title Credit

9TH GRADE Credit 10TH GRADE Credit 11TH GRADE Credit 12TH GRADE Credit

English I (EOC) 1.0 English II (EOC) 1.0 English III 1.0 Advanced English 1.0

Alg I (EOC) or Geometry 1.0 Geom or MathM or Alg II* 1.0 MathM or Alg II*or Advanced Math 1.0 Advanced Math 1.0

Biology (EOC) 1.0 IPC or Chem or Physics 1.0 Advanced Science 1.0 Advanced Science 1.0

WGeog or WHist 1.0 Soc. Stds. or Elective 1.0 US History (EOC) 1.0 Govt/Eco 1.0

LOTE I or higher 1.0 LOTE II or higher 1.0 Elective 1.0 Elective 1.0

PE/Health/Fine Arts 1.0 PE/Health/Fine Arts 1.0 Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0 Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0

Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0 Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0 Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0 Endrsmt Course/Elective 1.0 (EOC)—End of Course Assessment is required *Course is required for the Distinguished Level of Achievement

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Please note: Programs of Study and course offerings may vary from school to school and may not be offered at every NEISD High School.

For more information about the Foundation High School Program, view the TEA Graduation Toolkit at: http://tea.texas.gov/communications/brochures.aspx

PROMOTION POLICY

FOR STUDENTS ENTERING 9TH GRADE

9th grade Promotion from 8th grade 0-5.5 credits

10th grade 6.0 – 11.5 credits

STATE OF TEXAS ASSESSMENTS OF ACADEMIC READINESS

STAAR

All students who enter the 9th grade in the 2011-2012 school year or later are assessed under

the STAAR system as mandated by the Texas Education Code (TEC). House Bill 5 of the 83rd

Regular Session of the Texas Legislature has changed high school testing and graduation

requirements for students who entered 9th grade in 2011-2012 and thereafter. The required

EOC exams will be English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology and U.S. History. Please contact

your counselor if you have any questions about testing requirements and/or graduation

requirements.

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NEISD RANK IN CLASS POLICY

RANK IN CLASS

Required graduation courses, up to a maximum of 26 credits, taken in grades 9-12 through

the end of the seventh semester will be used to calculate class rank. This will include credits

for elective courses required for the:

o Foundation High School Program-Distinguished Level of Achievement (FHSP-

DLOA) {for students who entered high school in 2014-15 and thereafter} regardless

of what graduation program is pursued.

Elective courses that produce the highest weighted grade will be used to calculate rank. Class

rank will be based upon a weighted grade average (WGA).

Weighted grade averages (WGA) are determined by multiplying each semester grade of a

ranked course by a rank factor and computing an average. The rank factor recognizes

differences in level of difficulty between Advanced Placement, Pre-Advanced Placement,

and Regular coursework.

Course Level Rank Factor

Advanced Placement (AP) and Dual Credit AP 1.29

Honors, GT non-AP, and Dual Credit non-AP 1.15

Regular 1.00

The weighted grade average (WGA) determines the rank in class. The student earning the

highest WGA is ranked number one and all others take the following positions in increasing

numeric order. Ties in rank will be broken using the most courses taken given a weight of

1.15 and/or 1.29.

Students are ranked with the group of students with whom they entered grade nine, called

their cohort. Preliminary unofficial class standing reports will be issued to students following

the second and fourth semesters of high school. Official class standing will be issued to

students following the sixth and seventh semesters of high school. Class rank is determined

using a weighted system that supports academic achievement and rigor.

Students are designated within a range of their cohort as follows: top five percent, top ten

percent, top fifteen percent, top twenty percent, first quarter, second quarter, third quarter and

fourth quarter. The position of each student is reported as “number (___) out of (___)

students” in their cohort.

Summer school courses will be included in the calculation of class rank, including high

school credits earned in the summer after grade eight.

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Courses that do not count for class rank include those that are taken:

more than once for pass/fail credit through credit by exam

in middle school with an ARD exemption for which no credit is available

during summer foreign study second semester of the final year

OVERALL WEIGHTED GRADE AVERAGE / HONOR GRADUATES

Students achieving high standards of academic excellence shall be recognized at the

graduation ceremony as honor graduates based on the following criteria:

o Completion of the FHSP-DLOA for students who enter HS in 2014-15 and thereafter;

o Accumulation of a minimum of 52 semester classes of coursework by the time of

graduation; and

o Overall weighted grade average (WGA) for all courses taken in high school through

the end of the seventh semester is greater than or equal to 90. The rank factor listed

above is used to determine the overall weighted grade average.

Honor graduates meeting the criteria specified above shall be designated as follows:

Honor Graduate Designations Cumulative Grade Average

Summa Cum Laude 100+

Magna Cum Laude 95-99

Cum Laude 90-94

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ATTENDANCE REGULATIONS

In accordance with Texas Education Code (TEC), children between ages 6 through 18 are required to attend

school unless otherwise exempted by law. School employees investigate and report violations of the state

compulsory attendance law.

Parents/Guardians have a duty to monitor their child’s school attendance and require their child to attend school

daily. Failure to do so will necessitate the need for you and your child to be subject to truancy prevention

measures.

At the beginning of the school year all parents/guardians will be notified in writing of the state attendance

requirements. Under the law, if the student is absent from school on ten (10) or more days or parts of days

within a six-month period in the same school year:

The student’s parent/guardian is subject to prosecution in accordance with TEC 25.093.

The student, if age appropriate, is subject to referral to a truancy court for truant conduct under Section

25.0915.

Parents/Guardians are asked to call the school to report when students are absent. If the school is not notified

early, school personnel will attempt to call the parent/guardian. In addition to a phone call to the school, students

who have been absent must also bring a written, signed statement by parent/guardian explaining the reason

for the absence within two (2) days following their return to school after students were absent. Students

may also be required to have a note from the physician if the absences are excessive or as additional

documentation for extenuating circumstances.

Students 19 Years and Older Students who voluntarily attend or enroll after their 19th birthday are required to attend each school day until the

end of the school year. The Principal may revoke the enrollment of students 19 or older who have more than

five unexcused absences in a semester. Students' presence on school property thereafter would be unauthorized

and may be considered trespassing.

Enforcement of Attendance Excessive absences from school shall be investigated by the District Attendance Officers or designated school

officials. The District will issue a warning notice when a student accumulates unexcused absences as specified

in Section 25.095b. With the accumulation of unexcused absences, the Attendance Officer shall file a complaint

against the parent(s)/guardian(s) in an appropriate court. It is not a defense to prosecution that the student has

engaged in attendance recovery, credit retrieval, or that the parent has not received the notice of unexcused

absences (Section 25.095c).

The district must submit attendance of its students to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) reflecting

attendance at a specific time each day. The official state accounting time shall be determined by the

absences recorded at the following times each day:

Middle School: 9:30 a.m.

High School: 10:00 a.m.

MINIMUM ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS

State law requires that a student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for

at least 90 percent of the time the class is scheduled to meet. If students are in attendance less than 90 percent

of the days the class meets, students will lose credit unless each and every class is made up in an acceptable

manner, such as, but not limited to, Saturday School, after school hours, etc. When students' attendance drops

below 90 percent but remains at least 75 percent of the days the class is offered, they may earn credit for the

class by completing a plan approved by the principal. This plan must provide for students to meet the

instructional requirements of the class as determined by the principal. If students fail to successfully complete

the plan, or when their attendance drops below 75 percent of the days the class is offered, students and

parents/guardians may request award of credit by submitting a written petition to the appropriate attendance

committee at the campus. Unusual extenuating circumstances would be a basis for appeal to the attendance

review committee. The structure of the review committee, the procedures, and criteria to be considered are

available from the campus administration.

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North East Independent School District

SKYWARD FAMILY ACCESS

What is it?

Skyward Family Access is a secure Web site that gives parents more information about their

child’s daily performance at school. Through the Internet, parents can access information about

their students at anytime, anywhere.

The goal of Skyward Family Access is to create a better partnership between NEISD parents and

teachers. This tool will help parents be more involved with their child by providing a virtual

window into the classroom.

How can I best use Skyward Family Access?

Skyward Family Access is like having a daily progress report from each teacher. Parents can

currently use the portal to:

Email teachers

Check grades

View attendance

View schedules

View report cards and transcripts

Monitor career and graduation plans

*Please contact the Help Desk directly at 210-356-4357 if you need help with your Family Access

account.

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College Planning

GET ALL THE FACTS

The most important thing to remember about preparing for college is to start as soon as possible. It

is never too early to begin gathering information and to create a step-by-step plan.

MAKE A PLAN IN HIGH SCHOOL

The choices you make during high school will make a big difference in the rest of your life. That

probably sounds like a lot of pressure, but do not worry. The fact is that by preparing for college

now, you will have a clearer picture of what you need to do during high school to attend college.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NEXT?

Take college preparatory classes—they provide the necessary background for a college education.

Challenge yourself with a rigorous curriculum all four years in high school.

Take Advanced Placement (AP) classes in 10th, 11th and 12th grade. In these college-level courses,

you may have the opportunity to earn college credit. AP courses are available for most subject

areas and can help you save college tuition money and get a head start in achieving your goal of a

college degree. Contact your school counselor to find out which AP courses are available at your

school.

Consider Dual Credit courses in grades 10 through 12. You can earn college credit for academic

courses while you are in high school. Contact your school counselor to receive more information

on available Dual Credit courses and Dual Credit deadlines.

Take the PSAT your 9th, 10th, and 11th grade years as practice for the SAT. Currently, NEISD

offers this test free to all 9th, 10th, and 11th graders.

Are you wondering “What do I want to be when I grow up?” Ask your school counselor about the

Kuder program. Kuder - Go to www.neisd.net and log on to Launchpad and then click on Kuder

in the CTE folder. This is a comprehensive online career planning system. NEISD offers this free

to our high school students. Use it to learn about yourself - What are your interests and strengths?

What careers might be a good fit for you?

Remember: ALL of your grades count. It may be too late to begin your commitment to good

grades AFTER your 9th grade year. Your commitment must start at the onset of high school.

Good grades + rigorous courses = a higher rank among your entering class.

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PSAT—Taken in Grades 9, 10, and 11

The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a program

co-sponsored by the College Board and National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC). College

Board offers the PSAT 8/9 as a precursor to taking the 10/11 PSAT/NMSQT. The PSAT is a

standardized test offered to 9th, 10th, and 11th graders that provides firsthand practice for the SAT®.

It also gives students a chance to enter NMSC scholarship programs and gain access to college and

career planning tools.

The PSAT/NMSQT measures:

Evidenced-based reading and writing skills

Math problem-solving skills

The most common reasons for taking the PSAT/NMSQT are to:

Receive feedback on your strengths and weaknesses on skills necessary for college study.

You can then focus your preparation on those areas that could most benefit from additional

study or practice. https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-8-9/inside-the-test

See how your performance on an admissions test might compare with that of others applying

to college.

Enter the competition for scholarships from NMSC (grade 11).

You can become familiar with the kinds of questions and the exact directions you will see on

the SAT. https://www.collegeboard.org/delivering-opportunity/sat/redesign

College Board

www.collegeboard.org

The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college

success and opportunity.

Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful

transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success

including the SAT and the Advanced Placement Program. The organization also serves the

education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.

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cafécollege http://www.cafecollege.org/home/

131 El Paso St, San Antonio, TX 78204

210-207-4528

Funded by the City of San Antonio and managed by the San Antonio Education

Partnership, cafécollege serves as San Antonio’s “one-stop-shop” for college access

advice, guidance, and workshops. No appointment is necessary and all services are free

of charge and available in Spanish to all. Visit the “Freshmen” website at cafécollege

https://cafecollege.org/freshman-checklist-draft/ - College is just around the corner and

it is time to get college ready now. Challenge yourself to take rigorous classes and get

involved.

Clubs and Activities NEISD encourages it’s students to become active in a club or activity on campus. All NEISD high

school campuses have various athletic and fine arts programs, as well as numerous clubs and

organizations on campus. Check out your campus’ list of clubs and organizations on their website to

see what you might be interested in getting involved with. It is also important to track your clubs and

activities. You will want to provide this information on your RÉSUMÉ.

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SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ

JOHN SMART

123 School Road Birthdate:

San Antonio, TX 78258 Social Security#: 111-22-3333

(210) 123-4567 Email Address:

EDUCATION:

Class Rank:

Grade Average:

SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Grade

Varsity Baseball

1st Baseman

All Star Team

National Honor Society

Student Government Representative

Key Club

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES: Grade

Church Youth Group

Led Children's Choir

Vacation Bible School Teacher

Baptist Hospital Volunteer

Honors/AP COURSES: Grade

World History AP

LEADERSHIP POSITIONS: Grade

Junior Class President

NHS Treasurer

WORK EXPERIENCE: Grade

GAP, North Star Mall--

Assist customers, answer phones

HOBBIES & ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Grade

Piano lessons

Blue Sharks Swim Team

HONORS/AWARDS: Grade

Princeton Book Award

For additional sample résumés resources check out

https://www.cappex.com/articles/applications/high-school-resume-step-by-step

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NAME:___________________________________________________

COMMUNITY SERVICE LOG (Sample)

Date Activity Location Community or

School Hours? (C/S)

Total number of hours

(Include exact hours of

the day)

8/1/13 MS Walk Morgan’s

Wonderland

C 4 hours

8 AM – 12 PM

Total of Community Service Hours: __________ Total of School Service Hours: __________

Total Hours: __________

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Helpful Websites

College/Career Planning

www.collegefortexans.com https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/

www.bigfuture.collegeboard.org

www.texasrealitycheck.com

Kuder - Go to www.neisd.net and log on to

Launchpad and then click on Kuder in the CTE folder

www.cafecollege.org

www.careeronestop.org

http://www.txcrews.org

http://gentx.org/ www.AIE.org

www.texascaresonline.com

www.collegeboard.org

Career Hotline: 1-800-822-7526

www.petersons.com

www.nacac.com

www.campustours.com

www.alamo.edu

www.usnews.com/education

www.myfuture.com

Scholarships and Financial Aid

www.fafsa.ed.gov

www.collegenet.com

www.tgslc.org

www.finaid.org

www.fastweb.com

www.gocollege.com

www.scholarships.com

www.collegeview.com

www.salliemae.com

www.college-scholarships.com

www.afrotc.com

www.armyrotc.com

www.supercollege.com

www.studentaid.ed.gov

www.utsa.edu/armyrotc

Online Application Sites

www.applytexas.org

www.commonapp.org

https://www.alamo.edu/admission--aid/how-to-apply/

Associate Degree/Certification Programs-

Alamo Colleges

http://mysaccatalog.alamo.edu/

Test Prep Websites (ACT, SAT, ASVAB)

www.collegeboard.org

https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice

www.act.org

www.powerprep.com

www.shmoop.com

www.revolutionprep.com

www.princetonreview.com

www.kaplan.com

www.sylvanlearning.com/

www.4tests.com

www.military.com/join-armed-forces/asvab

Employment Opportunities / Job Searches

www.careeronestop.org

www.bls.gov/ooh

www.careers.org

www.careerbuilder.com

www.monster.com

www.mappingyourfuture.org

Local Colleges and Universities

Public Universities Texas State University (San Marcos) - www.txstate.edu

Texas A&M University San Antonio - www.tamusa.edu/

University of Texas at San Antonio - www.utsa.edu

Alamo Colleges Northwest Vista College - www.alamo.edu/nvc

Palo Alto College - www.alamo.edu/pac

St. Philip's College - www.alamo.edu/spc

San Antonio College - www.alamo.edu/sac

Northeast Lakeview College - www.alamo.edu/nlc

Private Universities Our Lady of the Lake University - www.ollusa.edu

Schreiner University (Kerrville) - www.schreiner.edu

St. Mary's University - www.stmarytx.edu

Texas Lutheran University (Seguin) - www.tlu.edu

Trinity University - www.trinity.edu

University of the Incarnate Word - www.uiw.edu

Wayland Baptist University (San Antonio) - www.sa.wbu.edu