Middle School

High School Choice

Because every student is unique, at City Schools all students choose the high schools they want to attend. It's not too early to start thinking about high school as early as 3rd or 4th grade, so that all the doors are open for getting into top-choice schools and programs, including those that have academic entrance criteria or special admission requirements.

Even though ACCE is a 6th-12th school, we want to make sure that our students attend a high school that is right for them. Read the information below about school choice.

COMPOSITE SCORES: Composite scores are calculated to determine if students are eligible for schools with entrance criteria. The calculation varies for different schools, as shown below. For high school admission, the score includes results from 7th grade and the first quarter of 8th grade. Taking honors classes or advanced programs in middle school can increase a score and make it easier to get in to some schools. Also, meeting the minimum requirement does not guarantee acceptance. Students are ranked by score and admitted in order until school capacity is reached. Students interested in Baltimore City College and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute usually need to score significantly higher than the required minimum to be admitted.

6th Grade: Pre-composite Score Year

• What to expect this year: A new freedom of changing classes, new friends and some old friends, building your road to college and career options. Join clubs, sports teams, advisory groups to explore your hobbies/interests.

7th Grade: Composite Score Year

• What to expect this year: New friends and old friends, more depth into college and career preparedness, fine tuning the responsibility of academic studies and assessments to build the composite score that you want for your high school choices. Join clubs, sports teams, advisory groups to explore your hobbies/interests. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT YEAR FOR COMPOSITE SCORES!

8th Grade: Composite Score and High School Choice Year

• What to expect this year: High school preparedness, continue building and adding to your composite score with academics and perfect attendance, visiting high schools during open houses, attending shadow days at schools of interest, participate in the district’s high school choice fair, work with your family and choice liaison while making decisions for high school choice. Join clubs, sports teams, advisory groups to explore your hobbies/interests.

To learn more about the high school choice process, click here.

Promotion Policy

A student will be retained if they fail to earn a passing grade in English Language Arts or Math and one other core subject (English, Math, Science, and Social Studies). Have questions? Please reach out to the middle school counselor.