Well, best laid plans…! I really did intend to make these blog posts at least monthly…but I digress! Let’s talk about COURSE SELECTION and how to earn COLLEGE CREDIT while you’re in high school! Believe it or not, it is going to be time to start the course selection process for 2022-2023 very soon! Anderson has some amazing programs that allow students to take college level classes while in high school and earn not only college credit, but high school credit at the same time (i.e. DUAL credit!) ACC DUAL CREDIT Austin Community College and AISD have a partnership which allows ACC professors to teach courses here at Anderson during the school day. These courses are integrated seamlessly into the student’s high school schedule and include only Anderson students. As an example, some classes we typically offer include: US History US Government English IV Economics Algebra 2 Precalculus AC/DC Circuits Computer Programming History Elective (Texas State & Local Government) Plus many more courses offered online and at ACC campuses. Some additional benefits and details of interest:
UT OnRAMPS OnRamps is district partnership with University of Texas and AISD. Students enroll in a high school level course, which is taught by a high school teacher and supported by UT Faculty. The curriculum is augmented with assignments from the UT Professor as well as the high school teacher. Students earn 2 grades; a high school grade and a college grade. Students have the option to refuse the UT grade if they do not wish to accept it, but note that no college credit would then be earned. UT Onramps classes are limited to the following and are subject to change based on teacher availability: English IV US History Algebra II Statistics Chemistry Physics I & II Computer Science There are no college – readiness testing requirements for UT OnRamps courses! All students are eligible as long as they meet any course pre-requisites. These courses also offer high school weighted credit. What do I do next if I want to do ACC Dual Credit or OnRamps? To get on the email list for dual credit communications and next steps, please fill out this FORM and I will reach out to you shortly with details! Students can choose ACC dual credit courses on their choice sheets, but will also need complete additional steps for ACC enrollment. If OnRamps is in your wheelhouse, you will sign up for those courses when you receive instructions for course selection from our Counseling department. But what about AP and IB, you may ask? Don’t students earn college credit by taking these courses? Let’s start with AP. AP courses do not give students college credit. The AP test MAY award college depending on the college AND depending on the score earned on the test. Some colleges might require a 3 earned score to award credit, while another might require a 4 or 5 earned score. ANYONE can take an AP test; you do not have to take the AP class to take the AP test – the class is just great preparation for the test. IB is somewhat similar in that the end of course test offers college credit for IB students – IB should be considered an outstanding college preparatory option as it truly produces students who are ready for the rigor of college level coursework and thinking. Please mark you calendars and plan to attend our INFORMATION SESSION about DUAL CREDIT on Wednesday, January 26th at 7:00 PM – I have not decided if we will hold this event in person or via Zoom – more information to come on that! Questions? I might have answers! Contact Cathy Painter at [email protected] or 512-414-7936
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Each month we will post stories of interest to students of ALL grades at Anderson! Feel free to post suggestions for future topics in the comments, or reach out to us at the link to the right if you have questions or comments.
We look forward to helping Anderson students prepare for their post-high school plans! -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PSAT Test - what is it and WHY do I have to take it? The PSAT test, or "Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test" is a standardized test administered by the College Board and co-sponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. At Anderson, we will test all 9th, 10th and 11th graders on Tuesday, October 26th. Your scores on the PSAT are not only a good indicator of how you'll do on the SAT test, but you can also qualify for National Merit Scholarships! Students may also earn "Commended Scholar" designation, which means the student did very well on the test, but are not selected to advance to become a National Merit Semifinalist. Although these students are not eligible for scholarship money from the National Merit Scholarship Program, their scores still look impressive to college admissions staff. Reaching the status of Commended Student or Semifinalist is a strong indicator of academic excellence to include in your application and may enable you to apply for Special Scholarships. Additionally, PSAT scores can be used for acceptance to the Austin Community College Dual Credit program. The PSAT consists of two sections - Reading and Math. The test is scored on a range of 160–760 for each section, adding up to a maximum score of 1520. The test is timed, and takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Don’t stress about it, but take this testing opportunity seriously and do your best! The PSAT can give you confidence when you are ready to take the SAT! Interested in seeing some sample questions or taking a practice PSAT? Click HERE for more information. Khan Academy also offers some great individualized study tools. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SAT or ACT - what's the difference? Which should I take? Many colleges base admissions decisions in part on the results of standardized tests called the ACT and the SAT tests. Juniors and seniors in high school usually take these tests to demonstrate their readiness for college level work. However, note that in recent years (since the pandemic), colleges are reporting that these tests are optional in the admissions decision process. In general, the ACT and the SAT tests attempt to measure college readiness and predict future academic success. But they do so in very different ways:
THIS page show a great comparison of ACT vs SAT tests, how long they take, what type of questions are on each, and has links to practice tests! When and where can I take the SAT or ACT? Link to see dates/locations for the tests and to register for the ACT can be found HERE; the SAT HERE. **Do NOT use your AISD email when registering for these tests; the firewalls associated with AISD can cause issues with this process!** ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- What is the TSI? The TSI Assessment (TSI-A) is part of the Texas Success Initiative enacted by the Texas State Legislature and designed to determine a student’s readiness for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. This test is not required for College admittance purposes but rather another assessment used to show a university that the student is ready for on level coursework. It is an AISD goal that all students are considered "College Ready" upon graduation. The TSI-A is an untimed, online exam in 3 parts, administered through the College Board’s Accuplacer digital platform. (i.e. it's online). We administer the TSI here in the College & Career Center! Students might also take the TSI via your math or english class. By meeting the minimum scores on the TSI, you qualify to take Austin Community College (ACC) courses while in high school, for example. You also may qualify to take 'off periods' during your senior year! What are TSI "exemptions"? Meeting minimum score requirements on other tests like the PSAT, SAT, ACT, etc can exempt you from having to take the TSI test for ACC dual credit. Check out THIS chart for details! (FYI - The PSAT does NOT count towards AISD's "College Ready" goal - only minimum scores on SAT, ACT or TSI-A.) Can I study for the TSI? There are many study guides available online to prepare for this test. Studying is not required, but not a bad idea so you know what to expect on your test day! Note that the TSI may be taken multiple times to get the score you need! Here are some study guides for your reference: READING WRITING MATH When and where can I take the TSI? We offer the TSI at Anderson in the College & Career Center! If you're interested in taking the test to qualify for dual credit courses, contact Mrs. Painter. For senior college readiness testing, contact Mrs. Mason. More questions? We are here for you! Stop by room 133 for more information or to ask questions. You may also sign up for a time to meet in person or via phone call with us using these links: Mrs. Mason Mrs. Painter |
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