Content Standards: A.S.9.2 Students will complete school with the academic rigor and preparation essential to choose from a wide range of substantial post-secondary options, including college. Competencies: Students will…
A.C.9.2.08 Learn about and describe course offerings in which post-secondary credit can be earned while in high school.
A.C.9.2.03 Annually revise their five-year high school course plans as appropriate to reflect changes in career and post-secondary plans, standardized test scores, report card grades, and life experiences.
GOAL: Students will learn about courses in high school including dual credit, AP and other articulation courses that allow them to earn credit while in high school and save money when completing post-secondary education.
Activity Statements:
1. Students will identify the opportunities to earn college/post secondary course credits while in high school.
2. They will explore the opportunity cost through comparison between any associated fees and the costs for college/post-secondary training.
3. They will determine the cost savings by selecting to take the courses at the high school level.
4. They will examine the total college credit earning potential and determine the amount of time they can eliminate paying to attend college. For example, some students may earn a full year of college credit while in high school and only have to attend college for three years after graduation.
Materials:
List of school specific courses offered in the following categories: • Dual credit courses
• AP courses
• Online course offering credit
• Other articulation courses such as tech prep, vocational, or apprenticeships
• College/community college technical school brochures that can be used for course and cost comparisons
• Handout 1: Researching Colleges Procedures:
Students will receive a list of courses that are offered at their high school that could lead to post secondary credit. Any costs associated with the course should be listed on the handout.
1. Pass out materials from local college/community college/post-secondary training that identify matching courses and the cost for each.
2. Student will review his/her Individual Student Educational/Career Plan (ISEP) and map out courses from the list that are related to their career choice. The map should include courses for each year of high school.
Discussion:
1. How many dual credit courses are offered at your high school?
2. How many Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered at your high school? 3. What are the requirements to enroll in these classes?
4. Are there any costs associated with these classes? If so, what are they? 5. What would be the cost for the same course offered at a local college?
6. How many of these courses could you take while in high school and what would be the cost savings as compared to college tuition for the same courses?
Additional Resources:
AP Courses: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html
US College Search Site http://www.uscollegesearch.org/ http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/college-selection-guide Extension Activities:
Visit local trade/technical/community college and discuss specific courses you plan to take while in high school that school would grant credit for or allow replacement for a required course for their career training.
Contact 4-year colleges/universities you might be interested in and request information on specific courses you plan to take and what credit(s) might be allowed.
Students:
1. Complete Handout 1 – College Research Exercise 2. Save three schools of interest to your Portfolio
3. Complete a listing of Educational Goals as a part of your portfolio and Post- secondary Education Plan.
Advisors:
The Guidance and Counseling Program Office will have some forms and documents required for counselors to complete during the year and samples of forms for students to use once aligned for your high school. Be sure to follow such guidelines by the AS DOE Office.
Handout 1: Researching Colleges
When researching colleges that might be of interest to you there are some specific things to consider. You assignment here is to review this document and then do some research on several colleges writing a list of what, why and reasons for your choices. Identify three specific colleges and complete as much of the information addressed here as you can learn about your top three choices.
What to consider: Location Areas of study Student body size Financial aid available Public Private Disability-friendly Campus demographic Housing Extracurricular activities Cost Religious affiliation Transportation Student-faculty ratio
Here are the nine steps to help select colleges that interest you:
Step 1: Think about possible college majors. (Because even the largest universities don't offer all majors.)
Step 2: Develop a list of criteria for evaluating colleges. (Because you'll want to narrow your choices and weed out colleges.)
Step 3: Compile a list of possible colleges and universities. (We'll give you resources to help develop your list of prospective schools.)
Step 4: Gather all your resources and information about each school. (You'll want to make sure you have plenty of data on each college.)
Step 5: Use the criteria from Step 2 to narrow your list. (Your goal should be bringing the list down to a manageable number.)
Step 6: Visit the colleges on your list from Step 5. (Ideally, visit in person, but you can tell a lot from DVDs, websites for that particular college and/and Webcams.)
Step 7: You would apply to the schools that make the cut. (Each person is different, but typically apply to no more than 10 schools.)
Step 8: Be sure to check to see what financial needs the college can help you address and if they offer specific scholarships or assistance programs you would qualify for. (If you're lucky enough not to need them, skip this step.)
GRADE 9 LESSON 26: Your Job Description and Responsibilities