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NEISD is committed to helping all students prepare for their future college and/or career opportunities. Students will experience challenging academic standards and will be provided opportunities to develop knowledge and skills needed to further their education and succeed in post-secondary education, workforce, and/or training.
While in high school, students will have the opportunity to demonstrate College, Career, and/or Military readiness through one or more of the following way:
College and Career ReadinessCollege ReadyMeet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) criteria in ELAR and Math
SAT, ACT, TSIA or College Prep CourseMeet AP/IB criteria
Earn a 3 on AP exam any subject or 4 on IB exam any subjectEarn Dual Course Credits
Earn credit for at least three credit hours in ELA or mathematics or at least nine credit hours in any subject.Complete OnRamps Dual Enrollment Course
Complete dual enrollment course qualifying for at least 3 hours of college credit in any subjectEarn an Associate Degree
Degree must be completed prior to graduation from high schoolEarn a Level I or Level II Certificate
Level I or Level II certificate in any workforce education areaCareer ReadyComplete CTE coursework and earn an approved Industry Based Certification (IBC)
Graduate with completed IEP and Workforce Readiness
A graduate that has completed their IEP and has either demonstrated self-employment with self-help skills to maintain employment or has demonstrated mastery of specific employability and self-help skills that do not require public school servicesGraduate under Advanced Degree Plan
A graduate who is identified as receiving special education services during the year of graduation and whose graduation plan type is identified as a Recommended High School Plan (RHSP), Distinguished Achievement Plan (DAP), Foundation High School Plan with an Endorsement (FHSP-E), or Foundation High School Plan with a Distinguished Level of Achievement (FHSP-DLA).Military ReadyEnlist in the US Armed Forces or Texas National Guard
A graduate must enlist and submit a completed DD Form 4 “Enlistment/Reenlistment Document-Armed Forces of the United States” to the districtHonors Courses
The recommendations provided in this catalog for grade placement offer the greatest possibility for student success. A student’s “cohort” is the group of students who entered the ninth grade in the same year. Students within the same cohort will all follow the same rules regarding allowable course choices and course sequencing.
NEISD offers Honors courses in many subject areas at every grade level in high school. These courses are designated as “Honors” and designed for students to pursue challenging curriculum in any subject area as well as to prepare students for future enrollment in college level courses. In addition to all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, Honors courses offer an enrichment of the regular curriculum taught through a variety of strategies. Although not required, Honors courses in the 9th and 10th grade are designed to prepare students to be successful in future college preparatory courses and/or college level courses.
NEISD offers Honors courses to all students in grades 9-12 using an open enrollment policy. Any student may enroll in Honors courses, and students are strongly encouraged to take as many Honors courses as possible, as long as the student and the parents are willing to commit to the program. When making the decision to take Honors courses, consider the demands of academic and extracurricular involvement. Students who choose to enroll in one or more of the Honors courses must complete an NEISD ADVANCED LEVEL COURSE AGREEMENT, and submit the completed form as directed by the campus. Students enrolled in Honors, AP and/or G/T courses may have a required summer reading assignment.
Advanced Placement (AP) Courses
The recommendations provided in this catalog for grade placement offer the greatest possibility for student success. A student’s “cohort” is the group of students who entered the ninth grade in the same year. Students within the same cohort will all follow the same rules regarding allowable course choices and course sequencing.
NEISD offers open enrollment in all AP courses to students in the third- and fourth-year cohorts who are typically, but not always, juniors and seniors by grade level. Accordingly, students in the third and fourth cohort may take as many AP courses as they wish.
Students in the second-year cohort, who are typically sophomores by grade level, may only earn a total of two credits from AP courses cumulatively for that two-year period. If a student is classified as a junior or senior at grade level but belongs to the second-year cohort, the student is still subject to the two-credit maximum applicable to students in the second-year cohort.
Students who enter 9 th grade in the 2021-22 cohort and beyond may earn a total of three credits from AP courses cumulatively for the first two years.
College level courses are offered to NEISD students in many subject areas at every grade level in high school. The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) Program offers high school students an opportunity to take college-level courses at NEISD ISD campuses, taught by NEISD teachers. In addition to all Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, curriculum is rigorous and aligns with the expectations of college-readiness from College Board’s AP Program.
Students taking AP courses in high school develop strong academic foundations and build skills for future academic success. When making the decision to take AP courses, consider the demands of academic and extracurricular involvement. AP courses are exceptionally demanding on students’ time outside of the regular school day. Enrolling in one AP course is the equivalent of signing up for 3-4 college hours. Students who choose to enroll in an AP course must complete an NEISD ADVANCED LEVEL COURSE AGREEMENT and submit the completed form as directed by the campus. Students enrolled in Honors, AP and/or G/T courses may have a required summer reading assignment.
NEISD offers AP Courses are available in the following areas*:
ArtEnglish & CapstoneHistory & Social Sciences- Art & Design Program
- Art History
- Music Theory
- English Language & Composition
- English Literature & Composition
- Seminar
- Research
- Comparative Government
- European Government
- Human Geography
- Macroeconomics
- Microeconomics
- Psychology
- US Government
- US History
- World History: Modern
Mathematics & STEMSciencesWorld Language- Calculus AB
- Calculus BC
- Statistics
- Computer Science A
- Computer Science Principles
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Environmental Science
- Physics 1
- Physics 2
- Physics C
- Chinese Language & Culture
- French Language & Culture
- German Language & Culture
- Japanese Language & Culture
- Latin
- Spanish Language & Culture
- Spanish Literature & Culture
*Course offerings may vary by campus
Students taking AP courses are encouraged to take the AP exams offered in the spring. These exams may demonstrate course completion to potential colleges and may be used for college credit and/or placement. By law, all Texas public colleges and universities must award course credit or placement to students who submit scores of 3 or higher on an AP exam. Students are encouraged to research both public and private colleges and universities for more information regarding their specific policy for awarding credit or placement for AP scores, including with the department of their intended major.
Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment
NEISD offers multiple college credit programs, allowing students opportunities to experience post-secondary education, and earn credits, while still in high school. Students participating in these programs will have an authentic entry point to college, and college expectations, as well as opportunities to develop and apply skills to be successful with college and career goals. Students who participate in dual credit and/or dual enrollment may earn college credits, thereby developing a transcript that may be transferred to other Texas public colleges and universities, while also potentially accelerating post-secondary degree completion and reducing future tuition fees and costs.
Dual Course Credit Program—Alamo Colleges
Alamo Colleges High School Programs Dual Credit allows high school students the opportunity to earn college credit while in high school through completion of dual credit courses.
To enroll in a dual credit course, students must follow the guidelines posted in the NEISD Dual Credit Handbook, including completing an ApplyTexas application and fulfilling the Alamo Colleges Common Entry Requirements.
Dual credit courses are taught by NEISD teachers who are credentialed as adjunct faculty through Alamo Colleges. Campus dual credit course offerings vary at each grade level and are contingent upon adjunct professor approval of the participating college.
Dual credit courses cover all high school TEKS as well as the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for the accompanying Alamo College. Dual credit courses fulfill high school course requirements, will appear on the high school transcript, will appear on college transcripts, and are used in calculating grade point averages.
The college credit is awarded through the Alamo Colleges, not through NEISD. After high school graduation, students must request that a college transcript be sent from an Alamo College to the college/university that the student will attend for the college credit to be evaluated and the college credit(s) awarded. It is the student’s responsibility to contact any other higher education institution regarding acceptance of these credits.
Dual Enrollment—University of Texas at Austin OnRamps
Dual enrollment courses offered through UT Austin OnRamps are available to NEISD students in many subject areas in high school. OnRamps courses are delivered using a hybrid distance learning model and are designed to allow students to engage in authentic college courses and earn college credit while still in the familiarity of the high school setting.
Students will meet rigorous college readiness standards and have the opportunity to earn and accept college credit from UT faculty at UT Austin, while also earning high school credit from an NEISD teacher.
All OnRamps course credits accepted by students will appear on a UT Austin transcript, can be applied to the Texas Common Core, and are guaranteed to transfer to any post-secondary public institution in Texas.
OnRamps courses do not require students to meet additional application or testing requirements. Campus dual enrollment OnRamps course offerings vary by grade level and by campus.
College Readiness and College Entrance Exams
College Board offers an SAT Suite of Assessments for the purpose of measuring a student’s progress toward college and career readiness. North East ISD currently administers the PSAT 8/9 to all 9th grade students and the PSAT NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) to all 10th and 11th grade students in October.
These assessments are designed to systematically and progressively measure the knowledge, skills, and understandings that are essential for success in college and career. Additionally, through the AP Potential tool (utilized from students’ PSAT scores), counselors are able to pinpoint students who are likely to succeed in more challenging courses, for which they may earn college credit.
The benefits of taking the PSAT 8/9 are to provide students with a baseline of their college readiness in the areas of reading, writing, and math; to give them access to free, personalized practice through Khan Academy; and to begin to utilize college/career planning tools. The PSAT NMSQT is designed to continue to assess students’ college readiness skills, providing additional practice; to aid high school counselors, CCMR specialists in advising sophomores and juniors as they plan for college; and to serve juniors who wish to be considered for scholarships administered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. These exams will also prepare students to take the SAT or ACT, to be used for college admissions and/or college course placement.
College Admissions Exams
Colleges and universities use student performance on college entrance exams, ACT and/or SAT, for admissions decisions, course placement, and can be used to determine scholarship and financial aid awards. Colleges and universities use multiple factors when weighing admission decisions, which may include student performance on the ACT and/or SAT exams. Many colleges and universities continue to require submission of student test scores as part of the admissions application; however, some colleges and universities may have adjusted their admissions requirements to become:
Admissions Testing RequirementImpact on Admission DecisionsTest OptionalThe decision to submit scores is up to the student
Most test optional schools WILL consider SAT and/or ACT scores if they are submitted but will focus on other factors as well
Test BlindTest scores will not be used in consideration as part of the application evaluation, even if submitted by student
Test FlexibleStudents may choose which type of test(s) to submit with their application
If a student applies to a college or university that does not require SAT or ACT for admissions, student scores may still be requested by the college or university for course placement considerations. SAT and ACT scores can be used to demonstrate readiness for college level work.
Texas Success Initiative (TSI) and College Course Placement
Texas law requires all students who wish to enroll in Texas public higher education institutions, to meet college readiness standards in reading, writing and math. Students who do not meet TSI standards upon high school graduation will be required to pass developmental courses at the college they are attending in order to start college-level coursework. Developmental courses can be at an additional cost and do not count towards degree completion.
The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is an assessment designed to help Texas institutions determine if students are ready for college level coursework in reading, writing, and math. Students may demonstrate college readiness by demonstrating college readiness on using a TSIA2 score, SAT score and/or ACT score.
The following indicators may also be used for Dual Credit admissions and placement only:
- STAAR (EOC) English II scale score demonstrating college readiness
- STAAR (EOC) Algebra I scale score demonstrating college readiness
- PSAT NMSQT score demonstrating college readiness
NEISD administers the TSIA2 to any interested student for entry into the dual credit Program or for college placement as required by Texas public colleges and universities. All students who take the TSIA are required to complete a Pre-Assessment Activity and provide documentation of completion before testing.
College Prep Courses
North East ISD 12th grade students who have not yet demonstrated college readiness may have the opportunity to enroll in College Prep Math and/or College Prep English. Students who successfully complete these courses are TSI exempt for Math and/or English allowing students to enroll in entry-level collegiate courses at Alamo Colleges, UTSA, and Texas A&M San Antonio.
Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program facilitates career planning and exploration, combining a multiple-aptitude test with an interest self-assessment and wide range of career exploration tools. The ASVAB is a free test administered at each high school at least one time per school year. All students in grades 10, 11, and 12 have the opportunity to take the test. Students do not need to join the military to take the ASVAB.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application used by students to apply for financial aid, such as federal grants, work-study, and student/parent loans (subsidized & unsubsidized) that can be used to pay for college or career school. Additionally, the information provided on the FAFSA may be used to determine student eligibility for state and school based aid (such as scholarships, work-study programs) and by some private financial aid providers.
The FAFSA online application is made available at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa beginning October 1 of each school year. The application should be completed by students during their senior year of high school, and students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA early as many colleges/universities have priority deadlines. The State of Texas has a January 15 priority deadline. Students should check the FAFSA deadline for each school to which they apply.
The FAFSA should be completed if you are a:
- U.S. Citizen
- Permanent U.S. resident with an Alien Registration Card (I-551)
- Conditional permanent U.S. resident with visa type I-551C
- Eligible noncitizen with an Arrival/Departure Record (I-94) showing you as a: (a) Refugee (b) Asylum granted (c) Parolee (d) Cuban-Haitian entrant.
The TASFA is the Texas Application for State Financial Aid is an alternative to the FAFSA for undocumented students in Texas. Texas allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid and state tuition under certain conditions. (http://www.collegeforalltexans.com), See your counselor for additional information on FAFSA and TASFA.
House Bill 3 passed by the Texas Legislature requires Texas students to complete a financial aid application (or formally opt out) in order to graduate. students in the beginning with the class of 2022 to complete one of the following as a requirement for graduation:
- Complete and submit a FAFSA
- Complete and submit a TAFSA
- Complete a signed opt-out form
