Early College FAQs

Robert E. Lee High School

Early College FAQs

How do I know if my student is "on-track"?

Required Activities & Transportation

What classes do students

take each year?

Students enrolled in the Early College program are required to attend class on a regular basis, participate in District assessments, and meetings as scheduled. This is true for student enrolled in classes at Lee High School and those enrolled at FSCJ.

Parents are required to attend meetings as scheduled. These include Parent Nights, Orientation, and conferences. There are 2-3 required parent activities each school year.

Transportation is only provided by DCPS for students traveling to and from Lee High School. Transportation is not provided to the FSCJ campus by DCPS or any DCPS personnel.

There are a few milestones students should meet each year. These include:

• 8th grade - successfully complete Algebra I, demonstrate proficiency on FSA Reading, & earn a 3.0 GPA in high school level courses
• 9th grade - pass all classes, maintain 3.0+ unweighted cumulative high school GPA, & earn post-secondary readiness scores
• 10th grade - pass all classes (including min. of 3 college courses), maintain 3.0+ unweighted high school cumulative GPA, & earn a 2.0+ college GPA. SLS1103 must be passed by 10th grade semester break.
• 11th grade - pass all classes*, maintain 3.0+ unweighted cumulative high school GPA, & maintain 2.0+ college GPA
• 12th grade - pass all classes*, maintain 3.0+ unweighted cumulative high school GPA, & maintain 2.0+ college GPA

*Classes are held at FSCJ. These classes meet high school graduation requirements, AA degree requirements, and some meet college major prerequisite requirements.

Students complete the following courses each year in order to earn their high school diploma and AA degree:

• 9th grade: English I Honors, English II Honors, Geometry Honors, Biology I Honors, American Government Honors, World History Honors, HOPE, and SLS1103* - Student Success Strategies.
• 10th grade: ENC1101* - English Composition, AMH2010*&2020* - American History, MAT1033* - Intermediate College Algebra, Algebra 2 Honors, Pre-Calculus Honors, Chemistry Honors, & a Performing/Fine Art class.
• 11th grade**: Complete eight courses including English (1), Math (1), Science (1), Speech (1), World Language (2), & Social Sciences (2)
• 12th grade**: Complete eight courses including Economics (1), Math (1), Science (1), Humanities (2), & AA degree electives (3).

*Indicates college courses. Classes are offered based on instructor's certifications.

**11th & 12th grade courses completed at FSCJ

& count towards high school graduation

What is Early College?

What are "college-ready" or "post-secondary ready" scores?

The Early College Program blends high school and college courses to enable students to earn a high school diploma and an Associate degree (AA) with minimal financial cost. Early College students take all of their classes during Junior and Senior year at Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ). The Early College Program provides students greater access to higher education & promotes student achievement at the high school & post-secondary levels.

College-ready and post-secondary ready are interchangeable terms in this case.

In an effort to ensure DCPS students matriculate successfully and are prepared to thrive in the setting of their choice after high school, students are

required to demonstrate their academic abilities through course work & standardized testing. Students must earn eligibility scores in reading, math, and writing. They may use scores from ACT, SAT, or PERT. Students must earn Reading & Writing scores from the same named test, but can earn scores during different test administrations.

College Ready/Post-secondary Scores

• PERT: Reading 106, Math 114 or 123*, Writing 103
• ACT: Reading 19, Math 19, English 17
• SAT: Reading 24, Math 24, Writing & Language 25

*Students who score 114-122 on the Math section of the PERT, & meet all

other eligibility requirements, enroll in Intermediate Algebra at

REL in 10th grade or at FSCJ in 11th grade. Intermediate Algebra counts as an AA degree elective and helps students build math skills. Students who take this course must take two additional math courses to meet the AA degree math requirements.

What are the eligibility requirements

for Early College?

When do students take college-readiness tests?

PERT - This test is administered in the Fall, Spring, & Summer for 9th grade students. Students who do not earn college-ready scores by the beginning of 10th grade should attempt to earn scores through ACT and SAT during the first semester of 10th grade.

ACT & SAT - These tests are administered every month during the school year and can be taken during any grade level. Visit their websites for more information

www.actstudent.org

www.collegeboard.org

Currently, students are required to successfully complete Algebra I before entering

high school and demonstrate proficiency on the 7th grade ELA and Math FSA or equivalent assessments.

Students are required to submit an application for the Robert E. Lee High School Early College program during their 8th grade year. Applications are available online through the DCPS Office of High School Acceleration Programs.

Students are required to meet requirements each semester to continue progressing through the program. These requirements include:

• Maintaining a 3.0+ cumulative unweighted high school GPA
• Maintaining a 2.0+ cumulative college GPA
• Must earn Cs or higher in all FSCJ courses (final grades)
• Demonstrating college-readiness through ACT, SAT, or PERT exams

Are there other requirements students need to meet?

Additional Fees...

How much does this program cost?

What do Early College grads do after high school?

• College-readiness tests - Students are eligible to take the PERT for free, regardless of the families' financial status. The ACT and SAT tests are available for students for a fee.
• Textbooks - Students are provided all textbooks for free as long as they follow procedures. In the event a textbook is lost or damaged, the student is held accountable for the cost of the book(s). Students are required to purchase class materials, such as lab coats and safety goggles, as required by their instructors.
• Transportation - Students may use DCPS school bus transportation to and from Lee High School as any other student is allowed to. However, transportation to FSCJ is not provided by the DCPS school system.
• Free/Reduced Price Lunch program - Students are eligible for F/R Lunch program, but this program cannot be used to purchase food on the FSCJ campus.

We recommend students complete the following steps as they move through the Early College program:

Tuition and textbooks are paid for by DCPS for students. The only required fees associated with this program are the following:

• FSCJ Application Fee - $25 This one time fee must be paid to FSCJ before the AA degree will be conferred to the student.
• Student ID badges - Students are required to have their DCPS and FSCJ IDs visible when on campus. The first ID from each school is free for the student. Replacement badges are available for a fee.

11th grade...

10th grade...

Between 9th & 10th grade...

• Take the ACT and the SAT for college admissions.
• Conduct virtual and in-person tours of colleges, universities, and technical training programs.
• Prepare college and scholarship essays. Check out current questions, write responses, have teachers review them, and store the responses in your portfolio.
• Explore college & career opportunities through websites such as www.collegeboard.org
• Attend the NACAC College Fair in October (www.gotomyncf.com)
• Earn 30 community service hours (www.handsonjacksonville.org)
• Monitor your progress on earning Bright Futures scholarship (www.flvc.org)

• Take the PSAT (offered for free at Lee High School in October).
• Explore college & career opportunities through websites such as www.collegeboard.org
• Attend the NACAC College Fair in October (www.gotomyncf.com)
• Earn 30 community service hours (www.handsonjacksonville.org)
• Monitor your progress on earning Bright Futures scholarship (www.floridashines.org)

Complete a high school level course online (FLVS.net) to familiarize yourself with working in an online academic setting. Students can sign up for any FLVS courses not offered at REL.

Most of our students enroll in college, military, or a post-secondary training program. Any of the college credits they earn through FSCJ can be applied towards their next degree or training program. The college/university/training programs accept the credits at their discretion. Schools within the Florida State University System accept the full AA degree from FSCJ. This can save the family $$$ in tuition costs as the child may not have to re-take/pay for core education classes. See

http://www.flbog.edu/ for more information.

12th grade...

9th grade...

• Submit college and scholarship applications first semester.
• Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (www.fafsa.ed.gov), Florida Financial Aid (www.floridastudentfinancialaid.org), & college financial aid forms in October.
• Take the ACT & the SAT fall semester.
• Complete community service hours (www.handsonjacksonville.org)
• Monitor your progress on earning Bright Futures scholarship (www.floridashines.org)

• Create a college portfolio. Keep all academic records, awards, extra-curricular program information, & service project information in the portfolio.
• Explore college & career opportunities through websites such as www.collegeboard.org
• Attend the NACAC College Fair in October (www.gotomyncf.com)
• Earn 30 community service hours (www.handsonjacksonville.org)
• Monitor your progress on earning Bright Futures scholarship (www.floridashines.org)