Oak Ridge High School

Counseling / College & Career Center
- Counseling
- Career Center

FAQs

MY CHILD IS HAVING DIFFICULTIES IN HIS / HER CLASSES, WHAT SHOULD I DO?

The first step is to talk to your student. Sometimes asking these simple, probing questions may help put the issue into perspective and identify the best intervention. Start by asking your student what the perceived challenge is….
- How is attendance for the class--consistent and regular?
- Has the student checked Aeries?
- Is organization an issue in the class? Is there an online calendar?
- Has all homework been submitted?
- Does your student know how to access the homework?
- Does your student understand the material?
- What do the formative (assessments along the way) and summative (assessments at the conclusion of the unit) assessments look like?
- In the course syllabus provided at the beginning of the year, what are the teacher suggested interventions if a student has questions or concerns? Is there a teacher website to reference?
The next step is for the student to reach out to the instructor. In person is best--and during Nutrition Break is ideal. It is often reported that the student sending an email in anticipation of talking with the teacher helps the student formulate the concern and gives a "head's up" to the teacher that the student is concerned. This will help the meeting to be productive and allow the teacher to prepare for the conversation.
Once the teacher and student have communicated, if the parent would like to reach out for additional information or clarification, please feel free to do so via email or phone.
EDUHSD Faculty Directory
If after phone and/or email communication with the teacher has not resolved the issue, it might be necessary to request a parent/teacher/student conference. To request a meeting, please put your request in writing to the instructor and CC the student's designated counselor.
ORHS Counseling Staff

HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO DROP A COURSE WITHOUT PENALTY?

The last time to withdraw from a class without penalty is the end of the fourth week of school (20 school days).

WHEN SHOULD I REPEAT A COURSE?

If a student fails a graduation requirement. See link below for more information on graduation requirements: EDUHSD Graduation Requirements
- Should a student earn a passing grade ("D-" or better) and yet would like to repeat a course, he/she will not earn additional credit for taking the same course again.
In some cases, a student must or may choose to repeat a course (and therefore become credit deficient) in these possible scenarios:
- A "C" or better grade is needed to meet minimum four-year university admissions requirements.
  - Please reference the UC/CSU Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements:
    CSU-UC Comparison of Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements
- To meet a prerequisite for a desired, next-level class in a course sequence (example: "C" or better needed in Japanese I to move onto Japanese 2). Please reference the EDUHSD Course Directory for prerequisites:
  EDUHSD Course Directory
- Please consult with your designated counselor to identify if repeating a course is warranted.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE COURSES / ADVANCED EDUCATION

All required courses for graduation must be completed at Oak Ridge High School. For more information regarding the graduation requirements click on the link below: EDUHSD Graduation Requirements
Students may take classes at the community college to receive high school elective credit. Certain criteria apply.
The student must first meet with his/her school counselor to obtain an EDUHSD Off-Campus Pre-Approval Form as well as the Advanced Education packet. In the meeting, the student and counselor will review the requirements for the program. For more information about Advanced Education at Folsom Lake College, please click on the link below:
FLC Advanced Education

HOW DO I MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY COUNSELOR?

Trouble with a class? Please see #1 above.
If I need support with the following ...please make an appointment:
- 4-year planning
- College/Career Planning
- Class Concern
- Personal
- Other
To schedule an appointment, please stop by the Counseling Office before/after school, break, or lunch. You may also call to schedule an appointment: 916-933-6980 ext. 3050 or ext. 3060. Post-Secondary planning appointments should be made after your student has completed their Fall Career Unit (refer to Planning Page for dates). *Exception will be made for Seniors.
For quick questions, you may find a Counselor out on campus during Break and Lunch. Please stop by the Counseling Office to find where Counselors are during these times.
Counseling Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Monday - Friday
ORHS Counseling Office Website (See details for more information on how to make an appointment.)

WHAT DOES A "WEIGHTED GPA" MEAN?

All of our AP (Advanced Placement) classes, with an earned grade of "C" or better are weighted in the high school grade point average. This means an extra point is added in computing the average.
- For these "weighted" AP class: A's earn 5 grade points, B's earn 4, and C's earn 3. D's and F's are not awarded extra grade points.
  
  The UC/CSU systems do limit the number of weighted grades taken in 9th and 10th grade that they will count in the college GPA.
  CSU-UC Comparison of Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements
- For more information about our Advanced Placement program, you may visit the ORHS .

I HEARD 9TH GRADE GRADES DO NOT COUNT. IS THIS TRUE?

All classes and grades count in high school. All grades are computed into the student's cumulative grade point average (GPA). The 9-12, overall GPA is used in qualifying for scholarships and by many private universities.
Most UC and CSU universities begin calculating a college GPA in 10th grade which has led to confusion on this topic.
It is important to note that even if a college chooses to begin the college GPA in the 10th grade year, they still look carefully at the 9th grade year to ensure that students receive a minimum of a "C" grade in any college prep courses taken in that year.
An insufficient grade in a college prep course in the 9th grade year (that is not re-taken and passed with a "C" or better) may disqualify a student in attaining admission to a four-year university.

WHAT DOES UC/CSU APPROVED COURSES MEAN?

The California public university system has designated which of our classes they will accept as satisfying their "subject requirements" for admission. These subject requirements demonstrate that the student is prepared for the rigors of college work at the UC/CSU campuses.
CSU-UC Comparison of Minimum Freshman Admission Requirements
Oak Ridge High School UC/CSU Approved Courses

WHAT IS THE BEST SCIENCE CLASS TO TAKE IN 9TH GRADE?

It depends on your interests, abilities and your goals. The district requirement states that students must pass one year of physical science and one year of biological science by the end of the 12th grade year to graduate.
The science course is dependent on the math placement.
Algebra Foundations: Strong recommendation to postpone science until the student is taking Algebra I.
Algebra I: E/S Science
Geometry: E/S Science or Biology.

HOW DO I REQUEST A TRANSCRIPT FROM ORHS?

See the ORHS Counseling Office Website for more information.

WHAT IS THE SALUTATORIAN AND VALEDICTORIAN QUALIFYING AND SELECTION PROCESS?

The valedictorian for a graduating class will be the student with the highest total weighted GPA based on 210 credits (the first seven semesters of high school at 30 credits per semester). If a student took seven classes (35 credits) during a semester, the six classes reflecting the highest amount of grade points will be used. If a student took five classes (25 credits) during any semester, the course reflecting the highest amount of grade points from a semester in which the student took seven classes will be included to total 30 credits (this would include Advanced Education). In the event of an exact tie in total weighted GPA, both students will be named valedictorians.
The salutatorian for a graduating class will be the student with the second highest GPA using the criteria noted above.

TEACHER REQUEST AND SCHEDULE CHANGE POLICIES

TEACHER REQUEST POLICY:
- Requests to have (or not have) specific teachers will not be taken or considered.
- All teachers and Management are in agreement and will be following this policy. The only exception to the above policy is:
  - A student has personally had that teacher previously (or sibling) and is requesting to not have that teacher again.
  - Please remember this is a request and requests must be made no later than the first week of school. Any adjustment to the schedule depends on seat availability and our ability to maintain a balanced Master Schedule.
- If a student or parent has specific and current concerns about a particular teacher:
  - The teacher should be contacted directly by the student and/or parent, the concerns should be discussed and a mutually agreed upon resolution should be attempted.
  - If a resolution cannot be reached, or the problem continues, the student's Counselor should be contacted. See link for .
  - If the Counselor is unable to facilitate a resolution, the issue will be referred.
REQUEST SCHEDULE CHANGE:
- Schedule changes will only be made for students who are in an incorrect class. This may be an elective class change, a change in the level of an academic class, or if a student is missing a required class or has a class duplicated. Such schedule adjustments should be made in the first 2 weeks of the semester.
- Level adjustments (Ex. Adv. English to English 1) may be made within 4 weeks of the semester upon submitting a Course Change Request Form which will be available in the Counseling Office. Changes will not be approved on the basis of requesting a change of teachers or class periods (see Teacher Request Policy Above).