Houston High School

Career and College Readiness Resources
In today's global economy, students must be well prepared for the demands of college and the workplace. Houston Public Schools provides support to assist students as they transition from middle school to high school and into an increasingly wide array of postsecondary options. Each of the options is described below.

Advanced Placement (AP)
AP is a College Board program that offers high school students the opportunity to take rigorous, college-level courses and earn college credit while in high school. The content in AP courses is structured like college courses. Students who complete an AP course and take the end-of-course examination may qualify for college credit from postsecondary institutions, provided their score meets the institution’s credit policy. These courses help prepare students for further education and many colleges look favorably on transcripts that include AP coursework.

Houston High School offers the following Advanced Placement (AP) Courses:

• AP English Literature and Composition

• AP Calculus AB

• AP US History

• AP Psychology

• AP Computer Science

Minnesota Virtual Academy offers the following Advanced Placement (AP) Courses:

• AP English Language and Composition

• AP English Literature and Composition

• AP Calculus AB

• AP Statistics

• AP Biology

• AP Chemistry

• AP Environmental Science

• AP US History

• AP U.S. Government and Politics

• AP Macroeconomics

• AP Microeconomics

• AP Psychology

• AP World History

• AP Spanish Language and Culture

• AP French Language and Culture

CLEP
College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) The College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) is a College Board program that allows students to accelerate their education by earning college credit by taking a computer-based test of their knowledge. Learning can be done through general academic instruction, independent study, extracurricular work or volunteerism. The time and money saved can be significant. Check with the postsecondary institution of your choice for their most recent CLEP credit policy. Visit the College Board website for more information. Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO)

PSEO
Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year, schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final.

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional CTE PSEO courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.

If you have further questions about PSEO opportunities or would like to start the enrollment process, please see Mrs. Sobotta, high school counselor. Deadlines for enrollment vary by school so it is recommended to plan early.

Contact: Crystal Sobotta