Suggestions for Determining Course Placement for

High School Students Grade 9-12

Our Guidance Department reviews all transcripts for students that go through centralized intake (not done for siblings nor re-enrollees) for 10th  thru 12th grade (9th graders are reviewed if a transcript is available). This is done prior to intake and entered in FRED. ESes must review the placement recommendations in FRED (“view students”, click on the student number and then the yellow placement recommendations button). These course recommendations may be changed, if needed, by the assigned ES after they have met with the student. If the ES would like to make changes to raise the level of core courses (i.e. from general to a-g, or basic to general), they must first email the guidance counselor who prepared the placement recommendation and cc their ES Advisor. ESes do not need approval to lower the level of a core course recommendation, nor do they need approval to make any changes to elective courses.If you have a new 10-12th grade high school student that has gone through the intake process, but does not yet have placement recommendations entered into FRED, please email the guidance counselor.

When trying to determine how to place a new high school student or an incoming 9^th grader, it is best to use several academic indicators. The “Course Placement Checklist” is a tool based on the following indicators that should help determine proper course placement for students in grades 9 through 12:

ü What are the student’s career and academic goals?

ü What do the STAR test results reveal?

ü What is the reading level?

ü What math course is the student ready to take?

ü What kinds of grades does the student achieve?

ü What is the student’s capability and motivation?

You may place your student in one of three levels of coursework according to the “Suggested Schedules for High School Completion” Handout (students may take different levels concurrently, ie, a basic math course with general English):

• Basic Courses – ES recommendation only, based on several academic indicators! These below skill level, non-college prep courses are for students with very low reading ability. Students placed here read at 5^th grade or below and/or at a pre-algebra math level. Basic courses are usually assigned when a student is working in texts from vendors like AGS, Weiser, Key Curriculum, Saddleback, Steck Vaughn, Walch (see "at risk students"). A student that completes texts and assignments from books purchased from these vendors would be assigned "basic" course titles. If supplemented with further reading assignments, projects, and research reports, the level may be raised to a "general" course at the teacher's discretion (see Projects and Activities Guide). Students should be encouraged to progress to General or College Prep a-g coursework each year, depending on the student’s career and academic goals. Efforts should focus toward passing the CAHSEE and may include CAHSEE preparation curriculum.

• General Courses – Students placed here are at the 5^th to 7^th grade reading level and pre-algebra or algebra math level. Students are typically non-college bound and desire to go directly into the workforce, the military or a vocational/trade school. General courses use skill level, non-college prep high school texts and are assigned the general course title, like English 1A, etc. Traditional vendors are similar to Holt/Rinehart/Winston, McDougal Littel, Oak Meadow, and Division of Independent Study, to name a few. Basic course texts may be used if supplemented with further reading assignments, projects, and research reports. Since the student is thinking of going directly into the job market, consider recommending ROP, community college, or adult school courses which may benefit their preparation.

· College Prep a-g Courses – Students placed here are at the 7^th grade or higher reading level and algebra math level – either the one year a-g algebra 1 level or the a-g algebra 1 with “support” class or “double period” of math. “a-g” College Prep Courses are the “typical” courses that students take at regular high schools and are assigned the a-g course title. Students at this level of coursework desire to go to community college to earn an AA and/or a university to earn a four year Bachelor’s degree. Students transferring to us from comprehensive high schools should be encouraged to take college prep a-g coursework since the work done at the previous school was most likely a college prep program. The texts may be purchased from the same vendors as General Courses but must be selected from CWCS list of a-g textbooks (The recommended texts are to be used or more recent editions if the course outline is still followed).