Course Catalog 2018_w_ CTE draft

numerous and include taking advanced courses in the AP subject, exploring other subjects of interest, joining honors and other special programs, and saving tuition fees.

Students whose academic achievement in a subject area, overall grade point average, scores on state standardized tests, as well as teacher recommendations indicate that they can be successful in an advanced course may register for an AP course.

PCHS students who register for the AP exam are responsible for the full cost of the exam. However, students scoring a 3 or better on the exam will be reimbursed the cost of the exam less a small administrative fee.

There is a seven-day trial period for AP students; those who perform at a “C” Level or below may be counseled to drop the class and enroll in a less challenging course. AP courses were designed to be challenging and to provide an opportunity for acceleration for high school students. These classes will be taught at the level required for making PCHS students competitive with others around the nation who seek advanced placement at college.

VIRTUAL VIRGINIA

PCHS will offer students the opportunity to enroll in Virtual Virginia. Virtual Virginia, which includes the Virginia Virtual Advanced Placement School, provides a variety of Advanced Placement (AP) courses, enabling students to earn college credit.

The Virginia Virtual Advanced Placement School (VVAPS) offers online AP and foreign language courses to students across the commonwealth and nation. The courses utilize the Desire2Learn course management software to maximize the interactivity of each class. Each course contains video segments, audio clips, whiteboard and online discussions as well as text. E-Teachers are available for telephone conversations with students throughout the school day. VVAPS classes offer a rich multimedia learning environment that appeals to a variety of learning styles. VVAPS courses can be scheduled flexibly throughout the day, as courses do not have be taken in ‘real’ time.

Students in high schools who meet the prerequisites may enroll through their schools. The deadline for registering students is August 1 prior to the start of the school year. There is no late registration through Virtual Virginia.

Virtual learning is the new frontier in today’s educational institutions. The technology of the 21 st century provides a unique opportunity for educators to reach students who want the experience of Advanced Placement coursework.

Students will be required to sign an Early College Scholars Agreement. The Early College Scholars program allows eligible high school students to earn at least 15 hours of transferable college credit while completing the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma or an Advanced Technical Diploma. By signing the agreement, students are indicating their commitment to completing the required 15 hours of college credit in high school and earning an advanced diploma. To qualify for the Early College Scholars program, a student must: have a “B” average or better, be pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma, and take and complete college- level course work (i.e. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge, or dual enrollment) that will earn at least 15 transferable college credits. Students wanting additional information regarding Virtual Virginia should see Guidance or visit the website www.virtualvirginia.org/ .

DUAL ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

Whenever possible, students shall be encouraged and provided opportunities to take college courses simultaneously for high school graduation and degree credit.

The course(s) must be given by the college for degree credits; hence, no remedial courses will be accepted. New River Community College and Pulaski County High School offer a dual enrollment program taught at the high school. These courses follow the same syllabi and use the same texts as New River Community College. Admission procedures follow requirements of the high school and the community college. Several NRCC courses (first 9 weeks) serve as prerequisites to the second 9 weeks of a dual enrolled course. Students wishing to enroll in some dual enrollment courses must maintain a passing grade during the first 9 week grading period to remain enrolled in the course for the full semester. Failure to maintain a passing grade in the first 9 week grading period can result in removal from the course and placement into an academic equivalent of the course. For example, in the English 12 dual enrollment course students must earn a D or better in the first nine weeks of the course to remain enrolled in the dual English 12 course during the second 9 weeks. The first 9 weeks of the course students are working to complete English 111. The English 111 course is the prerequisite to the second 9 weeks curriculum of English 112. Upon successful completion of the course, one weighted high school credit will be awarded and corresponding number of semester hours of college credit will be awarded by New River Community College. Currently, students are not responsible for paying their own tuition and book fees; however, due to regulations set by Virginia Community College System this will be changing beginning with the 2019-2020 school year. At the time of publication the