11th Grade: Focus on Your College Goals

• Update your My College Plan using californiacolleges.edu. Keep a list of potential colleges. Do the same for your career interests on the My Career Plan tab.
• Ask local colleges about programs that high school students can take.
• Discuss college choices with other college-bound classmates, family, teachers, and your counselor.
• Ask your high school’s career center when college representatives will visit. Plan to speak with them.

• Get involved – Sign up for clubs, organizations, volunteering, and/or sports.
• Earn As & Bs in all A-G classes.
• Refine your study skills to learn more effectively.
• Apply for scholarships.
• Practice Self-Care.
• Ask for help – Meet with tutor who specializes in AP coursework and testing.

Academic preparation is CSU’s innovative and targeted approach for the assessment of students’ English and math skills in high school and placement in first-year General Education (GE) English (written communication) and math/quantitative reasoning courses.

There are many ways to determine which first-year GE English and math/qualitative reasoning (QR) courses are right for each student. Factors known as “multiple measures” are used to evaluate each student’s academic preparation in these subjects.

Multiple Measures for Placement Include:

• Standardized Tests
• Each spring, all grade eleven students in California take the Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics administered as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP)
• The release of the CAASPP results will not affect a student’s application for admission. Results are only used to determine a student’s placement after he or she has been admitted to the CSU.
• High School Grade Point Average (GPA)
• High School Math GPA
• High School and College Coursework

Students will find their CAASPP/EAP results are reported on the Student Score Report. There are four possible EAP status levels, as described below:

• Standard Exceeded (Level 4)

Students who score at the highest performance level “Standard Exceeded” (Level 4) will enroll in GE English and/or mathematics college level courses upon entering the CSU. Students are encouraged to continue preparation during the twelfth grade.

• Standard Met (Level 3)

Students who score at the “Standard Met” (Level 3) performance level must complete an approved year-long English and/or mathematics course in the twelfth grade with a grade of “C-” or better. Students will enroll in GE English and/or mathematics college-level courses upon entering the CSU.

• Standard Nearly Met (Level 2)
• Standard Not Met (Level 1)

Students who score at the “Standard Nearly Met” (Level 2) or Standard Not Met (Level 1) performance level will be placed in supported GE English and/or mathematics college-level courses unless they meet the exemption criteria through completion of other multiple measures (high school coursework or high school grade point average, and college transfer coursework).

As part of the CSU’s commitment to academic preparation and student success, the Supportive Pathways for First-Year Students Program (formerly the Early Start Program) offers pathways and academic and social support that align with each incoming student’s needs. The program’s goal is to ensure that first-time students successfully complete the General Education (GE) written communication (A2) and math/quantitative reasoning (B4) requirements within their first year.