English 9,2014-2015
Steamboat Springs High School
Instructor Contact Information:
Ms. Kari Faulk
Email:
Web Site: kfaulk.pbworks.com
Office Telephone/Voice Mail: 970-871-3657
Office Hours: 4thand 8th(2:00-3:35)
Ms. Dana Morton (1st semester only)
Email:
Telephone/Voice Mail: 970-871-3657
Office Hours: 4th and 8th(2:00-3:35)
Course Description:
The ability to communicate clearly -- to read, write, speak, and listen -- forms the core of human culture. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are essential tools for learning, for success in the workplace, for enriching and expanding our lives, and for responsible citizenship. Language skills are particularly critical in the area of education. Through language abilities, students understand the academic content areas. Success in learning is grounded in studentsacquiring solid knowledge and skills in reading, writing and communicating. The Colorado Academic Standards set high expectations in these areas for all students.
To that end, students will study the following texts, in addition to a variety of short stories, dramas, essays, poems, films, and non-fiction prose.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Advanced English 9 (9+) credit is available for each semester of this course. More details about this program will be made available within the first month of school.
Materials:
- Student Planner for keeping track of assignments and due dates.
- 3-ring binder with loose leaf paper and dividers that will hold all assignments, notes, and handouts
- Note:This can be a single “English 9” binder OR an “English 9” section in a binder shared with another course(s).
- A one-subject notebook to be used as a class journal (spiral or composition)
- Pens or pencils
- OPTIONAL: Highlighters, notecards, markers/colored pencils,sticky notes (We always have these available in the classroom, but you can bring your own if you would like.
Assessment Policy and Philosophy:
Students will be assessed on a proficiency scale that represents both their conceptual understanding and academic responsibility in English 9. The overall semester grade will be broken down into the following components:
Conceptual Understanding (90%) / Academic Responsibility (10%)This includes but is not limited to demonstration of ideas and concepts via projects, seminars, writing assignments, journals, tests, quizzes, research assignments and performances.
Designated in gradebook as:
4=Advanced
3=Proficient
2=Partially Proficient
1=Needs More Evidence
M=Missing / This includes but is not limited to class participation, homework assignments, readings and questions to prepare for upcoming classes, practice assignments, group conversations, classroom citizenship and review tasks.
Twice a quarter a 4-point Academic Responsibility grade will be converted from the Academic Responsibility Log. Please see information regarding this Log below.
*Please note that because our grades are electronic it is very important that students keep all returned work, as that work serves as evidence of the earned grade in case of a technological disaster. Also, keeping old work is incredibly beneficial for final assessment preparation.*
Achievement Levels: Conceptual Understanding assignments will be assigned with specific rubrics that detail how each of the following descriptors of understanding applies to the individual assignment.
Generally, the designation in the grade book will represent the following.
4Advanced: student shows sophisticated understanding of content and skills and is able to explain, apply, interpret, and have perspective, empathy and self-knowledge in known and novel situations.
3Proficient: student has a satisfactory understanding of content and skills and is able to apply information/skills/attitudes to known situations.
2Partially Proficient: student is able to articulate and apply some information and skills.
1Needs More Evidence: student competence is incomplete or inadequate.
0Unable to be determined: Student competence is not yet known or cannot be assessed.
Academic Responsibility Log: This portion of the gradebook will keep track of in-class assignments, participation, and small homework assignments that students complete throughout the semester. These grades will be designated as follows:
S=Satisfactory: Student has completed the work in an accurate and complete manner.
M=Missing: Student has not completed or turned in this work.
R= Revise: Student has turned in the work, but it was incomplete or was not completed accurately. The student needs to revise the assignment and turn it in again in order to gain a score of Satisfactory (S).
An “Academic Responsibility Grade” is assigned each grading period based on the student’s assignment completion in the Academic Responsibility Log in the gradebook.
- If a student has no assignments that are late, needing revision or missing, they may earn an Advanced (4) Academic Responsibility grade.
- If a student has very few assignments that are late, needing revision or missing, they may earn a Proficient (3) Academic Responsibility grade.
- Students with many late, revise, or missing assignments may receive a Partially Proficient (2) Academic Responsibility grade.
- Students with very few satisfactory assignments may receive an Unsatisfactory (1) Academic Responsibility grade.
In addition to homework and classwork completion, the Academic Responsibility grade also takes into account a student’s citizenship in class. Again, these grades (four per semester –see grading periods below) account for 10% of the student’s overall semester grade in the course.
Late Work: Late work will be accepted for full credit during each of the posted grading periods. Late work will be designated as such in the Academic Responsibility Log and is factored into the overall Academic Responsibility Grade for each grading period.
Assignment Revision opportunities: Assignments can be revised for additional credit if the student feels that they did not demonstrate their full understanding on the original assignment.
Ms. Faulk reserves the right to end this opportunity for any student at any time if she feels that it is being abused by this student. Please see Ms. Faulk to arrange revision expectations.
2014-2015 Grading Periods
1st Semester / 2nd SemesterMid-1st Quarter: September 22nd / Mid-3rd Quarter: February 13th
End 1st Quarter: October 21st / End 3rd Quarter: March 31st
Mid 2nd Quarter: November 25th / Mid 4th Quarter: May 1st
End 1st Semester: January 10th / End 2nd Semester: June 10
Proficiency Grades:
Proficiency grading uses a non-traditional grading scale to more accurately explain a student’s understanding and mastery of a concept or skill. Instead of a percentage based on an earned number of points, student work earns an explanatory designation of “Advanced,” “Proficient,” “Partially Proficient,” or “Unsatisfactory.”
Descriptors of requirements to achieve each level of proficiency are detailed on rubrics that accompany each assignment.
Example Rubric:
Critical Response to Reading Rubric
4-Avanced / 3-Proficient / 2-Partially Proficient / 1-Needs more evidenceComprehension and Understanding / Excellent understanding of thought/feeling/information expressed in text
Detailed and pertinent (relevant) references to text / Adequate understanding of thought/feeling/information expressed in text
Adequate and appropriate references to the text / Superficial understanding of the thought/feeling/information
expressed in text
Some relevant references to the text / Little understanding of the text
Irrelevant or inappropriate references to the text
Viewpoint and commentary / Ideas are well-considered, logical, and on-topic
Makes multiple connections from and beyond personal experience / Ideas are logical and on-topic
Makes a connection from and beyond personal experience / Ideas are somewhat clear
Common themes are used / Own viewpoint is unclear, stereotypical, or derivative or given as though from the reading
Ideas are simplistic or contradictory
So what’s my grade?
Each level of understanding earns a score of 4 (Advanced), 3 (Proficient), 2 (Partially Proficient), or 1 (Unsatisfactory). Because a score of 3 out of 4 indicates Proficiency, or “meets expectations,” it equates to an A- in this class. But doesn’t a ¾ = 75%? Isn’t that a C?! On a traditional 100 point scale, this would be true, however, on our proficiency scale that 75% equates to an A-. There are different types of proficiency scales, and they are not the same from class to class.
My advice to you is not to worry about the number or percentage you see in the gradebook, but here’s what percentages mean in Infinite Campus for this class.
Grade / Min %A+ / 85
A / 80
A- / 75
B+ / 70
B / 65
B- / 60
Grade / Min %
C+ / 55
C / 50
C- / 45
D+ / 40
D / 35
D- / 30
Please sign below stating that you have read and understand the class policies and expectations for English 9.
Printed Name of Student: ______
Signature of Student: ______
Parent/Guardian Signature: ______
Please return this SIGNED page of your syllabus by:
Red Day (1st, 2nd, and 3nd Hour):
White Day (5th and 7th and Hour):