�Preparing for 2026-2027 School Year

Austin High School

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9th Grade (Rising 10th Grade)

Fall Course Selection Presentations

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Reviewing your PSAT Scores

• Login to collegeboard account to see your PSAT scores.

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• Make a plan to study and prepare for the SAT.
• https://www.khanacademy.org/digital-sat
• Revolution Prep provides online prep, mentoring, and evaluations
• More than a Teacher is a preferred in person vendor.

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• Need assistance with your collegeboard account?
• See Diana Clawson, testing coordinator, in the library.

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AHS College and Career (room 264), Brandie Cleaver

brandie.cleaver@austinisd.org

9th Grade Conferences

• Graduation Requirements
• Transcript & Academy Distinctions
• GPA & Credit Check
• 4 year plan–Preliminary Course Requests�

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�CREDITS

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

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AISD Prescribed Graduation Plan

4 English Credits

• English I, English II, English III, and English IV

4 Math Credits

• Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Upper-Level Math

4 Science Credits

• Biology, Chemistry, Physics, 1 Upper-Level Science

4 Social Studies Credits

• World 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 (Includes 4 Endorsement Courses)�

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1. Log in to Teams/Frontline through the portal
2. Choose “Credit Summary”
3. Review all of your grades to make sure you have credit!
1. Note: Teams puts some classes in the wrong category. Don’t panic! Just ask your Counselor if you aren’t sure
4. If you have any questions about your credits, write them down to save when you meet one-on-one with your counselor

Credit Recovery

• Twilight: After school program for credit recovery
• Delta: In-School program for credit recovery
• Garza Online: Independent self paced course

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If you are concerned about not earning a credit for a course this semester, communicate directly with your teacher and school counselor now to create a plan.�

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Weighted GPA Scale

To see your GPA:

• Naviance
• “About Me” Tab
• Scroll Down

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Weighted GPA is reported on 4.0 scale–even if your weighted GPA is higher than a 4.0

90% ATTENDANCE

Semester credit is withheld when a student exceeds 4 unexcused absences.

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Yes, you must attend advisory!

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If your attendance is below 90%, you should attend

Saturday School.

Classes below 90% will NOT receive credit�

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END OF COURSE EXAMS

Students must pass five end-of-course (STAAR) exams:

• English I Retake Dec. 2
• Algebra I Retake Dec.3
• English II Retake Dec. 4
• Biology Retake Dec. 5
• US History Retake Dec. 5

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*STAAR exams for retesters will be held DECEMBER 2-5

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CCMR –Pass the TSI in English & Math

The TSI is like a Driver’s Test for College Readiness–must pass the test to get on the road

Learn more about the TSI: bit.ly/TSITexas

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Request a voucher for the TSI:

TSI Voucher Request- $28 to take at home In-Person TSI Testing- on Campus free

• TSI-Math will be proctored through Algebra II (grade-level and advanced) classes in the Spring.
• Current 10th graders who want to take advanced courses next year should sign up to take the TSI now. Students must meet college readiness requirements to be successful in a course that can be articulated for college readiness.

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TSI Exemptions:

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�COURSE SELECTION

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Timeline

RESOURCES

• Austin High Counseling Department Website

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• Austin ISD Master Catalog -- Course Descriptions

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• Austin High Course Offerings

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• Academy Distinction Information�

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ALL 10^TH GRADERS MUST TAKE 8 CLASSES

1. English 2

2. Math

3. Chemistry

4. World History

5-8. Four more classes such as:

Language other than English

PE or Athletics

Fine Art(s)

Career Technology Education Classes

Health

Other Elective(s)�

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HOW MANY ADVANCED LEVEL COURSES SHOULD I TAKE?

Ask yourself:

• What do my teachers recommend?
• How competitive do I want to be for college admissions?
• What extracurricular activities am I going to participate in?
• Most Advanced and AP courses have summer work due the first day of class, in addition to weekly homework expectations.

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REMEMBER: You will not be able to “level-down” during the first semester. Be sure you can handle the courses you commit to.

ADVANCED COURSE SUMMER WORK

Advanced summer work can be found on the Austin High website:

https://austin.austinschools.org/ → Students → Summer Assignments

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LEVEL CHANGES

If a student wishes to drop down to the academic level of a course, they must remain in the advanced course for a minimum of one semester.

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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).

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• Student’s academic history, preparedness for the course, and current performance in the course (Students with a grading cycle average or semester average of 80% or higher are not eligible for a level change).

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• Available space in the academic level course

SCHEDULE CHANGES

• The Scheduling Deadlines are FIRM. Please support our campus by respecting and adhering to the scheduling guidance provided here.
• Students and families should be having honest, authentic conversations now about course selections for the upcoming school year to ensure courses submitted in February are your first choice selections. Counselors and teachers are available to answer your questions.
• School Counselors do their best to schedule students in all their first-choice course requests. Due to scheduling constraints in the master schedule, alternate courses are sometimes required.

4 Year Plan – Initial Course Requests

• Today, students will update their 4 year plan to capture their initial course requests.

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• Please use our Austin High Course Offerings document to reference our available courses. Be sure to enter in the EXACT course code as it is listed in the course offerings guide.

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• Students may update their 4 year plan at any time; Parents can view 4 year plans using the parent portal.

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• Final Course Requests will be entered into self-serve in February. The 4 year plan is a drafting tool; not a guarantee of scheduling.�

ENGLISH OPTIONS

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*When deciding which course to take next year, speak with your current teacher to get a recommendation

ACC Brit LIt Prerequisite: English 1301/1302 credit must be earned and ACCEPTED to enroll.

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Senior Year

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Grade Level

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Weighted

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College Prep English**

Sophomore English

Be mindful of the correct course code for your academy.

Science Options

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*ARD Committee may determine an alternate pathway.

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Biology

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Advanced Biology

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Chemistry

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Advanced Chemistry

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Physics*

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Aquatic Science

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Advanced

Physics

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AP Science Elective

(optional)

AP Biology

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AP Physics C

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AP Environmental Science

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Grade Level

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Weighted

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AP Chemistry

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Astronomy

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Sophomore Science – Chemistry

Be mindful of the correct course code for your academy.

Social Studies Options

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*When deciding which course to take next year, speak with your current teacher to get a recommendation.

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Sophomore Year

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Grade Level

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Weighted

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Courses for College Credit: AP (College Board)

• Taught by Austin High School teachers using College Board Curriculum
• Option of taking the AP exam in May
• Exam is graded 1-5; a grade of 3 or higher on an AP exam may award you college credit (determined by specific college)
• Weighted on a 5.0 scale�

Sophomore Social Studies

Be mindful of the correct course code for your academy.

ADVANCED MATH OPTIONS

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*When deciding which course to take next year, speak with your current teacher to get a recommendation.

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Grade Level

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Weighted

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College Prep Math**

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AP Precalculus

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Algebra I

Geometry

Algebraic Reasoning

Algebra II

Algebra II

Advanced Quantitative Reasoning

Advanced Quantitative Reasoning

Recommended Elective: Language

Sustained study of a language (2 years minimum) is a graduation requirement.

Language credits are also included when calculating class rank.

Austin High School currently offers four languages on our campus:

• French
• Spanish
• Latin
• American Sign Language

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See all language course offerings here: Course Offerings Link

Recommended Elective: Fine Art

1.0 Credit of Fine Arts is a graduation requirement.

Any additional Fine Arts credits will count as electives towards graduation.

AHS is proud of our robust fine arts program. Level 1 courses:

• Art 1
• Band, Orchestra, Choir
• Theatre, Musical Theatre, Technical Theatre
• Guitar
• Dance

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See all fine arts course offerings here: Course Offerings Link

Recommended Elective: PE

1.0 credit of physical education is a graduation requirement.

Austin High School Athletics: https://austin.austinschools.org/athletics

Austin High School currently many PE offerings on our campus:

• Lifetime Fitness & Wellness (traditional PE)
• Outdoor Adventure (hiking, rowing, archery)
• Lifetime Fitness & Dance (dance)

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Students can also try out to play a sport for Austin High School.

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See all Physical Education offerings here: Course Offerings Link

Recommended Elective: Health

0.5 credit of health is a graduation requirement.

Health is a one semester course that must be paired with another.

See all one semester course offerings here: Course Offerings Link

Recommended Elective: CTE

CTE Pathways are very popular programming at Austin High School.

Many Pathways culminate in a double-block internship option for students senior year..

Many reasons to begin or continue a CTE pathway:

• 3-4 year coherent sequence of coursework in a dedicated area.
• Weighted courses contribute to cumulative GPA (5.0 scale!)
• Earn additional endorsements on transcript.
• CTE pathways are part of earning a graduation distinction for some academies.

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See all CTE course offerings here: Course Offerings Link

See Academy Distinction information here: Academy Distinction Link

Arts, AV Technology & Communications

Business & Industry Pathways

S.T.E.M. Pathways

Education & Training

Garza Online for Health

Students can enroll here: https://garza.austinschools.org/programs/garza-online

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Counselors are REQUIRED to schedule for graduation.

It is the responsibility of the student to complete the course before the fall semester begins, AND to email their counselor notifying them.

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Best practice: If you do not want health included in your course requests, enroll now and complete before February. Many students use the winter break to complete the course.

MAINTAINING YOUR FOUR YEAR PLAN

Initiating, maintaining, and completing your 4 year plan is a graduation requirement.

Update Your 4 Year Plan

1. Log in to Teams/Frontline through the portal
2. Choose “4 Year Plan”

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Preliminary Course Requests 26-27

Be sure you have entered your preliminary course requests into “Year 2” of your 4 year plan and PRESS THE SAVE BUTTON.

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Students can and should review these choices with their parents. Students can make changes to “Year 2” in the 4 year plan AT ANY TIME.

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In February, students will enter their final course selections into “Self-Serve.” December and January is the time to consult with teachers, private college counselors, school counselors, to discuss options for the upcoming school year.

Thank You!!

4 Year Plans must be updated with 9th and all future grades courses today.

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Course Request Paper with Alternate Electives Take picture and turned in at the end of the period.

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How to Update 4 Year Plan

Click here if embedded video isn’t playing: https://vimeo.com/860488479/e305bd4c17?share=copy

Watch the video!

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This system is VERY sensitive, and it is easy to get frustrated.

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When copy and pasting course codes from the classes listed at the bottom of the screen, watch your mouse cursor closely to ensure it is in I-beam or text select mode.

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Our priority right now is add all transcripted and scheduled courses.

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10 MINUTES TO ADD CURRENT COURSES TO 4 YEAR PLAN.