Bridge Math (SAILS) Course Syllabus

Dear Parent,

Your son/daughter is enrolled in our SAILS (Bridge Math) for the upcoming school year. Students are selected for the SAILS course based on ACT scores in math that indicate “less than college readiness for math.” Ordinarily, this would mean that next year, as college freshman they would need to complete Learning Support classes without earning college credit prior to advancing to credit-earning college math classes. These Learning Support classes can cost several hundred dollars per area and there are five total areas. This would probably cost them at least $1,500.00 or more when they go to college.

However, students who complete SAILS math in high school will avoid the cost of developmental math classes and be qualified to take credit bearing college math classes at any Tennessee Board of Regents College as soon as they enter college. This class is facilitated by me, Todd Malone, and is administered by Walter’s State Community College. This course also fulfills the senior math requirement for high school graduation.

In order to foster the success of your son/daughter in SAILS, I ask that you partner with me in the following ways:

  1. Encourage your student to attend class and complete the assignmentsevery day.
  2. Ask your student regularly how he/she is keeping up with assignments and deadlines.
  3. If you sense that your student is struggling to keep up, encourage him/her to seek tutoring before or after school.

From my experience teaching this class, the number one problem is students

procrastinating and thinking they “will get it done later.” This strategy has resulted in several students not passing this class and not getting their senior math credit needed for graduation. If a student begins to fall behind in the class, I will have him/her come to my room for I&I time and afterschool, if needed, to catch up. I do want to emphasize that the amount of work assigned daily should not be difficult to complete. There should be more than enough time to finish the work on the pacing guide for each day and there should also be more than enough time to finish this course as long as students keep up with the pacing guide. As a reference, I have seen this entire course completed in only 4 weeks and have seen other students not finish by the end of the semester.

Students are expected to complete all five modules which contain homework, quizzes and tests. The final test grade from each module will be uploaded to Walter’s State where they will keep records for the college credit. Individual progress is kept up with by the program itself and you can log on anytime and check your students’ progress. You can obtain the log in information for SAILS from your son/daughter. I will provide them with this information on the first or second day of class. The SAILS program does not calculate an overall grade for the class, but does show grades for each assignment. I will keep the actual grade on the school’s skyward program which you can log onto with the information provided to you during the online registration over the summer. I cannot put in grades daily because students will be working at their own pace, but I will try to put in grades weekly.

This class is a completely self-contained class on the computer. There are assignments, videos, and lecture guides which the student can access anytime they have internet access. This is not the typical teacher lecture and assign homework class. In fact, teacher lecture is very difficult to include in this class because everyone is working on different assignments based on how fast they work. I will however, be available to help your student and answer any questions for them on the homework assignments after they have attempted to help themselves from all the resources provided within the SAILS course. I will be more than glad to help them as long as it is not on one of the final exams. They cannot have any help at all on the tests.

As with any other class, attendance and tardies will be recorded and county policy from the student handbook will be followed. It is important to be in class and be on time.

The county cell phone policy will also be strictly enforced. Cell phones will not be allowed to be used or out on desks in my classroom once class starts. These devices have become a great barrier to student learning and will not be tolerated during class. If a cell phone is seen, heard, or I suspect a student is using one at their desk, I will take it up. Repeated problems with cell phones will be referred to the office for appropriate disciplinary actions based on policy. The SAILS coordinators have also advised that violations of the cell phone policy in the course can be a violation of their academic integrity policy and students have been removed from this course for violations of this policy.

Thank you for your support. Please contact me () if you have any questions or concerns.

Please cut this form at the above line and keep all information above for future reference. Return the signed portion to me once signed by student and parent.

I have read and understand the attached letter/syllabus in reference to the SAILS Math program. I realize that success in this class depends mainly on my work ethic and completing assignments when they are due. I also realize that assignments can be completed online even when I am away from school.

Parent Signature______Date______

Student Signature______Date______