HIGBEE HIGH SCHOOL
A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM
                       Student Financial Incentive
STUDENT/PARENT MANUAL
GUIDELINES FOR ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

“Educating every student every day to become lifelong learners”

Welcome to the A+ Schools Program!

As a student at Higbee R-VIII High School, there are many opportunities you should consider as you take the next step on your educational journey as a lifelong learner.   By choosing the A+ Schools Program, you have set yourself on a path to a high-performance future.   As we begin the 21st century, it is vital that you acquire the academic competencies and skills necessary for success in postsecondary education and career performance.

The A+ Schools Program will enable you to continue on a career path, master performance objectives in individual courses, use technology in the classroom, and meet your needs for a successful future.   By choosing to work toward attainment of the student financial incentive offered through this program, you are affording yourself the opportunity to acquire the postsecondary education that will be a requirement of 70 percent of all new jobs in the future.

Congratulations on being accepted into the A+ Program.  I look forward to working with you as you achieve your educational and career goals.

					Sincerely,

					Theresa Fuemmeler

					A+ Coordinator

The student financial incentive part of the A+ Schools Program provides for applicants who meet the following requirements to be eligible for state reimbursement for the cost of tuition, books, and fees while attending any Missouri public community college or postsecondary vocational or technical school as a full-time student. These costs will be reimbursable only after secured federal postsecondary financial assistance funds that do not require repayment have been applied. The incentive will be available for up to two years of attendance during the 4-year period following graduation.
This funding is dependent upon Higbee High School being re-designated as an A+ School prior to the applicant's graduation and state appropriations from the Missouri General Assembly.
HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
Requirement 1:  Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Requirement 2:  Enter into a written agreement with Higbee High School prior to graduation.
Requirement 3:  Attend a designated A+ School for three (3) consecutive years prior to high school graduation.
Students must attend an A+ school during their entire sophomore, junior, and senior years. The student financial incentive is dependent upon Higbee High School being re-designated as an A+ School before the applicant graduates and state appropriations from the Missouri General Assembly.
Requirement 4: Graduate from high school with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
This grade point average will represent the applicant's cumulative GPA which includes the freshman through senior years. A student with a 2.5 or lower will not be eligible.
In the event that an applicant is not able to meet the grade point requirement and becomes ineligible for the A+ financial incentive, the student and/or parent has the right to appeal. In cases of appeal, the student must notify the A+ Coordinator in writing of her/his intent to appeal. The A+ Coordinator shall then convene a meeting of an Eligibility Committee for consideration of the appeal within 10 days. This committee will consist of:
Principal			Superintendent		A+ Coordinator		Guidance Counselor
The committee will hear the appeal and return its decision to the student within 5 days of the meeting. The decision of the committee may be appealed to the superintendent for a final decision.
Requirement 5: Have at least a 95 percent attendance record for grades 9-12.
The applicant must have a 95 percent or better average attendance record for a four year period—freshmen through senior years. A student with a 94.9 percent or lower will not be eligible.
In the event that an applicant is not able to meet the attendance requirement and becomes ineligible for the A-financial incentive, the student and/or parent has the right to appeal. In cases of appeal, the student must notify the A+ Coordinator in writing of her/his intent to appeal. The A+ Coordinator shall then convene a meeting of an Eligibility Committee for consideration of the appeal within 10 days. This committee will consist of:
Principal			Superintendent		A+ Coordinator		School Counselor
The committee will hear the appeal and return its decision to the student within 5 days of the meeting. The decision of the committee may be appealed to the superintendent for a final decision.

Requirement 6:  Perform at least 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring, of which up to 25% may include job shadowing prior to graduation.
The following guidelines should be followed in the completion of this requirement. Should questions concerning tutoring or mentoring arise, please contact the A+ coordinator.
(1) All tutoring and mentoring activities will be designed to involve the A+ applicant with students in the A+ district.
(2) Tutoring and mentoring activities will provide, as an ultimate goal, encouragement to students to get them turned on to school, stay in school, and strive for good grades.
(3) Tutoring and mentoring activities will be school-based, academic in nature, and under the auspices of the school (not private or public sector programs in which the school has no input into the activity.)
(4) The tutoring and mentoring activities must occur before, after, or during the school day.
(5) All tutoring arid mentoring must be supervised and verified by school staff.
(6) The A+ applicant is responsible for maintaining a monthly timesheet indicating all tutoring or mentoring activities. Exact times should be indicated. Only activities that have been verified with a timesheet signature by a school staff person will be •counted toward the 50 hour requirement. At the end of each month, this timesheet will be submitted by the applicant to the tutor/mentor supervisor or to the A+ Coordinator. 

Requirement 7: Maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid the unlawful use of drugs and/or alcohol while in grades 9-12.
Students' eligibility for the A+ Program Financial Incentive is based on their ability to meet several requirements during a four-year period prior to graduation with one of those requirements being: "a student must maintain a record of good citizenship and avoidance of the unlawful use of drugs."
In an effort to set forth the parameters of good citizenship, Higbee High School A+ Program participants should understand that the following guidelines will be followed in establishing good standing:
(1) Activities within the school setting are an important part of determining good citizenship. Students are expected to demonstrate patterns of good behavior that include, but are not limited to, cooperation, respect for oneself and others, responsibility, punctuality, and leadership. Poor school citizenship resulting in an out-of-school-suspension (OSS) will result in the following action:
OSS (excluding tardies)	1st Offense                                        	A+ Financial Incentive Probation
OSS	2nd Offense                                       	Not Eligible for A+ Financial Incentive
Expulsion	1st Offense                         		Not Eligible for A+ Financial Incentive

(2) Good citizenship outside of the school setting is of equal importance. Before acceptance into the A+ Program, each applicant and his/her parent or guardian is required to sign a release form authorizing the release of any records from the Office of Juvenile Court Services to the Higbee Public Schools to be used in monitoring the good citizenship of the applicant. Therefore, any actions for which legal information is available to the school district will be used in evaluating the citizenship of the applicant as follows:
Misdemeanor	1st Offense                                     Not Eligible for A+ Financial Incentive
Felony	1" Offense                                      Not Eligible for A+ Financial Incentive
An Eligibility Committee will meet as needed to review and determine the eligibility status of students with citizenship deficiencies. They will also be responsible for hearing cases of appeal. This committee will consist of:
Principal			Superintendent		A+ Coordinator		Guidance Counselor
A student and/or parent has the right to appeal when he/she becomes ineligible for the A+ financial incentive. In cases of appeal, the student must notify the A+ Coordinator in writing of her/his intent to appeal. The A+ Coordinator shall then convene a committee meeting for consideration of the appeal within 10 school days. The committee shall hear the appeal and return its decision to the student within 5 days of the meeting. The decisions of the committee may be appealed to the superintendent for the final decision.
Requirement 8: Make a good faith effort to secure all available federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
During the applicant's senior year, he/she will be required to complete an application for securing federal post-secondary financial assistance. Reimbursement from the state will be given only after secured federal funds that do not require repayment have been applied.

Requirement 9: Have achieved a score of proficient or advanced on the Algebra I end of course exam or a higher level DESE approved end-of-course exam in the field of mathematics.

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements except the end of course exam requirement, you may establish eligibility by achieving a combined ACT math subscore and high school GPA in accordance with the following scale.  You may achieve the qualifying score as a high school or postsecondary student.  If you achieve the score as a postsecondary student  you may be eligible for an award in the same term that you take the best..  See A+ Coordinator for specific eligibility requirements.
INITIAL POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS
The student financial incentive will be available for up to two years of attendance during the four-year period after the recipient graduates from high school. To maintain eligibility, the student must:
Requirement 1: Enroll and attend full-time at a participating public community college or vocational/technical school or private two-year vocational/technical school.

Students who have a disability as defined by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act and are unable to enroll full time because of their disability but are enrolled in at least six credit hours may be considered to be enrolled full time.
Requirement 2: Be seeking a degree or certificate at the school in which you are enrolled.

Requirement 3:  Not be pursuing a degree or certificate in theology or divinity.

Requirement 4:  Not have a criminal record preventing receipt of federal Title IV student financial aid.

Requirement 5: Make a good faith effort to secure all available federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Requirement 6:  Achieve at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point on a 4.0 scale at the end of the fall semester and otherwise maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by your school.
Requirement 7:  Complete 12  semester credit hours or the equivalent  (6 hours during the summer term) each term in which you receive an A+ award in order to maintain eligibility for the next term.
RENEWAL STUDENTS
Requirement 1:  Continue to meet eligibility requirements for initial students except for the 2.0 CGPA fall semester requirement.
Requirement 2:  Maintain a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale and otherwise maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by your school.
Requirement 3:  Make a good faith effort to secure all available, non-loan federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA.
Requirement 4:  Complete 12 semester credit hours or the equivalent each term in which you receive an A+ award in order to maintain eligibility for the next term.
The specific guidelines outlined in this manual for Higbee R-VIII High School have been developed in accordance with Missouri Senate bill 380 by the Higbee A+ Advisory Council Application/Eligibility Guidelines Task Force.
The eligibility requirements guidelines for the Higbee  A+ Schools Program (student financial incentive) were amended and approved by the Higbee A+ Advisory Council on October 3, 2011 and again on October 10, 2011 . They were approved by the Higbee Board of Education on October 12, 2011.

VERIFICATION FORM
Please sign and return this form to the A+ coordinator to complete the acceptance procedures for the A+ Program.
I have read the Higbee High School A+ Schools Program (Student Financial Incentive) Student/Parent Manual and understand the guidelines that must be complied with in order to receive the tuition and fees reimbursement.
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Student Signature	Date

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Parent Signature	Date