CHOOSING CLASSES

Choose your classes carefully! Classes in high school are year-long and the decisions you make when you register this spring will affect you all of next year!

Avoid choosing classes because your friends are taking them, or because you want something “easy.” A high school career should lead to some very specific outcomes. Whether you wish to attend a university, college, vocational/technical school, or want to move directly into the job market, each class you take should move you closer to your overall goal. The purpose of this handbook is to allow you to make these choices in an informed manner. You should discuss your choices with your parents and also your counselor.

Step 1: Review the information in this planning guide carefully

The information in this booklet should be reviewed carefully as you plan your program for next year and consider how that program will fit into your overall four-year high school plan. In selecting your classes for next year, please note the grade level of the course as well as any prerequisites that are needed. Also note the description of the course to get a sense of what the course is all about.

Step 2: Select your classes

After reviewing the variety of courses that are offered, list your selection on the back cover of this planning guide. Consult with your counselor in making your selections to ensure that they are appropriate and match the pathway that will allow you to meet hour post-high school goals. If you are not sure which counselor oversees your name, contact the Student Services department at your high school.

Step 3: Should I repeat a class?

A class must be repeated when it is a specific graduation requirement that has been failed. A grade of “D” is considered a passing grade for graduation. If a student is college bound, courses required for college entrance generally must be repeated if a grade of “D” or “F” is earned. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Please be sure to consult the counselor if you have a question. Grades of “C” or better are considered college-qualified marks and should not be repeated, as the colleges and universities will use only the first qualified grade received in a specific course. In all cases of repeated courses, both the original grade and the repeated grade will appear on the transcript. There may be cases in which a teacher may recommend that a student repeat a course in order to improve the students’ skills before moving on to a higher level of the same subject. The policy stated above still applies in such cases and the counselor should be consulted.

Step 4: Know your post-high school goals: Basic diploma or college preparatory pathway?

Before you look at the specific classes that you want to take for next year, you should review with the counselor and with your parents the page entitled “VUSD Graduation Requirements and UC/CSU Entrance Requirements”. This page will give you a sense of what the district’s graduation requirements are. It will also show you what the California State University (CSU) system requires as well as what the University of California (UC) system requires. This page is critical in aligning your future goals with the classes that you may need to take. We have also included more detailed information that comes to us from colleges and universities.

These more detailed pages are:

University of California Entrance Requirements

California State University Admission Requirements for Entering Freshmen

Step 5: Will athletics be a part of the picture?

In order to promote healthy, competitive athletes, a program of strength and conditioning is recommended for all athletes grades 9-12. All freshman are required to take Core PE and freshmen athletes will take Integrated Core PE, which includes a weight training element. The VUSD Activity Code that describes the code of conduct for participation in athletics or extracurricular activities has also been included in this guide.

If you want to participate as an athlete in college, you must also maintain academic eligibility in high school. We have included a page entitled “Athletic Eligibility Requirements that will help you understand what you need to do. Your counselor can help with explanation of this as well.

Definitions

Credits: Courses passed earn five (5) credits per semester or ten (10) credits per year. Students need 220 credits to graduate from Golden West High School.

Prerequisites: These are classes or skills that are required before a student can take a course. For example, a student must pass Spanish I before being able to take Spanish II.

Elective: This is a course that is not required by local or state educational agencies.

SELECTING THE RIGHT COURSES

Within the pages of this guide, you will find a brief description of each of the courses offered at Golden West High School. For each department, there is also a table with some important information to consider as you make your class choices, such as:

• Does the class meet a graduation requirement?

• Is it acceptable to the UC/CSU?

• Is the course a part of a career-technical pathway that I am interested in?

• What grade must I be in and what prerequisites should I have completed to take the course?

• Is it a year or semester course?

• Is it acceptable for NCAA eligibility requirements? (Athletes intended to participate in collegiate athletics, please see Student Services office for additional information and requirements.)

All of these questions must be carefully considered. Your counselor can assist you with questions you may have about a specific course.

SAMPLE SCHEDULES

Schedules will vary based on post-secondary goals, assessment results, acceleration and remediation needs, and summer school enrollment. However, here are “typical” class schedules for a student in grades 9 -12: