Mathematics Department

Weekly Homework Purpose: Math is learned by doing problems. Do the homework. Each mathematics teacher will:  Give Weekly Homework (Monday - Thursday)  Discuss each day’s homework problems the next day in class.  Collect each week’s homework on Friday and scan for completion and process.  Notify a student of missing or incomplete homework on Friday and give each student until Monday to complete the homework with a 20% grade reduction.  Make parent contact and implement the late work referral form on any student without homework on Monday. Student will:  Attend a Homework Time with the teacher. If student shows up at Homework Time with completed work, he/she will still stay the 45 minutes and begin working on the current week’s homework. If student does not show at Homework Time then an office referral and ISS. Weighted Grades Purpose: Quarter grades should reflect a student’s mathematical knowledge. Categories Participation (Homework) Assessments (Evaluation) 40% of your grade 60% of your grade Weekly homework (Monday – Thursday) Assessments – work completed in class without assistance from the teacher or other students. Students will earn the maximum points for Students may re-do unit or chapter completion and showing appropriate assessments, only after reworking the missed process on each problem. problems on the original assessment and only after meeting with the teacher (before school, after school, or a prearranged time) to discuss the reworked problems. Students may not re- do basic skill quizzes. A student’s final assessment grade on a chapter or unit will be the average of the two assessment scores. Teachers will accept late work within reason; The teacher’s goal is to encourage students to however, students may not earn the maximum learn the concepts. Therefore, students will be points. allowed to re-do formal assessments, within a reasonable timeframe for each unit. All re-do formal assessments must be taken outside of the normal class period and at least one day after meeting with the teacher to discuss reworked problems. Participation in math class and completion of homework will help prepare you to do well on the formal assessment. However, even though you may see all A’s for homework completion, you must remember that assessments make up 60% of your quarter grade. Studying for a Math Test Active Study vs. Passive Study  Take responsibility for studying, recognizing what you do and don’t know.  Attend class every day and take complete notes.  Be an active participant in the classroom.  Ask questions in class!  Go to Homework/Help time and ask questions.  Good study habits daily make it easier to study for tests. Studying Math is Different from Studying Other Subjects  Math is learned by doing problems. Do the homework. The problems help you review formulas and techniques you need to know, as well as improve your problem-solving process.  A word of warning: Each class builds on the previous ones, all semester long. Falling a day behind puts you at a disadvantage. Falling a week behind puts you in deep trouble.  A word of encouragement: You’re always reviewing previous material as you do new material. Studying for a Math Test  Do the homework when it is assigned.  On tests you have to solve problems; homework problems are the only way to get practice.  Ask your teacher questions as they arise; don’t wait until the day or two before a test.  Start by reviewing; actually work the problems again. Put yourself in a test- like situation and work out the review problems at the end of the chapter or section.  Get lots of sleep the night before the test. Math tests are easier when you are mentally sharp.

Taking a Math Test  First look over the entire test.  Do the problems in the order that suits you!  Time is of the essence - - work continuously and show your work.  Show all your work: make it easy as possible for the teacher to see how much you do know.  Outline steps before actually working the problem.  Don’t give up on a several part problem just because you can’t do the first part.  Do all parts of each problem.  Verify your answers – does each answer make sense.  If you finish early, check every problem - - that means rework the problems.