parent night video

1. GCSSD 7/8 Parent Night
Nov. 7, 2017
WELCOME!

2. Why are we here?

3. Am I on the right path?
•It is all about how you finish!

4. Education Past High School

5. Postsecondary Options
•Workforce
•Trade/Technical School
•Community College
•4 Year College
•Military

6. Make the most out of High School
Use options in High School to be
ready for what is next

7. •Follow GCSSD Forward on social
media -

10. Logistics
• 7th Grade will move to Library
• 8th Grade will stay in Cafeteria
• Snacks/Drinks available in hallway
• Door Prizes at the end of the night!
THANK YOU FOR COMING!!

11. Am I On the Right Track?
7th Grade
Why is the Explore important? How can I be ready for high school?

12. 7th Grade
• What is Explore?
• Why is it important?
• What can I do NOW to prepare for the Explore test and high school?

13. What is Explore?
• 8th Grade version of the ACT
• Students are required by Gibson County School District to take:
• Explore- 8th Grade
• Pareto- 10th Grade
• ACT- 11th Grade
• Career and Academic Assessment
• Helps you get a head start on the ACT test!

14. 2 Parts of Explore:
Career and Academic Assessment
Academic
• Shows your strengths and
weaknesses in four subject
areas
• English
• Math
• Reading
• Science
• You can see how your scores
compare to those of other
students who have taken
Explore.
• Your report will also show the
skills you likely have.
Career
• You will answer questions about
your plans after high school and
about your interests in several
kinds of activities. (Interest
Inventory)
• You will learn more about
careers, clarify your goals, and
begin to plan your future.
• You will receive
recommendations for preparing
for college and taking the right
courses in high school.

15. What Does My Score Mean?
• Scores are between 1 and 25.
• There are a lot more than 25 questions on the test!
• Explore takes the number of questions you get right and translates that into a
number between 1-25.
• You will receive a score for each test:
• English, Math, Reading, and Science
• You will also receive a Composite Score.
• The average of your 4 tests.
• Your score helps predict how well you might perform on the Pareto in
10th grade and ACT in 11th grade.

16. Why is Explore important?
• Helps you build your plans for high school and your future.
• Helps you prepare for the ACT.
• Students who take Explore are more likely to score higher on the
ACT.
• ACT is used by colleges to help them make admissions and
scholarship decisions.
• Used in class rank at the high school level
• Graduating with State Honors = Meeting all 4 Benchmarks on the
ACT
• Employers, Universities, Technical Schools use this as an
entrance requirement.
• Lottery scholarship $$$
• Other scholarships $$$
• Compete against students from other schools and districts

17. Being On Track in 8th Grade!
• The EXPLORE will help you and your teachers know if
you are on-track in 8th grade.
• If you don’t score as high as you want, there will be
opportunities to improve!

18. Using Explore Scores in High School
• GCHS AND SGCHS will use EXPLORE scores to help with course
placement.
Examples –
• 1)Meeting the benchmark in a subject area will help you qualify for
an Honors Course
• 2) Making a 20 in Reading will help ensure you are ready for AP
Human Geography

19. Common Questions:
• How many questions are on the Explore test?
• English-40 questions
• Math-30 questions
• Reading-30 questions
• Science-28 questions
• Is the test timed?
• Yes! You will have 30 minutes to complete each test.
• Should I guess?
• There is no penalty for guessing.
• Answer every question; a blank question is marked as incorrect.

20. Tips for Doing Your Best!
• Get plenty of sleep the night before the test.
• Follow directions exactly.
• Explore is timed, so pace yourself! Don’t spend too much time on any
one question.
• Not sure of the answer? First rule out every wrong answer you can.
Then, pick the best answer from those left.
• If you finish early, go back and review your work!

21. YOGOWYPI
You Only Get Out What You Put In
-author Bill Cordes

22. Opportunities in High
School
Amber Tritt , 9th & 10th Grade Counselor
South Gibson County High School

23. Block Scheduling
• 4x4 schedule-August through December/January through May
• School year is 36 Weeks Long
• 18 weeks in each semester
• Quarter1-(9 weeks) Quarter2-(9 weeks)
• Semester 1=(18 weeks)
• Quarter3-(9 weeks) Quarter4-(9 weeks)
• Semester 2=(18 weeks)

24. Credits
•High School
•College

25. EPSO’s
“Early Postsecondary Opportunities inTennessee”
• Early postsecondary opportunities (EPSOs) include a course and/or
exam that give students a chance to obtain postsecondary credit
while still in high school. Courses (whether stand-alone or in
conjunction with an exam for postsecondary credit) must be aligned
to postsecondary standards.

26. EPSO’s cont’d

27. Advanced Placement (AP)
Human Geography (9th)
Psychology (10th)
US History/English (11th)
Calculus (12th)
Biology (12th)
Students take AP Exams in May. If they make a 3, 4, or 5 they may
receive college credit.

28. Dual Enrollment (DE)
• Students take college courses while enrolled in high school. Courses
are free through the Dual Enrollment Grant through the State of
Tennessee.
• Cannot use funds until the Junior Year.
• Must have a 3.0 GPA – May be other qualifications based on ACT
scores
• Jackson State and/or UTM
• If students pass the course, the credit and grade will transfer.

29. DE cont’d
• Written Composition 1 and 2
• US History 1 and 2
• Music Appreciation
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Speech
• Art Appreciation
*all are online courses taken at SGCHS

30. State Wide Dual Credit (SDC)
• Currently – Precalculus and Statistics
• Students take a challenge exam at end of course provided by State
• If student passes they receive credit at any public university in
Tennessee
Cost is FREE!!

31. Industry Certification (IC)
Health Occupations
MLR

32. Making College Affordable

33. TN Promise
• Last dollar $$ for tuition @ TCAT, 2 year colleges, and
some 4 year colleges across TN. Please note there is
a cap on tuition cost.
• Certain requirements must be met. For example, 8
hours of community service senior year and each
semester of college.

34. Hope Scholarship
• 3.0 GPA OR 21 ACT composite
• 4 year college = $1750 per semester
freshman/sophomore year; $2250 junior/senior year
• 2 year college = $1250 per semester
• Must maintain 2.75 GPA freshman/sophomore year;
3.0 junior/senior year
• There are other State Scholarships and Grants

35. FAFSA
•This form has to be filled out every year the
student is in college.
•This is how you get federal and state $$.
•Uses prior/prior tax information. Going to
college in Fall of 2022- use 2020 taxes

36. Scholarships
•Lots of scholarship $$ out there to be
awarded
•Do your homework/research
•Write well/Tell your story well
•Scholarship Search Resources/Websites
•Junior Year – Scholarship Bootcamp and ACT
Prep Class Bootcamp

37. Scholarships
•These things will improve your chances of
getting scholarship $$....
•Community Service
•Leadership
•Grades
•ACT score – Most colleges give $$ for
achieving a certain ACT score

38. Saving $$$ now
•Never too late to start saving
•Education Savings Account 529
•Mutual Funds
•Talk to your local financial institutions!

39. Summary
• No matter what your EXPLORE results say – Always room to improve!
• Utilize your options in High School to be ready for what comes next
• If you have questions – ASK!
• There are many ways to help make education past High School
affordable
• Follow GCSSD Forward on Facebook and Twitter
• Make sure you get your summary sheet
• Thanks for coming!