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What is the Avenues Parallel Program?
What is the Avenues Parallel Program?
The APS Avenues Parallel Program (APP) is for students who are behind in high school credit and are working on earning their high school equivalency certificate. These students may also work toward post-secondary success by participating in a concurrent enrollment program, while still earning high school credit as they prepare for GED exams.
The APS Avenues Parallel Program (APP) is for students who are behind in high school credit and are working on earning their high school equivalency certificate. These students may also work toward post-secondary success by participating in a concurrent enrollment program, while still earning high school credit as they prepare for GED exams.
The Parallel Program gives students access to high school grade-level learning from math, language arts, science, and social studies, and allows students to focus on working toward passing the GED tests. The Parallel Program is a hybrid online/in-person program. APP students need to come to class at Avenues daily from 12:20pm-3:25pm (from 11:45am-2:35pm on Wednesdays). Students who miss more than 5 days of in-person class will be given a warning and must meet with the Parallel Program Coordinator. Students who miss 10 days of in-person class may be dropped from the program (and APS altogether). In addition to their in-person classes, students will also have two asynchronous online classes in Schoology.
Students in APP can complete their traditional high school diploma by doing the relevant subject work and mastering the high school standards in each class to receive credit for the course. However, most students within the program choose to focus on learning each subject with the goal of earning their Colorado High School Equivalency Diploma through the GED process. This is accomplished by passing each official test (Math, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies) with a passing score of at least 145. Once all four official tests are passed, the student earns their equivalency diploma and has completed high school. This diploma is equal to the traditional high school diploma in essentially every way. Students who complete school through the GED can still attend college, trade school, or enter the workforce as a high school graduate.
To prepare students for their GED exams, we use GED practice tests to measure their skills in each subject. Once a student can demonstrate that they are able to pass a test, they may schedule an official test attempt through our program. We will pay for the test fee and may even be able to provide transportation from Avenues to the APS Testing Center at Pickens Technical College. Students must either have a valid federal/state ID or an Avenues student ID in order to take an official test. If the student does not pass the first official attempt, they will be able to study more and try up to three times before any penalty is imposed. We use a variety of practice material and both online and paper/pencil versions to help students improve their scores and pass tests.
To find out more about how many credits APS students should have per school year, click on this link: APS Credit Earned Schedule
Parallel Programming at Other Schools
Parallel Programming at Other Schools
Students currently enrolled at Vista Peak Preparatory and Aurora Central who are eligible for the GED process have the opportunity to access the Avenues Parallel Program at those schools. Students who are interested in this option should talk to their counselor at VPP.
Teachers from Avenues will be available at VPP daily from 8:00am-11:00am daily for in-person class. Students may still schedule official tests at Pickens Tech within the Avenues system, and Avenues will still pay for the tests. We may be able to provide transporation to Pickens from VPP during certain times.
The Parallel Vision and Mission
The Parallel Vision and Mission
Vision
Vision
Our Avenues Parallel Program (APP) accelerates student learning by supporting individualized learning plans, including concurrent enrollment, for students to complete post-secondary eligibility requirements (GED) and to develop skills to pursue a postsecondary education program and/or join the workforce.
Mission
Mission
The Avenues Parallel Program (APP) is designed to help students refocus, revive, re-enter, and re-establish a new learning opportunity that will guide them to develop individualized plans for their futures. APP educators are dedicated to identifying each student's learning needs and delivering accessible materials and content with appropriate instructional scaffolding. Avenues' support staff also strives to provide access to resources to have a productive and healthy future.
Who enrolls in APP?
Who enrolls in APP?
APP is for Aurora Public Schools students who meet the following criteria:
are currently enrolled or will be enrolled with Aurora Public Schools
are 17 or older in the semester that they are referred to Parallel (in some cases, students who are 16 can be referred)
would like to earn a high school equivalency certificate (GED)
(optional) would like to pursue a post-secondary program at Pickens Technical College or Community College of Aurora
How to enroll in APP?
How to enroll in APP?
Enrollment Requirements:
Students attending APS Avenues must be a resident within the boundaries of Aurora Public Schools (APS) and be registered as an APS student:
The path that a student takes within APS Avenues will be contingent upon several factors:
All students attending APS Avenues must be referred by their home high school or a supporting APS partner.
Upon a student's referral to APP, the Avenues transitions coordinator will communicate with the student and provide them with a student profile survey to complete. Once this survey is completed, the student will communicate with the transitions coordinator and set up an appointment to come to Avenues for their initial practice tests.
During their scheduled appointment, students will take a math test and language arts test, and must score at least 130 on each in order to be accepted to the Parallel Program. They will also have a chance to learn more about the program and ask questions.
If a student passes the initial pretests and the student wishes to enroll with APP, they will come back for the next available school orientation. Students may also take the social studies and science practice tests on this day.
Final placement into a specific pathway within APS Avenues will be determined by the administration and counseling teams.
What is concurrent enrollment?
What is concurrent enrollment?
Concurrent Enrollment is an exciting partnership between the Community College of Aurora & Pickens Technical College and Aurora Public Schools. It is designed to increase the number of high school students earning college credit. The program is for all Avenues Parallel Program students who are eligible to apply. Click on a program link below to find out more about eligibility requirements, courses offered, and enrollment.
Enrollment Requirements:
CCA - Students must have good grades in certain classes, or do well on the CCA Accuplacer exam. Once enrolled, students must continue to pass all of their APS Avenues classes.
Pickens Tech - APS attendance must be at least 90%, and grades in many courses in APS need to be at least a B. Students must be at least 18 years old at the time of certification (from Pickens) for most programs. Students also need to demonstrate at least an 8th grade reading level on SAT/ACT/iReady exams.
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