Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Keeping College Affordable

Parents of all students and members of the community:

Tahoma High School will be hosting an information night on Monday, January 23 from 6:30-8:30 pm for all members of the community, including students and parents, to learn more about keeping a college education affordable.

From 6:30-7:30, program managers from Green River College will provide information about five different bachelor of applied science degrees at Green River. These four-year degrees target high demand fields, offer small class sizes, and provide students with hands-on learning opportunities. The cost of obtaining a bachelor’s degree at Green River is significantly less than a state university, making Green River a popular destination for traditional students and career changers alike. There will be time for questions after the presentation.

From 7:30-8:30, Dr. Jonathan Brown will be giving a presentation: “Pros and Cons of Community Colleges: The Last College Bargain.” Dr. Brown has worked as a college administrator at both four-year universities and community colleges. He will use both history and current data to challenge some of the societal myths people believe about community colleges. This presentation is sponsored by the Maple Valley Library.

People may attend one or both sessions. Presentations will be in the Lecture Hall at THS. Enter through the courtyard which is to the left of the main entrance to the school.

If you have questions, please contact Lara Lindersmith llinders@tahomasd.us | 425-413-3468.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Advanced Placement (AP)

Parents of sophomores & juniors:

Advanced Placement courses allow students to receive college credit and audit freshmen-level coursework at universities across the country. Hosted by the College Board, the nonprofit testing service that also supports the PSAT and SAT, the AP program covers a wide range of subjects.

AP courses at Tahoma prepare students to take an exam in the spring that proves college-level competency in a given subject. Tahoma teachers assemble texts and write activities that address exam scoring criteria specifically, and they submit a detailed syllabus that explains how these standards are met through the curriculum. The teacher’s plan for instruction then must be approved by College Board for Tahoma to label a course as AP. It is this audit process that ensures the quality and rigor of AP courses, and that allows colleges and universities confidently to accept student exam scores in place of regular freshman coursework.

At present, Tahoma High School offers the 19 AP courses listed here (click to view list).

In the 2017-18 school year, Tahoma is excited to offer three new AP offerings.

AP Art History allows students to explore and analyze how art is made and how it changes over time. By examining important artistic movements, students potentially can apply those concepts to their own art work.

In addition, Tahoma will be one of a limited number of Washington State schools to offer AP Capstone. AP Capstone is a diploma program composed of two courses, AP Seminar and AP Research. In AP Seminar, students learn intensive research skills through group and independent work on a topic of their choosing. The following year, students can take AP Research, a course which supports a student’s writing and oral defense of a significant research paper. The two courses, combined with any other AP course, earns the student the AP Capstone diploma. This distinction is recognized at competitive/selective colleges as evidence of significant learning in a specific subject area, as well as well-developed and widely applicable research skills.

If you are interested in learning more about Advanced Placement courses, please join us for College in High School Night on Thursday, January 5, 2017 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Students and teachers in these classes will be available to answer your questions about these classes and their benefits. You can also contact Charisse Braun, AP/College in High School Coordinator, at cbraun@tahomasd.us.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

College in the High School

Parents of sophomores and juniors:

Tahoma offers College in the High School courses through both the University of Washington (UW) and Central Washington University (CWU). These classes allow students to earn both graduation credit toward a high school diploma and college credit for a two or four-year college degree.
Using the same curriculum and materials as those used at the university’s main campus, Tahoma High School teachers who hold at least a master’s degree teach a College in the High School course offered through UW, CWU, or both. As a result, students have the opportunity to take college classes without having to leave the high school campus. To participate, students register for college credit in these courses. Those who complete the coursework with a qualifying grade receive college credit from the university.

For example, a student in pre-calculus who wants to earn college credit from Central Washington University completes the registration materials, pays for tuition, and then attends class with Mr. DeBolt, Ms. Innes, or Ms. Shirley at Tahoma. After completing the course, the student can request an official transcript from CWU for 5-10 credits in quantitative math, which is a freshman requirement at most universities.

The following College in the High School courses are available at Tahoma High School for the 2017-18 school year.

  • College Computer Prog. II (UW CSE 143)
  • College Literary Analysis (UW ENGL 111)
  • College Writing (UW ENGL 131)
  • College French (UW FREN 103)
  • College Spanish (UW SPAN 103)
  • Advanced College Spanish (UW SPAN 201)
  • Pre– Calculus (CWU Math 153/154)
  • College Geology (CWU GEOL 101)

If you are interested in learning more about College in High School courses, please join us for College in High School Night on Thursday, January 5, 2017 from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. You can also contact Charisse Braun, AP/College in High School Coordinator, at cbraun@tahomasd.us.