Advanced Science Course

Lanier currently offers a rigorous and advanced science course, Integrated Physics & Chemistry. This course is only available to 8th grade students who earn placement with enough points on our Matrix Pathway. 

IPC is designed to refine students’ understanding of elementary physics and chemistry principles through the study of motion, forces, energy and matter. This course seeks to answer the question: What are the fundamental principles that govern the world around us? This course will strengthen students’ mathematical reasoning, problem-solving and communication skills through year-long engagement in lab investigations, projects, and group discussions. Students will emerge from this course well-prepared for high school level science courses.

At the end of the year, students in IPC will take the grade 8 science STAAR and earn one-high school elective credit. Any questions or concerns regarding any science placement for 8th grade please reach out to Mr. Rodrigus Graham, Assistant Principal & Head of the Science Department, via email at Rodrigus.Graham@houstonisd.org.

Important Dates 

• February 3 – Apex Learning Science 8 pathway opens.

  • April 29 – Grade 6, 7, 8 Math STAAR and Algebra I EOC STAAR.

• May 16 – Apex Learning Science 8 pathway closes. Apex units must be completed with at least a score of 80%.

• May 22 – End-of-the-Year (EOY) NWEA MAP Science Growth Assessment

• May 27-30 – Lanier designed IPC Science Placement Test

• June 3 – Students and parents will be notified of student’s placement.

• Mid July – Letter notifying parents of student’s placement for the next school year will be sent out via mail for all rising 8th students.

  • Check with the Lanier SIR, Cindy Bonilla, for the most updated address. Ms. Bonilla can be emailed at cindy.bonilla@houstonisd.org

What does IPC mean for my student in high school?

What does this look like for my child in high school?

• Students completing IPC in middle school must successfully complete three additional science courses, including Biology, in grades 9-12 for the Recommended High School Program (RHSP) and for the 26-credit Distinguished Level of Achievement Foundation High School Program (FHSP). Middle school students enrolled in Pre-AP IPC will be required to take a final examination at the end of each semester of the course, and the final exam grade will be factored into the student’s semester course average. Each semester’s course grade will be recorded on the student’s high school transcript / academic achievement record (AAR). To qualify for high school graduation, a student must pass the STAAR Biology EOC, and the student’s performance on STAAR EOC exams will be recorded on the student’s transcript / AAR.

• Grades that a student receives for taking a high school course in middle school will be recorded on the student’s high school transcript and count toward graduation requirements just as if the course were taken in high school. However, as of the 2017-2018 school year, grades earned by middle school students in high school credit courses will no longer be used by HISD high schools when calculating a student’s GPA and class rank.

• If a middle school student struggles in a high school credit course (i.e., making grades of C or below), the identification, probation, and removal process should be completed prior to the end of the school grading cycle. This enables the student to be placed into the appropriate middle school science class before grades are issued and the student earns credit for the first semester course.

Future 8th Graders

Total 21 points for 5 components with a minimum score of 16 for placement.

• Component 1: STAAR Math 6 is a standardized academic achievement test designed to measure the extent to which a student has learned and is able to apply the defined knowledge and skills in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

  • Masters Grade Level : 4 points

  • Meets Grade Level: 3 points

  • Approaches Grade Level: 1 point

  • Does NOT Meet Grade Level: 0 point

• Component 2 & 3: 6th and 7th End of the Year (EOY) NWEA MAP Assessment: Maximum 4 points each, 8 points total. NWEA MAP Growth is an adaptive assessment that precisely measures student achievement and growth. Students will earn points towards their matrix by scoring in the following percentiles:

  • 90th percentile and above: 4 points

  • 80th - 89th percentile: 3 points

  • 70th - 79th percentile: 2 points

  • 60th - 69th percentile: 1 point

  • Below 60th percentile: 0 points

• Component 4: Apex Science 8 Texas: Maximum 5 points. Apex Learning courses are designed to engage students through a variety of interactive and multimedia resources, such as videos, animations, and simulations that help students understand and retain the information necessary to succeed in advanced classes.  Students earn points by completing and passing units: 

  • 9 - 10 units passed: 5 points

  • 7 - 8 units passed: 4 points

  • 5 - 6 units passed: 3 points

  • 3 - 4 units passed: 2 points

  • 1 - 2 units passed: 1 point

  • 0 units passed: 0 points

• Component 5: Lanier MS IPC Placement # of points earned out of 17 points: Maximum 4 points. This test is 16 total questions, for 17 points. If your scholar gets 

  • 14 - 17 points: 4 points

  • 12 - 13 points: 3 points

  • 11 points: 2 points

  • 8 - 10 points: 1 points

  • 0 - 7 points: 0 points

On June 3rd – Students and parents will be notified of student’s placement. Students with 16+ total points on the matrix will be placed in IPC class for next school year.

Resources

Khan Academy

Khan Academy is an approved and free resource for students who would like extra exposure to a topic. It is TEKS aligned and is broken down into categories by topic for students to learn at their own pace from the beginning to advanced level. 

So, you are strongly recommended to watch videos and complete assignments at your own pace to help you prepare well for the IPC Placement Test at the end of school year. Use your school email to sign up for Khan Academy.

• • Support on the IPC pathway: https://www.khanacademy.org/science.

Instructions: After watching all topic-related videos, complete all practice questions, exercises, and quizzes correctly. Consistent math practice will advance your skills level and prepare students for future math classes.