High School Planning

The goal is to graduate all students College, Career, or Military Ready. 

8th Grade is where it all begins

What:

The Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) is a customized, collaborative document that outlines the necessary steps for a student to fulfill high school graduation requirements and effectively prepare for their goals after graduation. This plan begins with an initial draft in 8th grade, where the student, parent, and school staff work together to select the appropriate courses and program of study for the student's high school career.

Why:

This is a state requirement introduced in the 8th grade. The PGP is designed to be a living document that is annually reviewed and updated. It facilitates clear communication among families, students, and staff regarding specific graduation requirements and encourages students to proactively develop and refine their educational and post-secondary goals.

Some of the activities that require planning and a special sequence of courses are:

●  Earning college credits while in high school, which is much cheaper than paying college tuition
●  Earning real workforce licenses and certifications
●  Getting a job or internship where students are mentored by professionals, and 
●  Taking advanced level academic courses that better prepare students for academic scholarship opportunities and entrance to competitive universities 

How:

8th grade students have the opportunity to visit all of the high schools and learn about the programs available on each campus. The program of study your student selects will determine the high school they will attend.  Once a program is chosen, the counselor will meet individually with each student to complete their Personal Graduation Plan (PGP) by selecting courses the student is interested in taking throughout high school.  Please keep in mind that students’ interests often change, and the PGP can be updated each year during the course selection process.

●  You can find the CFBISD Programs of Choice by visiting the CFB website.  Scroll down and click on the High School button then click CTE.
●  Our comprehensive high schools Creekview, Newman Smith, Ranchview and R L Turner all have a variety of CTE Programs of Study.

How to know if your student is College, Career or Military Ready by Graduation:

Texas CCMR Indicators

The state evaluates the effectiveness of high school programming in school districts with the college, career, or military readiness indicator because it shows readiness for the world after high school.  There is no notation on the transcript, however, other than those that are already performance acknowledgements. Below are the Texas CCMR Indicators:

●  Meet SAT/ACT/ TSIA benchmark in both ELA/ Reading and Math
●  Dual credit (3 hours Math or English, of 9 hours and subject)
●  AP score 3+ or IB score 4+
●  Meet criteria to earn OnRamps credit
●  Earn an Industry Based Certification (on TEA’s list) and complete an aligned CTE program of study
●  Enlist in armed forces (Army, Navy, Airforce, Coast Guard, Marines or the Texas National Guard
●  Graduate under an Advanced Diploma Plan and be identified as a current special education student

 

Vocabulary for High School Planning

PGP - Personal Graduation Plan or PGP is a 4-year plan of high school courses that meets graduation requirements and personal goals, is approved by parents and reviewed every year in high school.

Credit - Earned when the student passes a course with a grade of 70 or higher.

1 semester = 0.5 credits

2 semesters = 1 credit

Cohort - The year a student is expected to graduate from high school, according to the date they enter 9th grade.

Grade level - Is determined by the number of credits earned.

9th grade: 0-5.5 credits

10th grade: 6-11.5 credits

11th grade: 12-18.5 credits

12th grade: 19+ credits

Endorsement - Sequence of courses that allow students to develop expertise in an area. Each 8th grade student will select one:

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
• Business and Industry
• Public Service
• Arts and Humanities
• Multidisciplinary Studies

End of Course Exam (EOC) - STAAR test required by the state for graduation: Algebra1, Biology, English 1, English 2, and US History.

ECHS - Early College High School or ECHS, affords students the opportunity to earn an associate degree free of charge by the time they graduate with a high school diploma. Located at Dallas College. Students need to apply.

CCMR indicators - College, Career and Military Readiness, or CCMR indicators include achievements such as benchmark scores on tests like the SAT, college courses taken in high school and industry certifications and licenses. They show colleges and employers that students show readiness for the next step after graduation.

UT OnRamps - Dual enrollment program facilitated by a high school teacher certified by OnRamps, as well as a university professor. Students can receive a high school and university credit for the course. They have the option to reject the university credit.

Dual Credit - Courses in which students receive both high school and college credit. Students must follow college guidelines for course completion, grading and course drop rates.

Advanced Placement (AP) - Allows student to take rigorous college level courses while still in high school from a high school teacher. Students can participate in the AP exam and colleges have criteria for AP exam scores that can count towards course credit.

Career and Technical Education (CTE)

Career Cluster - Career and Technical Education or CTE, Career Clusters, is a group of programs that share commonalities such as similar skills or knowledge.

Program of Study - A Career Cluster can be divided into Programs of Study. A sequence of classes that are tailored to develop expertise in a career area, with opportunities for internships.

Academy - Highly specialized and rigorous programs that require a higher level of commitment and require students to apply.

Printable High School Planning vocabulary 

PGP = Personal Graduation Plan (High School Planning)
2025-26 Dates for 8^th grade students

High school Planning webinar for parents
Oct 8, 2025 from 5:30-7:00pm

Webinar in English: Slides | Recording
Webinar in Spanish: Slides | Recording

Webinar about the PGP process and timeline for 8^th grade parents

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Field Trips to visit High Schools during the school day by 8^th grade students

Nov 10 to 14, 2025 - 8^th grade student Field Trip to all 5 CFB high schools during the school day

High School Preview Nights from 5:30-7pm

Newman Smith High School: Wed Nov 19 – 2335 N. Josey Ln. Carrollton
Ranchview High School: Thu Nov 20 – 8401 Valley ranch Pkwy E., Irving
R.L. Turner High School: Mon Dec 1 - 1600 S.Josey Ln. Carrollton
Creekview High School: Wed Dec 3 – 3201 Old Denton Rd, Carrollton

ECHS Preview Saturdays from 9-11am 

Early College High School: Sat Nov 8 or Sat Dec 6 (choose one) – 3939 Valley View Ln, Farmers Branch
Parents are encouraged to attend any preview night or Saturday at any high school that offers programs of interest to their student.

High School Pre-Planning Survey

Nov 14 to 21, 2025 - 8th grade students select their top high school program during the school day.   

Career and Technical education or CTE Webinar for Parents

Dec 2 – 6-6:30pm – Virtual presentation in English and Spanish for 8^th grade parents about CTE options in CFBISD.

Virtual PGP Parent Q&A

Dec 5, 2025 - 1:00-2:00pm - We invite parents with questions on the PGP process to join the virtual Q&A with Counseling Department staff. English and Spanish. 

Personal Graduation Plan or PGP completion and 9^th grade course selection for 8^th grade students

Starts Dec 8 and closes Feb 20, 2026. Each 8^th grade student will meet with a counselor to create their 4-year high school plan.

PGP Parent Night (choose one) 

Jan 28 and Feb 3, 2026 - 5:30-7:30pm - 1820 Pearl St., Carrollton ESDC Building B - Parents are invited to complete the PGP with their student and a counselor. Sign-up will be available in December.

Printable PGP Timeline (English & Spanish)