Advanced Placement or AP courses are sponsored by College Board. This program gives students the opportunity to take college-level courses and exams while still in high school. Naaman Forest has a very impressive AP listing. Through the AP program’s courses and exams, you can earn college credit and advanced placement, stand out in the admissions process, and learn from very skilled and dedicated teachers.

Advanced Placement has something for everyone. Here are just a few reasons to consider AP classes:

• Receive recognition from colleges and universities that annually receive AP Exam scores. Over 90% of 4-year colleges in the U.S. provide credit and/or advanced placement for qualifying scores.
• Have time to move into upper-level courses in your field of interest, pursue a double major, or study abroad.
• Design a college experience that suits you and gives you the flexibility to get the most of your college years.
• Stand out in the college admissions process. AP demonstrates your maturity and readiness for college. It shows your willingness to take the most rigorous courses available to you, and emphasizes your commitment to academic excellence.
• You will get a head start on college-level work.
• Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques.
• Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work.

Advanced Placement courses are sponsored by the College Board.

AP Course Listing

• US History
• Government
• World History
• Macroeconomics
• English IV, V
• Calculus
• Statistics
• Computer Science II
• Biology
• Spanish IV, V
• French IV
• German IV
• Psychology
• Drawing Portfolio
• 3 Dimensional Portfolio

Advanced Placement courses require that students take the AP Exam in the spring. The tests are ususually scheduled during the first two weeks in May. To pass, you need to score a 3, 4, or 5 on the exam.

How do you sign up for AP courses? See your counselor today. They will advise you and help you to decide what classes you would benefit from and do the best in. If you have questions, please drop by the Counselors’ Office and make an appointment.

AP exam schedule

AP Exam Schedule

AP reminders

Please read and remember the following important information regarding your AP exam day:

• NO CELL PHONES PERMITTED IN THE TESTING AREA. You can leave your cell phone in your car, or leave it at home. College Board does not permit cell phones in the testing area at all. Also, do not bring other electronic devices such as MP3 players, IPOD, BlackBerry smartphones, or Bluetooth-enabled devices. BRINGING CELL PHONES AND/OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES COULD RESULT IN YOUR TEST BEING INVALIDATED.
• Do not bring books or notes to the testing area. Backpacks are not necessary and should be left in your car/locker.
• No outside food or drink is permitted in the testing area. There are water fountains that you can use during the break.
• You must bring photo ID to the exam. This will be checked before the exam. If you have no photo ID, see your counselor now. Photo ID may be your driver's license or any other form of ID with your picture on it.
• You must bring a pencil and a pen to the exam. There will be places on your exam that you use both.
• If you get cold easily, bring a sweater to the testing area.
• Calculus, statistics, and physics students: Bring your own calculator.
• No refunds will be given for missed tests, and there are no makeup tests. If you miss the AP test you will be required to take your teacher's semester exam.
• When taking the AP exam, you will be expected to stay for the entire testing period.
• Students with a morning exam will be allowed to miss periods 1, 2, and 3. Students with an afternoon exam will be allowed to miss periods 3 and 4. You may eat lunch at school or off campus. Do not be late to either school or the exam. If you miss your test, an unexcused absence will be recorded unless you provide a parent/doctor note.

What is AVID?

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a program designed to increase student learning and performance school-wide, through participation and success in rigorous curricula. The AVID method increases enrollment and success in nationally standardized Pre-AP and AP classes, thus improving student application and acceptance rates to four-year colleges. AVID specifically focuses on supporting and encouraging students “in the middle” or those who would be first generation college–bound, helping them to complete college-preparatory academic paths. Students attend an AVID academic elective course whose educators are specially trained through AVID‘s professional development and team planning. AVID students also enjoy the benefits of outside enrichment activities.

How does AVID help our students?

• Provides intensive support with tutorials and strong student/teacher relationships
• Creates a positive peer group for students
• Develops a sense of hope for personal achievement gained through hard work and determination

What are the qualifications for AVID?

• The student's GPA is between 2.0 and 3.5
• The student is passing all classes
• The student has good classroom behavior
• The student has good attendance
• The student may have special circumstances holding them back from succeeding (such as poverty, ethnicity, personal issues, etc)
• The student would like to attend a four year university
• The student would like teacher and community support to achieve their goals

How does a student remain in AVID?

• The student is willing to pass all their classes all of the time
• The student will take Cornell Notes, keep an organized binder, and attend tutorials
• The student will participate in field trips, events, and college expos
• The student will mentor a lower level AVID student
• The student will mentor friends who are not in AVID
• The student will come prepared to every class
• The student will become a leader and be recognized

Why not apply today? See your counselor to begin the process.

AVID Team

AVID Administrator, David Guzman

Coordinators,  Sarah Harmon

AVID Site Team

• Carey Willingham
• Chad Bryan
• Lynette Varrassi
• Michael Ross
• Oanh Chieu

AVID Counselor

• Jack Murphy 

GISD Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses are organized into sixteen career clusters, providing students an introduction to specific career areas and options for further education or immediate employment. These programs offer students the opportunity to earn industry certifications and college credit while in high school.

Career & Technical Education (CTE)

For information about CTE opportunities, visit the district CTE page.

CTE nondiscrimination

All career and technical education (CTE) opportunities will be offered without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, or disability.

• Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs
• Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs-Spanish
• Public Notification of Nondiscrimination in Career and Technical Education Programs-Vietnamese

Are you interested in earning college credit while attending high school? You can by enrolling in Dual Credit Classes during your Junior and Senior years. We are currently accepting applications for Dual Credit testing which is sponsored by Richland College and El Centro College. We administer the Placement Exam on campus for Dual Credit qualification. We also offer tutorials periodically. Please listen to the morning announcements for times and dates of tutorials.

Our current listing of Dual Credit Classes is:

• US History
• Government
• English Comp (English III & English IV)
• English LIT
• Beg French
• Accounting I & II
• BCIM II
• Digital Int Media
• Marketing DYN CP
• Global Business
• HS Clinical
• Prac HS Lab 2
• Future Teacher Internship

Common questions concerning Dual Credit:

• How does dual credit affect my class choices? Students are given the opportunity to choose classes in a number of combinations. Dual credit courses can be combined with regular classes and AP classes. Your academic counselor can help you decide what will work well for you.
• How do you receive credit for dual credit classes? Dual credit courses require that students pass the class (with a grade of 70 or higher) and take the required final exam.
• Will all colleges accept DC credits? Not all colleges and universities will accept dual credit. Most public Texas colleges accept DC credits. If not sure, contact the college/university.

If you are interested in more information about Dual Credit classes at Naaman Forest, please drop by the counselors’ office.  There is an application process that must be completed prior to any designated testing date. There is no cost for this testing. We encourage you to take advantage of this awesome opportunity. It saves you time and money while attending college.

Are you ready for

College?

The state of Texas requires that students take college readiness assessments to determine if they are ready for college before they can take any college classes. There are three college assessments that can determine a student’s level of college readiness:

• TSI-A
• SAT
• ACT

Students who meet College Readiness standards established by the state of Texas can seamlessly transition to college without requiring remediation classes. Remediation classes cost students both time and money since they have to pay for courses that do not apply to a degree or certification before accessing the college-level classes they need to take.

Test Prep 

Shmoop access

1. Log in the Shmoop via Ready Hub. 

2. Sign in with your GISD credentials. 

3. Find and click on My Stuff and select Test Prep Passes. 

4. Pick your test and start preparing. 

5. Go to Ready Hub to access Shmoop.

• Use the Study App to prepare for the TSIA.

• If a student does not pass a section of the TSIA, the student can enter the Learning Locator Code from their Score Report and the student will see an individualized study plan on this website.

TSI Assessment 2.0 ELAR Sample Questions

TSI Assessment 2.0 Mathematics Sample Questions

TSI Assessment 2.0 Essay Guide with Sample Essays

Test Taking Tutorial

• How to use the mouse, keypad, calculator and highlighter in the online test. 

Interpreting Your Scores