MASI.htm

Montwood Advanced Studies Institute (MASI)

8th grade students from Sybert, Montwood Middle, and Slider may still apply to be MASI students for the 2009 - 2010 school year. Applications from 8th grade students in the Americas, El Dorado, and Socorro feeder pattern are no longer being accepted. Our enrollment numbers for the freshmen class have been successfully reached. Please check back with us in early 2010 to see if there are positions available in the MASI program for you as a sophomore.

MASI Application (Word version to be printed and submitted by mail)

MASI Application (pdf version to be printed and submitted by mail)

MASI Brochure (Word document; two page description of the program)

MASI Course Syllabi (View the syllabus for a particular MASI course - all MASI course syllabi will be posted beginning in the 2009- 2010 school year)

Transfer Information for Students In the Americas, El Dorado, and Socorro High School Feeder Patterns

Transportation Information for Students in the Americas, El Dorado, and Socorro High School Feeder Patterns and for students who live more than 2 miles from Montwood High School

You Can Have It All!

A Strong Curriculum

	Of all students who enter college, those students who complete a more rigorous high school curriculum are more likely to earn a bachelor's degree.
	A rigorous curriculum is more important than test scores or class rank/grade point average in earning a bachelor's degree.
	Finishing a math course beyond Algebra 2 (such as pre-calculus or calculus) more than doubles the odds that a student who enters college will complete a bachelor's degree.

What Colleges Want

	College admissions personnel will look at your high school transcript to see what courses you took and the grades you earned in those courses.
	The best transcript is one that shows challenging courses and high grades throughout high school.
	The second best transcript shows challenging courses with grades that steadily go up each semester.

What is MASI?

MASI is an innovative program where students may earn college credits through El Paso Community College while attending Montwood High School. Montwood High School offers dual credit courses on campus in all four core subject areas and articulated career and technology courses.

The goal of MASI is to:

increase the number of college credit hours students have upon graduation.

prepare students to face the academic challenges that accompany the rigors of college work.

increase the number of students who graduate with the Distinguished Achievement High School Program diploma.

increase the scores for standardized tests such as the PSAT, ACT, SAT, Accuplacer, and AP tests.

Any student willing to accept the academic challenges offered by MASI will be accepted.

Students must complete all course requirements required by the state of Texas.

Benefits of Being in MASI?

	The rigor, depth, and intensity of college-level work while in high school.
	Reduce the duplication of courses taken in high school and college.
	Shorten the time needed to complete an undergraduate degree or vocational certificate, allowing earlier entry into the work force.
	Allow students to explore possible majors.
	Reduce the cost of higher education as families save money on student tuition and fees, textbooks, housing, and transportation.
	Allow high school students to fulfill many general education requirements and ease their transition into a college setting while still participating in high school sports and activities and living in the more familiar home environment.
	Help student develop good college habits and self-confidence from college success.

MASI Commitments

Students can enter the MASI program as an incoming freshmen, sophomore, junior, or senior.

MASI students will complete a minimum of 3 Pre-AP/AP courses in the core subject areas of English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies as 9th and 10th graders.

MASI students will complete 21 college hours in a core curriculum of English and Social Studies courses and a Speech course as 11th and 12th graders.

Students who enter the program as seniors will enroll in MASI courses based on the courses required for graduation and for which they have the necessary prerequisites.

MASI students will complete the additional 9 college hours based on the student's future college plans.

MASI students will complete the Distinguished Achievement High School Program.

MASI students will serve a minimum of one year as a Ram Ambassador.

MASI students will be encouraged to complete as many additional college hours as their course schedule and extracurricular activities allows.

MASI Core Curriculum

Dual Credit Course	College Hours Earned
English 1301/1302	6
U. S. History 1301/1302	6
Government 2305	3
Economics 2301	3
Speech 1315	3

Reason for the Core: all students regardless of their intended college plans (associates degree or bachelors degree) will have to complete English and Social Studies courses. Speech is a common requirement for many degrees. All these courses transfer between EPCC and any Texas college or university.

Dual Credit Courses at MHS

	Certified college instructors approved by the El Paso Community College academic department teach the dual credit courses.
	The student must meet any course pre-requisites prior to enrollment in a dual credit course.
	Students may enroll in any dual credit course offered through the MASI program.
	Students in a dual credit Calculus, English, Science, and/or Social Studies course will take the corresponding AP exam.
	Accuplacer testing for dual credit courses is offered on campus. Students should contact Mr. Brown for information about Accuplacer testing on campus. Click on this link to view Accuplacer tesing information from El Paso Community College.

Click on the Course Number to view the El Paso Community College Official Course Description

*English 1301/1302	*British Literature 2322/2323
*U.S. History 1301/1302	*Government 2305
*Economics 2301	*Introductory Mathematics for Business & Social Sciences 1324
College Algebra/Pre-Calculus 1314/2412	*Calculus 2413
*Speech 1315	*Biology 1406/1407
*Chemistry 1411/1412	*Physics 1401/1402
*Fulfills a Core Curriculum Requirement at EPCC for an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree. All these courses transfer between EPCC and any Texas college or university.

Articulated Career And Technology (CATE) Courses

Montwood CATE Course	Articulated EPCC Course
Accounting I	ACNT 1303
Ready, Set, Teach I/II	CDEC 1313
Culinary Arts I	CHEF 1301 & CHEF 1305
Culinary Arts II	PAST 1301
Drafting I	DFTG 1409
Drafting II	DFTG 1433
Architecture I	DFTG 1417
Computer Maintenance Technician I/II	ITCC 1324 & ITCC 1346
Business Image Management & Multimedia	IMED 1316
Business Computer Information Systems I	ITSC 1301
Business Computer Information Systems I/II	POFI 2331
Business Education Career Prep	POFT 1309
Business Support Systems	POFT 1329

Articulated credits are awarded to Montwood graduates upon their enrollment at EPCC; graduates are responsible for notifying the EPCC counselor or the Admissions Office of the desire to have the credits for articulated courses evaluated and to provide the necessary transcripts and documents to validate the credits earned.

Monetary Savings For Parents

	Based on tuition and fees resident students pay at El Paso Community College (not including textbooks and other college fees), students completing the required 30 college hours save a minimum of $8677.50!
	Save on textbook costs too. MHS provides textbooks for many of the dual credit courses offered through the MASI program.

Advanced Placement (AP) Courses at MHS

Through college-level AP courses, students enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school.

Through AP exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities.

Students who take AP courses generally score higher on the SAT and ACT tests.

AP courses allow students to:

Get a head start on college-level work.

Study subjects in greater depth and detail.

Improve writing skills.

Sharpen problem-solving skills.

Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous college work.

Earn college credit for AP test scores of 3, 4, or, 5. Each particular college or university identifies the AP courses and AP exam scores for which AP scores will earn college credit.

English III, IV U.S. History Latin Spanish

French Macro Economics Government AP Studio Art: Drawing

Calculus Biology Chemistry Physics B

Physics C: E & M Physics C: Mechanics

Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP) Courses at MHS

Pre-AP courses help students prepare to take the AP or dual credit course.

English I, II	Algebra I, II	Geometry	Pre-Calculus
Biology	Chemistry	Physics	World History
	World Geography	Psychology

Can I Participate in Extracurricular Activities While In MASI?

	Absolutely!
	We expect the majority of our students will be involved in some type of sport, performance group, or other activity.

As a Matter of Fact

Research shows that students who are rated by their teachers as having good social skills and work habits, and who participated in extracurricular activities in high school, made more money and completed higher levels of education 10 years later than their classmates who had similar standardized test scores but were less social and participated in fewer extracurricular activities. (Lleras, University of Illinois, 2008)

Extracurricular Activities

Montwood High School offers the full complement of extracurricular activities so that students can do what they love to do.

Athletics

Football

Soccer

Volleyball

Softball

Basketball

Baseball

Track and Field

Golf

Cross-country

Tennis

Swimming

Wrestling

Music

Band

Orchestra

Guitar

Mariachi

Dance and Cheerleading

Emerald Dancers

A-Team

Cheerleading

Theater: Emerald Players

Student Council

Academic Decathlon

Newspaper and Yearbook

Athletic Training

Naval Junior ROTC

Science Club