Educational Planning

Updated February 2008—Gloria Craig, Guidance Counselor

Comprehensive Guidance Program

Educational and Career Awareness, Exploration, and Planning are a major part of the Comprehensive Guidance Program for Grades K-12. Each student’s Personal Plan of Study helps guide him/her through school coursework, extra-curricular experiences, advanced training, and into a career and life-long learning based upon chosen goals.

Elementary--The foundation for Individual Planning is established during the elementary school years through Guidance Curriculum activities covering such things as self-confidence development, the acquisition of learning-to-learn skills, interpersonal relationship skill development, decision-making skill building, and awareness and beginning exploration of educational and career possibilities.

Middle School—Students begin to focus on high school course selection & success, considering graduation requirements and the requirements for their post-secondary educational and career goals, culminating in a Personal Plan of Study.

High School—During the high school years, Personal Plans of Study developed in the middle school are reviewed and updated regularly in accordance with students’ post-secondary personal, educational, and career goals.

School Guidance Counselor works with students in analyzing and evaluating their abilities, interests, and skills. Test information, interest inventories, academic achievements, and other data are used to develop short-term and long-term plans. Counselors work with students to use personal-social, educational, and career & labor market information to direct their Personal Plans of Study. They also assist students in making the transition from grade to grade and school to advanced training or employment.

Parents/Guardians—The involvement of parents/guardians and other school staff is critical in planning a program that meets the individual needs of each student.

Level of Education Affects Future Income

According to the 2003 U.S. Census, the median household income based on a householder’s level of education shows bachelor’s degree earnings almost twice the annual income of a householder with no education beyond a high school diploma. It also shows bachelor’s degree earnings over three times the annual income of a householder with no high school diploma.

Be prepared! Take a “Rigorous Core”

Overall, 36.4% of Missouri students take remedial courses in college. Of those, 78.9 % are students at two-year institutions and 21.2% are students at four-year institutions. (Source: Missouri Department of Higher Education 2007 Missouri High School Graduates Performance Report)

Remedial courses are required by the college if students do not meet ACT score or core course requirements for college classes. Students spend time and money building skills that should have been developed in high school. High school graduates may be required to attend a community college before being accepted by a 4-year university.

North Harrison students who take the “Rigorous Core” score well above the state and national averages on the ACT college entrance exam. “Rigorous Core” includes a minimum of 4 Comm Arts, 3 Social Studies, 4 Math (Algebra I and higher), and 3 Science credits.

Personal Plan of Study

Select courses for your Personal Plan of Study that will

Meet North Harrison R-III graduation requirements
Match your career interests
Prepare you for post-secondary options
Increase your personal and academic skills

Class of 2008 and 2009

High School Graduation Requirements College Prep Certificate Requirements

4 Communication Arts 4 Communication Arts

3 Social Studies (1 Am Hist & ½ Gov) 3 Social Studies (1 Am Hist & ½ Gov)

2 Math 3 Math (Algebra I and above)

2 Science 2 Science

1 Fine Art 1 Fine Art

1 Practical Art (Ag, FACS, Business, NCCC) 1 Practical Art

1 PE 1 PE

½ Health 3 Advanced Electives (Core or Foreign Lang)

10 ½ Electives 6 Approved Electives

25 Total + MO & US Constitution Tests 24 Total plus 3.0 Core GPA and 21 ACT

Class of 2010 and Beyond

High School Graduation Requirements College Prep Certificate Requirements

4 Communication Arts 4 Communication Arts

3 Social Studies (1 Am Hist & ½ Gov) 3 Social Studies (1 Am Hist & ½ Gov)

3 Math 4 Math (Algebra I and above)

3 Science 3 Science

1 Fine Art 1 Fine Art

1 Practical Art (Ag, FACS, Business, NCCC) 1 Practical Art

1 PE 1 PE

½ Health ½ Health

½ Personal Finance (Soc St or Prac Art) ½ Personal Finance (cannot replace ½ Soc St)

3 Advanced Electives (Core or Foreign Lang)

8 Electives 4 Approved Electives

25 Total + MO & US Constitution Tests 25 Total plus 3.0 Core GPA and 21 ACT

(Also must maintain an attendance rate of at least 95% in Grades 9-12.)

Career Paths

Arts & Communications
Business Management & Technology
Health Services
Human Services
Industrial & Engineering Technology
Natural Resources/Agriculture

Post-High School Options

Entry-level Employment
Apprenticeship/Internship/On-the-Job Training Program
Technical College
2-year Community College
4-year College/University
Military

North Central Career Center (Bethany)

Programs include Health Occupations I & II, Industrial Welding I & II, Automotive Technology I & II, Automotive Collision I & II, Building Trades I & II, and Marketing/Entrepreneurship I.

To be eligible to attend NCCC, students must maintain 90% attendance in Grade 9 and in Grade 10. To return to NCCC, students must maintain a C or higher semester grade at NCCC and meet 90% attendance standards. Students earn 3 hours of Practical Art credit each year during Grades 11 and 12.

NCCC offers the following opportunities:

“1+1” Certification = 1050 hours, C grade or higher, and 90% attendance at NCCC earns 30 credit hours (1 year) into Associate of Applied Science Program at North Central Missouri College-Trenton. Students can then choose to attend NCMC for one more year (30 credit hours) within 15 months after graduating to earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Applied Technology. Some or all of these courses may be offered as night classes at NCCC in Bethany and may transfer to other tech schools or universities for the “2+2” option. The “1+1” agreement encompasses Building Trades, Welding, Auto Tech, and Auto Collision.
NCCC Certificate of Completion = 1044 hours, C grade or higher, and 90% attendance
NCCC Certificate of Participation = 1044 hours
Program certifications—Some NCCC programs are certified and prepare students to take certification exams or complete addition advanced training in their field (Bldg T, Health Occ, Auto Tech).
Vocational Preparation (VoPrep)—A student with an Individual Education Plan (IEP) may be eligible to enroll in this program (during their sophomore year) which gives them a head start on the basic math, vocabulary, and tool skills for the vocational programs.
Embedded Credit—NHHS will accept the NCCC Embedded English course as the fourth Communication Arts credit required for graduation. (Student must take English I, II, and III at the high school.) Interested students must sign an agreement in the fall and complete 17 objectives with at least 80% mastery. This coursework will be completed independently with limited SH English instruction.
Learning Center—A student enrolled in a 3-hour block can spend 1 hour in the Learning Center to complete a course in math, science, English, or social studies. Upon completion, they would receive a full unit of credit in that core subject. The student would NOT, however, be eligible for a Certificate of Completion or the 1+1 program because they would not have completed the required 1044 hours.
Internship/Apprenticeship Programs are available for some tech programs where students may do on-the-job training in Kansas City area (for example) and earn wages while furthering their education.
Technical College rep visits and career prep assistance are provided.
Organization membership and contest opportunities.
GED/Adult Literacy training program.
Awareness Day for Sophomores each year prior to the application deadline.
Open House and Awards Night for the public each year.

Articulated Courses

North Harrison High School and the North Central Career Center have Tech Prep Articulation Agreements with North Central Missouri College which qualify certain high school classes to also earn college credit. Every junior or senior who completes the articulated class with a 2.0 or above should receive corresponding credit at NCMC if they enroll within 15 months of high school graduation and satisfactorily complete a 2-year program of study.

Current courses include NH Vocational Business Tech I & II, some NH Vocational Agriculture advanced courses, NCCC Health Occupations (6 hours of NCMC credit of first aid/CPR & medical terminology), and NCCC Business Marketing program.

Credit Recovery Options

Retake the failed course.
NCCC Embedded Credit (see above)
NCCC Learning Center (see above)
Extended Course Work—If a student is within 10% of passing (has a 50% of better semester grade), an “extended course” may be taken immediately following failure of the class. These courses are completed by correspondence and usually have six weeks of work assigned. The student must take and pass a monitored end test. Upon receiving the official grade report of satisfactory completion of the course and the test, the original grade will be changed to a D. Students will be limited to 1.5 credits (three courses) by “extensions”. The student is responsible for all course fees.
Correspondence Course Work—Correspondence courses can be taken, and are acceptable as graduation credits if taken from an accredited agency and pre-approved by the District. There will be a limit of 1.5 credits (three courses) allowed for alternative credit. Students are expected to pay for the course and materials. Students completing course work by correspondence that is required for graduation must have an official grade report at the same times all other grades are due.
MoVIP—Missouri Virtual Instruction Program on-line courses may be taken, and are acceptable as graduation credits. Please see High School Principal for further information.

Dual Credit

Some courses may be taken for college credit. Dual credit courses are courses offered during the school day by the school. North Harrison pays for the “course” and the student pays for the college credit awarded by the college. Students must meet admission requirements unique to each course.

Typical Dual Credit Admission Requirements:

3.0 or higher accumulative GPA for NCMC, NWMSU, GU, CMU

AND 21 or higher ACT Composite at NWMSU

OR meet 100 CPI (based on ACT and Rank) at NWMSU

School Recommendation

Grade 11-12

DC Math—20 ACT Math

DC English—17 ACT English

DC Speech—No specific ACT subtest score required

DC History/Government—14 ACT Reading

Things to consider with Dual Credit…

Meet enrollment requirements (ACT, 3.0 GPA, prerequisites, etc.).
Student is responsible for meeting application form and fee payment deadlines.
Confirm that the credits will transfer from your DC college to the university where you plan to attend. Will the dual credit course replace a specific required core course? Are they accepted by your major department? Be warned that some DC will only be accepted as “elective” credits instead of replacing required cores. Some universities require all major departmental courses to be taken on their campus.
Is the course required for your major? Not all majors require advanced math (like College Algebra).
Some universities limit the number of transfer credits accepted.
Dual credits may throw a student into sophomore status (causing them to lose freshmen programs and scholarships). As a senior, continue completing application forms (admissions and scholarships) as a “first time entering freshman” regardless of how many dual credits you will have earned by high school graduation.
Will your college include the grades received for dual credit courses in your college accumulative GPA? Most do not count it toward your GPA and will only accept the credit if you earned at least a C course grade.
Most colleges require all DC courses be transferred. You cannot pick and choose only the good ones.
ITV Room requires good discipline record.
Student is responsible for submitting transcript request forms and fees to DC colleges prior to graduation. Do this promptly so your records arrive prior to early registration.
Enrolling in DC courses often gives you some college student privileges (use of library, admittance to campus activities, etc.).
Students may enroll in college courses during out-of-school time without earning high school dual credit.

A+ Program (available to the NH Class of 2009 and beyond)

To be eligible for this program, a student must:

Attend a designated A+ school for 3 consecutive years prior to graduation.
Graduate from high school with a minimum 2.5 grade point average.
Have at least a 95% attendance record (Grades 9-12).
Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring.
Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use of drugs, including alcohol.
Male students must register under the United States Military Selective Service Act and show proof of registration.

In exchange for meeting these requirements, a student can be eligible for reimbursement of the cost of tuition and general fees subject to legislative appropriation, to any public community college or vocational or technical school in the state of Missouri, once the student has made a good faith effort to secure all available sources of funding that can be applied. Many 4-year universities also offer special scholarships for A+ graduates.

School-To-Work Program for Seniors

This program allows seniors attending NCCC to earn high school credit while being employed during one hour of the school day. The student must work a minimum 10 hours a week and fulfill additional requirements to earn 1.0 practical art credit. The student and employer must meet eligibility criteria.

Cadet Teachers Program for Seniors

Seniors in good standing (academics, attendance, character) may be Cadet Teachers for school faculty/staff one class period. Cadets earn a letter grade and 0.5 unit of credit per semester.

Part-time Attendance for Seniors

Students must provide a written request to the high school principal outlining the reasons for part-time attendance. The student must be enrolled in at least five classes per semester (earning 2.5 credits) to be eligible for the honor roll, to be considered for valedictorian or salutatorian, or to participate in MSHSAA extra-curricular activities or sports. Students must be enrolled full-time to be eligible for new National Honor Society membership.

Early Graduation for Seniors

Seniors who wish to graduate early will be required to meet with the guidance counselor and submit written notification to the principal by December 1 of the student’s seventh semester. The student who chooses early graduation will be allowed to participate in the spring graduation ceremonies but will be considered alumni for all other activities. The early graduate will no longer be considered a student and will lose all privileges associated with that role including attending senior trip.

Career Portfolios

Students prepare for the employment process throughout high school by taking career interest inventories & aptitude assessments, learning job skills, developing character & personal “soft” skills, and compiling a Career Portfolio to include sample job applications/letters/resumes/

interview tips. Careers are explored in Grades K-12 with classroom activities, research, job shadowing, Internet sources, field trips, and workshops through each Curriculum Department,

the Guidance Program, and the A+ Program.

Colleges & Technical Schools

Types of Colleges/Universities—

Public vs Private (private are more expensive but may offer more financial aid)
Liberal Arts (more arts, literature)
Open Admission (anyone accepted) vs Traditional vs Highly Selective

Specialty Trade School (for example, Missouri Welding Institute at Nevada)
Technical College (for example, Linn State Tech at Linn, DeVry Institute at Kansas City, Hillyard Tech at St. Joseph, Business & Technology College at Kansas City, Universal Technical Institute, WyoTech, Lincoln Tech )
Community College (for example, North Central Missouri College at Trenton, Metropolitan Community Colleges at Kansas City, Indian Hills Community College at Ottumwa/ Centerville, Southwest Iowa Community College at Creston, Vatterott at St. Joseph, Des Moines Area Community College at Des Moines)
College/University (for example, Northwest Missouri State University at Maryville, Graceland at Lamoni, University of Missouri at Columbia/Kansas City, Missouri Western State University at St. Joseph, Truman State University at Kirksville)
Compare colleges—

Programs/majors offered/accreditation
Location/size
Community type
Financial aid package
Admission requirements (GPA, ACT, Rank, the “Core”, deadlines, application fee/waiver)
Do they accept your Dual Credits?
Are courses taught by professors or grad assistants
Average class size
Ratio of professors to students
Freshmen retention rate (how many return?)
Employment placement rate of graduates
Tutoring/student success/writing & math lab available
Campus security
What is included in their cost? Tuition, fees, books, room (suite/apt/dorm/housing contract fee), board (12-meal plan, ala dine card), tools, Missouri/Kansas Reciprocal Tuition Agreement, in- and out-of-district cost comparison
Are freshmen required to live in the dorm? Learning Communities? Dorm insurance (may be included in your homeowners policy)
Items needed for independent living. What can they have in dorm? (microwave, phone, computer, fridge, coil burner) Bed mattress size? Return housing contract with deposit early to save a spot. Last date deposit is refundable.
Last date to withdrawal and get a full/partial refund
Freshmen orientation programs/summer registration process
Computer availability
Study abroad opportunities

Types of degrees—

Certificate/Diploma Programs (3- to 18-month program)
Associate of Applied Science (2-year technical training & core classes)
Associate of Science Transfer Degree (2-year core classes that can be transferred to a 4-year university)
Bachelors Degree (4-5 years undergraduate studies)
Pre-Professional Degree (4-year degree that leads up to a 6- to 8-year professional degree)
Masters Degree (bachelors + 2-3 years graduate studies)
Specialists Degree
Doctorial Degree

Outreach, Distance Learning, and on-line classes during fall, spring, and summer.
College campus visits with school group and representative meetings here. Seniors may also prearrange two school days for family campus visits.
College & Career Night is held each September at SHHS in Bethany with browsing time 6:30-8:00 pm. Seniors and their parents/guardians should attend. Younger students and community members are also welcome.

Military

Navy, Air Force, Army, Marines, Coast Guard
full-time enlistment, reserves, national guard, and early enlistment
guarantee specific job in writing (mechanic vs tank electronic technician?)
buddy program (go through basic training with a friend)
wages & benefits
education package (some transfer to family members)
family benefits
visit Saturday drills

Financial Aid

1. Types—

a. Merit (based on skills) vs Need (basd on income)

b. Grants (money from sources that does not have to be repaid)

c. Scholarships

d. Loans (from bank, college, government)

e. Work Study (on or off campus) or other Part-time Employment

f. Military/Veteran educational assistance

2. Keep an updated resume listing awards and activities! Start early (during or before Grade 9) working on community service and free scholarship searches.

3. Meet application deadlines. The form is your first impression—use black ink or type. Keep a copy. Proofread essays and request letters of recommendations quickly.

4. Scholarships are posted as they arrive. Local ones start more second semester.

Watch for scams. Do not pay for scholarship searches. Do not give out personal information.
It all starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form completed January-March of your senior year.

Testing (related to College & Careers)

ACT--American College Testing scores are needed for college admission, scholarships, dual credit enrollment, and special programs. Students are encouraged to take the exam at least once their junior year and again the beginning of their senior year. Test fee may be waived two times for students on free/reduced lunches. Registration and study materials are available. Test dates (and 2007-2008 registration deadlines) are as follows: September 15 (register by Aug. 10), October 27 (register by Sept. 21), December 8 (register by Nov. 2), February 9 (register by Jan. 4), April 12 (register by Mar. 17), and June 14 (register by May 9). Students are encouraged to register on-line at www.actstudent.org. With the expansion of the web services for students in 2007-08, students (including those who register by mail) are encouraged to establish a FREE student web account. Use this account to make changes to your registration, print a copy of your admission ticket, view the scores at no charge after your test, and request additional score reports. The additional writing assessment section is required by some colleges.
PLAN—Sophomore-level ACT that predicts ACT score and college readiness. Also includes a career interest inventory. It is given during first semester to all Sophomores.
PSAT—Interested Juniors may take this Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test at North Harrison each October as a preview to the SAT exam (required by most eastern US colleges). Students are responsible for the testing fee unless eligible for a fee waiver.

4. ASVAB—This Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery matches career interests to abilities. All Juniors plus any Seniors interested in the military take the ASVAB each fall at North Harrison. The program includes a follow-up career awareness workshop. See www.asvabprogram.com for information.

5. ASSET/COMPASS (or other writing/reading/algebra assessment)--May be taken to evaluate basic skills or for technical school admission if ACT is not required.

Websites (for career/college/financial aid information)