PreACT and Arrowhead Course Planning

January 7, 2025

Maria Kucharski, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Dr. Ron Russ, District Administrator

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Agenda

• History of Assessment
• History of Meeting
• About the PreACT 8/9
• Timelines and Transitions
• Parent to Parent
• Course Plan Backwards from Senior to Freshman
• Select a Session:
• Using your PreACT 8/9 Results- Elective and parent informed choice information at Arrowhead
• Career Options (Repeat if you want to hear both)

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About the PreACT

• Beginning in the 2022-2023 it replaced the State of Wisconsin High School ACT Aspire test in grades 9 and 10. Called the PreACT Secure is delivered online.
• It will give you and your child comparable data year to year as your child goes on to high school.
• Let’s watch a short video!

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A Few things to point out…PreACT 8/9

• Focus on Skills (higher level thinking and reasoning) vs. Content (recall and rote memory)
• 1 is the lowest score and 30 is the highest on PreACT 8/9 (PreACT 1-35 and ACT 1-36)
• Best to think of the range than a precise point
• What are the college readiness benchmarks??

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Upcoming Transition Activities

• Arrowhead’s Winter Algebra Placement Test- at Merton on January 16, 2025 (All 8th grade Algebra students and parent choice)
• Arrowhead’s Freshman Orientation Night- January 23, 2025
• Arrowhead Counselors Visit Merton 8th Graders- January 30, 2025
• Arrowheads Freshman Courses due in Skyward- TBD
• Arrowhead’s Spanish Placement Test- March 10-14 Window
• Arrowhead’s Spring Algebra Placement Test- at Merton in May. Exact date TBD

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Additional Resources and Information

• Act 95- The Wisconsin Guarantee
• Top 10% Direct Admit
• Top 5% Madison
• Weighted Grades
• Merton Transition Website
• Arrowhead Website- Most helpful:
• Academic Options- Course Info & Selection
• Parent Informed Choice Booklet and Arrowhead Course Guide with Course Selection Sheet
• Know your counselor
• Freshman Orientation Night and Website
• Freshman Conference Opportunity
• Merton Transition Support
• ACP Class with counselor Jenny Matson
• WINGS- A good thing!

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Parent to Parent…

• Students need to learn to self-manage and check their grades on a regular basis! Parents have access to grades and the curriculum if you choose.
• There is not a common policy relating to retakes of assessments, homework (graded or ungraded) by department or teacher at Arrowhead.
• Pay attention to timelines for dropping classes, etc…if something is not working out. These are “schedule changes” and need to be done in person with parent permission. They are excepted from the 2nd day through the 6th day of the semester. 10 days to drop an AP class for different class or drop a class and add a study hall.
• Summer School Health & Physical Education is an option for freeing up time. There is a strict attendance requirement.

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Time to Select a Session

1. Traditional Four-Year College Options- Elective and parent informed choice information at Arrowhead- Stay here with Maria Kucharski, Director of Curriculum and Instruction

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• Two-Year College and Career Options (Repeat if you want to hear both)- Move to Band Room with Dr. Ron Russ, Superintendent

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College Focus

Maria’s Experience from Admissions Surveys from Colleges and CESA 1

• Most colleges rank the rigor of high school courses as the most important factor in admissions decisions.
• Grade Point Average/Grades in Courses are second (they unweight grades from the information on the high school profiles).
• Most 4 year colleges want 4 years of core classes even if the State has only 2 or 3 in the graduation requirements.
• MATH- 4 YEARS is especially important if college bound (most colleges have a math placement test).

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COURSE PLAN NOW!- Go Backwards

Maria’s Suggestion:

• Discuss with your student what interests them, have them share the work they have done in the past with Xello (ACP Planning).
• Discuss with your student…if they are more focused career and/or college. If college…what type of college (top 10, 100, local, two-year, etc…)?
• Print all four years of course selection sheet from Arrowhead High School, along with the planning guide. Plan with the end in mind thinking…if they are college bound 4 years of the core…
• Review the Informed Choices for Freshmen- Discuss Pros and Cons with your student.

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A Closer Look at Rigor

AP and Honors (Accelerated, etc…) Classes (prepscholar article of How many AP classes)

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Most Selective Schools (Top 20- Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Princeton): APs in most or all of the core courses (English, Mathematics, Science, History, and Foreign Language), plus additional AP courses that relate to your goals, future major, or interests. This will end up being between 7 and 12 AP courses.

Selective Schools (Top 100- Boston, Madison, OSU): APs in most core courses, plus one or two additional courses. This will end up being between 4 and 8 AP courses.

Less Selective Schools (SLO, Arizona): APs in some core courses, or in courses related to your anticipated major. This will end up being between 1 and 5 AP courses.

Balance rigor of APs with Grades! Colleges ranked 1&2 Respectfully.

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A Closer Look at Rigor

Difference between AP and Honors (also Accelerated at Arrowhead)

• Advanced Placement courses are a national curriculum and exam. They can earn college credit if they pass the exam with a 3 or better.
• Honors is developed at Arrowhead and different from high school to high school.
• Accelerated classes are 4 credits a year- which means daily classes
• Both show rigor…BUT colleges prefer the AP option as that is comparable throughout the country!
• International Baccalaureate (IB) are treated the same as AP in most cases. Not available at at Arrowhead but some local private schools.

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Arrowhead Informed Choices

Arrowhead Informed Choices- Arrowhead Course Selection Due TBD

Grade 9 Opportunities for Freshmen Students 2025-2026

• AP Human Geography/Social Studies 9
• English 9 Honors /English 9
• Science 9/ Science 9- Biology Accelerated Block
• World Languages Level 1 or 2

Students and parents make 9th grade choices using data and other indicators to help guide their decision making.

PreACT 8/9 a Must for most of these courses.

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At Arrowhead parent meeting they will look at 1 year…I suggest planning backwards! We will learn more!

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Why Consider AP Human Geography?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

Why Consider AP Human Geography?

• 6 credits of Social Studies for Graduation (but it is a core, think 4 years)
• Arrowhead recommended PreACT 8/9 Criteria:
• Reading > or = to 22 and/ or Lexile score of 1300
• Only for Freshmen
• Gives an AP experience for Rigor
• Start getting college credit (potential 3 Credit Geography Elective).
• It is NOT a prerequisite for other AP courses in the Social Studies department (European, Economics, Psychology, Government and Politics).
• Students who take AP Human Geography MUST take Political Science of AP US Government and Politics in 10, 11 or 12th grade.

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Why Consider AP Human Geography?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

At Arrowhead most social studies AP courses do NOT have a prerequisite outside of freshmen year.

Why Consider Honors English 9?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

Why Consider Honors English 9?

• 8 credits of English for Graduation (4 years required)
• Arrowhead recommended PreACT 8/9 Criteria:
• English > or = to 18
• Reading > or = to 22 and/ or Lexile score of 1300
• Honors English 10 similar criteria as above
• Advanced Speech and Organization Communication are NOT considered English classes for most 4 year schools.
• Can be a prerequisite for AP English Language and Comp or PreACT reading score of 22 an lexile of 1300.
• AP English Literature and Composition has similar PreACT recommendation but no pre-requisite offered in 12 grade only.

Why Consider Honor English 9?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

Why Consider Science 9/Accelerated Biology Block?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

Why Consider Science 9/Biology Accelerated Block?

• 6 credits of Science for Graduation (but it is a core, think 4 years)- Physics at Junior year latest for ACT.
• Geometry or beyond as prerequisite (or taking at the same time).
• Arrowhead recommended PreACT 8/9 Criteria:
• Science > or = to 22
• Math > or = to 22
• Reading > or = to 22 and/ or Lexile score of 1300
• It is NOT a prerequisite for some AP courses in the Science department (Physics, Chemistry).
• Some AP Courses in Science requires the accelerated or course before in science AND math (ie..you need to have a B or better in Biology and Chemistry or the accelerated equivalent to take it).
• Project Lead The Way (PLTW) - Engineering and Mechanics

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Why Consider Science 9/Accelerated Biology Block?

Arrowhead 2025-2026 Draft Course Guide

SCIENCE: Readiness for College Biology

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23.5

22.8

18.1

20.6

From Swallow 2020

Why Consider Spanish 2?

• If you want the Advanced Placement option for Spanish your student needs to take Spanish 2 your freshman year!
• College Benefit- 3 or 4 Credits and a potential additional level of Spanish for college scope and sequence. You may also get additional credits if you take at least one college level course.
• Taking Spanish 4 your junior year and then no Spanish senior year may impact college placements tests.

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Math Placement Process and Courses

Arrowhead 2025-2026 DRAFT Course Guide

Only about ⅓ of Merton students are testing out of algebra freshman year. Consider an accelerated class (daily block) but need GREAT grades (A and teacher recommendation).

Math…Placement Process

• 6 credits of Mathematics for Graduation - if you are going to college, I highly recommend 4 years for sure. There is ALWAYS a college math placement test. A year off does NOT benefit our children.
• AP Stats is considered math or sometimes social studies depending on the college (UW-Madison- Math).
• The 8th grade Algebra Placement test matters- Algebra B and higher students take in January and May. Geometry students are placed by Arrowhead teacher and do not take the assessment.
• All students have access to an AP class no matter what level of mathematics they enter in…BUT…they need to do well in their courses at Arrowhead.

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MATHEMATICS: Readiness for College Algebra

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24.5

23.7

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20.2

17.4

Math Placement Process and Courses

Arrowhead 2024-2025 Course Guide

Only about ⅓ of Merton students are testing out of algebra freshman year. Consider a block class and/or taking double math courses Junior and/or Senior years.

A Few Other Thoughts….

• Arrowhead requires 2 credits of Career and Technical courses for graduation….think about Project Lead the Way Courses to fulfill this requirement AND earn college credit
• Civil Engineering and Architecture
• Engineering and Mechanics (Principles of Engineering and Physics)
• Engineering Design and Development
• CAAP and other College Credit Opportunities at Arrowhead
• College Accounting
• Entrepreneurship Venture
• College Personal Finance

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End Where we Started! COURSE PLAN NOW!- Go Backwards

Maria’s Suggestion:

• Discuss with your student what interests them, have them share the work they have done in the past with Xello (ACP Planning).
• Discuss with your student…if they are more focused career and/or college. If college…what type of college (top 10, 100, local, two-year, etc…)?
• Print all four years of course selection sheet from Arrowhead High School, along with the planning guide. Plan with the end in mind thinking…if they are college bound 4 years of the core…
• Review the Informed Choices for Freshmen- Discuss Pros and Cons with your student.

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Please take a minute!

We would greatly appreciate your feedback! Please scan the QR code for our survey or it will be sent out via Skyward Messenger with our google slide presentations after tonight's meeting.

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QR Code to Survey

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