Design your high school journey

Directions

1. Print page 2 - 3
2. Pages 4 - 7 are instructions and guidance
3. 8th graders may earn up to 2 credits in science and math (Algebra 1 or higher) without paying high school fees.

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Plotting your high school course

Student Name:

Anticipated Graduation Date:

1. Post Graduation goals and pathways:

2. What are the student’s strengths and weaknesses?

3. What is required to go on to the options your student is considering?

4. Do they require any testing? If so which ones and when?:

5. What extracurricular activities might they need to best achieve their goals?

* unless a waiver is applied for on the basis of medical or cognitive disabilities.

Step 1: What are your student’s goals after high school?

What do they want to do with their life?  What are their interests?  Do they have a strong interest or are they open to lots of ideas?  We always encourage setting up a broad runway as their plans can and do change.

Step 2: What are their strengths and weaknesses?  

Where do they excel?  Where could they improve? What might be a hindrance if they don’t work at improving it?

Step 3: What classes are needed to achieve the student's goals?

Go to some websites to see what suggested course work or admission requirements are for their desired programs.  FACE graduation requirements are considered minimums.  Every post high school journey is going to need a different set of requirements.

• If you’re college bound you need to at least complete 3 units of math Algebra 1 or higher and 2-3  sciences with labs.
• We don’t require a foreign language but most schools want to see a minimum of 1 year, if not 2 years of the same foreign language.

• Click below for admission requirements to college state schools. Some programs have stricter criteria.  Please verify admission requirements for specific colleges within the universities you’re interested in attending. https://highered.colorado.gov/higher-education-admission-recommendations
• Trade schools and training programs often want to see specific classes or will require them to be taken at community colleges prior to entry or concurrent with entry.  Check their requirements and plan accordingly.

Step 4: What tests are required or should you consider?

• ASVAB - military aptitude test.  Also good for students that have no idea what they want to do in life.  Research career paths in the military and what ASVAB score is required for those.  Practice tests and prep is strongly suggested if you’re military bound.
• PSAT - Test given to determine standing for the national merit scholarship
• ACT or SAT - Students often take this if they might be college bound as it puts them on the scholarship radar.  This is often used to determine scholarship offers by colleges for freshmen.
• Accuplacer - Math and Language arts test given by colleges to determine the starting point for your students in their coursework.  If they want to do dual enrollment they are required by most schools.

Step 5:  What extracurricular activities might help them achieve their goals?

Volunteering, clubs, student leadership positions, etc can all boost a student’s after graduation chances.  Are they involved in anything?  Is there anything FACE could sponsor that would help them? Do they need to find something to letter in?

What does Colorado require?

22-33-104 (2) (b), 22-1-106, 22-1-108 and 22-1-109 C.R.S. requires that a sequential program of instruction (increasing in difficulty as is appropriate to the student) be provided. Such program shall include, but not be limited to, communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, and science.  Instruction on the US constitution and honor & use of the flag must also be taught.  

FACE Graduation Requirements

Language Arts - 4 credits

Social Studies - 3 credits - Required 1/2 credit Civics, suggested 1 credit US History

Science - 2 credits - colleges require at least 3 with lab

Math - 3 credits - colleges Require all 3 credits to be algebra 1 or higher

Community Service - 1 credit (120 hours)

Religion & Philosophy - 1 credit

Physical Education - 1 credit - suggested ½ credit of health, may include ½ credit driver’s ed

Electives - 8 credits - Max. 2 as work study

Credit system

• 1 credit = 120 hours of work or a course equivalent to that (more for honors)*
• ½ credit = 60 hours of work or a course equivalent to that
• ¼ credit = 30 hours of work.**

*Honors classes are generally ~150-180 hours of work.  Some curriculum companies will list extra assignments to complete the course for an honors designation.   These still count as 1 credit but are weighted.

**These are generally either 1) very specific classes (i.e. advanced pointe theory) or community service.

High School Lettering Program

High schoolers may earn a letter and have the designation on their transcript.  Please learn more about this program at Complete Lettering Program

A note about college & tech schools

Colleges & technical schools may choose to not accept any work done in 8th grade for admission requirements.  We strongly suggest you check with the program in question to see if they accept any 8th grade credits.  Some accept Algebra taken in 8th grade and some accept 1 science credit.  This is not guaranteed, often inconsistently applied, and we still suggest meeting their minimum admission standards in 9th - 12th grade to avoid being rejected on a technicality.  We accept 1 math & 1 science credit without declaring as a high schooler.

How to determine credits

• Textbook courses often list how much credit they’re considered (1 year = 1 credit, 1 semester = ½ credit)
• Parent or student designed courses should aim for the same 120 hours for a 1 credit class, 60 hours for a ½ credit course.

Turning in classes and grades

1. Within 30 days of enrollment we need your plan of education for the year.  You’ll list your classes using the parent portal.  You can always change these classes.
2. In January and in May we need grades for those classes.  YOu will update the same form on your parent portal.
3. We do not accept classes/grades submitted any other method.

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What counts as what credit area:

Language Arts - 4 credits

• Common classes: Grammar, Composition, Literature (British, American, World, African, Eastern, Ancient, Etc.), Speech & Debate, Creative Writing, Poetry, Journalism.  
• Combo classes are simply labeled English
• Spelling, vocabulary, & handwriting are not considered high school level courses and should be included in the catchall of English.

Social Studies - 3 credits

• Required 1/2 credit Civics
• Common classes: Specific Histories (US, World, African, Asian, European, American, Latin American, Ancient, Modern, Middle Ages, Middle Eastern, etc.), Geography (US or World), Government & Civics, Sociology, Economics, Current Events, Political Studies, International Relations

Science - 2 credits

• Strongly suggested to have at least 1 with lab, Colleges usually require 3 with lab.
• Common classes: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agriculture, Astronomy, Earth Science, Botany, Environmental Science, Forensic Science, Geology, Marine Biology, Anatomy & Physiology, Meteorology, Zoology
• Strongly suggested to have 3 credits
• Colleges may not count credits if they do not include a lab.

Math - 3 credits

• Colleges won’t count classes below Algebra 1 and usually require 3 at algebra 1 or higher for admission.
• Common Classes: Algebra I, Algebra Ii, Geometry, Integrated Math (Algebra & Geometry), Pre-Calculus, Trigonometry, Calculus 1, Computer Math, Business Math, Probability & Statistics, Consumer Math
• Math should be increasing in difficulty, not regressing. I.e. Algebra 1 should not be followed by a basic math review class.

Community Service - 1 credit (120 hours)

• Please report these in 30 hour blocks
• Please call this Community Service (I, II, etc.)
• Ideas for how to find volunteer opportunities may be found here: Volunteer Location Ideas

Religion & Philosophy - 1 credit

• Common classes: Bible, Introduction to Philosophy, Comparative Religions, World Religions, Religious Studies, Church History, Biblical survey (OT Survey, NT Survey), Theology (Biblical Theology, Systemic Theology), Apologetics
• If you are rolling up a bunch of studies or activities please call it Bible or Religious Studies

Physical Education - 1 credit

• Strongly Suggested - Health - ½ credit .  Can include ½ credit driver’s ed
• If you have a mashup collection of sports and activities this is most commonly listed as P.E.
• Only list specific sports under a ½ credit if it benefits your student (i.e. a dancer applying to juliard)

Electives - 8 credits

• Max. 2 as work study, may include ½ credit driver’s ed
• Common classes - Visual Arts, Foreign language, computer science, criminology, economics, video game design, graphic design, business & entrepreneurship, logic, marketing, culinary arts, home economics, human development, early childhood education, performing arts,  vocational training, automotive repair or technology, life skills,

Dual Enrollment

Dual enrollment is taking college classes, often with a community college, as a high school student.  There are often scholarships or grant programs that will help cover the costs.  GCU online, Front Range CC, Red Rocks CC, Ames CC, and metro state are all fairly common.  A transcript being sent on your behalf is the ONLY time that FACE is a part of the system.  

Grades for courses taken through these schools must be verified by an official transcript from the school to be put on your transcript and counted as credits for graduation. Grades for college level courses are weighted in GPA to reflect their increase in difficulty.

Warren Tech

We are working on getting a private school contract with Warren Tech.  We will let you know if they allow our program to join them again.  

Colorado State Schools and Community Colleges

Colorado has a lot of options for students looking to enroll in colleges early.  

FACE is a licensed private school in Jeffco so the program our students fall under is administered by Jeffco.  Additional information on the program can be found at:

https://www.jeffcopublicschools.org/programs/career_college_pathways/postsecondary_opportunities 

Grand Canyon University

GCU has the same price for all HS students wishing to dual enroll.  They are very reasonable.  Call the GCU dual enrollment office & explain that your private school allows students to take GCU courses, but does not pay for the courses and you want to know how to get started.  They will either answer your questions, or transfer you to someone who can answer.  

Sports at Public or Private Schools.

Private School students are allowed to participate in public school sports and extracurricular activities.  Since you will be enrolled under FACE private school, which does not offer sports, you simply tell the school you are interested in “my private school does not offer sports”, and there should not be a problem with you joining their program. A few schools will request a transcript or grades to verify eligibility at time of enrollment. If they require any form of confirmation from FACE, please reach out to us and we can assist you with this. Some larger private and charter schools also allow students from small private schools like ours to participate in their programs.  There may be fees associated with these programs as well as tryouts.  

Students are often required to submit eligibility grades and attendance to participate in sports or activities.  These must be submitted a minimum of 24 hours before they are due to the school office using the form  on our website.  Other methods of submission will not be accepted.  https://forms.zohopublic.com/faceschool/form/SportsEligibilityReport/formperma/9tNFRxfvjru7kmMH5KMGn0UumPFpMpsrzWw4UcqAd2w