• UTAH COUNTY ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

    Policies and Procedures on

    COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS CONFERENCES

    POLICY II

    It is the philosophy of the Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS) that personal educational planning is essential at the secondary level.  This planning should involve students, parents/guardians and educators. At UCAS, this planning will take place in the form of a College and Career Readiness (CCR) conference. This planning will include reliable, useful and timely data on student progress and goals which will facilitate student planning and the accepting of responsibility by the student for his/her own success.  The College and Career Readiness conference is a process which continues from grade to grade and school to school. Continual assessment of student progress, and goals is the key to the College and Career Readiness process.

     

    1.  The Utah County Academy of Sciences will adhere to the following standards related to the College and Career Readiness process:
    2. All College and Career Readiness conferences must be completed under the direction   of a certified school counselor.
    3. At least two small group College and Career Readiness conferences and one individual College and Career Readiness conference will be held during the student’s high school experience. Individual College and Career Readiness conferences may substitute for group College and Career Readiness conference.
    4. Earnest and persistent effort shall be made to invite parents/guardians and students to attend a College and Career Readiness conference at a scheduled time and in a scheduled place. A minimum of 30 minutes should be allowed for each individual College and Career Readiness conference.
    5. The College and Career Readiness conferences will be held in a room which would allow for quiet and privacy.
    6.  College and Career Readiness conferences will include:
    7. An opportunity to recognize the student’s strengths and accomplishments.
    8. An opportunity to review relevant data towards the student’s educational progress:

    graduation requirements, early graduation opportunities, scholarships, possible work options and internships, as well as post secondary options and requirements.

    1. An opportunity for students and parents/guardians to review interest and aptitude tests.
    2. An opportunity to ask questions of the counselor.
    3.  Assessment, management, and accountability expectations, as well as the development of           College and Career Readiness conference guidelines, will be the responsibility of the UCAS administration.
    4. The UCAS administration or his/her designee will ensure that UCAS is following Utah State and UCAS policy with regard to College and Career Readiness conferences.
    5. The UCAS administration will provide evidence that at least one individual College and Career Readiness conference and the required number of group College and Career Readiness conferences were held for each student and that the above listed standards were met.

     

    Instruction/standardized testing

    UCAS shall establish and maintain a standardized testing program. The testing program will integrate the requirements established by the State of Utah Code 53A-1-401, 53A-1-603, and R277-404.

    1. The test results are to be used to inform the Board of Trustees, administrators, teachers, students, and patrons of the level of student achievement and the effectiveness of educational programs.
    2. School administration are responsible for administering the standardized testing program in a manner consistent with accepted testing practices and according to the Procedures established by UCAS.
    3. Teachers assigned to administer the standardized tests to students are responsible for becoming familiar with testing procedures and for administering the tests in a manner consistent with accepted testing practices and according to the Procedures established by UCAS.
    4. UCAS follows statewide procedures for excusing a student from taking certain assessments through an approved “opt-out” form. Students will be given an alternative exam that will produce data similar to those on computer adaptive assessments.
    5. Assessments that are required for High School graduation, including Utah Valley University (UVU) CE course completion, that are not taken will result in the student not graduating or not passing the course.  

     

    Approved 11/17/2015

    Updated 10/2018