Ponchatoula High School

1. Ponchatoula High School LEAP Graduation Requirements Assessments IGP’s AOC’s TOPS Scheduling

2. Introduction • The information you are receiving is important for you and your child. You, the school, and the student must work together to ensure that your student achieves his/her educational goals. • Each student will receive an informational newspaper needed for scheduling. It will provide you with graduation requirements, scheduling requirements, course summaries and other important information. Read this guide carefully and discuss the scheduling options with your child. • Students are NOT allowed to change teachers or courses once the schedules are issued. So please give serious consideration to your selections.

3. Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP) Students must score Basic or above in either English or math and Approaching Basic or above in the other subject on the LEAP to advance to the next grade.

4. Louisiana Graduation Requirements College And Career Diploma Louisiana Core 4 Curriculum Louisiana Basic Core Curriculum Career Diploma

5. What can I do with each diploma?

6. State Policy All students entering 9th grade are automatically placed on the LA Core 4 pathway. At the end of the 10th grade year, a student with parent or guardian permission may opt into the Basic Core or Career Diploma curriculum.

9. Diploma Curriculum ComparisonPHS CoursesThis comparison only includes the courses currently available at PHS. A complete list of the diploma requirements can be found in the scheduling newspaper.

11. Note: Algebra I Pt. 1 & Algebra I Pt. 2 counts for 2 units in the Basic and Career Diploma. In Core 4, Financial Math & Math Essentials do not meet TOPS requirements.

12. In Basic and Career curriculum, Chemistry I required for TOPS Tech.

15. State Assessments End of Course Test Students must pass three End of Course tests to graduate. English II or English III Algebra I or Geometry Biology I or American History * EOC Test will count as 15% of the final grade.

16. Individual Graduation Plans According to the Career Options Law, every student must have an Individual Graduation Plan (IGP) on file at the school. The plan is initiated in 8th grade and will be updated each year. The IGP shall be signed by the student and parent or legal guardian each year. The IGP reflects the curriculum pathway and the recommended sequence of elective courses. The IGP is flexible, yet sufficiently structured, to ensure that a student will meet the high school requirements for admission to a postsecondary education institution or enter the workforce.

18. Areas of Concentration • Each student MUST choose an Area of Concentration on the Individual Graduation Plan (IGP). • An Area of Concentration is a sequence of courses based on a student’s interests.

19. Area of Concentrations • Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources • Agriculture Production/Management/Entrepreneurship • Animal Science • Architecture and Construction • Carpentry and Construction • Drafting • Arts, A/V Technology, and Communication • Graphic Arts • Journalism • Liberal Arts • Mass Communication • Performing Arts • Business, Management and Administration • Administrative Support • Business, Administration • Education and Training • Advanced Studies/Core 4 only • General Studies • Finance • Banking and Finance (NAF Academy) • Government and Public Administration • JROTC • Health Science • Nutrition and Food • Emergency Health Care • Health Professionals • Pharmacy • Hospitality and Tourism • Culinary Arts • Human Services • Child Development Services • Management of Family Resources • Manufacturing • Welding • Marketing, Sales and Services • Entrepreneurship • Marketing and Sales Management • Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Engineering

20. How do I choose an area of concentration?

21. Louisiana’s Taylor Opportunity Program for StudentsTOPS • A series of merit-based scholarships that award amounts equal to tuition, some including a stipend, at a state public college, university, community college or technical school, (or the weighted average of public school tuition at certain in-state private colleges). • TOPS Opportunity, Performance, and Honors Awards • 8 semesters of college tuition • TOPS Tech Award • 2 years of technical college tuition

24. Overview of TOPS Requirements

25. Scheduling Information

26. Classification by Grade Levels 9thGrade 0 – 5.5 Credits 10th Grade 6 – 10.5 Credits 11th Grade 11 –16.5 Credits 12th Grade 17 - Credits

27. Scheduling Forms Forms Schedule Request 2012 – 2013 Individual Graduation Plan Career Clusters & Area of Concentration Form Student Application and/or Teacher Input Form for honors classes The Principal or School Counselor will inform your child regarding the procedures for returning the scheduling forms to his/her school. If the forms are not returned a schedule will be made for the student by the counselor.

28. Honors Courses Criteria A student must meet three of the five criteria yearly for the subject area requested. 1. Minimum overall GPA of 2.8 2. Minimum subject area average of 3.0 3. Teacher Recommendation based on a subject-area checklist 4. Student Application and Self-evaluation Form with Parent Signature 5. Score Mastery or Advanced on LEAP or EOC test in subject area

29. What will my schedule look like?

30. 9th Grade Electives

31. Course Selection Please be sure to read the description of the elective before choosing. Please choose wisely, because we do not change electives once the master schedule is made. If you ask for a class and receive it, you are expected to stay there for the entire length of the course. Some courses require that you get special approval. Special approval means that you must get the teacher granting permission to sign your schedule request form. For example, band requires that the PJHS band director signs.

32. PrincipalDanny Strickland Ninth Grade Academy Counselors A-D Denise Latour E-K OrlisaDePhillips L-Q Katharine Meadors R-Z Tommie Robertson MelanieMonistere