1. What kind of Academy is Carencro High School's Academy of Information Technology?
2. How is the CHS Academy different from what I can get in my regular high school?
3. Is the any tuition to attend the Academy of Information Technology?
4. What are some of the technology courses which will be offered?
5. Will the Academy students receive any kind of special recognition for being in the Academy?
6. What is the connection that local IT companies have with the Academy?
7. Explain the internship part of the Academy.
8. How else will the Academy prepare me for work in the IT industry?
9. I am thinking about going to college. Will I be able to qualify for TOPS while in the Academy. Will I be able to take college prep courses?
10. When can I apply to the Academy?
11. Are the applications considered on a first-come, first-served basis?
12. When are the applications due?
13. Who can apply for the Academy?
14. Is transportation provided?
15. What grade levels will the Academy begin with?
16. Can I apply on-line to the Academy?
17. How many students will be accepted into the Academy?
18. Are there any minimum requirements for entry into the Academy?
19. How will you decide who gets chosen for the Academy?
20. If all applications have an equal chance, does this mean that the Academy has no standards?
21. What do I have to submit to the Admissions Committee?
22. Is that all to the application process?
23. When will the applicants who are accepted know if they are getting into the Academy?

1. What kind of Academy is Carencro High School's Academy of Information Technology?

The Academy will concentrate on the field of Information Technology; that is a very varied field, and the jobs in the IT field range from programmers to web designers to computer maintenance and servicing.

2. How is the CHS Academy different from what I can get in my regular high school?

The CHS Academy will offer a concentration of technology courses unavailable elsewhere; academic courses (English, Math, Science, Social Studies) that are infused with technology; cross-discipline, technology-based projects, a close connection with companies and experts in the IT field, and a paid internship in the summer between the junior and senior years. Academy students will attend classes, except for some electives, as a group.

3. Is the any tuition to attend the Academy of Information Technology?

No. The Academy of Information Technology is a part of the Lafayette Public School System.

4. What are some of the technology courses which will be offered?

The freshman year begins with a foundation course, Introduction to Business Computer Applications, and a survey of IT topics course, Computer Technology Literacy. The sophomore year, students will take Computer Technology LIteracy II, which will focus on Computer Networking and Computer Repair and Maintenance. Students will also take Digital Graphics & Animation and Web Mastering. The junior year courses will include Programming (Introduction to Logic and Programming in C++) and Computer Business Applications. Students will get an Internship credit in the summer between their junior and senior years with a paid internship in the IT field. The senior year classes will focus on Advanced Web Mastering and Databases, with options to take an Independent Studies in Technology Applications class to work on a capstone project, Video Game Design/Computer Animation, A+/Network+ Certification Preparation, and an advance college-level course, to be developed later.

5. Will the Academy students receive any kind of special recognition for being in the Academy?

Academy students will receive special recognition during their Academy career and at graduation.  This includes special AOIT letterman jackets/patches, senior rings, graduation insignia, graduation certificates, etc.

6. What is the connection that local IT companies have with the Academy?

The members of the Academy's Advisory Board reflects a Who's Who in Acadiana Information Technology. These IT experts, along with other Academy business partners, will keep the Academy rooted in the real world of IT and will provide internship opportunities. The work experiences these people provide and the business relationships available through this will prove invaluable to the Academy students.

7. Explain the internship part of the Academy.

As a part of the Academy program, Academy students are expected to participate in a paid internship in the summer after their junior year.These internships, arranged by the Academy, will provide Academy students valuable work experience in the Information Technology field and will be a way to apply some of the knowledge learned in Academy classes.

8. How else will the Academy prepare me for work in the IT industry.

By the time you graduate, you will have had opportunities to get industry certification in several IT fields; those certifications will provide you with a powerful advantage when applying for a position in IT.

9. I am thinking about going to college. Will I be able to qualify for TOPS while in the Academy. Will I be able to take college prep courses?

Absolutely! The Academy curriculum will meet TOPS requirements and will provide the academic preparation necessary for college. In fact, plans are being made to work out articulation agreements with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and other post-secondary educational institutions for college credit while still in the Academy.

10. When can I apply to the Academy?

Applications will be accepted starting in November with the deadline at the end of January. Applications submitted from February through early August will be placed on the waiting list.

11. Are the applications considered on a first-come, first-served basis?

No, the time of application is not considered. [Late applications will be placed on the waiting list after any waiting list from the lottery, in order of submission.]

12. When are the applications due?

Applications must be received on-line at http://www/lafayettechoice.com/apply/ by January 31.

13. Who can apply for the Academy?

All students who reside in Lafayette Parish may apply to and be accepted into the Academy, regardless of the middle school they currently attend.

14. Is transportation provided?

Yes, the Lafayette Parish School System is currently providing bus transportation to any student who lives outside of the Carencro High School attendance zone.

15. What grade levels will the Academy accept?

The Academy will only accept applications from current 8th graders. The Academy offers a four year curriculum and cannot accept students after the freshman year.

16. How do I apply to the Academy?

There is an on-line application form at http://www/lafayettechoice.com/apply/.

17. How many students will be accepted into the Academy?

The Academy will accept 75 of next year's ninth graders.

18. Are there any minimum requirements for entry into the Academy?

You must pass to the ninth grade (including passing the Math and Language Arts portion of the 8^th Grade LEAP21).

19. How will you decide who gets chosen for the Academy?

If there are more official applications than available slots in the Academy, a lottery will be held (except for siblings of current Academy students who will automatically be accepted first); all lottery applications will have an equal chance of selection. An official application is an application that has been completely filled out and submitted, with a signed and dated signature page received by the school within the enrollment period and with the applicant undergoing the interview process. If an applicantion does not completely meet these conditions, it is not considered official and will not be considered.

20. If all applications have an equal chance, does this mean that the Academy has no standards?

Definitely not! To meet the Academy's goal of preparing students for both the world of work and for college, the Academy's curriculum must be a college-prep curriculum. The Academy is required to accept all applications equally, but make no mistake: any applicant who is accepted into the Academy must take college prep math, science, social study, and English classes and other college prep classes, in addition to the technology courses. Any Academy student who fails to meet the curricular requirements will be dropped from the Academy.

21. What do I have to submit to the Admissions Committee?

Fill out the on-line application at http://www/lafayettechoice.com/apply/; the application will guide you to enter the necessary information. We will need information about you and your parents. You will be asked to write an essay that will explain your technology experience, your career goals in the technology field, and the reason you believe you should be accepted into the Carencro High School Academy of Information Technology. Note that if you do not complete these paragraphs, your application will not be considered. When you hit the Submit button, that information will be sent to Carencro High School. You must then print the signature page, sign it and have your parents sign it, and mail it to Carencro High School.

22. Is that all to the application process?

You will need to interview with the Academy Admissions Committee. Note that if you do not complete these paragraphs, your application will not be considered.

23. When will the applicants who are accepted know if they are getting into the Academy?

All applicants will be notified by the Lafayette Parish School System within weeks of the lottery. If there is a student who decides not to attend the Academy for any reason, a replacement will be taken from the waiting list; these notifications will take place as soon as possible, up to the beginning of the school year.