Incoming 9th Grade Information

Class of 2029

You Belong at Bowie

Bowie High School’s Roadmap for Success

Who Am I and Where Am I Heading?

What Are the Required Courses?

What Kinds of Academic Supports Are Available?

What Are My Elective Course Options?

How Can I Accelerate My Learning or Participate in Advanced Academics?

Career Interest Inventories

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https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/explore-careers

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Amber Luna- Bowie’s College & Career Counselor

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Graduation Requirements

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Foundation High School Plan + Endorsement + Distinguished Level of Achievement

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AISD Prescribed Graduation Plan

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AISD Prescribed Graduation Plan (26 Credits)��

4 English Credits

• English 1, English 2, English 3, and English 4

4 Math Credits

• Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, 4th Math Credit

4 Science Credits

• Biology, IPC or Chemistry, & Two Additional Science Credits

4 Social Studies Credits

• Geography, World History, US History, Government (0.5) and Economics (0.5)

2 Credits of the Same Language Other Than English

1 Fine Arts Credit

1 PE Credit

0.5 Health Credit

5.5 Elective Credits

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End-of-Course Exams�

Students must pass five end-of-course exams:

• English 1 (9^th grade)
• Algebra 1 (9^th grade)
• Biology (9^th grade)
• English 2 (10^th grade)
• US History (11^th grade)

Students who do not pass their EOC exams and do not pass the retests in the summer will be enrolled in an intervention course the following year.

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90% Attendance�Semester credit is withheld when a student exceeds 4 unexcused absences. �

Cumulative GPA

The numerical average of the points assigned to EVERY grade the student has earned.

• Based on ALL high school credit courses the student has taken (core, electives, etc.)
• Advanced/ AP/ Honors courses are weighted on a 5.0 scale
• This GPA can be viewed in Naviance and is not used to determine rank
• Appears on transcripts, sent to colleges
• New GPA’s generated after each semester.

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Class Rank

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A measure of student performance compared to other students in the class.

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Based on 4 core subjects & LOTE

• Up to 8 semesters of English
• Up to 8 semesters of Math
• Up to 8 semesters of Science
• World Geo OR World History, US History, Government, & Economics
• Up to 4 semesters of LOTE

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• Calculated after every semester in grades 10-12
• Official rank starts in Spring of 10th grade year
• Used to determine top 10% and quartiles for college admissions

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Electives & Pathways

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�100+ course electives

25+ pathways

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https://bowie.austinschools.org/academics/course-scheduling

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9^th Grade Supports

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Academic Resources, Support Classes, & Tools

Academic Supports

Teacher Office Hours

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Flexible Instructional Time (FIT)

Every day after 1st or 5th period

26 minutes

Opportunity for tutoring, making up assignments/ tests, studying, etc.

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NHS Peer Tutoring

Fill out the Google Form to request a tutor

Matched with National Honor Society student

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Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Campus-wide initiatives and programs

Lessons during core classes and FIT

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Delta & Twilight Credit Recovery

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Attendance Recovery

Academic Supports

504 Services

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Special Education Services

�Emergent Bilingual Services

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Academic Tools

AISD Chromebook

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Academic Tools

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Advanced Academics

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Advanced & AP Courses

• Advanced level courses prepare students for the rigors of Advanced Placement and Dual-Credit curriculum.
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses are College Board, college level high school courses that allow students to take a cumulative exam in May that can potentially award them college credit.
• The only Advanced Placement (AP) course available to 9th grade students is AP Human Geography.
• Advanced and AP level courses are both weighted in the student’s GPA.

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Advanced Academic Readiness

• Works well independently
• Creative in regard to solving problems
• Readily applies learned principles to new situations
• Responds positively to challenging situations
• Has a strong intuitive sense for the subject matter
• Shows a high degree of interest and motivation
• Has experienced high achievement in past courses (STAAR scores, grades, etc.)
• Shows above average ability in critical reading skills, writing skills, and oral expression
• Shows above average maturity in relationship to classroom behaviors and critical thinking and application skills

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Other considerations …

• Will I be okay making average grades in a course even if I am working much harder than I did in middle school?
• How much time do I have in the evenings for homework?
• Will I be able to complete the summer work before the first day of class?

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Advanced Course Acknowledgements

• All students planning to take an advanced level course must indicate that they will take an advanced level course in the acknowledgements section of their choice sheet.
• A second set of acknowledgements will be required. Students must acknowledge the requirements of an advanced course such as rigor and summer assignments as well as an understanding of our level change policy.

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Advanced Level Summer Work

• Most advanced level courses require summer work as indicated on the choice sheet & our website.
• Summer work will be due the first week of school and count as a major assignment grade.
• Summer work can be found on the Bowie Website.

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Gifted & Talented Program

• Students who identified as GT in Humanities must take either Advanced English or Advanced Social Studies (or be furloughed or exited from the program)
• Students who are GT in STEM must either take Advanced Math or Advanced Science (or be furloughed or exited from the program)
• Students do not need to be identified as GT to take Advanced, AP, or dual-credit courses.

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Course Advising & Selection

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Choice Sheet

Choice Sheet

Course Selection Resources

Course offerings, course descriptions, career & technology pathways, etc. are available on the Bowie Counseling Department Website.

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All 9th Graders Will Take 8 Classes

1. English 1

2. Algebra 1 OR Geometry (if Algebra 1 was completed in MS) OR Algebra 2 (if Geometry was completed in MS)

3. Biology

4. Geography

5-8. Four more classes such as:

• Language other than English 
• PE or Athletics
• Fine Art(s)
• Career & Technology Education Classes
• Other Elective(s)

Block Schedule

90 minute classes

Four classes per day

40 minutes for lunch – 2 lunch periods

6 minute passing periods.

Course Changes

Course verifications will be emailed to families. When they arrive, review the courses listed to ensure that they are correct, read and follow the directions carefully, and send it back if changes are necessary.

�The FINAL day to make any changes to choice sheets is May 29th. We will not accept any change of mind requests after this date.

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Level Changes

After the course change deadline, if a student wishes to drop down to the academic level of a course, they must remain in the advanced/ AP course for six weeks.

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All level change requests will be reviewed by a committee of teachers, counselors, and administrators who will consider the following:

• Student’s demonstrated commitment to their academic success (completing course assignments, attending FIT & tutoring).
• Student’s academic history, preparedness for the course, and current performance in the course (Students with a six weeks average of 80% or higher are not eligible for a level change).
• Available space in the academic level course

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Questions for the Counselors?

Join us at our booth on our Showcase Night, January 13th, from 5:30-7:00PM.

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Student & Parent Advising Night

@ Bowie

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January 30th

5:30PM-6:30PM

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Meet at the Tree

Campus Preview Event

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Bowie Website

bowie.austinschools.org

PTSA Website

bowieptsa.org