Academics

 

A+ Schools Program

The A+ Schools Program strives to ensure that students are prepared for and successful in life beyond high school. The A+ Schools Program provides students with continuous, progressive career information throughout the students’ years at Smith-Cotton.  The program focuses on ensuring students have course offerings that are rigorous and relevant to the world outside the classroom that will better prepare them for their paths after high school.

An A+ Student must:

• Must be a US Citizen or permanent resident (See the A+ Coordinator with any questions).
• Sign a Letter of Intent to participate in the program prior to or during the last 3 years of high school.
• Attend an A+ School for six consecutive semesters prior to graduation (grades 10-12).
• Graduate with an unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.  Graduate with at least a 95% cumulative attendance record for grades 9-12.
• Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring to other students in the district.
• Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the use of alcohol and unlawful drugs.
• Apply for non-repayable federal tuition assistance by filling out the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid (FAFSA).  This must be completed before requesting A+ Student Financial Incentive Assistance.
• Students must score proficient or advanced on ONE of the following End of Course Exams:  Algebra I, Algebra II, or Geometry.
• If a student takes the Algebra I End of Course Exam as an 8^th grader and passes with a proficient or advanced, then they have satisfied this requirement.

HOW DO YOU BECOME AN A+ STUDENT?

To become part of the A+ Schools Program, read the citizen guidelines and complete the agreement. It is recommended that students sign up early in their high school careers. Doing so, allows the A+ Coordinator to monitor the students’ GPA and attendance, provide college and career information, and assist students in fulfilling the tutoring portion of the A+ requirements.  Students are encouraged to enroll in the A+ Schools Program even if they plan to attend a four-year college or enter the workforce rather than attend college.  This program is an opportunity for students to access additional education after high school; it does not obligate them to use the A+ tuition reimbursement.  

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN A+ STUDENT?

• A student graduating with A+ status may be eligible for two years of tuition grants to attend any accredited public Missouri community college or vocational/technical school as a full-time student. Tuition benefits may cover tuition and general fees.
• The tuition grants may be available to the A+ student up to four years after high school graduation.

Parental income is not a criteria for A+ student incentive reimbursement.

The rules and reimbursement for the A+ Schools Program are determined by the State Legislature.  They may change at any time.

 

                For additional information about the A+ Schools Program, contact the Counseling Office.

 

Advanced Placement (AP)

The Advanced Placement Program is essentially a way for schools to provide their stronger students with courses of study appropriate to their abilities and interests, with reasonable assurance that these studies will not be repeated at college.

Smith-Cotton High School offers several AP courses to sophomores, juniors and seniors.  All AP courses culminate in a comprehensive AP examination administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization that administers the program.  Most colleges will accept successful completion of the exam for either advanced placement alone or for both dual credit and advanced placement.  Up-to-date information concerning university recognition policies can be found at http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/about.html.  

Students are strongly encouraged to take the final AP examination and must receive a particular score to receive college credit.  Please refer to the college of choice or bring questions to the Smith-Cotton High School Counseling office.  LAUNCH AP courses may be taken with administrative approval.  Advanced Placement examination fees will be determined and assessed in the fall semester.  

Dual Credit Opportunities 

Smith-Cotton students have the opportunity to earn both high school credit and college credit at the same time through dual credit.  There are several different ways to go about getting dual credit.  Please see the sections below explaining the Tiger Roadrunner Express, WeMET, PLTW, and possible on-campus dual credit.

College Credit to High School Credit

When attending college, students earn college credit hours. Equating college hours to high school credit has been established as: 5 college hours = 1 unit of high school credit; 3 college hours = ½ unit of high school credit.  To enroll or to obtain more specific details on “Dual Credit” and how it would fit into a daily school schedule, parents and students should contact a school counselor.  Any dual credit class taken which is not “on level” or which is considered remedial will be awarded an elective credit.

Books, Tuition, and Fees

Books, tuition, and fees for these courses must be paid to the college.  Students may apply for possible scholarships. Students should communicate with their grade level counselors for more information.  

Drop/Withdrawal

It is the practice of the high school to apply a deadline to drop or withdraw from a course. Courses dropped after the first 3-weeks of the semester will have an “F” noted on the transcript as a result of not completing the course. Please speak to your student’s counselor for more details. 

Dual Credit Courses

Please note that students taking a dual credit course through one of our cooperative post-secondary institutions must follow that institution’s drop/withdrawal policy to avoid fees or other repercussions. The district is bound to the dates set by the university.

Other Information

ACT/Accuplacer scores must be on file in the counseling office by the end of the school year in order to enroll in a dual credit course. 

 

Queen City CAPS

Queen City CAPS is a professional learning experience for high school juniors and seniors, offering four distinct strands: Engineering & Manufacturing, Medicine & Healthcare, Business & Entrepreneurship, and Digital Media & Technology. Students step beyond the traditional classroom, working at various host sites throughout the community to develop professional skills, explore career paths, and gain hands-on experience through client-based and personal projects.  

WeMET

WeMET is a consortium in conjunction with UCM. This partnership allows Smith-Cotton students to have access to the full dual credit course catalog. If students are interested in dual credit through UCM, please reach out to your grade level counselor.

PLTW Dual Credit 

Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is a nationally recognized engineering curriculum being offered through the Sedalia School District.  There are three different engineering pathways offered at Smith-Cotton High School:  Pathway to Engineering, Pathway to Computer Science, and Pathway to Biomedical Science.  Each of these pathways offer engineering courses that engage students in hands-on activities, projects, and problems that are reflective of real-world challenges.  This compelling, real-world approach empowers students to learn essential, in-demand skills validated by the world’s leading companies, while also providing an invaluable connection between what students are learning in the classroom today and how it applies to the paths they will take in the future.  Ask your school counselor about information regarding PLTW or go to www.pltw.org.  Dual credit can be awarded through SFCC, UCM, or Missouri University of Science and Technology. See the Project Lead the Way instructor for more information.

On Campus Dual Credit Options

On campus dual credit options will vary from semester to semester. They will be determined through enrollment process, staffing needs, etc. Information will be sent to students about all on campus dual credit options. 

Articulated Credit

Articulation agreements are set up for certain career, technical and occupational courses that are offered through a post-secondary institution such as State Fair Community College.  Articulated credit is earned by successfully completing a career, technical or occupational course with an 80% or higher.  Enrollment for articulated credit must be made while the student is enrolled in the high school equivalent course.  The college credit will appear on a college transcript once a student graduates high school and earns 15 hours of college credit through the post-secondary institution.  There is no cost to the student for articulated credit.  Smith-Cotton does offer some articulated credit through State Fair Community College.

In-Person/Virtual Learning

It will be the practice of Smith-Cotton High School to focus on in-person learning opportunities for all high school courses. In the event that Smith-Cotton is unable to obtain a qualified instructor, we will look at virtual options to allow our students to still have the opportunity to take the provided course. We will notify the student and parent/guardian if this change will take place before the start of the semester.

MOCAP Online Learning