*Note: 5 Bonus Points Added to Daily Grade for Parent Signature

Tapp Middle School

Mrs. Heard

7th Grade AC Language Arts Syllabus

2014 - 2015

The objective of the Advanced Content (AC) Language Arts program is to enable students to become readers, writers, listeners, speakers, and interpreters of text. This course is designed to offer highly able and gifted students the opportunity to participate in curriculum in which the learning moves at a faster pace, explores the content at a deeper level, and encourages more independence. Curriculum content has been designed for mastery and extension of state and district content standards. Continued placement in Advanced-Content courses requires a grade of 80 or above.

Your student will be assigned the Prentice Hall Reader’s Journey, at the cost of $20.00, and a Grammar for Writing Workbook, at the cost of $XYZ, so please take care of these books! We will also utilize the McDougal Littell Literature book which costs $77.19. This book will be used in class and can be accessed on-line. The access code will be given to your student. This year we will continue with the implementation of the Georgia Common Core Standards.

The following units will be taught this year:

COMMON CORE GEORGIA PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Various informational materials, articles and short stories from the Prentice Hall Reader’s Journey & McDougall Littell books will be read each week. Journals, writing pieces, responses to literature and essays will also be assigned. Rough drafts should be proofread, revised, and final copies neatly written on the front side only of wide lined paper using black or blue ink or typed.

Interactive Notebook (9 ¾ X 7 ½ in bound notebook/Composition Book)

Organization is an integral part of the language arts program. This year we will be incorporating an interactive notebook. This notebook will be used for class notes and other activities which will require students to use both linguistic and visual intelligences to become better organized as they learn.

Standards Based Grading:

An important element in improving our children's learning is being clear about what students are expected to learn. This change in grade reporting in the English Language Arts Department will better inform parents of their student's progress in mastering each of the standards taught in the subject area.

Approximate grade percentages:

50% -Summative Assignments

40% -Formative Assignments

10%Homework Assignments

See Cobb County Grade Scale for further information.

Homework is due when assigned. All late work will be penalized one letter grade per day. Once an assignment has been graded in class, late assignments (except for excused absences), will not be accepted.

Language Arts teachers will be available for tutoring on Friday mornings with Mrs. Wilson-Whyte at 8:00 or Monday after school with Mrs. Heard from 4:15 – 5:15.

Make-Up Work Policy:

If a student is absent, work will be accepted according to Cobb County Policy which allows the student the same number of days absent, plus one additional day to make up work.

Retesting Policy:

The teacher will provide retesting opportunities for students scoring below 70%. The student must conference with the teacher, and then the student must complete a remediation assignment before being eligible for a retesting opportunity. All retests should be completed by the end of the following week of the original test.

BYOD: Students may access personal technology at teacher’s discretion for educational purposes once BYOD permission form has been completed.

Student Signature ______

Parent Signature______Cell Number______

E-mail______

*This syllabus is subject to change depending on the individual needs of the students.