2015-16 EDITION The Reynolds Advance College Academies WHERE OUTSTANDING STUDENTS GET STARTED Reynolds ACA Partners: Goochland County Public Schools ACA programs are evidence that Reynolds and our public school district partners are working together to respond to Virginia House Bill 1184 and satisfy the requirements of Virginia Code section 22.1-254.13:1. Message from the Director Partnerships (NACEP), Reynolds adheres Is an ACA the Right Choice for to NACEP’s rigorous standards of program Welcome to the You and Your Family? Reynolds Advance College quality for curriculum, faculty, and students. Academies (ACA)! The Reynolds ACA Over the last few years, we have learned provides outstanding high school students In 2015, we reached two significant that the success of a student in the ACA the opportunity to earn an associate degree milestones: the Reynolds ACA won First depends on two major factors. First, how while completing the requirements for their Place in Virginia Community College dedicated are you, the student, to work hard high school diploma. We have carefully System’s Excellence in Education Awards in and commit yourself to your studies? Second, selected and sequenced the college course the category of Improving Student Success, how supportive is your family of your school work in the program so that you can satisfy and the first cohort of 34 students in the requirements? Students and families who the requirements of the high school diploma Reynolds ACA at J.R. Tucker High School are motivated to do the following things and associate degree at the same time. received associate degrees in Social Science make the best ACA candidates. at the Reynolds Commencement ceremony. Students typically apply to the Reynolds For more on the Reynolds ACA, visit our Successful Reynolds ACA Students... ACA in the 8th grade through their local website at www.reynolds.edu/aca. Choose to take challenging courses and school division, enroll in advanced high programs in their school. These students school courses in the 9th and 10th grade, will have completed Algebra I, at least and take the required college coursework one year of world language, and, if for the associate degree during the 11th and possible, other high school-level courses 12th grade. Students in the Reynolds ACA before entering ninth grade. program are required to attend a five-week session of college courses during the Regularly study at night and on the summer between their sophomore and weekends and are prepared to take two junior year. college classes in the summer between their sophomore and junior year of high Reynolds Community College is accredited school. by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award Demonstrate the maturity to take associate degrees through its Advance responsibility for their own education College Academy sites. As members of the and have a proven track record of National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment motivating themselves to keep up with Miles S. McCrimmon, Ph.D., is the director of school work, especially when coursework the Reynolds Advance College Academy. 3 and projects provide them an extra Benefits of Completing a challenge. Reynolds ACA Program Are involved at their school through High school students participating in college clubs, service opportunities, athletics, credit courses often have social, emotional, music and art programs, or other similar career, and academic advantages over their activities. peers who do not participate in such Families of Successful Students… programs. Reynolds Community College Provide the support necessary to offers the ACA program to allow students to encourage the student with their academic increase the academic rigor of their high responsibilities. school experience. The desire for rigor should be the ultimate goal of participating in an Provide access to a computer and Reynolds Admissions and Advance College Academy. internet service for the student outside Placement Requirements classroom hours. Students participating in one of the ACA ACAs are considered specialized high school programs attend a designated high school Plan around their student’s required programs and as such have separate selection in their school division and participate in enrollment in college courses at Reynolds processes determined by each local school the program as a member of a cohort all during a five-week summer session before division. Students should consult with their four years of high school. The cohort model the student’s junior year of high school. middle school and/or high school counselors allows the student to develop strong peer for more detail about admission requirements. relationships the student can utilize as a support system throughout the program. After admission into an ACA, prior to enrolling Students also receive career coaching services in the first Reynolds courses, students must from Reynolds beginning in the ninth grade complete the Reynolds Community College year. application, demonstrate readiness in English and Math, and place into English 111, College Visit www.reynolds.edu/aca for your school Composition I, on the Virginia Placement division’s specific Reynolds ACA curriculum. Test for English (VPT-English) and Mathematics 163, Pre-Calculus, on the Virginia Placement Test for Mathematics (VPT-Math). 4 Transferability of Courses participation in the ACA programs. It is declares a major, or at some other time important to note that the college or during the student’s enrollment at the When any high school student with any university may make the decision about college or university. form of college credit decides to attend a the transfer of college credits during the four-year college or university, the college Prospective ACA students should consult admissions process, once the student or university makes three decisions about the transfer guides of the specific colleges the student. or universities they wish to attend. These guides can often be found by accessing the First, the college or university makes an Hands-on learning is at the core transfer admissions portion of the college or admissions decision. Based on the high of Reynolds ACA programs. university website. Students can also utilize school record, does the student meet the the Transfer Tool of the State Council of admissions requirements of the college Higher Education of Virginia (SCHEV). The or university? tool can be found at: www.schev.edu/ Second, the college or university will students/transfer. make a decision about the acceptance of Bear in mind that the information on the transfer credit. This decision may be transfer tool does not constitute a formal made at the admissions level or within evaluation of transfer credit or a guarantee the academic department to which the of the transferability of courses and credits, student’s major belongs. and it is subject to change from time to time T hird, the college or university will make to ensure accuracy. For questions regarding a decision about the social standing of the content of the transfer information, the student. Social standing decisions please contact the appropriate college or vary by institution and might relate to university. housing or course registration windows. Once enrolled in an ACA program, students All transfer decisions are made by the should contact the specific college or specific college or university to which the university of interest, their high school student has been admitted. Reynolds makes counselor, their ACA career coach, or one no guarantee about the transfer of the of the career, employment, and transfer college credit students earn through counselors at Reynolds for more information. 5 College & Career Coaching Services 10th and 11th grade students as they navigate 2. The ACA Career Coach builds the Reynolds application and enrollment relationships with ACA students. Students participating in one of the Advance process; and finally, help 12th grade students College Academy programs will be assigned ACA career coaches are relationship enroll at a college or university upon to work with a career coach. The career builders. Each career coach gets to know completion of the program. coach is a Reynolds employee dedicated to the students and is better able to match this special student population. The coach There are four signature characteristics of opportunities and interventions to will work closely with the school program every Reynolds ACA Career Coach. particular students. The relationship between the career coach and the ACA coordinator and the designated school 1. The ACA Career Coach is available. counselor to design programming to facilitate student begins in the 9th grade year and the exploration of self, work, and educational The ACA career coach has office hours continues until the student graduates opportunities. The career coach program each week at each ACA designated high from the program. will begin in the 9th grade year with interest, school. Students in the program will skills, and value assessments for each student. know where and when they can find 3. The ACA Career Coach is the link to In the 10th grade year, the career coach will their career coach. Reynolds for ACA students, parents, guide the student through the application and local school division personnel. and enrollment process at Reynolds. Career Reynolds ACA students are proud of the In most instances, the ACA career coach coaching in the 11th grade will focus on academic challenges they are able to meet. will