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Battle Creek Area Math & Science Center Calhoun Area Technology Center
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4 Year Planning Students entering high school are presented with selecting different programs of study. This sometimes involves making difficult choices. We know that high school students frequently do not arrive at the vocational destinations they express interest in as adolescents and their plans change with exposure to new possibilities and maturity. To plan rigidly for 4 years then is ill advised. At the same time, goals and direction are important for defining a pathway to the future. Thinking about the choices one will be confronted with along the way to graduation helps maximize learning opportunities. We recommend making a 4 year plan before starting high school to use as a blueprint to be checked each year until graduation. Like the architect's draft, plans change and placing flexibility in the plan where it is needed most allows students to capitalize on opportunities they encounter that they might not have previously thought much about. The graduation requirements at Central High School include most of the minimum course standards typically expected in a college prep curriculum. Be mindful that we do not require foreign language but many colleges recommend 2-3 years in a language. Michigan State University, the University of Michigan and Kalamazoo College are the only in-state schools we know of where 2 years of a foreign language are a requirement. Many highly selective out-of-state schools have similar requirements. Be advised that these reflect minimum standards, your application can be helped by taking a more rigorous curriculum, including AP courses, and doing other things to show that you are a well rounded scholar. Some of the choices that need to be considered early on are whether or not a student wants to participate in the Math & Science Center, or if one might consider a one or two year program at the Calhoun Area Technology Center. Both of theses programs consume half of the instructional day in the years in which students participate in them and compromise other course taking opportunities. Because of their extensive time commitment, planning for other goals might also be important so as not to take elective courses unwisely. We expect as much variation in student plans as there are students, each with a program selected uniquely for them. Having no plan can lead to hasty choices and course taking that does not benefit students in the long run. We have also seen well designed plans in which students have taken advantage of both Math and Science Center and Calhoun Area Technology Center programs. Options are limitless if you will take the time to plan. Some sample plans are shown on the following links as a place to start thinking about the future and what kind of preparation you can have when you graduate from Battle Creek Central High School. click here for more thoughts about planning Sample 4-Year Plans 4-Year Plan: Required Core Courses 4-Year Plan: Required Courses and Tech Center 4-Year Plan: Required Courses and Math & Science Center
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