Robert E. Lee High School

Happy Holidays! As we head into another busy season, it is important to stay mindful of how quickly the first semester of the school year is coming to a close. FSCJ's semester ends in less than a month (Dec. 13) and DCPS's semester ends soon after students return from the holidays (Jan. 16). This is a critical time of year for students to stay on top of their assignments and ace their finals. This newsletter is chocked full of information regarding upcoming events and other information regarding the closing of our semester. If you have any questions regarding this information, please email me or the contact person listed in the article.

Here's to a great semester closing! - Dr. Keefe

Parents, we strongly encourage you to have your child log into OnCourse to check grades and assignment status! Many classes have final projects or exams pending. The more you know, the more you can help your student ace this semester!

Progress Reports will be sent home on December 4th.

Remember, the first 9-weeks grade and second 9-weeks grade will be averaged to post a semester grade to the Student Academic History. These grades will impact the student's GPA. A student must maintain a 3.0+ high school GPA and a 2.0+ college GPA to enroll/remain enrolled in FSCJ courses.

Most of the students in the Early College Program will notice a change in their class schedule next semester. This is because they are either moving into a dual enrollment class, they have finished a dual enrollment class, or both!

A student who is currently enrolled in...

• ENC1101, this course will be completed at the end of the semester. Students who qualify for MAC1105 will move into this course.
  
• AMH2010, this course will be completed at the end of the semester. This class will change to AMH2020.
• SLS1103, this course will be completed at the end of the semester. This class will change to AP Government.

Students in 10th grade who have completed SLS1103 & meet eligibility requirements for dual enrollment (college-readiness scores on PERT, ACT, or SAT & 3.0 cumulative unweighted GPA):

• Pre-Calculus class will change to MAC1105
• Creative Writing class will change to ENC1101

Students in 10th grade who have NOT completed SLS & have a 3.0+ unweighted cumulative GPA:

• Elective class will change to SLS1103 - This required course must be completed before a student takes any other dual enrollment courses.
  

Students in 9th grade who have a 3.0 cumulative unweighted GPA & AP Government, will have SLS1103 for second semester.

If a student does not meet eligibility requirements for dual enrollment at the end of this semester, the faculty and staff will continue to support the student's academic efforts. Students will be provided opportunities to improve their GPA and/or achieve college-readiness scores through the PERT, ACT, and SAT. All of our students are encouraged to participate in after-school tutoring sessions and Saturday School test prep sessions, as scheduled.

What are college-ready or post-secondary ready scores? College-ready and post-secondary ready are interchangeable terms, in this case. In an effort to ensure students successfully progress in the Early College program, and are prepared to thrive in the setting of their choice after high school, they are required to demonstrate academic abilities through course work & standardized testing. Students must earn eligibility scores in reading, math, and writing on standardized tests. They may use scores from ACT, SAT, or PERT. Students can "mix-n-match" scores from these tests in order to meet dual enrollment eligibility criteria.

College Ready/Post-secondary Scores

• PERT: Reading - 106, Math - 114 or 123*, Writing - 103
• ACT: Reading - 19, Math 19, Writing 17
• SAT: Reading 440, Math 440

*Students who score 114-122 on the Math section of the PERT, & meet all other eligibility requirements, enroll in Intermediate Algebra at FSCJ in 11th grade. Note of caution: Intermediate Algebra does not meet AA degree math requirements. Students who take this course must take two additional math courses to meet the AA degree requirements.

Students may take the Post-secondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) at Lee High School during spring term of 9th grade, and again in 10th grade, if needed. For more information about the PERT and access to a study guide, please check out http://www.fldoe.org/fcs/pert.asp.

If you are reading this newsletter, but your friends are not, please remind them to send Dr. Keefe a working email address (keefek@duvalschools.org). Working email addresses include FSCJ, Gaggle, duvalschools.org, and other business related addresses. Addresses that do not always work include: gmail, yahoo, aol, comcast, etc.

Wondering where your child/family should be in the college and career search process? Check out the timelines suggested by

• College Board - https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/get-started/for-parents

or

• ACT - http://www.actstudent.org/college/checklist/

*Flyer sent via email Nov. 26, 2013
*Updated School Announcements link and resent Jan. 7, 2014