This document discusses earning high school credits, known as Carnegie units, at Twin Rivers Middle School for the 2016-2017 school year. It explains that students need 23 Carnegie units to graduate high school and have the opportunity to earn 24 units over four years of high school. It then lists the specific courses at TRMS that provide Carnegie unit credits if passed, including physical science, geometry, algebra I, Spanish I, and others. It encourages earning credits in middle school to allow for more electives, AP, or dual enrollment courses in high school. Parents will receive waiver forms in May to accept or decline the credits for their student and must submit their decision by the deadline.

1. E A R N I N G H I G H S C H O O L C R E D I T AT T W I N R I V E R S
M S
2 0 1 6 - 1 7
CARNEGIE UNITS

2. WHAT ARE CARNEGIE UNITS?
•Carnegie units are the credits
awarded for successful completion of
high school courses.
•23 Carnegie Units must be earned
as credits in order to graduate from
high school.
•A student has the opportunity to earn
24 credits over 4 years.

3. WHAT COURSES AT TRMS EARN
CARNEGIE UNIT CREDIT?
Five Classes At TRMS Are Eligible for Carnegie Units:
• High School Physical Science
• ACC Geometry
• ACC Algebra 1
• Algebra I
• Spanish I
• Food, Nutrition, & Wellness
• Marketing Principles

4. END OF COURSE TEST (EOC)
• Of those seven classes, four of them require an EOC
(End of Course Test): High School Physical Science,
ACC Geometry, ACC Alg I, and Alg I.
• This EOC is cumulative for the entire year and counts
20% of the spring semester grade.
• If your student elects to take the Carnegie Unit Credit,
• Semester one’s final grade from the course(s) will show on the
high school transcript.
• Semester two’s final grade from the course(s) will show on the
high school transcript.
• The EOC score will appear on the high school transcript.

5. WHY EARN CARNEGIE CREDITS IN
MIDDLE SCHOOL?
• The GCPS expectation is that all students will be
enrolled in a Language Arts, Math, and Science class all
four years of high school.
• Earning Carnegie Unit credit at the middle school level
creates opportunities for students to take
• electives that might not otherwise be available to them due to
time/schedule constraints,
• Advanced Placement (AP) courses, or
• Dual Enrollment (College) courses while still in high school.

6. WHY EARN CARNEGIE CREDITS IN
MIDDLE SCHOOL?
• Courses that earn high school Carnegie units in middle school
will not be used in GPA calculations for the HOPE
scholarship according to Georgia Student Finance
Commission rules for HOPE.
• Courses that earn high school Carnegie units in middle school
will be used in the GPA calculation for high school in areas
such as those for determining
• Class rank,
• Valedictorian status,
• Honor graduate status,
• Some scholarship considerations, etc.

7. WAIVER PROCESS
• Parents will receive in May a letter and waiver form for each
Carnegie Unit Course in which their child is enrolled, asking
them to either accept or a decline the Carnegie Unit Credit
opportunity!
• This signed waiver is due to the teacher of each Carnegie
Unit Course by May 23, 2017—the day before the last day
of school!
• No confirmed/received response from a parent defaults to
a “NO” for accepting the Carnegie Unit Credit!
• Your decision is non-rescindable once the letter has been
signed and submitted. If no letter is submitted, that decision
(to decline by omission of a response) is final as well. There
is no changing your mind—ever….not even early in your
child’s high school career!

8. DO THE MATH! 
Student Carnegie Unit Course Grade
Sally Sue MS Class 100
opted to take
credit
HS AP 101
HS AP 105
Numerical Average 102
Debbie Sue MS Class 100
opted to decline
credit
HS AP 101
HS AP 105
Numerical Average 103

9. IT’S UP TO YOU….
• You know your child best, so it’s up to you to determine the
best option for your son or daughter.
• For many, this is the perfect opportunity to earn Carnegie
Units and get a “jump start” on ensuring all high school credits
are earned for on-time graduation. And with the great
semester and EOC grades your son or daughter may have
earned, it would be a fantastic “start” to the high school
transcript!
• For a few, you may wish to decline the credit if your son or
daughter is one who may potentially compete for top
scholarships with that numerical GPA playing a large part…..
• It’s really up to you!

10. FINAL DECISIONS
• No matter what your decision is, if we do NOT receive
your waiver and signature for each high school course in
which your child is enrolled here at TRMS, your son or
daughter will NOT receive any Carnegie Unit credits.
By Default……
• No returned form = no credit (per GCPS)!

11. TO WHOM DO I DIRECT MY
QUESTIONS?
• If you have a question, please contact your child’s
teacher of record for that particular class or Mrs. Decker,
Assistant Principal for 8th Grade.
• If you have questions as to what the proposed high
school schedule means for future class sequencing,
please contact Mountain View High School.

12. DECISIONS, DECISIONS!
When is the best time to make the decision about whether or not
your child is going to accept the Carnegie Unit credit or not?
• The best time to make your decision is as soon as you know your
child’s final grade for semester two! Remember, you already know
semester one’s grade for the Carnegie Unit course, so you know
part of what would appear on your child’s high school transcript!
• How should you begin to make your decision?
• Look at first semester average, second semester average , and the EOC
exam grade and decide if these are what you wish to appear on your child’s
high school transcript!
• If yes, then accept the credit.
• If no, then decline the credit!
• Either way, turn in the letter with your decision and signature on or before
May 23, 2017!!!

13. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS