Madeira High School
Academic Course Planner
2014-2015
Madeira High School
7465 Loannes Drive
Madeira, Ohio 45243
(513) 891-8222
FAX 985-6089
Guidance Direct Line - 587-0012
Guidance Direct Fax - 924-3714
www.madeiracityschools.org
School Code Number 363-130
Tom Olson, Principal
Joe Kimling, Dean of Students
Jill Fanning, Guidance Counselor, Student Last Names A to J
Kim Homer, Guidance Counselor, Student Last Names K to Z
Accredited by:
The Ohio Department of Education
The North Central Association of Colleges andSecondary Schools
Member of:
College Entrance Examination Board
National Association of College Admissions Counselors
TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Information 4
Graduation Requirements 6
General Academic Policies 9
College Admission Guidelines 12
Art 15
Business/Technology 17
English 19
Family & Consumer Science 22
Foreign Language 23
Health 27
Mathematics 28
Music 31
Physical Education 33
Science 34
Social Studies 38
Electives 41
Appeals Criteria 43
Career Development Programs 44
Ohio Dept. of Education – Honors Diploma Criteria 45
General Information
Guidance and Counseling Services
The Guidance Department provides diversified services to the students, parents, and faculty of Madeira High School. Included in these services are academic, college counseling, career/technical, and personal counseling.
Staff: Mrs. Jill Fanning, Counselor, A through J
Ms. Kim Homer, Counselor, K through Z
Mrs. Beth Weiner, Administrative Asst.
Academic Planning
Course Selection: Students are assisted in planning their course selection by their counselor and their teachers. Every effort is made to insure that every student has an academic schedule, which is manageable for him/her, which fits in with his/her career and technical plans, and meets graduation requirements. The guidance counselors confer with each student sometime during the year to talk with the student about his/her scheduling concerns.
College/Career Information: Files are maintained containing college and career information. Students are encouraged to investigate colleges and career opportunities on the Internet for the most up-to-date information.
COLLEGE COUNSELING
College Selection and Admission Information: This is a service for juniors and seniors to help them begin making their college plans. A detailed explanation is given on selecting a college and how to apply for admission. Parents may call to make an appointment with their child’s counselor.
Financial Aid Information: Counselors will explain to students how to apply for and receive financial aid. Financial aid programs discussed are: scholarships, grants, loans, and work/study.
Parent College Meeting: College Information Nights are held for all high school parents to familiarize them with all aspects of college planning.
Career & TECHNICAL SCHOOL Counseling
Job Bureau: Many area employers are in contact with the Guidance Office to find part-time student employees. Employment positions are posted in the Guidance Office.
Career & Technical School Counseling: A thorough orientation is available to students who are interested in attending either Live or Scarlet Oaks Career & Tech Center during their junior and senior years of high school. A one-half day option is available for juniors and seniors who are interested in laboratory experience only. This can be arranged for most programs offered at the Live and Scarlet Oaks campuses. Campus visitations and meetings with Career & Technical school counselors are arranged through the Guidance Office.
PERSONAL COUNSELING
Group Guidance: Groups are formed as common concerns among students become evident. Test interpretation, college information, and career and tech center planning are often handled in a group guidance situation.
School Psychologist Referral: The school psychologist is available for consultation with parents to assess at what level a student is working and to determine what specific needs a student has.
Outside Agency Referrals: The Guidance Office has information to help both students and parents make contact with agencies that can meet specific needs.
Individual Counseling: The counselors provide assistance to students, staff, and parents with personal problems as they relate to school adjustment, i.e. failing grades, teacher-student conflicts, and motivation. Students experiencing emotional problems not related to school are referred to appropriate sources.
Special Education Needs: Assistance, coordination, and case management are provided for students with individualized education plans.
RECORDS
Cumulative File: The Guidance Department staff maintains each student’s complete school history—grades, test results, and teacher recommendations. Files are open to both students and parents upon request.
Credit Standing: Credit checks for graduation are done in the Guidance Office.
Recognition
Awards Day Program: In order to recognize those students who have distinguished themselves through commendable service to the school or outstanding academic achievement, the Guidance Office for grades 9-11 along with a Senior Awards Night sponsors an Awards Day Program. Parents are invited to attend these spring programs.
Academic Signing Day: On or about May 1st, a signing ceremony will be held where the Top Seniors declare the college of their choice.
TESTING PROGRAM
Group tests are administered to students as follows:
PLAN: An ACT assessment used to help track college and career readiness. This will be given to all 9th graders in the late winter or early spring of their freshman year. Each student will be assessed in English, Math, Reading and Science and be given an interest inventory to help with career interest information.
Ohio Graduation Test (O.G.T): As a component of state testing, all students must demonstrate proficiency on all five (5) sections of the O.G.T. in order to receive their high school diploma. Students who complete all local credit requirements, but have not passed the O.G.T., may not participate in commencement exercises unless a written formal appeal from the student and the parent is presented to the Madeira Board of Education for their approval. Students take the O.G.T. for the first time in 10th grade.
PSAT: The Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude test is now a mandatory test for juniors, which helps students begin their college planning. The National Merit Scholars are selected on the basis of this test score. The cost for the PSAT will be included in the school fees for juniors. Sophomores may take this test for practice, must register for the test and pay the registration fee of approximately $15.00.
SAT/ACT Tests: These college admissions tests are administered on national test dates on Saturdays at designated test sites. Students should register online.
A.P. Tests: Advanced Placement tests are administered in May on national test dates in various subject areas. In order to receive weighted credit for the course, students must take the AP exam. Students who are enrolled in an A.P. course are required to take the Advanced Placement Test and are required to pay the fee before they take the test (approximate cost is $89). College credit may be awarded to students who achieve a score recognized by their college. The amount and manner of credit awarded varies from college to college.
FEES
All fees listed in this Course Planner are tentative and may be subject to change. This is due to the fact that actual costs cannot be fully determined until teachers begin to order the supplementary materials needed for their courses in June of each school year.
INFORMATIONAL SERVICE
Naviance: Hobson’s/Naviance is an online career and college information service used by the high school for students in grades 9-12. It is a comprehensive website that families can use while making decisions about courses, colleges, and careers. It is used to track and analyze data about college and career plans. It allows students to explore careers, research colleges, sign up for college visitors, search for scholarships and have access to other important guidance information. All college applications will be requested and processed through the Hobson’s/Naviance system.
College Catalogs: Over 500 college catalogs from schools across the country are kept current for students’ use.
Scholarship File: An extensive scholarship file is open to students, telling them of scholarships available to them and application information.
University/College File: Separate files on over 1,000 colleges are open to all students to examine colleges in more depth.
Reference Books: A library of guidance-related books is available for loan to students.
Graduation Requirements
The Board of Education of Madeira City Schools has approved the following requirements for graduation. Students should read the requirements very carefully as they are responsible for being sure they meet the requirements. These requirements exceed the minimum standards of both The Ohio Department of Education and The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.
English 4.00 credits
Social Studies 4.00 credits
Math………………………………...4.00 credits
Science 3.00 credits
Foreign Language (1) 2.00 credits
Physical Education(3) .50 credits
Health .50 credits
Personal Finance .50 credits
Visual & Performing Arts (2) 1.00 credits
Electives 2.00 credits
Community Service (4) 40.00 hours
TOTAL MINIMUM CREDITS 21.50 hours
(1) Students must take two years of the same language. The second year requirement may be waived by the foreign language department with the approval of the principal. Special Education students whose IEP so states may be excluded from this requirement. Basic English students whose placement is verified may be waived from this requirement.
(2) Creative Foods, Music, Art, Photography, Video Production, Web Design, Color Guard, and Jazz Ensemble are considered Visual and Performing Arts. See statement regarding Visual and Performing Arts, page 12.
(3) Forty (40) hours of documented Community Service must be completed by the beginning of the 4th quarter of the senior year. 20 of those hours must be Gold hours. The other 20 can be either Blue or Gold hours. Gold hours involve meaningful, life-changing experiences such as volunteering in a soup kitchen, mission trips, etc. and require the student to write a reflection on the experience. NOTE: Before a senior can be eligible to participate in senior lunch, he or she must have completed 30 of the 40 community service hours required for graduation, and all paperwork for those hours must be submitted to and approved by the guidance office.
(4) Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, any student who, during high school, participates in interscholastic athletics, marching band, or cheerleading for at least two full seasons may have the Physical Education requirement for graduation waived. However, any student who takes advantage of the PE waiver will have to complete one-half unit, in another course of study and reach the required 21.5 credits to graduate. If a student is cut, quits, or is dismissed from an interscholastic sport, marching band, or cheerleading prior to completing a full season, that season will not count toward the two full seasons needed to waive the Physical Education graduation requirement. If a student completes the waiver at Madeira High School, and moves to another district prior to graduation, the receiving district is not obligated to honor the PE waiver earned at Madeira.
CAREER AND TECH CENTER STUDENTS
English 4.00 credits
Math 4.00 credits
Science (1) 3.00 credits
Social Studies 3.00 credits
Health .50 credits
Physical Education .50 credits
Fine Art, Technology or Foreign Language ..50 credits
Career & Tech Course 6.00 credits
Community Service (2) 40.00 hours
TOTAL 21.50 credits
(1) Of the three required Science credits one must be Physical Science and one must be Biological Science.
(2) Forty (40) hours of documented Community Service must be completed by the beginning of the 4th quarter of the senior year. 20 of those hours must be Gold hours. The other 20 can be either Blue or Gold hours. Gold hours involve meaningful, life-changing experiences such as volunteering in a soup kitchen, mission trips, etc. and require the student to write a reflection on the experience.
In order to complete the enrollment process, students and their parent(s) will sign a letter stating that they are required to attend their career and tech program for a minimum of 2 weeks prior to requesting a return to MHS.
POST-SECONDARY OPTION
Students who meet the criteria may elect to attend college classes. The options available are explained at student and parent scheduling meetings. If a student elects to do this, he must notify the school at registration time. The deadline to apply for Post Secondary Option is March 31, 2014.
FLEXIBLE CREDIT
Credit flexibility shifts the focus from “seat time” to performance. Students can earn units of high school credit based on an individually developed and school approved credit flexibility plan. The intent of credit flexibility is to meet increased expectations for high school graduation in response to globalization, technology, and demographics, and to meet the demand for 21st century skills.
Students can earn high school credit by:
1. Completing coursework,
2. Testing out or showing mastery of course content,
3. Pursuing an educational option and/or an individually approved option, and/or
4. Any combination of the above.
Students wishing to pursue a course through credit flexibility must adhere to all student scheduling dates and meet with a teacher certified in the area being pursued to write up a proposal for that course.
All credit flexibility applications must be approved by a committee of counselor, teacher and principal before the start of the term according to the following dates:
* April 15 – for a full year course, a first semester course or summer course(s)
* December 15 – for a second semester course
Students interested in pursing credit flexibility need to speak with their school counselor to obtain the application.
EARLY HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
The Board of Education acknowledges that some students seek to pursue educational goals that include graduation from high school at an earlier date than their designated class.
A student who completes the requirements for early high school graduation may participate in the graduation ceremonies with his/her designated class or the class graduating in the year in which he/she completes the District’s requirements for high school graduation. Students interested in early graduation should see their guidance counselor for more details.
General Academic Policies
Scheduling
1. Every student who is enrolled as a full-time student must take four core subject areas each day. (Core subject areas are English, Math, Social Studies, Science, Foreign Language, and Business.)
2. Students may have no more than one study hall per day.
3. Summer school or evening school credits will not be accepted for graduation unless approval by the counselor of Madeira High School is given prior to registration for the course.