Program advisement, registration and scheduling

PROGRAM ADVISEMENT, REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULING

The Course Description Book is designed to help students and parents plan their programs of study from the variety of courses offered at Herrin High School. Students should plan their high school programs with the help of their parents, counselors, and teachers. This booklet provides information about graduation requirements, scheduling, and other areas of interest. Each course is listed with the grade level, prerequisites and course description. This booklet is intended to assist students in making educational decisions about their high school programs. Courses in this booklet will be offered as described contingent upon budget restraints, student interest, curriculum changes and faculty availability.

COUNSELING DEPARTMENT
Counselors and Assignments for 2013-14:
Tracy Cornelius, School Social Worker ext 1057

Special Ed & New student registration, PBIS, School Improvement,

Cathy Shelton, School Counselor (A-K) ext 1075

A-K Registration, Freshman/Sophomore Pre-registration, Senior Scholarships, College Representatives

Rob Long, School Counselor (L-Z) ext 1074

L-Z Registration, Junior/Senior Pre-registration, Testing Coordinator, Athletic & Military Recruiting

The Counseling Department personnel begin student advisement sessions, individual and group, as soon as the administration and Board of Education approve the courses to be offered the following year. In order to have adequate time for student contact and for parental review, the counselors should have the information to begin advisement by mid-March. Students should have time and should take time to discuss their plans and programs carefully with their parents before registration. The Counseling Department, the Career and Technical Education Department, and other departmental personnel are available to discuss programs with students and parents.
Student placement in selected courses in Mathematics, English, Science, and other areas at the high school level is determined through prerequisites, teacher recommendations, and/or student-parent-teacher conferences. Placement is made through conferences with department heads according to established department policies.
ADVISEMENT AND REGISTRATION
Registration activities generally take place during February/March and involve a combination of classroom presentations, along with small group and individual conferences. Information regarding plans, programs, and courses is provided to students and (through students) to parents. When possible, grade-level parent meetings are scheduled. Parents are encouraged to contact counselors if questions arise about programs or course selection.
To assist eighth grade students in planning their freshman year, the Counseling Department provides high school curriculum information to students and their parents, holds student and parent orientation meetings, and consults with teachers before advising students for their freshman-year registration.
SCHEDULES
Schedules are determined and printed by the high school administration and are issued prior to the beginning of fall term. If changes need to be made or conflicts exist, students may be called during the summer to adjust or correct schedule requests.
SCHEDULE CHANGES
If programs (selection of courses) are carefully planned, very few changes of classes will be necessary. However, if a program change (change of course) appears necessary, students and parents should discuss the reason for the change with the appropriate guidance counselor to determine whether the change is recommended or feasible. All schedule changes are encouraged to be made prior to the first day of school (during registration).
Students or parents with questions about the registration process are encouraged to call the appropriate counselor at Herrin High School (942-6606).
EARLY GRADUATION
Early graduation requirement, seven or less semesters, is twenty-six (26) credits. Twenty-four (24) of these credits must be in addition to the credits earned in Physical Education and Marching Band
SUMMER SCHOOL
Summer School may be offered at Herrin High School for approximately six weeks during June and July. The determination if classes will be offered during the summer is made at the end of the second semester each year. The subjects that may be offered during the summer are determined largely by the number of students who desire any given subject and by the availability of qualified teachers. The cost varies and is determined by the Board of Education. Grades of all subjects taken in summer school will be entered on the student's transcript. Any student wishing further information should consult with the Guidance Office.
If summer school is offered, the daily schedule will be 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Summer School is open to any student of Herrin High School. Only two (2) absences per semester class are allowed in the summer session.
EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
All educational opportunities in the Herrin Community Unit School District No. 4 are offered without regard to race, color, national origin, sex or handicap. For additional information contact: Ms. Lisa Smith, Testing/Curriculum Coordinator, Herrin Unit No. 4, 700 North 10th Street, Herrin, IL 62948, [phone].
STUDENT LOAD
All students are required each year to be enrolled in a total required load of seven units of regular course work which may include special subjects such as Driver Education, Physical Education and Marching Band. Please Note: A failing grade in any required class must be made up before further elective classes can be taken.
FINAL EXAMINATIONS
Final examinations are given at the end of each semester. Two days are reserved specifically for examinations, which, in most cases, will be one hour and twenty-five minutes in length. Students who have three or less EXCUSED absences will be exempt from final exams, provided they have not been suspended, placed in ACR or failed to serve detentions on specified dates. All other students will be required to take final exams. Those students will receive a zero for any final exam they miss due to an unexcused absence.
INCOMPLETES
An "Incomplete" may be given for failure to complete assignments or other class obligations. It is expected that an "Incomplete" will be made up within two weeks following the grading period when such mark was received. If not made up it can become a failing grade. Exceptions will be considered in the case of students having a prolonged disability due to injury or illness.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
PLEASE NOTE: Twenty-six (26) Credits are required for graduation. No more than 4 Credits earned in physical education can be applied toward the Credits needed for graduation.
Courses Required For 2014-2017 Graduation:
Physical Education 4 Credits

English * 4 Credits

Mathematics** 3 Credits

Science 2 Credits

American History 1 Credit

American Gov’t ½ Credit

Consumer Economics *** ½ Credit

Health Education ½ Credit

Speech ½ Credit

Driver Education 0 credit but required for graduation

Electives to equal 26 Credits

*Incl. 2 writing-intensive courses that can be met through 4 years of regular or accelerated English

*After Eng 1,2, and 3, the 4^th year may include English Electives

**Incl. Algebra I and a course with geometric principles

***Consumer Economics requirement may be met by passing the state proficiency test
Required Courses Usually Follow This Order:

*Health/ Dr. Am. Govt./

YEAR Eng. *Speech Math P.E. Sci. Ed. Hist. Con. Ed. Elect.

___________________________________________________________________________________JUNIOR'>_________________________________________________________________________________________

FRESH X X X X X 2.5

_________________________________________________________________________________

SOPH X X X X X X 2.5

_________________________________________________________________________________

JUNIOR X X X X 3 _________________________________________________________________________________

SENIOR X X X 4

_________________________________________________________________________________________

* One semester of each class.
High school graduation requirements do not necessarily meet admission requirements of all colleges. To be prepared adequately for college entry and success, students who plan to go to college should take additional courses in Math, English, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language. If students have a specific college in mind, they should secure the college's catalog during their freshman or sophomore years and refer to the specific requirements of that college.
PSAE Requirements:

The Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) must be taken during the junior year and is required for high school graduation. If a student is not on junior status by the third year of high school, he/she will not take the PSAE. Once the student reaches junior status he/she must take the exam. If a student is in their fourth year of high school and has not taken the PSAE, class status will not change to senior status until the PSAE is completed.

COLLEGE PREPARATION
Since colleges and universities have a good deal of freedom to set admission standards (which include test scores, class rank, and grades, along with high school course selection) for their particular school, admission standards can vary widely from institution to institution. Often several different admission standards exist within a single university or college, depending upon what area the student wishes to study. Because of this, it is virtually impossible to develop a course of study in high school, which is guaranteed to meet admission requirements for every college or university nationwide. Any student interested in attending a particular four-year college or university should contact that school regarding specific admission requirements.
Basic College Preparation:
It is possible however, to recommend a pattern of high school courses, which should meet the entrance requirements at most (nearly all) colleges and universities. In general, any student who plans on working toward a four-year college degree is strongly urged to have the following recommended pattern, which is the required course pattern for admission to Illinois public universities:
English 4 years

Social Science 3 years

Mathematics 3 years (Algebra I and beyond)

Lab Science 3 years (Meteorology/Space Science/Physical Science, Biology I, Basic Biochemistry, Chemistry,

Physics, Anatomy & Physiology/Botany/Genetics/Microbiology, or Principles of Technology)

Elective 2 years (from Music, Foreign Language, Art, or Vocational Education)

Community College, Private and Out-Of-State Programs:
Community colleges (junior colleges) will fall under the same set of requirements for two-year transfer programs. Students enrolling in one and two year technical programs, as well as capstone programs at community colleges are not affected by these requirements. These standards do not apply to the private colleges and universities in Illinois, nor to any out-of-state schools, all of which have their own specific entrance requirements.

Failure to Meet an Admission Pattern:
Depending upon the individual college or university, students who do not meet the high school course requirements might still be admitted on a provisional basis, probably being required to take some additional basic courses in college to replace those not taken in high school. It can be expected that junior colleges will handle the situation in the same way for two-year transfer programs.
Minimum Recommendations for College Bound (Baccalaureate Degree):

*Health/ Dr. Am. *Govt./ Soc. Foreign

YEAR Eng. *Speech Math P.E. Sci. Ed. Hist. *Con. Ed. Sci. Language

__________________________________________________________________________________

FRESH X X X X X X X

____________________________________________________________________________

SOPH X X X X X X X X

____________________________________________________________________________

JUNIOR X X X X X

____________________________________________________________________________

SENIOR X X X

X
*one semester of each class

GRADES AND DEFICIENCY REPORTS
A deficiency report will be mailed to parents of students who are making failing or near failing grades during the middle of each quarter. Grades are recorded according to the following point scale: