All incoming 9th grade students will be enrolled in the course United States History I: 1800-1919. The choice is whether or not the students take the course at the Honors or College Prep level. Students will be recommended for the appropriate level by their 8th grade teachers, and those recommendations are based on the following areas:

• Students should typically not be absent more than three (3) times a semester. (Successful Honors students are those who are absent three (3) times a semester or less.)

• Students should complete homework at a 95% rate or higher without urging/prompting from parents and/or teachers.

• Students should be active participants in class discussion.

• Students should be able to articulate an opinion and then support it with evidence both in writing and orally.

• Students should be curious about the world. They should be knowledgeable about current events and take in news sources regularly and independently.

• Students should read for pleasure.

• Students should be internally motivated: 
  • by a desire to master the material; 
  • to work hard every day; 
  • to find success in a classroom setting.

• Students should: 
  • enter the class knowing how to prepare for tests and quizzes; 
  • enter the class having a solid organizational skill base and be able to take organized, thorough notes in class.

• Students, on the whole, should welcome a challenge, and be resilient in the face of failure. Honors is a hard curriculum for all of our students, and a big part of the process is learning from mistakes and improving after recognizing what caused their initial performance.