Get Ready for Freshmen Year
Middle School: 8th grade
During your 8th-grade year, your counselor(s) will be meeting with you to discuss high school course options, graduation requirements, endorsements (Texas residents), and programs of study. The BEST way to prepare for this meeting is to PREPARE!
These resources will help you gain insight, inform your decision, and (hopefully) make the process go a little smoother!
The GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS are outlined for Texas graduates which include three different options:
Foundation Plan, Foundation PLUS One Endorsement, and Distinguished Level of Achievement.
An ENDORSEMENT is a set of classes that allows a student to dig into an area of interest to them. It’s similar to a college major, allowing the student to learn more about a particular subject area. Endorsements connect to different career paths and are meant to help students get familiar with the sorts of ideas, skills, and abilities related to those careers. Students choose one or more endorsements out of five possibilities. During high school, they’ll complete a certain number of courses to earn credit toward their endorsement. When they graduate, their endorsement(s) will be reflected on their transcript and diploma.
Learn about your district's GPA policy and what classes impact it. Some middle school classes count towards the GPA.
Too many high school students take their ninth and tenth-grade years to get up to speed. That means that half of their high school record (and GPA) is not as good as they could be. In competitive college selection that could matter.
The course guide is an important document, for high school students and their families, that outlines course requirements, course descriptions, graduation requirements, and grade point average (GPA) information.
To find this information, search "course guide" on your school district website.
Review the FRESHMAN CHECKLIST so you know what's to come and how you can prepare for your next steps.
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