Lack of Honors Classes Puts CUSD Students At Disadvantage for College Admissions

What Colleges Are Looking For In An Applicant

• A Rigorous Class Schedule
• Grades
• Standardized Test Scores
• Extracurricular Activities

Letter of Recommendation

• Other factors:
  • Geographic Diversity
  • Academic Diversity
  • Extracurricular Diversity
  • Ethnic/Racial Diversity
  • Socioeconomic and Geographic Diversity
  • Age Diversity

Rigorous Class Schedule

To encourage students to pursue more challenging coursework while in high school, UC assigns extra weight to grades earned in up to four years (or eight semesters) of UC-designated honors courses.

When a District fails to provide its students with “Honors” classes, the District is depriving students in 9th and 10th grade of the opportunity to show that they have chosen a “Rigorous” class schedule in high school. In addition; taking classes designated as “Honors”, “AP” or “IB” provides students with a bump in their GPA. “Honors” designated classes provide a .5 bump in GPA per class. “AP” and “IB” designated classes provide a 1 point bump in GPA per class.

GPAA Grade Point Average (GPA) is based on the number of grade points earned divided by the number of grades. Each grade earned is worth a certain number of points on a 0.0 to a 4.0 scale.

The minimum required GPA for California residents to enter a UC or Cal State school is a 3.0.Calculating GPA For UC or CSU The university awards the bonus grade point for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, UC-approved honors courses, and UC transferable college courses in which a grade of C or higher is earned.

UC uses all “a-g” courses taken between the summer following 9th grade through the summer following 11th grade in calculating a student’s GPA.In calculating the GPA, UC does not include courses taken in the freshman year, regardless of the level of the course.

In addition, UC calculates a weighted GPA limited to 4 years of honors courses with no more than 2 years of 10th grade honors courses. In other words, for a semester calendar, which many U.S. schools use, 8 semesters of honors points with no more than 4 semesters of honors points from courses completed in the 10th grade.

Calculating GPA For Entrance into Private Colleges and Universities.

Weighted grade point average means that extra points are added for honors and AP classes.

Most colleges and universities will recalculate a weighted GPA to an unweighted average.

Here are the guidelines that most colleges will follow in calculating your grade point average:

• Include Only academic courses. (Do not use grades from arts, physical education, or religion courses.)
• Most colleges and universities will use a straight 4.0 scale, without considering plus or minus grades.
• There will be no additional weight given for honors or AP courses.

There are two ways to calculate a students unweighted grade point average. One uses +/- grades. The other does not.

Using +/- grades:

Most colleges will calculate your GPA without using +/-. In other words, A-/A or A+ each equal 4.0; similarly, B-/B or B+ each equal 3.0:

If you’ve retaken a class, replace the original grade with the new grade. (The old grade does not factor into your gpa.)Total of Column B divided by Total of Column A = Unweighted GPA

“Accelerated/Advanced” Classes vs “Honors” Classes

“Accelerated” and “Advanced” classes are not approved by the UC System and are therefore not recognized by the UC system to be any more rigorous than a regular class. Accelerated/Advanced classes do not provide students with any bump in GPA. So, Accelerated/Advanced classes will not be recognized as “rigorous” for college admissions purposes.

see: http://ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/honors/index.html

See: http://www.ucop.edu/agguide/

The only option for CUSD students to show “Rigor” is to take AP/IB classes.

The UC System does not provide any bump in GPA for any classes taken in the 9th grade. The UC System encourages students to take honors classes in 10th and 11th grade and AP/IB Classes in 11th and 12th grade. This is not the case with many Private colleges or educational institutions in other states which do recognize designated “Honors” courses in 9th and 10th grade, and would provide a bump in GPA for Honors classes taken in 9th grade. Therefore, it is an advantage for students to have an opportunity to take honors courses in 9th grade.

Capistrano Unified School District is the only District in our area that does not provide students with an opportunity to take Honors designated classes in High School.

Saddleback Valley Unified School District

planning guide 2014-2015.pdf

English Department

• • English 1 Honors/IB

Math Department

• • Algebra 2 Honors/IB
  • Geometry Honors / IB

Social Studies Department

• • US History Honors
  • Cultural Geography/History Honors/IB (ETHS, MVHS)
  • Globalization/International Relations Honors (LHHS)

Laguna Beach Unified School District

Planning guide 2014-15:

http://www.lbusd.org/uploaded/2-LBHS/Counseling/Documents/Course_Description_Book_2015_2016.pdf

English Department

• • Honors English 9
  • Honors English 10
  • Honors English 11

Math Department

• • Honors Algebra II
  • Honors Pre-Calculus

Science Department

• • Honors Chemistry
  • Advanced Chemical Research/Honors

World Language Department

• • Honors Spanish II
  • Honors Spanish III
  • Honors Spanish IV
  • Honors Spanish V

Performing Arts Department

• • Honors Art Studio

J Serra

http://www.jserra.org/uploaded/Academics/JSerra_Course_Catalog.pdf

English Department

• • English 1 Honors
  • English 2 Honors

Math Department

• • Algebra 2 w/ Trig Honors
  • Geometry Honors
  • Pre-Calculus Honors

Science Department

• • Biology Honors
  • Chemistry Honors

Social Studies Department

• • World History Honors

World Language Department

• • Spanish 2 & 3 Honors

St Margarets

http://www.smes.org/data/files/gallery/UpperSchoolCurriculum/uscg.pdf

English Department

• • English II/Honors
  • English III/Honors

Math Department

• • Geometry/Honors
  • Algebra II/Honors
  • Pre-Calculus/Honors

Science Department

• • Chemistry Honors

World Language Department

• • French II , III/Honors
  • Japanese II, III/Honors
  • Latin III/Honors
  • Spanish II, III, III Honors

Rancho Santa Margarita

English Department

• • English 1 H
  • English 2 H

Math Department

• • Algebra 1 H
  • Algebra 2 H
  • Geometry H
  • PreCalculus H

Science Department

• • Biology H
  • Chemistry H

Social Studies Department

• • Cultural Geography MUN H
  • World History MUN H
  • US History MUN H
  • US Government MUN H
  • Economics MUN H
  • Modern & Contemporary Art H

Visual Arts Department

• • Advanced Drawing H
  • Advanced Painting H
  • International Trends in Cinema H

World Language Department

• • Spanish 1 H
  • Spanish 2 H
  • Spanish 3 H
  • French 1 H
  • French 2 H
  • French 3 H
  • Latin 1 H
  • Latin 2 H
  • Latin 3 H
  • Ancient Greek 1 H
  • Ancient Greek 2 H
  • Ancient Greek 3 H
  • Mandarin Chinese 1 H
  • Mandarin Chinese 2 H
  • Mandarin Chinese 3 H

Performing Arts Department

• • Wind Ensemble H
  • Steel Drum/Percussion Ensemble H
  • Advanced Women’s Chorus H
  • String Orchestra H
  • Chamber Singers H

Capistrano Unified

CUSD web site refers to a district-wide 6-12 Guidance Plan that is structured to meet the needs of all students and direct them in course selection and career/college planning however, the plan cannot be found on the District’s web site. See: District Web Site College & Career Planning at: http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/cms/page_view?d=x&piid=&vpid=1232963852839

Capistrano Unified does not offer any honors classes and has no plans to change that for the 2015-16 academic school year. At the March 25th, 2015 Board of Trustees Meeting Agenda Item #2 “High School Graduation Requirements”, the Board presented a power point on High School Graduation Requirements and discussed changing current Accelerated/Advanced Classes to Honors classes but took no action to do so.

See:http://capousd.ca.schoolloop.com/file/1229223560406/1218998864154/7879468770227505271.pdf

See: http://ucop.edu/agguide/updating-your-course-list/faq/index.html

CUSD has known since September 3rd, 2014 that in order to provide honors classes for CUSD students for 2015-16, the District would need to submit courses to the UC for approval no later than May 31, 2015. Despite the known deadline, the Board has taken no action to make that change.

See: Capistrano Unified High School Honors Course Policy Revisions

To be classified as an Honors Class by the UC:”Honors courses designed by an institution must demonstrate distinctive features that set it apart from regular high school courses in the same “a-g” subject area are eligible for the UC honors designation. These courses should be comparable in terms of workload and rigor to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) or introductory college-level courses in the subject.”

See: http://ucop.edu/agguide/a-g-requirements/honors/index.html

The fact that the Board failed to take action this year may be due to the fact that CUSD Accelerated/Advanced Courses are not distinguishable from regular high school courses and are used solely to group higher achieving students in a class without having any real curriculum distinction.

Academic Counseling

In most districts high school academic counseling starts in the 8th grade, and is usually a collaboration of parents, students, and the academic advisor to determine course selections based on academic rigor starting in 9th grade. Instead, CUSD requires all 9th grade students to take a College and Career Planning course designed to assist them in mapping out a four year plan based on their interests and personal goals. Components of CCP include academic and technical skills, personal assessment, and high school/college/career planning.

Waiting to take a 9th grade class to plan what should be a 4 year curriculum is to late. Using a class in 9th grade to plan a 9th - 12th grade curriculum puts many CUSD students behind on the completion of their A-G requirements. Completion of A- G requirements is required if a student wants to attend any 4- year college or university.

This article is to long for Patch see the rest at:http://disclosurecusd.blogspot.com/2015/05/lack-of-honors-classes-puts-cusd.html