In Conroe ISD, every student is required to complete a four-year plan. There is a wide range of programs designed to prepare all students for post-high school experiences including:

• four-year college or university,

• community college or technical school,

• military service,

• immediate employment, or

• a combination of many paths.

As a life-long learner, you will probably rethink your goals several times. Choosing a rigorous, challenging, and well-rounded four-year plan will prepare you for a variety of options beyond high school.

Beginning in 8th grade, students will create their high school four-year plan with a counselor. Each year in high school, you and your counselor will re-visit and edit your plan as you continue to explore your interests and consider your post-high school options during your yearly course registration.

Students will plan for Course Selection using their Course Plan 4-Year Plan in Naviance. Each year, counselors will provide updated course selection information and allow students to update their plans for the upcoming years.

Course descriptions can be found in the CISD Academic Guide & Course Catalog.

A few of the factors that can impact courses offered are the campus size, student interest, teacher availability, and facilities specific to a campus. Although each campus is unique, Conroe ISD high schools will offer courses necessary for students to meet the foundation high school program.

No. Principals select and hire teachers and create the master schedule based on the student course requests. Because these selections determine the schedule, student schedule changes will be made if a placement mistake has been made. Students receive a verification of the courses that they have selected in the spring. At that time, they will have the opportunity to change selections. Changes after this time will be done only if students have not taken the required prerequisites for a course or who have been misplaced in a course. In the event of a student being placed in the wrong course, he/she must continue to attend the scheduled class until the counselor makes the schedule correction. When a semester begins, administrative changes sometimes occur due to an imbalance of numbers in classes. Students should choose electives and alternates carefully. Those decisions are binding. Each campus sets the deadlines for submitting course changes.

Correspondence courses are courses taken through the mail or online for high school credit. Typically students are permitted to only take elective offerings. Students are not permitted to take core academic subjects by correspondence and may be enrolled in only one correspondence course at a time. The campus principal must approve any exceptions. Correspondence courses must be taken from state-accredited institutions of higher education and require approval prior to enrollment. This includes the course final exam.

• NCAA eligibility may be affected.

• Students should be aware that the UIL “No pass/No play” rules are applicable to classes taken outside of the regular day for high school purposes. Failing a correspondence course will result in ineligibility.

Students interested in taking online courses must see their counselor for information. It is important for students to know that online courses are rigorous, and are 100% TEKS aligned. Correspondence, Virtual, and Online learning course grades are entered on the student’s transcript and counted in the GPA calculation as level grade points unless the course is approved as an Advanced Placement course. Distance learning courses count toward academic UIL “No Pass/No Play” eligibility and are evaluated in accordance with the District eligibility calendar that can be found on the District’s website.

Students should be aware that virtual or online courses may not count towards NCAA eligibility. It is recommended students go to the link, https://lonestar.smartermeasure.com/, and take the Smarter Measure Assessment to determine their potential for success with online courses. A student should be serious when taking an online course, and should exhibit some of the following attributes and skills in order to be successful when taking an online course: self-starter, effective time manager, proficient in the use of technology, self-disciplined, and keyboarding skills.

Students who wish to graduate earlier than their cohort are recommended to file an early graduation plan no later than the end of the tenth grade. The student and parent should make an appointment with the counselor to develop a graduation plan as soon as this decision is made. Providing course availability, graduating in less than four years could include taking approved coursework from other educational programs. Costs for any courses to complete an early graduation plan would be the responsibility of the student and family. Early graduates must complete the graduation requirements for the Foundation High School Plan with endorsement.

An endorsement, or pathway, is a focused sequence of classes in an area like Health Science, Business, or STEM that lets students explore careers and build skills.

Yes! Students must meet endorsement requirements but can also take electives in other areas that interest them.

CCMR (College, Career, and Military Readiness) is a Texas education initiative that measures how well students are prepared for life after high school, whether they choose to attend college, enter the workforce, or join the military.  Simply put, CCMR is about making sure that every student graduates ready for their next step. 

A student is considered CCMR ready if they meet certain indicators set by the state. These indicators can include things like: 

• College Readiness: meeting benchmarks on SAT, ACT, or TSI, or earning college credit through Dual Credit or AP courses.

• Career Readiness: earning an approved industry certification, completing a CTE (Career & Technical Education) program of student, or participating in an internship or practicum.

• Military Readiness: enlisting in the U.S. Armed Forces after graduation.

This is especially important because it ensures that the education students receive in high school truly prepares them for success, no matter which path they choose after graduation.

Level

A Level course follows the Texas Education Agency (TEA) high school curriculum. All Level classes are designed to provide students a high level of academic preparation that will enable students to prepare for post-secondary educational opportunities and /or joining the community workforce.

Honors

Honors courses include the curriculum of the Level courses, but with a more in-depth study of the content within the course. The Honors curriculum is designed to accelerate and enrich content to prepare students for Advanced Placement, Dual Credit or for the next Honors course in that subject area. These courses require more individual initiative, analytical reading, student interaction, research, and time for outside class preparation. Students should be prepared to spend more time on homework. Honors courses are offered in English, LOTE, mathematics, social studies, science and computer science.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP)© courses give students the opportunity to pursue college-level studies while still in high school and the opportunity to receive college credit. All AP courses in CISD have received College Board authorization, and each course syllabus is available for review on the College Board web page. For more information, refer to www.collegeboard.com. Additional information regarding AP exams can be found in the Advanced Placement section of this guide.

Dual Credit (DC)

The high school/college dual credit program with Lone Star College-Montgomery provides qualified high school students an opportunity to earn both high school and college credit for designated courses.

Students are encouraged to take the most rigorous courses in which they can be successful. Taken into consideration are the student’s grades, work ethic, responsibility, quality of work, etc., demonstrated throughout the year. Advanced Placement courses will require additional time commensurate with that expected of a college-level course. Students are urged to consider how much time they will need to prepare for the advanced courses, other courses, and extracurricular activities prior to selecting courses.

Parents may request the student be placed in a higher-level or a lower-level course. An Advanced Course Agreement must be signed by the parent as well as the student. The advanced course agreement specifically states that the student is expected to remain in the requested level for the entire year. At the end of the first semester, administration, parents, teacher, and student may evaluate the plan established earlier in the semester along with current student progress and may make an adjustment to the student’s schedule. Any change will only be made on a space available basis.

Conroe ISD encourages the elimination of barriers that restrict access to these programs for students from ethnic, racial, and socio-economic groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in the advanced programs.

Careful consideration should be given when deciding to take advanced courses as class sizes may limit a school’s ability to allow a student to change levels. CISD strongly believes that Honors, AP, and Dual Credit courses provide enhanced academic opportunities for students that will assist them in future academic or nonacademic pursuits. At the same time, the District recognizes that students may experience initial surprise or difficulty in managing the increased course requirements. A struggling student and his/her parent/legal guardian should schedule a conference with the teacher and counselor in order to create strategies to be implemented over a period of time.

To ensure students allow sufficient time to become acclimated to the classes and what the Honors/AP/Dual Credit curriculum can offer, the District expects that any student who enrolls in these courses will remain in the course for the entire year. It is essential that the student give his/her maximum effort to succeed. At the end of the first semester, administration, the parents, teacher, and student may evaluate the plan established earlier in the semester and current student progress and may make an adjustment to the student’s schedule. Any change will only be made on a space available basis.