2019 Back to School
Counselor Newsletter
Welcome to 2019!
To our returning counselors, we hope you had a restful and relaxing summer! For our new counselors, welcome to the RISD family and we are so happy to have you joining us in our work with advanced learning.
Entering into this school year, the office of College and Career Readiness has undergone a name change to Advanced Learning Services. The office of Advanced Learning Services includes not only topics that are college and career related but also contains the Advanced Learning Program and Services (formerly known as GT), and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) departments.
Meet our Advanced Learning team members and discover more about what we do to support you and our students by visiting http://bit.ly/2019BacktoSchool.
As we enter into the 2019-2020 school year, there are programs that you all help promote and support with our students and families that we want to ensure you have accurate information about such items as College Board/ AP Changes, OnRamps Changes, and the Dallas County Promise program at Berkner, Lake Highlands and Richardson high schools.
It is an exciting time for our students and Advanced Learning Services will be there to help support you and our students in this work. We look forward to having you join us in this journey during the 2019-2020 school year!
Elizabeth Swaner
Executive Director of Advanced Learning Services
What is New With AP in 2019?
Beginning this fall, the Advanced Placement Program is introducing new resources and processes designed to help students earn college credit and placement. Students now will sign up for AP Exams in the early fall as opposed to previous years when it took place in late fall and early spring. Each school will provide directions on how to register and will place the exam order for students. If a student’s AP class starts after the fall deadline, AP coordinators can still order exams before the spring deadline.
- Exam prices remain the same:
- Each test costs $64 or $18 per test for students eligible for free or reduce lunch. These prices are for early bird registration and full payment between Sept. 16 and Nov. 2.
- There is an additional $10 fee per test for registration between Nov. 4 and Nov. 15.
- Registration after Nov. 15 includes a College Board $40 late fee per test.
For the 2019-2020 school year, students now will get monthly personalized feedback through new digital tools. Teachers will be able to track student performance throughout the year using an online bank of real AP practice questions. Students will begin applying for tests and using these resources Sept. 16.
Students are encouraged to sign up for a College Board account. All College Board programs are connected, so if you already created an account for the PSAT 8/9, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, or College Board Opportunity Scholarships, there is no need to create another account. Just use the username and password of the account already created.
SSD due date with College Board for possible approved accommodations on the AP Test is January 17, 2020.
Due to the new timelines for exam registration and online course resources, the add and drop dates for PAP/AP courses are changing. AP Forms Folder http://bit.ly/2019BacktoSchool
OnRamps Changes
Last spring, UT made us aware that beginning in the fall of 2019 they would begin charging a tuition fee to students who participate in OnRamps dual enrollment courses. Students in OnRamps courses will still have the opportunity to accept or deny the college credit they earned in their class, at the end of the college portion of their high school course. (We are confirming if the opportunity for pass/fail credit will still be available in 2019-2020.) Most students are taking an OnRamps course that offers just one semester of college credit during their full year high school course. (See OnRamps timelines to learn more.)
- Each OnRamps course will costs $149 per college semester or $99 per college semester for students eligible for free or reduce lunch.
- Per UT mandate, all students must commit to remaining in their OnRamps course by Monday, September 16.
- RISD WILL COVER THE COST of tuition for students who are enrolled in OnRamps courses on the September 16 deadline.
Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, new state requirements are being implemented for OnRamps courses to be used for a student's or campus' CCMR indicator. A student must be taking their OnRamps course for college credit BUT they do have the option to deny the credit and not have it appear on their college transcript at the end of the college semester.
Visit the OnRamps timelines page to learn more about course drops and college credit opportunities. OnRamps Forms Folder http://bit.ly/2019BacktoSchool
Dallas County Promise
Through the Dallas County Promise, participating colleges provide "last-dollar scholarships" to students who graduate from one of the three RISD Promise high schools, (Berkner, Richardson and Lake Highlands) with a high school diploma or associate degree. The Promise scholarship covers the gap between need-based financial aid and the cost of tuition for up to a time limit or the completion of a degree per institution.
All Promise Partner colleges promise to support and challenge students as they make their dreams a reality. Once they complete an application, verify all information and enroll at the school of their choice, they will be paired with a success coach who will help them navigate college.
To receive the last-dollar scholarship, students must attend a participating high school and qualify for in-state tuition. Our partner colleges and universities do not require any essays, entrance exams, or ACT/SAT scores. However, select partners will require your family/household income not to exceed $50,000.
Class of 2019 Pledge and FAFSA Results
Berkner = 15% FAFSA growth - 92% pledge rate
Richardson = 16% FAFSA growth - 98% pledge rate
DCCCD Rising Star is Available to Seniors at all Four RISD High Schools: If you are a graduating senior with an unweighted GPA of 3.0 by your seventh semester (Fall 2019), you will also receive the Rising Star Scholarship if you attend DCCCD. Rising Star is the last-dollar scholarship that covers any remaining balance that financial aid does not cover AND your textbooks.
Learn more about Promise and the student timelines by visiting the Dallas County Promise website https://dallascountypromise.org/ or the Dallas County Promise Folder http://bit.ly/2019BacktoSchool.
Advanced Learning Services
Email: ccr@g.risd.org
Website: www.risd.org
Phone: 469-593-0248
Twitter: @risdccr