Choosing your 9th grade courses in Prosper ISD

When you choose

Prosper ISD hasn't posted its 2027-28 course guides or course selection dates yet; only the 2026-27 guides are on its Secondary Course Guides page. Here's how it worked last year (choosing courses for 2026-27). This year's dates will be announced by the district.

• Course selection was online in Skyward, from January 12 to January 28, 2026. Course selection worksheets were due the same day.
• High school counselors met with each incoming 9th–12th grader starting in late January to review their choices. At one high school (Rock Hill), 9th grade meetings were February 17–20, 2026.
• After that, students could ask for changes until the last day of school with a Google Form on their high school's website (it opened March 2, 2026).

The course guide says students who don't submit their choices "will have courses scheduled for them by their counselor," so don't skip it. Parent and student information meetings are held during the course selection window.

Rock Hill High School's page links a video, "How to Select Courses in SKYWARD," and the district's online Course and Program Information EXPO. The district calendar also lists "Launch Your Journey" evenings at each high school (Richland November 17, Rock Hill November 18, Prosper December 1 and Walnut Grove December 2, 2026, 6:00–8:00 PM). The calendar doesn't say who they're for, so ask your counselor.

Your four-year plan and endorsement

• "Every 8th-grade student will create a 4-year plan inside the Xello tool."
• An endorsement is a focus area for your high school courses (like STEM or Arts & Humanities). All students are placed on the Multidisciplinary endorsement and may choose more.
• The two official guides word the timing differently: one says to select your endorsement "prior to entering 9th grade," and the 9th grade schedule card says "in the ninth grade." Ask your counselor when yours is due.
• You can change or add endorsements at any time with signed approval from both you and a parent or guardian.

See the endorsements guide for what each endorsement needs, and the 4-year plan guide for planning all four years.

What a 9th grade schedule looks like

The high school guide has a "4 Year Plan & 9th Grade Schedule Card" for the Class of 2030 and later. It says "This is a traditional plan students follow, there may be exceptions." The 9th grade choices on it:

Prosper ISD doesn't require separate Health, Speech or Technology credits. The guides don't say how many class periods a 9th grader has: ask your counselor. Rock Hill High School's FAQ says you do need to pick 3 alternate electives. Every course is in the Prosper ISD course catalog.

AP and Honors courses in 9th grade

In Prosper ISD's course guide, only two AP courses are open to 9th graders:

• AP Human Geography (no prerequisite; the AP option for 9th grade social studies)
• AP Computer Science Principles (prerequisite: Algebra I)

Every other AP course starts in 10th grade or later.

Honors and GT

Honors and GT options for 9th grade core classes: Honors English I, GT Humanities I (for students identified as gifted and talented), Honors Algebra I, Honors Geometry, GT Geometry, Honors Algebra II and Honors Biology. Debate I and Computer Science I also count at the Honors level. World Geography has no Honors version; AP Human Geography is the harder option.

If you're in a Dual Language program or took Spanish in middle school, ask your counselor whether Honors Spanish III fits in 9th grade: Rock Hill's FAQ says Dual Language students take it as 9th graders, but the course guide's grade list doesn't show 9th grade. For how each level counts in GPA, see the AP, Honors and dual credit guide.

How to choose a level

The course guide says Prosper ISD has an open enrollment policy for advanced courses, "but advises students to consider course requirements and time commitments." The district "promotes balance, encouraging students to combine advanced coursework with extracurricular activities and personal time."

Rock Hill High School's FAQ calls it "a very individual decision" and suggests thinking about:

• your strengths and your previous grades in the subject,
• your other commitments (sports, fine arts, activities),
• your teacher's recommendation: "Your current teacher knows your skill set the best."

It also says "Taking Honors in all areas is challenging and time-consuming, especially for those with extracurricular commitments." Some students take Honors only in their strongest subjects; others take it in every core class. Your counselor can help you decide which fits you.

Changing levels later

Rock Hill's FAQ says students in Honors or AP must finish the whole first six weeks before a move to on-level would be considered, and level changes can be made at the end of the sixth week. The course guide's leveling-down rules are in the 4-year plan guide. AP Human Geography and Honors Biology aren't in the guide's six-week table, so ask your counselor what happens if you want to change those.

Electives, athletics and auditions

These are from Rock Hill High School's FAQ (one school's page; ask your own school if it's the same):

• "Incoming freshmen are allowed to add any athletic course to their schedule." If you play two sports, sign up for the fall sport for the full year.
• For classes that need an audition, choose an elective from the course catalog. Once you talk with the director, they tell the counselors and your schedule is changed.
• "No elective changes are allowed once the course selection window closes," because the school hires teachers based on student requests. Choose your electives, and your alternates, carefully.
• You'll see your schedule in Skyward in August.

High school courses you take in middle school

• Prosper ISD middle schools offer high school credit courses such as Honors Algebra I, GT Algebra I, Honors Geometry, Spanish I and II, Honors Spanish III and IV (Middle School Advanced Spanish Program), and some career and technical courses (for example Principles of Applied Engineering, Fundamentals of Computer Science and Graphic Design).
• These grades count in your high school GPA. The middle school guide says students "should be aware of how grade point average (GPA) will be calculated" for them.
• For the Class of 2031 and later, class rank counts only core subjects, so middle school career and technical credits don't count in rank. See the GPA and class rank guide.
• Your 9th grade math is the next course after the one you finish in middle school. Ask your counselor if you're not sure which one that is.

Ready to try it? Build your four years in the planner (choose Prosper ISD in Settings).

Official sources

• Prosper ISD: Secondary Course Guides
• Prosper ISD 2026-27 High School Course Guide (PDF) (see “Course Selection”, “Advanced Academics” and the 9th Grade Schedule Card)
• Prosper ISD 2026-27 Middle School Course Catalog (PDF)
• Prosper ISD: Together We Prosper, January 20, 2026 (last year's course selection dates)
• Rock Hill High School: Course Selection FAQs (one school's page) (one high school's answers; other schools may differ)
• Prosper ISD Course & Program Information
• Prosper ISD district events calendar