Freshman Orientation - Warrick County School Corporation

State Graduation Requirements
• Indiana Core 40
• Core 40 with
Academic Honors
• Core 40 with
Technical Honors
• Indiana Basic
Diploma
Class of 2015

Indiana Core 40
• Minimum 40 Credits
• English (8 Credits)
– Must take English all four years
– Must take regular or AP level senior
English
• Social Studies (6 credits)
– World History
– US History
– Government/Economics

• Science (6-8 credits)
– Biology I
– Integrated Chemistry Physics, or
Chemistry I
– Advanced Science
• Physics
• Anatomy/Physiology
• Chemistry II
• AP Chemistry
• Earth/Space
• Advanced Animal Science
• Forensics
• Geology

• Math (6-8 credits)
– Algebra I
– Geometry
– Algebra II
– Advanced Math
• College Credit Trigonometry
• College Credit Pre-Calculus
• AP Calculus
• AP Statistics

• Physical Education/Health (3 credits)
– Freshman PE
– Health
– *Personal Finance
• Directed Electives (5 credits)
– World Languages
• German
• Spanish
– Fine Arts
• Band
• Choir
• Art
– Career/Technical

• Career Academic Sequence (6 credits)
– Select a sequence of electives to better
prepare for a career goal
• For example, Elementary Education
– Child Development, Digital Communications, Computer
Applications, Sociology, Psychology, Interpersonal
Relationships
• The completion of Core 40 is now an Indiana
graduation requirement. To graduate with less
than Core 40, a formal opt-out process must be
completed.

Core 40 with Academic Honors
• Minimum 47 credits
• Students must meet all requirements of Core 40
• Students must ALSO:
– Complete an extra year of advanced math
– Earn 2 fine arts credits
– Earn 6-8 world language credits
– Earn a semester grade of “C” or better in all required classes
– Attain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average by the end of
the eighth semester
– Complete one of the following
• Two AP courses and exams
• Two dual-credit courses
• One AP course & exam
and one dual-credit course
• 1200 SAT or 26 ACT

Core 40 with Technical Honors
• Minimum 47 credits
• Students must meet all requirements of Core 40
• Students must ALSO:
– Complete at least 3 semesters of a program at the Southern
Indiana Career and Technical Center
– Earn a semester grade of “C” or above in each required course
– Attain a cumulative 3.0 grade point average by the end of the
eighth semester
– Earn a state-recognized certification or certificate of technical
achievement in the career-technical program

Course Selection
The following well-balanced high school program of studies is
recommended by the Indiana Association for College Admission
Counseling:
• College preparatory English: 4 years including literature, composition,
grammar, speech, etc.
• College Preparatory Math: 3-4 years including algebra, geometry,
advanced algebra, and beyond if possible, plan to continue math senior
year
• Laboratory science: 3 years including biology, chemistry, and an
advanced science, plan to continue science senior year
• Social studies: 3 years including US history, world history, US
government, and economics
• Fine arts: 1 year in music or art
• Foreign Language: Many colleges require 2-3 years
• Career electives: 3 years in business, industrial technology, foreign
language, consumer science, fine arts, or vocational education
Check with the office of admission at the colleges in which you are
interested to determine their particular admission requirements.

Other Course Options
Explore your interests by taking courses
outside of THS
• Local colleges (Ivy Tech, USI, OCU)
• Online Courses (BYU, Indiana Virtual
Academy, IU HS)
• THS students are permitted to take
courses at other Warrick County schools
• Southern Indiana Career and Tech Ctr.

State of the art facility offering programs in:
• Agriculture
• Architectural Design
• Automotive – Collision
and Service
• Building Trades
• Computer Networking
• Culinary Arts
• Diesel Service
• Electricity Trades
• Graphics/ Printing/
Digital Media Tech
• Health Sciences
• Heating/Air Cond.
• Industrial Repair
• Precision Machines
• Public Safety
• Radio/TV/Telecomm.
• CAD
• Welding

Indiana Stats
• Indiana ranks 41 st in the nation in the average of
personal income of its residents
• Nearly two-thirds of all new jobs require at least
some postsecondary education
• More than two-thirds of Indiana’s community
college students require remediation
• Less than 10 percent of Hoosier college students
who are placed in remedial courses graduate on
time

College bound does not
necessarily mean college ready
Percentage of U.S. first-year students in two-year
and four-year institutions requiring remediation
Reading
Writing
Math
Reading,
writing or math
11%
14%
22%
28%
Today, far too few Indiana students
are leaving high school prepared to
succeed in college. Nearly 1/3 of
high school graduates who go
directly to college are immediately
enrolled in remedial courses and
must pay college tuition for high
school level courses.
76% of all students who take
remedial courses in reading or
math fail to earn degrees
0% 20% 40% 60%

TESTS, TESTS, AND MORE TESTS
• ECA’s - Core 40 End
of Course
Assessments: Must
pass Algebra I and
English 10 to
graduate
• PSAT
• SAT and ACT
• Advanced Placement
(AP)

FOUR YEAR PLAN
• Guidance Portfolio
• Class Registration
• Dual-Credit Program
• AP Courses
• School-To-Work
• Vocational Education
• Early college
programs

WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO KNOW
• 21st Century Scholars
• Eligibility for Extra-
Curricular Activities
• NCAA Clearinghouse
• Homeroom
• Accelerated Reading

RESOURCES
• Learn More Indiana
• Guidance Office
• Internet
• College Fair
• College Visits and
Job Shadows

Checklist for Freshman Year
• Build strong academic skills by taking challenging courses. Colleges like to see
challenging courses on your transcript, even if you get lower grades in them
• Develop good study habits, study hard, and get good grades
• Read as much as you can this year - it will make you a better thinker and improve
your vocabulary
• Participate in extra-curricular activities - many colleges consider talent and leadership
• Visit the Guidance Office for career and college information
• Develop a 4-year academic plan
• Document community service activities
• Begin preparing a resume
• Find out what high school courses colleges require
• Research NCAA requirements if you want to play sports in college
www.ncaaclearinghouse.org
• Save money for college
• Use your summer to participate in fun learning opportunities like career camps and
summer courses