Harmony: college ready

INTRODUCTION

Founding members of Harmony Public Schools believe that excelling in math and science prepares youth to succeed in college, the workplace, and the 21st century. Harmony schools demonstrate that, with a high-quality program and the right social and emotional supports in place, all students, regardless of racial or economic background, can achieve outstanding results.

At Harmony, students are expected to master their subjects, and every Harmony student graduates college-ready. Our high school program is designed to provide each student with the essential elements of a college prep education, along with opportunities to engage in the exploration of intense study within particular fields of interest.

Through the following components, every Harmony student will attain skills and abilities that are necessary to be successful in college and beyond.

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Rigorous Curriculum

Harmony offers rigorous and relevant course work with a heavy emphasis on STEM courses. Middle and high school curriculum and programs are designed to prepare students for college level course work.

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College Geared Coursework (4x4 Plan)

Harmony’s high school program is designed to ensure acceptance, enrollment, and success in four year colleges/ universities and requires the 4x4 course‐by‐credit plan for all students. Students are expected to successfully complete four full-year courses in each of the four core subjects - English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.

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Progress Monitoring with Ongoing Assessment and Personalized Support

Harmony educators have necessary tools to monitor academic progress of each student and to adjust instructional strategies to better meet students’ needs. Based on ongoing assessment and data analysis, personalized learning opportunities and individualized need-based support will be provided to every student in order to achieve their college and career goals.

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College and Career Counseling Support for Students

Our goal is to guide every Harmony student in preparing for and achieving his or her postsecondary goals and aspirations. College counselors provide individualized support for each student in the five areas of college and career readiness:

• Personal Readiness
• Academic Readiness
• Career Readiness
• College Admissions
• Financial Aid and Scholarships

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Student Expectations and Commitment

At Harmony, all students are expected to:

• Receive a college-readiness label with an eligible test score by the end of junior year (see Table 1)
• Complete the 4x4 graduation plan
• Receive acceptance to a four-year college or university

Exceptions may apply to students receiving Special Education services. Diagnostics tests include College Readiness Student Expectations

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College Readiness Monitoring

HPS implements College Board’s College Readiness Benchmarks and Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Assessments to track the academic readiness of students. Students who meet minimum expected scores for each grade level are on target to be college ready.

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College Board’s SAT Benchmark System

Harmony utilizes the College Board’s SAT Benchmark system (PSAT/SAT) to monitor the progress of each student toward college readiness goals. Beginning in 8th grade, students take College Board tests every year. Benchmarks indicating college and career readiness are determined using SAT Suite data and first-year college performance data. The benchmark indicates that students who earn that score or higher have a

75% likelihood of earning a C or better in a first-year, credit-bearing course in the same subject area. These score reports will inform decisions on

• Course enrollment and graduation plans
• Intervention needs of each student (individual plans)
• Instructional resources and curricular enhancements

Below is each grade level’s minimum score expectation for Math and Evidence based Reading and Writing sections.

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Texas Success Initiative (TSI2) Assessment

The TSI2 Assessment is a program designed to help colleges determine if a student is ready for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics. Harmony schools are TSIA centers and administer the test a few times each year. There is no grade level expectation for the TSIA test. Students who earn a college readiness score as listed below may enroll in dual credit courses at any grade in high school to receive college credits.

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ELAR

1. A score in the range of 945-990 on the multiple choice CRC

Test and a 5 or higher on the Eassy Test, or

1. A score below 945 on the multiple-choice CRC Test, receive a diagnostic level of 5 or higher on the Diagnostic Test, and score 5 or higher on the Eassay Test.

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MATHEMATICS

1. A score in the range of 950-990 on CRC Test or
2. A score below 950 on the CRC Test but a diagnostic level of 6 on the Diagnostic Test

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