High School Education

Parents and Students,

The following resources can help you plan for college. Make an appointment to see your school counselor for more information.

https://www.cfnc.org/index.jsp

https://fafsa.ed.gov

https://www.collegeboard.org

http://www.crosbyscholarsrowan.org

https://www.scholarships.com

http://www.ncaa.org/static/2point3/

https://www.march2success.com

http://www.smartscholar.com

Rowan Salisbury Schools offers a comprehensive and rigorous high school curriculum to include in Mathematics, Science, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Physical Education, Performing and Fine Arts, World Languages, and Career and Technical Education courses. We are committed to preparing our students for college and career by providing meaningful and personalized experiences for all students. We offer a wide range of academic and extracurricular opportunities aligned to state standards to assist students to meet their individual goals and excel beyond their high school experience. Our partnerships with higher education allows students to earn dual college credit with free tuition while in high school. Our six traditional high schools offer a unique experience to include specialized academies with courses and pathways that lead to industry credentials. Our schools offer more than 18 Advanced Placement course options, and a robust Career and Technical Education program. Visit our High School Academy page and Course Guide by School page for more details.

Students should begin planning for high school prior to entering the 9th grade to ensure the most flexibility in course choice while in high school. Explore this website to learn more about the opportunities available within Rowan Salisbury Schools. For additional information, make an appointment with a high school counselor.

Earn your high school diploma AND a college associates degree in only four years of high school.

Fast Facts

• 100% Graduation Rate three years in a row!
• In addition to a high school diploma, and in only 4 years of high school, the Rowan County Early College CLASS of 2016...
• 92% earned an Associates Degree! (National Average - 25%)
• 27% earned both an AA and AS Degree!
• 99% will continue their education!
• 64% of RCEC students are on Free or Reduced Lunch.
• 80% of RCEC students are First Generation College going

2019-20 RCEC Application

Application Deadline: DEcember 13, 2019

1. Honors sections of standard-level academic courses, including NC Virtual Public School courses and other on-line courses, that are in accordance with the philosophy, rubric, procedures, guidelines, and standards for curriculum, instruction, and assessment as described in the North Carolina Honors Course Implementation Guide. Such courses are assigned additional quality points in accordance with section 3.1.2 of North Carolina policy GCS-L-004.
2. Pre-calculus, non-AP/IB calculus, mathematics courses beyond the level of calculus, and world language courses beyond the second-year level are considered inherently advanced and are assigned Honors-level weighting in accordance with section 3.1.2 of NC policy GCS-L-004.
3. Arts education courses meeting the standards for proficient and advanced dance, music, theatre arts, and visual arts are assigned Honors weighting in accordance with section 3.1.2 of NC policy GCS-L-004.

ALL COURSES, WEIGHTED AND NON-WEIGHTED, ARE OPEN TO ANY STUDENT WHO MEETS THE COURSE PREREQUISITES AND DESIRES TO ENROLL. Availability of specific course offerings may vary from school to school, year to year, according to student enrollment and school scheduling. Please check with your guidance department for availability.

The weighted grade point average will be used to determine the following:

• Honor Roll
• Class Rank
• Junior Marshals
• Honor Graduates (3.5 GPA calculated at the end of the 8th semester- Class of 2017 and 2018; Class of 2019 and beyond GPA TBD)
• Distinguished graduates (3.0 GPA calculated at the end of the 8th semester- Class of 2017 and 2018; Class of 2019 and beyond GPA TBD)
• Eligibility for honor societies and other academically oriented organizations at the high school level
• Scholarship competitions
• Other school-based honors or recognitions at the discretion of the principal and/or the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education

For the Class of 2019 and Beyond:

For the Class of 2019 and beyond, using the overall weighted GPA, students will be recognized under a Latin Honors System at graduation.

• Suma Cum Laude- 4.0+
• Magna Cum Laude- 3.8 – 3.99
• Cum Laude- 3.5 – 3.79

For students who entered high school for the first time BEFORE Fall of 2015:
A weighted system is used to encourage students to take more challenging and rigorous courses, to reward successful completion of these classes and to determine class rank and grade point averages (GPA). Weighted GPA will determine class rank.

Courses Eligible for Weighting:
1. Each honor course will receive one additional weighted point provided the course is “above” and “beyond” the standard course of study.
2. Advanced Placement courses recognized by national curricula and validated with standardized assessments will receive an additional two weighted points.
3. Select college level courses may receive one weighted point. (The high school principal and the college require prior approval.)

Weights are figured as follows:
In the Rowan-Salisbury Schools, all courses will be designated as ‘4.0’, ‘5.0’, or ‘6.0’. Only courses designated as weighted courses are eligible to receive a designation above ‘4.0’ and have additional weighted points awarded for grades above failure. As the degree of difficultly increases from ‘4.0’ to ‘5.0’, to ‘6.0’, the number of weighted points, which can be earned for a particular grade, increases. Weights are assigned to courses in accordance with North Carolina policy GCS-L-004; GS 116-11(10a). (Refer to scale below)

Student Fees

Parent Guide to High School Math Success

Parent Guide to High School ELA Success

Get the Most Out of High School

AP Insights- for Parents and Families

1. North Carolina End-of-Course (EOC)Exams: All students enrolled in a course with an End-of-Course exam must take the exam. Students who do not take the End-of-Course exam will not receive credit for the course. The exam grade will count 20% of the final course grade. End-of-Course exams will be administered for the following courses: Math 1, Biology, English II.
2. PreACT: The PreACT is a curriculum based achievement test in English, Math, Reading, and Science, that measures college and career readiness, serves as a midpoint assessment, and is also a predictor for the ACT. The PreACT is administered to all students in grade 10.
3. ACT: The ACT Plus Writing assessment will be administered to all students in grade 11 at no cost to the student. The ACT is a curriculum based achievement test in English, Math, Reading, and Science that measures college and career readiness.
4. WorkKeys: WorkKeys will be administered to students in grade 12 who are CTE concentrators with at least one Level II credit. The purpose of WorkKeys is to assess a student’s job skills so that future employers can select, hire, train, develop and retain a high performance workforce.
5. Advanced Placement (AP) Exams: Students enrolling in an AP course(s) are expected to take the AP exam(s). Each AP exam has a fee which is determined by the College Board. Please see your high school counselor for current AP exam fees. (Fee waivers may be available for qualified students.) Students who take Advanced Placement courses and take the Advanced Placement Exam offered by College Board may receive higher consideration for admission to colleges and universities along with college/university course credit and/or placement. AP Fees have been waived for NC students during the past several years.
6. CTE Post Assessments: All students enrolled in courses in which CTE Post Assessments are administered must take the tests. Students who do not take the CTE Post Assessments will not receive credit for the course. The CTE Post Assessment counts 20% of the final grade. (Occupational Course of Study students will be tested according to their CTE Blueprint based on their IEP.) *Some courses may include credentialing options that replace CTE Post Assessment
7. Teacher-made Exams: Most courses have a final that is weighted no more than 20% of the final grade.

*Testing requirements are subject to change.

Optional Assessments:

• Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT): Students may take the PSAT in preparation for the SAT. The PSAT is administered in every high school in October. A student will receive a comprehensive analysis of his/her results after the test.
• Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB): The ASVAB is a test of mechanical and technical skills that can be used to predict vocational aptitudes and interests. The results can be helpful in making career choices. The ASVAB is used to qualify for all branches of military service and is administered in the 11th or 12th grade to interested students.

Please note: Parents will need to log in through their student's clever account to access.