Frequently Asked Questions About High School & Beyond Plan/Culminating Project, and High School Planning Night

Q. What is the High School and Beyond Plan?
A. The High School and Beyond Plan and the Culminating Project are State graduation requirements.

• The High School and Beyond Plan refers to work that students complete to show preparation for life after high school. The High School and Beyond Plan gets all students thinking about their future and how to get the most out of high school, so that they’re ready to pursue their adult lives, no matter what direction they plan to take.
• The Culminating Project is a collection of "best works" from core academic courses. It refers to the collection of work that students compile to show preparation for life after high school. The process of developing the plan helps your student chart his or her journey after high school.

Q. What are the schools doing to prepare students for these requirement?
A. All of the students in our middle schools participate in a curriculum that prepares them for developing a personal High School and Beyond Plan.  Students take career surveys and have conversations regarding their post high school choices.

Q. What are High School Planning Nights?
A.  High School Planning Nights are scheduled to give middle school students and parents or guardians a chance to work together to develop a Graduation Plan.

Q. Why should we attend High School Planning Night?

• Attending will give you and your student the opportunity to work with middle school staff, high school staff and program people to determine which Graduation Plan best fits your student’s goals beyond high school.
• It will give you a chance to learn about special programs in Federal Way Public Schools that may be of special interest, and how to get into those programs by participating in what we call the Choice process.
• The event is an exciting and valuable opportunity because all resources are readily available at one time.
• Because the events are held at the high schools, students and parents will have an opportunity to see the school they are scheduled to attend next year.

Q. What should we expect to come away with?
A. The most important thing you’ll get out of High School Planning Night is a graduation plan.  There are three basic plans:

1. What does Plan A prepare a student for, and what does it require?

Plan A provides the minimum requirements for graduating from a Federal Way School District high school. It prepares your child to attend community or technical colleges, enter the military, or attend an occupational skills center. It also prepares students for many positions at the apprentice level, such as NATEF (Auto Technology) and carpentry, as well as to enter the workforce directly upon graduation.

In order to accomplish this Graduation Plan, students must:

• Meet the state’s Reading, Writing and Math testing requirements.
• Obtain 23.5* credits including several mandatory classes in English, Mathematics, & Science, and
• Complete a High School and Beyond Plan (Formerly known as 13 Year Plan) and Culminating Project (Formerly known as Collection of Best Works).

*Todd Beamer High School requires 31 credits

2.  What about Plan B?

This plan will prepare your child for entry into most 4-year colleges for those students with higher-level academic achievement. It also meets the proposed requirements of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) of Washington State.

The requirements to meet this plan include:
All students must meet the requirements of Plan A, as well as the following requirements to be competitive for college admissions:

• Complete mathematics through a minimum of Advanced Algebra*.
• Complete a minimum of 1 credit of algebra-based science, such as chemistry or physics.
• Complete at least 2 years of a Foreign Language.
• Additional recommendations are included in the High School & Beyond Brochure

3. What about Plan C?

This is the most rigorous plan.  It will prepare your child for entry into selective colleges and universities, including military academies. Grades and SAT scores should be at a high level.

The requirements in this plan exceed those of the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) of the State of Washington, and may increase your child’s likelihood of receiving financial aid and scholarships. In addition, this plan will make your child eligible for the State Scholars Initiative.

The requirements to meet this plan include:
All students must meet the requirements in Plan A. Students who wish to be competitive when applying for selective universities should also:

• Earn 2 credits of rigorous English, such as AP, IB, Cambridge, and/or college writing.
• Complete mathematics through a minimum of pre-calculus*.
• Complete 3 to 4 years of science, including a year of algebra-based science, such as chemistry or physics*.
• Complete at least 2 consecutive years (3 recommended) of a foreign language.
• Complete several AP, IB or Cambridge classes.

Q. Why are we asking our students to start thinking about high school graduation in 8th grade?
A. You may think that it’s too early to know exactly what a student wants to do following high school. But, without a plan, students too often overlook the classes in 9th and 10th grade that will allow them to pursue their interests and passions later in high school and beyond.  We find that students understand that they need to have a plan. We all know that their plans may change. These plans are not written in stone; changes can be made with parents’ approval.

• All freshmen take the same core classes:  English, History of the Pacific Region, Algebra/Geometry, and a lab Science -- either Freshman Science or Biology. 
• They take all of these classes whether they are preparing for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate, or regular classes in these subjects. 

Q. What is my student required to do, and what do you need from parents?
A. All Choice letters and the student’s graduation plan must be signed and returned. Your child cannot be scheduled into high school classes until the Graduation Plan is signed BY A PARENT and returned. 

• If you need additional information please contact your middle school or see our website, http://www.fwps.org/info/graduation/.