Explanation of the Grading Procedure for Homeroom

English 3D (DEV ELS SH) Course Syllabus

San Fernando High School, 2017-2018

Instructor: Mr. Sercena

Scope: This course covers English 3D, a language program designed to accelerate language skills for all academic language learners, including long-term English learners, advanced ELL/ELD students, and community dialect speakers. Targeted instructional routines for vocabulary, reading, writing, speaking, and listening help language learners achieve the raised expectations of the Next Generation Assessments and succeed in college and career. Students are expected to complete all tasks to the best of their abilities and to actively engage in classroom discussions.

The class focuses on the following: o Vocabulary Development o Writing . English 3D Exercises . Readers/Writers Notebook . Jane Schaffer Writing Program Methods (e.g., reading logs and exercises) o Reading (e.g., English 3D unit topics and daily Sustained Silent Reading) o Speaking o Listening o Read Theory (Online Reading Assessments) o Collaborative group activities o Semester SSR Reading/Book Project (i.e., Visual, Oral, and Written Presentations)

Schedule: Students will follow the school-wide bell schedule daily. Lesson routines and activities are paced using the English 3D curriculum.

Classroom Routines and Procedures: 1. Students are expected to enter the classroom in an orderly fashion and sit quietly. 2. Attendance will be taken promptly. Tardiness is marked accordingly, unless a valid note from a teacher or an administrator is shown by the student for an excuse. Excessive tardiness will affect the student’s work habits grade as annotated below. Parents will be notified accordingly. 3. Copy and follow the agenda on the board. 4. Sustained Silent Reading (SSR): Students will read silently for ten minutes and initiate reading logs for the next five minutes. Students are responsible for completing three Jane Schaffer-type reading logs in proper format due every Friday for credit (i.e., each reading log is worth 10 points each). Any unfinished reading logs will be completed for homework. 5. Students will complete the academic tasks for the day and participate accordingly. 6. Wait for the teacher to dismiss students (not the school bell).

1 Restroom Policy: Students will follow the school-wide rule on the restroom policy. Students will not be allowed to use the restroom in the first 10 minutes and last 10 minutes of the class period unless it’s an emergency or with a doctor’s note. Students are expected to have gone through the restroom before or after class. Students must carry a hall pass with them at all times.

Electronic Device Policy: All students are expected to abide by the school-wide policy unless technology is required to access an online dictionary/thesaurus or if a specific short-term research is required during a lesson. Otherwise, students are expected to put away personal phones and music devices when the class is in session. Any repeated violation may adversely affect work habits and cooperation grades. Electronic devices may be confiscated and kept until the end of the class session to minimize disruptions during class.

Classroom Rules: Every student is encouraged to…  BE RESPECTFUL  BE ON TIME  PARTICIPATE  BE PRODUCTIVE  BE PREPARED  DO YOUR BEST!

Rewards: This will be discussed as a class and will depend upon individual effort or overall class performance in completing assignments, abiding by the rules, and conducting daily routines. Rewards are as follows:

 Homework pass  Positive phone calls home (i.e., usually through Blackboard Connect)  Positive notes  Tokens of appreciation by the end of the semester  Extra credit points  Positive praise  Preferred activity (academic and appropriate for school)  Satisfaction of being able to improve and increase skill set (i.e., intrinsic)

Consequences: This class will follow the school-wide discipline plan which will be enforced within the classroom and may escalate to a higher degree depending on the nature and severity of the offense or negative behavior. The teacher will ensure that any corrective actions match the deficiency or poor behavior. Possible consequences are as follows:

 Verbal warning

2  Unsatisfactory marks in work habits and/or cooperation grades  Phone calls to parents or face-to-face parent conference  Referral to the counselor  Referral to the Dean  Suspension/Expulsion

*Bullying, sexual-harassment (i.e., even as simple as perception), cheating, and violent acts against another student will never be tolerated in this class. Students who are involved in these situations are subject to severe consequences and administrative procedures that may lead to suspensions and expulsions.

Safety Drills: Students are expected to follow the rules and procedures for fire, earthquake, and emergency drills in school. Students will follow the teacher’s directions and proceed with caution.

Academic Grades: Grades for this class are calculated using a standard points system. Points are cumulative for the entire semester. Assignment categories include: homework, class participation, class work, exams, projects, and extra credit points. Students may earn extra credit points on certain assignments for peer-tutoring, sharing insightful comments during class discussions, attending back-to-school/parent conference nights, or assisting their classmates during class once they completed their work. These extra credit points appear as additional points above the maximum points assigned. Points for work habits and cooperation will also be added to the overall academic points on a weekly basis and will be calculated from a scale of 1 through 4, with “4” being the maximum points for both categories.

Grading Scale: A = 89.5% and Above B = 79.5% - 89.4% C = 69.5% - 79.4% D = 59.5% - 69.4% F = 59.4% and Below *Students who missed specific assignments due to absences are usually “Exempt” from that item. Such grades are usually designated by an “ex” in their grade report print out. Benchmark tests and quizzes must be made up at another time within the grading period. Missing assignments (i.e., after a reasonable amount of time for make-up opportunities has been given to the student) will be coded accordingly, which may adversely affect the student’s overall grade point percentage.

Work Habits:

E- Excellent: 0-4 tardies; 90% or higher in overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale S- Satisfactory: 5-8 tardies; 70% or higher in overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale U-Unsatisfactory: 9 or more tardies; below 70% overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale

3 *Students are also evaluated on their effort during class, availability of necessary materials, quality of the assignments that they turn in, and participation in class discussion. For excessive tardiness, the student will be automatically referred to the PSA counselor. Weekly work habits points will be added to the overall academic points as described above. Additional work habits criteria is considered in the table below.

Cooperation:

E- Excellent: 90% or higher in overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale S- Satisfactory: 70% or higher in overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale U-Unsatisfactory: below 70% overall weekly grade on a 4-point scale

Students who are always courteous, punctual, and cooperative during class time will receive the grade of “E.” If a student shows a lack of respect for self and/or others during the course of the semester in two or more occasions during the grading period, their grade will be an “S.” Students who express consistent poor or disrespectful behavior throughout the semester or within the grading period will receive the grade of “U.” This grade may also change from a “U” to an “S” or from an “S” to an “E” based on changes in student behavior (e.g., improvements in peer/adult interactions).

* The following Los Angeles Unified School District marks criteria also apply: WORK E S U HABITS Effort Demonstrates exceptional Demonstrates determination in Demonstrates little determination in determination in accomplishing accomplishing tasks and mastering accomplishing tasks and mastering tasks and mastering standards. standards. standards. Responsibility Accepts complete responsibility for Accepts responsibility for personal Accepts little responsibility for personal actions and demonstrates actions and frequently demonstrates personal actions. honesty, fairness, and integrity. honesty, fairness, and integrity. Attendance Maintains excellent attendance Maintains a satisfactory attendance Makes little effort to maintain a record by consistently avoiding record by avoiding unnecessary satisfactory attendance record; is unnecessary absences or tardies. absences or tardies. frequently absent or tardy without excuses. Evaluation Makes explicit effort to examine Makes effort to examine work using Makes use only of teacher-generated work using both teacher-generated teacher-generated criteria. criteria to examine work on an and self-generated criteria. inconsistent basis. + COOPERATION E S U Courtesy Maintains courteous relations with Demonstrates courteous relations Demonstrates discourteous behavior the teacher and other students and with the teacher and other students towards the teacher and other consistently works without and generally works without students and consistently lacks disturbing others. disturbing others. consideration for others. Conduct Obeys rules, respects public and Obeys rules, respects public and Shows disregard for rules; has little personal property and actively personal property and supports the respect for public and personal promotes the general welfare. general welfare. property and often opposes the general welfare. Improvement Assumes responsibility for Tries to improve and usually Makes little attempt to improve and personal improvement and rarely accepts corrections in an objective shows indifference or resistance to needs correction. manner. corrections. Class Relations Demonstrates leadership ability to Demonstrates ability to work with Demonstrates little ability to work work with others in a variety of others in a variety of situations to with others in a variety of situations situations to set and achieve goals. set and achieve goals. to set and achieve goals.

4 *If there are any questions or concerns about the class, parents and/or students may send an email to me at: [email protected]. Expect an immediate reply (usually within 24 hours).

Class Contract (English 3D/DEV ELS SH) Instructor: Mr. Sercena

*By having you and your parent/guardian sign and date this document, you (as the student) understand the policies and procedures for this class.

______Signature (Student) Date Parent Signature Date

______Printed Name (Student) Date Printed Name (Parent) Date