Course Policies and Procedures (AP Stat)
CONTACT: Mr. Shane Johnson Website: johnson.hs.tenafly.k12.nj.us
Office: Room 111A or 112 Office hours: periods 1, 4, 5, 8 and after school
Office #: 201-816-6620 Email:
MATERIALS REQUIRED
As students, one of the ways in which you help to create an efficient learning environment is by bringing the required materials to class on a daily basis. Asking to borrow something or to go to your locker to retrieve something disrupts the class and shows lack of responsibility. Bringing the following items to class is part of your participation grade and I will periodically check that you have them:
1. Notebook (3-ring binder preferred -- these are better for storing handouts than regular notebooks)
2. Graphing Calculator (TI-83/84 only; you can sign one out for the year from the Math Dept if you cannot afford one)
3. Pencil w/ Eraser (mechanical pencils are preferred as you do not have to disturb the class to sharpen them)
4. Textbook (must be covered)
Recommended additional materials: pencil case, large eraser or eraser-stick, lead for mechanical pencils, colored pen for self-correcting, graph paper, scientific calculator, AAA batteries, notebook sized 3-hole punch, notebook sized ruler. The recommended AP review book for this course is Barron’s AP Statistics. We usually place a bulk order with Womrath’s, and I will let you know when this happens in case you would like to buy one. With regards to your graphing calculator: make sure to personalize it if it is not a THS calculator (name in permanent marker in several locations, stickers, etc.) as this makes it easier to determine whose it is if it gets lost and it also reduces the likelihood of theft.
CLASS WEBSITE / EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENTS
My website contains a summary of what we do each day as well as the assigned homework, upcoming tests and quizzes, handouts and PowerPoint presentations. It is a useful resource for this class. In addition, I sometimes send out announcements and explanations via email, so make sure to give me an email address that you will check (you will provide this in the online questionnaire that you have to complete for homework). You will need to have access to Internet to obtain some of the documents or engage in some of the activities. If you do not have Internet access at home, then I would suggest the Tenafly High School library or the Tenafly Public Library.
ABSENCES
I cannot teach you if you are not present in my class, and it is difficult to make up work, so please make every effort to show up. If you are absent it is your job to ask a classmate for missed work or go to my website. If you have an excused absence when an assignment was due, you have the number of days you were absent to make it up. Being absent on the day of a test or quiz because “you were not ready for it” is unfair to your classmates and creates more work for me. If you are absent the day of a test/quiz, be prepared to take the test/quiz at your seat, in class the next school day. Also, being absent the day of a review session does not excuse you from taking the test/quiz on its scheduled day. If you miss a scheduled assessment because you signed in late, signed out early, attended a school event or went on a field trip, you must take still take the test/quiz the day that it was scheduled (unless you talk to me beforehand). Failure to do so will result in a grade of zero. The same policy applies for homework assignments and projects. If you know that you are going to be absent, talk to me beforehand.
TARDIES
Students should be seated and ready to learn at the time the class is scheduled to start (technically three minutes after the bell, but I will give you four). Being late is unfair to me and to the other students since it disrupts the class. Also, you miss out on the first part of class. A closed classroom door usually signifies that you are late. The first tardy brings a verbal warning. After that, your participation grade will be reduced for each subsequent tardy since you are obviously not participating in the lesson at the start of class. In addition, a detention will be assigned after every third tardy. If you are late to class, sign the log and fill out a late slip. If you are talking to a teacher, a counselor, or an administrator before class, make sure to get a pass from them if you are going to be late to my class.
HALL PASSES
You are expected to use the restroom or socialize between classes. As an incentive to remain in class, you will receive 5 extra credit hall passes each semester. You need to use a pass to leave the room and you cannot be gone for more than 5 minutes or you will receive a tardy for that day. When you want to use a pass, fill it out and raise your hand to ask my permission to leave the room. If I give you permission, give me the pass and sign the bathroom log. Unused passes may be used for one of 3 bonus opportunities: 1) an exoneration of an unexcused tardy, 2) a homework pass (5 pt max), or 3) for 2 extra credit points on a test. As you can see, it is in your best interest to save them.
HOMEWORK
Despite its unpopularity, homework is essential for the development of a student’s skills in a subject. It is the equivalent of practicing a musical instrument in preparation for a recital or showing up to practice after school in hopes of winning the next game. There is a relationship between how much time you spend each night doing homework and the grade that you obtain for a course. Therefore, students should expect homework every day, except the day before a test or quiz (since your homework for that night will be to study). I encourage you to work together on your homework assignments, but copying will result in grades of zero for all members involved. Similarly, if your work indicates that you simply copied the odd answers from the back of the book, you will also receive a zero. Homework counts for 15% of your overall average, and it is almost always an effort-based grade (you are not scored for correctness). Therefore, it is something that you should do even if you are confused with the material.
Since it is impossible for me to scrutinize every homework assignment for all of my students, my homework checking policy varies and usually involves checking or collecting a random assignment, either on the due date or sometime after. You should always expect it to be collected on the day that it is due, however. Homework is typically graded out of 5 points, unless otherwise stated (e.g. large, multi-day assignments may be out of 10).
Homework that is not ready for submission at the beginning of class will be regarded as late. Late homework counts as a zero, so, you may just want to hand in what you have or use a homework pass. Sometimes I do not collect or check homework on the day that it is due because of time constraints, but you should keep the assignment organized in your binder in case I ask for it on a future date.
I realize that not all students need me to check their homework as an incentive for them to complete it or to do well in class. Therefore, if you score at or above an A- on a test or quiz, then you will receive a homework pass that you can use on future or past assignments (counts for any 5 point assignment).
I have high standards for homework, and you must follow them if you want full credit:
HOMEWORK STANDARDS
Standard / Penalty for Non-Conformance1) Work in pencil or type the assignment. / -1 pt
2) At the top right of the paper, write your a) full name, b) student ID, c) class / period / teacher, d) chapter, assigned page and problem numbers and e) due date. / -1/2 pt if heading is incomplete, except for your name, which is -1 pt
3) Copy problems as they are stated in the textbook. If there is an abundance of text, then rewrite the key information. / -1 pt if the majority of the assignment is lacking in this category or -1/2 pt if the minority of the assignment is lacking
4) Attempt and show work or reasoning for all problems. If you do not understand how to solve a problem, write at least one full sentence explaining exactly what you do not understand. Simply writing a “?” or words like, “I don’t understand” will not get you credit on that problem. / -1/2 pt if at least 90% of the total assignment is complete with work shown
-1 pt for 80% complete with work shown
-2 pt for 60% complete with work shown
-3 pt for 40% complete with work shown
-4 pt for 20% complete with work shown
5) Work should be detailed, organized, and vertically-flowing. It should explicitly show each step that led towards the solution. It should be written legibly and with ample spacing between steps of problems as well as problems themselves. / -1 pt if the majority of the assignment is lacking in this category or -1/2 pt if the minority of the assignment is lacking
6) Answers should be written as complete sentences. They should also include the correct units, if applicable. / -1 pt if the majority of the assignment is lacking in this category or -1/2 pt if the minority of the assignment is lacking
7) When graphs are asked for: a) make sure that they are accurate (e.g. use a straight edge to help you draw lines), b) label the scale (tick-marks), c) title the axes and the graph itself, and d) use graph paper or the computer. I encourage you to use the computer as much as possible. / -1/2 pt for each deficiency in this category.
8) Paper should have no rips, blemishes, or frills (from a spiral notebook)
. / -1/2 pt
9) Staple your papers in the upper left hand corner / -1/2 pt
10) There should no other homework assignments or notes on the same paper as the homework being collected / -1/2 pt
11) If a problem requires the use of the statistical functions of the graphing calculator or the computer, you must still write the associated formula that is the basis for the calculation (and you should also fill in at least a few of the numbers in the calculation). In addition, if you are not showing work because you used technology, you must briefly describe how you used the technology to obtain the result. / -1 pt if the majority of the assignment is lacking in this category or -1/2 pt if the minority of the assignment is lacking
Note: for assignments worth more than 5 points, the penalties will be scaled appropriately
Following all these standards is more work than you may think is necessary. Let me explain my basis for requiring these things:
1) We work in pencil because we make a lot mistakes and thus we will be doing a lot of erasing. It is much easier to understand your work if your mistakes are erased rather than scratched out with pen. Also, pen scratches do not look professional.
2) A heading similar to the one required in this class is typical of college-level work. You might as well get used to it now. Asking you all to put certain things (in certain places) helps reduce the time it takes to process the hundreds of papers that I have to grade because the information is where I expect it.
3) Rewriting the problems and showing a detailed and organized process towards to the solution helps both me and you. It helps me to grade more efficiently and I am in a better position to make helpful comments about your work. For you, these particular requirements are useful because they allow you to understand the problem better, to organize your thinking (a skill we develop in math class, in general), and they give you an ability to use your old homework assignments as a study aid (because you can understand what you did weeks after you completed the assignment). Lastly, communication is an essential skill in the field of Statistics.
4) Adhering to these high standards produces a professional looking document that is evidence of your work. When you hand it in, it is something you should be proud of. When you enter college and/or the professional workforce, many of these same high-quality requirements will be asked of you. It is my hope that you can learn these skills before you reach those higher levels.
TRADITIONAL IN-CLASS ASSESSMENTS (TESTS/QUIZZES)
Major in-class assessments will be announced at least a week in advance and typically represent about 1-2 weeks of material. I also place projects and small quizzes into the same grading category, but their weight will be proportional to their length and importance. Tests and quizzes will be designed in such a way as to mimic questions on the actual AP exam as much as possible. Half of your grade on the AP exam is from the multiple choice section, and on my tests it will count for about 2/3 of the grade, on average (this is so I can get the papers back to you faster). I will also do my best to grade free response questions the way that an AP reader would (as per the College Board’s standards). Be aware that anything taught in class or given for homework is fair game for a test or quiz. Also, you should consider in-class assessments to be cumulative, even though they will tend to focus on the most recent material. This is to help you come AP exam review time. Pencil must be used on tests and quizzes or there will be a grade penalty. In addition, if you ask me for a calculator on the day of a test or quiz, there will also be a grade penalty. Success on tests and quizzes comes from paying attention and participating in class, asking questions when you are confused, doing the homework, and studying. If you are doing those things and still not succeeding on tests and quizzes, then please see me. Also, you will have many assessment opportunities in this class, so you do not need to be overly concerned about any one grade.