Academic & Career Plan

English 2023 - 2024 Planning Guide

The 2020 Rock Internship Program Student Application is now open! Click here to view the website. Applications will be accepted through February 21, 2020. 

IMPORTANT: Students must submit the required documentation in order for their application to be received. For questions about uploading the ACP documentation, the below message is listed on the website on how students can access this information.

Students must have an active ACP; be making progress toward fulfilling and/or meeting district-specific ACP requirements; and there must be alignment with the identified internship and the ACP (NOTE: To access and download your ACP, see pages 13-15 of the Rock Internship Student Manual).

The Wisconsin Early College Credit Program, formerly Course Options, allows public high school students who meet certain requirements to take post secondary courses at a Wisconsin public college or a Wisconsin private college.  Approved courses count toward high school graduation and college credit.  Applications are due on October 1st, 2019 for spring semester courses and March 1st, 2020 for fall 2020 courses.  Applications are available in the Craig Student Center and completed applications can be turned into the appropriate counselor.

The Wisconsin Start College Now Program, formerly known as Youth Options, allows public high school juniors and seniors who meet certain requirements to take post secondary courses at Blackhawk Technical College.  Approved courses count toward high school graduation and college credit.  Applications are due on October 1st, 2019 for the spring semester and March 1st, 2020 for fall 2020 courses.  Applications are available in the Craig Student Center and completed applications can be turned into the appropriate counselor.

• Apprenticeship
• Technical College
• 4 Year College
• Military
• Workforce

All curriculum and instruction in the School District of Janesville at any grade level is based on the Common Core Standards.

Formative Assessment

Is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when

timely adjustments can be made. One distinction is to think of formative assessment as “practice.”

Summative Assessment

Is given periodically to determine at a particular point in time what students know and don’t know.

Summative Assessments are an important part of district and classroom programs. These assessments act as an accountability measure that is used as part of the grading process. An example of this would be an end of unit test,lab, or project.

In high school students can earn one credit for a course that lasts all year, or a half credit per course per semester. A student earns this credit by demonstrating performance levels of an A, B, C, or D. In the course of four years, the student needs 26.5 credits to graduate. There are specifications on the number of credits needed in each content area as well. All students are monitored by their assigned high school counselor to make sure they are on track to earn the appropriate credits to graduate.

Other opportunities are also available in high school for students to earn job certifications and college credit.

Honors:  Honors courses are designed to challenge your student with faster paced, more in depth content.  

Advanced Placement: The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a cooperative educational endeavor between high school, Blackhawk Technical College, colleges or universities.  It allows students to enroll in college-level courses while in high school, and gives them the opportunity to show mastery by taking an AP exam.

Dual Credit:  Dual Credit courses are college courses that high school students may take and be awarded both high school and college credit.

Type 1: Transcripted Credit agreements allow School District of Janesville (SDJ) students the opportunity to take BTC courses.  Classes offered for Transcripted Credit are free of charge to the student and are taught by SDJ teachers who are certified by the Wisconsin Technical College System. These are college courses that will produce a permanent college transcript and grade point average for each student. If you believe that producing a permanent college transcript and grade point is not in your best interest academically, please consider requesting a non-transcripted credit (TC) course. If you need more information about Transcripted Credit, see your counselor before requesting courses. Students receive a permanent, official BTC transcript and college G.P.A. that is recognized by many technical colleges and universities in the state of Wisconsin. Please look for the BTC symbol, which identifies specific courses which may be granted Technical College Credit.

Type 2:Advanced Standing courses are equivalent to a BTC course and are taught by high school teachers. Classes offered for Advanced Standing credit are free of charge to the student and are taught in the local high school. Students who receive a "B" or better are awarded technical college credit only when they enroll in a program at BTC. Advanced Standing classes vary by high school so check with your school counselor to find out what classes are offered to you at your school.  Please look for the BTC symbol, which identifies specific courses which may be granted Technical College Credit.

AVID:  This is designated for 9th grade, first generation college students.  There is an application process that must be completed. The AVID Elective Class is a rigorous environment in which students gain the knowledge, skills, and habits to succeed in college. AVID is a daily academic class that focuses on teaching students the academic and organizational skills they will need to be successful in challenging high school and college courses. Students in the AVID Elective Class visit colleges, have business and community leaders as guest speakers, and have opportunities for job internships, and mentors. There is an emphasis on analytical writing, preparation for college entrance and placement exams, study skills and test taking, note-taking, and research. These skills are all supported through WICOR (Writing, Inquiry,  Collaboration, Organization, and Reading) strategies used throughout the AVID elective, as well as their core curriculum.

Students may create a personalized English pathway, based on their interest in reading, writing, and speaking and their post secondary plans. Although students can use their interest in earning AP English credit to guide their course selection for grade 9, students are free to select future English classes based on their interest and future plans during each subject selection process.  The English department offers juniors and seniors capstone experiences to earn post secondary credit through AP English Language and Composition and AP Literature and Composition as well as through Transcripted Credit (TC) agreements with Blackhawk Technical College for English Comp I, and Speech. 

Freshmen have four choices for the grade 9 English requirement:

English 9: Students will study conflict, identity, and responsibility through the study of literature and informational text. Non-fiction, poetry, and short stories will also be used to prompt writing and extend  the study of essential questions. Critical thinking skills and close reading of text are emphasized. Students will complete short research projects and continue building vocabulary knowledge and skills. Writing instruction will focus on paragraph writing using textual evidence and multi-paragraph persuasive essay writing. Grammar instruction will include sentence structure, punctuation, and proper usage.

English 9 Honors: Students will study conflict, identity, and responsibility through the study of literature and informational text. Non-fiction, poetry, and short stories will also be used to prompt writing and extend the study of essential questions. Critical thinking skills and close reading of text are heavily emphasized, and students will complete research projects and continue building vocabulary knowledge and skills. Writing instruction will focus on paragraph writing using textual evidence and multi-paragraph essay writing. Grammar instruction will include sentence structure, punctuation, and proper usage.  Note: What sets this course apart from a “regular” level course is extensive, independent reading and analysis of text.

Accelerated English 9-10 Honors: This yearlong course is for students who are especially committed to challenging their reading and writing skills as this course takes students on a journey through English 9 -honors and English 10-honors curriculum. Following completion of this course, students will enroll in English 11 Honors during their sophomore year. Students will experience an increased level of written and oral analysis of literature, informational text, drama, and poetry. Non-fiction selections will be used to prompt writing and extend the study of issues and themes. It is expected that students will be able to read independently. Students who register for this course are proficient or advanced writers and readers and will continue to develop those skills.

Note: What sets this course apart from an “honors” course is the additional extensive outside reading and writing that requires students to put forth considerable effort. Students will need to demonstrate strong independent work habits.

English 10 Honors:  The emphasis for this course are exploring the themes of identity, perspective, nature, liberty, change, and power in the human experience. Non-fiction selections will be used to prompt writing and extend the study of literature. Critical thinking skills and close reading of text are emphasized. Writing instruction will focus on using textual evidence to support analysis and multi-paragraph argumentative essay writing. In addition, students will use the research process as they write a research paper. Vocabulary instruction will continue to build vocabulary  knowledge and skills with a focus on figurative language, words with multiple meanings, and the impact of word choice on tone and mood. Grammar instruction will focus on parts of a  sentence, phrases, and clauses with an application on applying these skills to construct correct and varied sentences in students’ writing. Note: This course requires extensive outside reading and writing.  Students will need to demonstrate strong independent work habits and put forth considerable effort.

When choosing your math class, you will want to have a conversation with your current math teacher on the next best course sequence for you.

Algebra 1 

The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend the mathematics that students learned in the middle grades. Students will deepen and extend their understanding of linear and exponential relationships and engage in methods for analyzing, solving, and using quadratic functions, as well as make sense of problems in order to solve.

Algebra 1 Honors

This course includes all topics covered in Algebra 1 and additional related content, such as linear programming. This course requires students to demonstrate deeper proficiencies related to the conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application of the standards. Students will apply the Math Practice Standards in order to solve complex problems that require multiple steps.

Geometry

The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend students’ geometric experiences. Students explore complex geometric situations and deepen their explanations of geometric relationships, moving towards formal mathematical arguments. Course content will also include transformations. Students will make sense of problem situations in order to solve.

Geometry Honors

This course includes all topics covered in Geometry and additional content standards, such as applications of the Law of Sines and Cosines to find unknown measurements 

in triangles. This course requires students to demonstrate deeper proficiencies related to the conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application of the standards. Students will apply the Math Practice Standards in order to solve complex problems that require multiple steps.

Algebra 2

Students will build on their work with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions, and extend their repertoire of functions to include polynomial, rational, and radical functions. 

They will work closely with expressions and continue to expand their abilities to model situations and solve equations, such as exponential equations using the properties of logarithms. Students will make sense of problem situations in order to solve.

Algebra 2 Honors

This course includes all topics covered in Algebra 2 and additional content standards, such as inverse relations and functions and matrices. This course requires students to demonstrate deeper proficiencies related to the conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and application of the standards. Students will apply the Math Practice Standards in order to solve complex problems that require multiple steps. 

Students are required to take 1.0 (one full credit) of a physical science, 1.0 (one full credit) of a life science, and 1.0 additional science credit.

Physical Science is concerned with the study of natural but non-living objects, while Life Science is the scientific study of living organisms.  Physical and Life sciences may seem totally different, but there is some overlap between them.  As in all sciences, students are expected to learn to think like a scientist by focusing on the national science practice standards; 

1. Asking questions and defining problems
2. Developing and using models
3. Planning and carrying out investigations
4. Analyzing and interpreting data
5. Using Mathematics and computational thinking
6. Constructing explanations and designing solutions
7. Engaging in argument from evidence
8. Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

Honors/Pre-AP Courses

Honors courses in science follow the same sequence of standards for the course but require students to do more independent learning and extend their practice of critical thinking and communication of scientific methods.  These courses help prepare students for the demands of college level AP Courses.

Students may create a personalized social studies pathway based on their interests in geography, history, and the social sciences and their post-secondary plans.  Although students can use their interest in earning AP social studies credit to guide their course selection for grade 9, students are free to select their next social studies class based on their current interests and future plans during each subject selection process.  All students must earn a full credit of either U.S. History or AP U.S. History and an additional two credits of required (R) social studies classes to satisfy graduation requirements.  Many students will elect to take social studies as a senior to earn either AP social studies credit or transcripted credit (TC) credit at Blackhawk Technical College.

Freshman have five choices for the grade 9 social studies requirement:

Global Studies: This course studies physical and human geography and incorporates the study of the social sciences, including economics, culture, history, and current events.

Global Studies Honors: This course is a more rigorous study of physical and human geography and includes the study of the social sciences, including micro-economics, culture, history, and current events.  The reading, writing, and project presentations required in this course are designed to prepare students for taking AP US History.

AP Human Geography: This class introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface.  Human geography incorporates the concepts and methods associated with several of the disciplines within the social sciences, including economics, geography, history, and sociology.  The course topics include the following: Geography: Nature and perspectives, Population, Cultural Patterns and Processes, Political organization of space, Agriculture and Rural land use, Industrialization and Economic Development, Cities and Urban land use.  This course will require outside reading and writing, and students will need to demonstrate strong independent work habits. Students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement exam.Upon post secondary enrollment, students may receive credit, advanced placement, or both for a one semester introductory college human geography course.

World Civilizations: 

 In this class, students will study world history from approximately 1400 to the modern era.  Students will explore the political, social, economic, cultural, and geographic trends and events that impacted key civilizations throughout history and the world. 

AP World History:

In this class, students will study the history of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania from 8000 BCE to the present day.  Students will be expected to read college level texts, write essays, and critically analyze historical evidence. There will be required outside reading and writing, which will require students to maintain strong independent work habits. Students will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement exam. Based upon the earned exam score, students may receive credit, advanced placement, or both for one semester of a introductory world  history course at a post secondary college or university. 

In some grades there are additional requirements that need to be met for graduation:

9th Grade

Freshman Seminar: Is a ½ credit required course for all 9th grade students. Study skills, self advocacy and college and career readiness will be areas of focus, as well as other skills that are necessary to be successful in the high school setting.  In addition, students in freshman seminar will use career cruising, a program that will help students develop a four year educational plan for high school that aligns with their post secondary goals. If a student enrolls after their freshman year, they will need to take a class called Seminar, which is comparable to Freshman Seminar.

10th Grade

Health: Is a ½ credit course required for all 10th grade students.  This course takes a basic approach to health issues with an emphasis on decision making and healthy lifestyles.  Through individual, small group, hands on activities, students will cover topics such as the human body, personal health and wellness (nutrition, exercise, disease prevention), mental health, the use and misuse of drugs, family living and relationships, dating and sexuality, and health and society.  Students will take notes, participate in classroom discussions and role playing, listen attentively to speakers, complete assignments, analyze media reports, conduct demonstrations, and make presentations to the class.

11th Grade

Personal Finance: Is a ½ credit course required for all 11th grade students.  This course is designed to equip high school students with the knowledge and skills necessary to manage their personal finances effectively.  Students will learn “real life” skills which they can use throughout their own lives.  Students will learn about investing in a variety of securities (stocks, bonds, mutual funds etc.).  Other topics covered include: Careers, post secondary planning, financial aid, college applications, analyzing pay and benefits, taxes, budgeting, use of banking services, real estate, credit, buying an automobile, buying a home and insurance. In addition students will use career cruising, a program that will help them develop a four year education plan for high school that aligns with their post secondary goals. 

This step-by-step process is designed to assist students and parents, along with the help of a counselor and other staff members, in planning a high school program which will satisfy graduation requirements and prepare students for post-graduation.  Detailed information can be found in the full course selection guide online.  Information is also available from teachers, counselors, or in conferences held with the student’s ACP Pride Advisor during course selection.  The steps listed below will help you to plan ahead.  As you work through a four-year plan, keep in mind your career goals and how the classes you want to take align to those goals.  Those goals may change each year as you try new things and move through the curriculum.

My Career Pathway is: 

(9) ____________________________________________________________

(10) ___________________________________________________________

(11) ___________________________________________________________

(12) ___________________________________________________________

Follow the steps below to begin your four-year plan:

1. Fill in your required courses for your four years in the table.  
2. Place your Elective choices in order of importance.  (If your first elective isn’t an option, we will move to elective number 2).
3. Consider your future goals:
   • What career are you interested in?
   • What level of education does that career choice require?
   • Which elective classes should I take to help me reach my career goal?
4. Consult the list of courses available and find those which match your goals, interests and abilities.N
   • Now fill in the courses you want to take for electives
   • Check to see if there are prerequisites for those courses and make sure you have those in your schedule.  Take care to have a balanced program each year. Remember that a study hall can be taken but no credit is earned for this course.
5. Check your credit totals! To ensure you have earned the minimum requirement of 26.5 credits by the end of your senior year, it is a good idea to make sure you have at least 7 credits per semester.
6. Note: These can be altered due to change of career path, or interests.