Tift County
High School
Planning Guide and Course Description Catalog
2016-2017
Table of Contents
Letter from the Principals
TCHS and Northeast Campus Guidance and Counseling Staff
Teachers As Advisors Program
Registration and Scheduling of Courses
Schedule Changes
Staying Informed Tift County High School Guidance and Counseling Website
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Graduation Requirements
Individual Graduation Plan
Opportunities for Excellence
Advanced Placement (AP)
Honors Classes
Georgia Virtual High School
Move On When Ready
MOWR - Dual Enrollment
MOWR – Program Options
MOWR – College Programs Available
Governor’s Honors Program
Valedictorian/Salutatorian and Honor Graduates
STAR Student
Georgia Scholar Program
HOPE Scholarship/Grant Program
Testing Requirements
Georgia Milestones Assessment System
Advanced Placement Exams (AP)
Student Learning Objectives Exams (SLO)
Grading Information
Promotion/Retention Policy
Grading Scale
Grade Point Average and Class Rank
Credit Repair
Credit Recovery
Programs
ESOL
Gifted
Individualized Education
Remedial
Post Secondary Planning
University System of Georgia Admission Standards
Preparing for College Testing
Scholarship Information
NCAA Clearinghouse Information
Practice for College Entrance Exam
PSAT
Post Secondary University and College Entrance Exams
SAT Reasoning Test
SAT Subject Test
ACT
Post Secondary Technical College Entrance Exam
Compass
Military Entrance Exam
ASVAB
Course Sequences and Descriptions
English Language Arts
Science
Social Studies
Foreign Language
Physical Education
Career and Technology
Fine Arts
Electives
Southern Regional Technical College Classes on Tift County High School Campus
Letter from the Principals
Dear TCHS Families,
During the high school years, students make important decisions about their futures. Tift County High School believes that every student should be well-informed so that they can make the best decisions possible. For that reason, I encourage students and their parents or guardians to take an active role in planning for high school and beyond. This Planning Guide and Course Description Catalog is designed to assist students and parents in planning the high school course of study and preparing for post-secondary options.
The information contained in the Planning Guide and Course Description Catalog outlines graduation requirements, explains testing requirements, and provides insight into post-secondary educational and career planning, as well as providing a complete listing of courses offered at Tift County High School and Northeast Campus. Parents/guardians and students are encouraged to use this information while working closely with school personnel to create a four-year Individual Graduation Plan which will meet the academic needs and accomplish the career goals of the student. Each year during BRIDGE conferences, parents, students, and faculty advisors will meet to review and discuss students’ Individual Graduation Plan and course selections for the upcoming school year.
It is imperative that every student be equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to participate fully in today’s highly competitive and global workplace. A high-quality high school education is the springboard to a successful and rewarding future. Students are encouraged to take very seriously the choices they make regarding high school. Every student should strive to achieve their personal best by taking a rigorous and well-rounded course load. Students and parents are reminded that the high school transcript is the official record of every course taken in high school and will follow the student throughout his adult life.
Please become familiar with the information in this Planning Guide and Course Description Catalog and utilize it to assist in making wise choices concerning high school. If you need additional assistance, the student’s Blue Devil Block advisor and school counselor are available to answer your questions.
Sincerely,
Kim Seigler and Scott Haskins
TCHS and Northeast Campus Guidance and Counseling Staff
Main Campus
Paige Wells, Lead School Counselor
Serves students with last name starting with A-C
Dr. Barbara Bryant, School Counselor
Serves students with last name starting with J-P
Jean Guzman, School Counselor
Serves students with last name starting with D-I
Tara Miller, School Counselor
Serves students with last name starting with Q-Z
Northeast Campus
Traci Hill, School Counselor
Shae Lynn, School Counselor
Scheduling Administrator
Shae Tucker, TCHS Assistant Principal
Guidance and Counseling Support Staff
Michele Mitchell, TCHS Registrar
Vickie Beale, Northeast Campus Registrar
Vivenne Couch, TCHS Assistant Registrar
Celeste Jackson, TCHS Guidance Secretary
Teachers As Advisors Program
In the continuing effort to assist students and families in making crucial decisions relative to students’ future endeavors and how academics plays a role in those decisions, the Teacher As Advisors Program begins in 6th grade and continues through 12th grade. Advisement periods are scheduled regularly in middle and high school. During the advisement meeting, teachers/advisors present curriculum centered on four domains: personal/social, academic, career, and character education. These four domains are intended to answer the questions, “Who am I? Where am I going? How am I going to get there?” while providing a grounding in character education.
The TCHS Teachers As Advisors Program is designed to assist students in developing the skills needed to make wise decisions that enable them to take full advantage of the well-balanced curriculum offered at TCHS. Through the presentation of current information concerning career selection, graduation requirements, and course offerings during individual and group advisement sessions, the professional educator becomes a mentor to the student. The following procedures are utilized in Tift County to facilitate this process:
●During the 8th grade year, students and their parents/guardians and advisor will develop an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) to be revised annually.
●Annual advisement meetings are provided for the student and his or her parent(s)/guardian(s) in order to review progress, discuss graduation requirements and career objectives, and assist in selecting high school courses for the following year.
Registration and Scheduling of Courses
The academic year at Tift County High School is divided into two semesters, fall and spring semester. Students take four classes each semester for a total of eight classes in an academic year. Students receive new schedules at the beginning of each semester. Students select courses during Registration in the spring of each school year. Prior to Registration, students are advised about course requirements and available course offerings. Teachers and advisors recommend courses for the succeeding year. The parent and advisor will approve the selected schedule during the BRIDGE Parent Conference Day.
Selecting Courses
One of the most important responsibilities for a student is to choose appropriate courses. Consideration should be given to prerequisites, teacher recommendations, and the need for a variety of programs. Students and parents can utilize course sequences and descriptions included in this guide.
Choosing Electives
In addition to the required courses that must be successfully completed to graduate from high school, students must choose from a large number of electives to complete their education. It is recommended that students select elective courses closely related to their chosen career goals. Students may choose elective courses from areas of career (CTAE), fine arts, physical education and from additional core courses in English, mathematics, science, social studies, and foreign language.
Career Pathways are a series of three specific career classes and are available in areas such as agriscience, healthcare, broadcast video production, marketing, business, family and consumer science, JROTC, cosmetology, early childhood education, metals, welding, construction, and mechatronics. Students are encouraged to complete at least one pathway and can complete multiple pathways.
Fine Arts, Foreign Language, and Advanced Content Pathways are a series of specific courses in a respective subject area. For more information about these pathways, students should contact their school counselor.
Schedule Changes
Much effort is expended each spring to ensure that students are advised and registered for the correct courses needed to complete their high school program of study. Courses cannot be dropped or added after three (3) days have passed in a semester. Schedules may be changed for the following reasons only:
●The student has already passed a class on his schedule
●The student requires a class for graduation
●The student needs placement in a special program
●The change is deemed necessary by the principal
Staying InformedTift County High School Guidance and Counseling Website
All information concerning HOPE, scholarships, college visits, military visits and events hosted by TCHS Guidance and Counseling Department can be found at tchs.tiftschools.com under the guidance link. Additional information for 9th Grade students can be found at northeast.tiftschools.com
Infinite Campus Parent Portal
Infinite Campus provides students and parents access to teachers’ gradebooks and attendance. Visit Tift County Schools website ( tiftschools.com) and click on the Infinite Campus Parent Portal link. Information concerning how to create a new parent account is located under this link. Students may also create an account but before doing so will need the log-in information which is available in the TCHS Guidance and Counseling Department.
Graduation Requirements
SUBJECT / CREDITS REQUIREDEnglish Language Arts / 4
Mathematics / 4
Science / 4
Social Studies / 4
CTAE,and/or Foreign Language and/or
Fine Art / 3
Health and Personal Fitness / 1
Introduction to Business Technology / 1
Electives / 5
TOTAL / 26
Georgia Milestone Assessments
Classes requiring Georgia Milestones:9th English Lit./Comp
American Lit./Comp.
Algebra I
Geometry
Physical Science
Biology
United States History
Economics
Grade on exam is 20% of semester average
Participation in Graduation Ceremony:
Only students who have met graduation requirements for a diploma as established by Tift County Board policy IHF(6)-R(0), will be allowed to participate in the graduation ceremony. Students must attain at least twenty-six (26) credits from the list provided above- Graduation Requirements before participating in the high school graduation ceremony. Special needs students will continue to follow their Individualized Education Program (IEP) to determine graduation status.
Individual Graduation Plan
High school course planning is of major importance in determining the student’s education and preparation for post-secondary education and careers. This process takes into account the student’s career and educational goals, as well as course requirements for the student’s chosen plan of study. Beginning in the eighth grade, students are assisted by advisors and counselors in completing a formal plan of study. The Tift County School System Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) provides an outline of course requirements and allows the student and parents/guardians to chart a plan of study for each year of high school. This plan should be monitored regularly to assure progress toward graduation. The Individual Graduation Plan (IGP):
●Includes rigorous academic core subjects
●Incorporates IEP where applicable
●Aligns educational and broad career goals and a student’s course of study
●Is based on the student's selected academic and career focus area as approved by the student’s parent or guardian
●Includes experience- based, career- oriented learning experiences which may include, but not be limited to, internships, apprenticeships, mentoring, co-op education, and service learning
●Includes opportunities for postsecondary studies through articulation, dual enrollment and joint enrollment
●Is flexible and allows changes in the course of study but is sufficiently structured to meet graduation requirements and qualify the student for admission to postsecondary education
●Is approved by the student and the student's parent or guardian with guidance from the student's counselor or teacher advisor
Opportunities for Excellence
Advanced Placement (AP)
Studies have shown that the rigor of a student’s high school curriculum is the single best predictor of success in college. The College Board Advanced Placement program is a program of college-level courses, offering high school students the opportunity to receive advanced placement high school and college credit through successful completion of an Advanced Placement exam.All Tift County High School students enrolled in AP courses are required to take the AP exam. TCHS offers AP courses in all academic areas. Refer to the course description section of the guide for AP course offerings.
Honors Classes
Honors classes offer the same curriculum as regular classes but enriched, extend, and accelerate to meet the needs of high-achieving students. Refer to the course description section for honors level course offerings. Honors classes may or may not count for HOPE Rigor Courses. The Hope Rigor Course list is available on
Georgia Virtual High School
Georgia Virtual School offers a wide variety of Internet-based courses to Georgia high school
students. The program offers courses in a variety of areas, including core, Advanced Placement, and elective courses. All courses are developed by trained, highly-qualified teachers, and Georgia Virtual School instructors are all highly-qualified teachers who are trained to teach in the online learning environment.
The following outlines the typical qualities of successful online learners:
▪Self-motivated
▪Independent learners
▪Computer literate (not necessarily “high tech”) individuals
▪Successful time managers
▪Effective written communicators
▪Risk takers
▪Committed workers
▪Open communicators (i.e. willing to ask for help, share problems, and/or concerns)
▪Interested online learners
▪Flexible workers (i.e. ability to work with a pre-set schedule of due dates that may not coincide with the schedule of their regular school day)
Courses completed successfully through Georgia Virtual School satisfy graduation requirements. For more information, visit the Georgia Virtual School website at meet with your school counselor.
Move On When Ready
Mission Statement
To strengthen the link between secondary and postsecondary education and to maximize the successful, seamless transition of students from one educational level to another that includes increased student academic, career and technical achievement. To assure that every student will be prepared to advance to a successful career and understand the benefits of lifelong learning. *Resource –
MOWR - Dual Enrollment
MOWR is an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit while still in high school. The credit counts towards both a college or technical diploma and a high school diploma. To be eligible in participate in these programs, a student must:
●Be a high school student seeking a high school diploma from a public or private secondary educational institution
●Be enrolled in an eligible college, university, or technical college as a dual credit student. (ABAC or Southern Regional Technical College)
●Meet college MOWR enrollment requirements
●Be registered with Selective Service (if required)
●Not be in default or owe a refund on any student financial aid program
●Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990
MOWR – Program Options
The New Move On When Ready
Program (SB132)______
High school students may enroll in
eligible participating postsecondary
institutions while in 9th – 12th grades
Earn dual credit
May take any course - Academic and
CTAE courses
or
May enroll in a Program (Associate Degree, Diploma or Technical Certificate of Credit)
New High School Graduation option (SB2)
Students complete 10th grade with the
required courses (two English, math,
science, social studies; one health and PE
and required tests)
Eight courses that require an End of
Course Assessment must be completed
before student participation
Complete an associate degree, technical
diploma or two technical certificate programs in a career pathway awarded a high school diploma and college credential
MOWR – College Programs Available
ABAC MOWR Program is a non-need based program offered for students that wish to take college-level academic courses for credit toward both high school and college graduation requirements. Students may attend part-time or full-time. Students must take either the SAT or ACT to qualify (each college sets minimum score requirements), be on track to graduate and have at least a 3.0 academic GPA (includes English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language). Students grades 9-12 are eligible to participate but must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in MOWR classes
Southern Regional Technical CollegeMOWR Program is a non-need based grant program for students seeking technical certificates or diplomas from a technical college. Students may attend part-time or full-time. Students must take the Compass test to qualify for classes.
Governor’s Honors Program
The Georgia Governor's Honors Program (GHP) is a four-week, summer residential program designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year. Activities provide each participant with opportunities to acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes to become independent, life-long learners.The Georgia Governor's Honors Program is fully funded by the Georgia General Assembly and operates at no cost to participants. High School sophomores and juniors in public, private, and home schools are eligible for nomination in one of twenty areas. Students who are interested in GHP can find more information in the Guidance and Counseling Office. Contact your school counselor in early September for more information.