HOW TO SUCCEED IN INDEPENDENT STUDY LA ENTRADA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ORIENTATION

THE STUDENT HANDBOOK Newly updated this year. Have a question? The answer is in there! How do I…? Where can I …? How many credits does it take to go to…? And much, much, more!

WHERE DO I GET THESE FORMS, AND HOW DO I FILL THEM OUT? FormWhere do I get the form? Who can help me if I don’t understand the form? Independent Study PEMrs. Gonzalez Community ServiceMrs. GonzalezMrs. Gonzalez or your teacher Work PermitsMrs. Gonzalez ROP RegistrationMrs. Gonzalez or Mrs. DavidsonMrs. Gonzalez or your counselor Community College Applications Your counselor or Ms. Moore, your teacher, or your counselor SAT or ACT information SAT: ACT: Financial Aid for collegewww.fafsa.ed.gov

STATE AND DISTRICT TESTING REQUIREMENTS REQUIRED OPTIONAL TestWhen?Where? SBAC (state testing)April – MayLa Entrada CAHSEE – 10 th gradeMarchLa Entrada CAHSEE – makeupsNov, Feb, MayLa Entrada PE Test – 9 th gradeFeb – May SAT monthly ACT Sept, Oct, Dec, April, June CC Placement testSee your teacher La Entrada or your college PSATSaturday in October EHS/EDHS/YLHS/VHS Register at Finance Office EAP – 11 th gradeEarly MayLa Entrada

ACCELERATING YOUR PROGRAM ALL ACCELERATION MUST BE APPROVED BY THE PRINCIPAL. How do I accelerate my program, graduate early or make up credits? Take an ROP classes. (10 credits per semester) Take concurrent high school classes (up to 10 credits per semester) Take community college classes (up to 6 credits per semester) Take online college courses (up to 6 credits per semester) Complete additional PE hours (up to 10 credits per semester) Complete additional Community Service (up to 10 credits in 4 years) Can I double-up on my weekly work to speed things up? No. In order to receive the full benefit of La Entrada’s courses, students should be spending 30 hours per week reading, completing the required work, and studying for the test. This rigorous schedule does not allow time for two courses.

CODE OF CONDUCT Students should be well-skilled, on grade level, self motivated and have circumstances that make an alternative, independent study format an appropriate program to make progress toward earning a high school diploma. My enrollment at La Entrada is continuously voluntary on my part and must be continuously approved by the principal. I understand that I must complete and turn in my coursework each week and meet with my teacher. I understand that I must meet with my teacher once per week at a scheduled time. I understand that there is no such thing as an “excused” absence in the independent study format. If I miss my weekly appointment, my grade will be reduced by 20%, and I will be required to meet with my teacher by Friday at 9:00 am to grade my work and take tests.

CODE OF CONDUCT I understand that in the event I will miss class due to illness, my parent must call the office. Parents are required to meet with my teacher and pick up my assignments during the time of my appointment. If I miss my appointment two times in a semester, or do not have completed and acceptable work to turn in, or am not making adequate progress toward graduation, a conference will be held, and I may be dropped from La Entrada and returned to my school of residence. I understand I must attend direct instruction classes that are offered in each subject I am enrolled in. I may, with approval, take 1 or 2 concurrent classes per semester at my resident school. I may earn up to 10 credits per semester through the ROP program. I may enroll in up to 6 college units per semester at a Community College.

CODE OF CONDUCT I realize I will need to earn 5 credits (60 hours) in Community Service and cannot accumulate more than 10 credits during my 4 years. I realize I must get the principal’s prior approval before each semester and summer school for Community Service, Online Classes, Independent Study PE, and Independent Study Electives. I understand that 60 hours of PE is required each semester. I realize that I will need to schedule at least four hours per school day for studying and completing my work. I realize my dress and conduct must be appropriate for school. I understand that this is a tobacco free campus. Smoking is not allowed anywhere on campus, including the parking lot.

CODE OF CONDUCT I realize that I may have a cell phone on campus, but it must be turned off at all times. I understand the initial credit- check is unofficial and will be updated as needed. Any errors on the credit check will not relieve me of any graduation requirements. As the parent of the student, I understand it is my responsibility to check my child’s work on a daily basis and provide transportation for my child to La Entrada for his/her weekly appointment. I understand there are no allowances in independent study for absences due to illness. All work is due on the assigned weekly appointment date. It is my responsibility to meet with the teacher during the scheduled appointment if the student is absent. All state testing, including the CAHSEE, is mandatory. Students who do not participate in testing will not be allowed to return to La Entrada High School.

WEEKLY WORK All components of the assignment are necessary for a passing grade. Work submitted that is missing the notes, test, essay, project, etc. = an F and ZERO credits for the week. All answers must be in complete sentences. Notes and answers to textbook questions must be handwritten. Students will follow rubrics for writing assignments, all projects, summaries, note taking, and art work. If required, rubrics will be provided by your teacher. A Completed Weekly Contract Work cover sheet is required when students turn in work each week. This cover sheet is available from your teacher. A sample of this sheet is shown on the next slide.

TURNING IN YOUR WEEKLY WORK THREE TO SEE EVERY WEEK: 1.Supervising Teacher 2.Math Teacher 2.Subject Matter Teacher

EXPECTED SCHOOLWIDE LEARNING RESULTS (ESLRS) Life –long independent learners who: Assume personal responsibility for learning Prioritize, plan, and take actions to accomplish goals Effective communicators who: Comprehend and interpret the messages of others Write and speak with clarity to diverse audiences Articulate thinkers who: Apply learning to real-life situations Reflect, analyze, and draw conclusions Productive citizens who: Develop respect for the ideas and values of others Utilize traditional and evolving technology

GUIDANCE LA ENTRADA’S MANDATORY ELECTIVE COURSE Required for all students in grades 9, 10 and 11. Students will earn 1-2 credits each semester for Guidance Students must earn a “C” or better to remain at La Entrada. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Attend all required classes each semester (KNAV, Test Preparation, etc.) Attend your weekly appointment. Be prepared for your weekly appointment by having all work completed before you arrive at school.

ONLINE MATH PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS TIME: To ensure success in the course, students are to work a minimum of four hours per week in the online program. Failure to adhere to the minimum time requirement will result in points being deducted from the student’s participation grade. PACING GUIDE: Students need to follow the pacing guide of the course. If a student falls more than one week behind pace, he/she will be written up. A notice will be sent home that needs to be returned with a parent’s signature. A student will be withdrawn from the course if he/she falls over a week behind pace for a third time. (Reinstatement into the course only through principal permission.) SIGN IN: Students must sign in with the math teacher each week to discuss their math progress. Failure to check in weekly will result in a loss of participation points. SEMESTER EXAMS: A final exam must be taken at La Entrada. The exam is taken with paper and pencil. Calculators and notes are permitted. Student’s must score above 50% on the final to receive credit in the course. GRADE REPORT AND ACTIVITY LOG: Students and parents may see the detailed grade report and activity log at any time on the student log in site. Students do not have permission to refuse a parent from viewing their math assignments.

LATE WORK All work is due on appointment day at your designated time. It must be complete. If you are unable to make your appointment due to illness, a PARENT (not student) must notify the SECRETARY (not teacher). Work must be dropped off at the school on appointment day and a makeup appointment must be scheduled to occur before Friday at 9 am. If work is not submitted on time, not complete, or appointment time is missed without prior office notification, the assignment will be marked down 20% and a new appointment must be scheduled with the teacher. All incomplete work from the 4-week assignment period must be complete by Week 4. Incomplete work will result in a failing grade and/or loss of credits.

WHY TAKE NOTES? Second most effective educational strategy A written record of the ideas you thought were important while reading or watching the videos Causes you to Relate ideas within your course Review Think critically Prepare for exams; and generate ideas The act of writing notes keeps you focused Handwritten notes are required each week for ALL La Entrada classes. All tests are open notes, but not open book. Read the passage BEFORE taking notes Notes are turned in and are graded. Please follow the rubric provided by your teacher.

EASY TWO COLUMN NOTES T = Polluting Gases and Destruction of Ozone Layer carbon dioxide- combusition engines > cars and trucks - 50% of pollution chlorofluorocarbons > A/C, refrigerator, foam insulation - 20% of pollution In Two Column Notes, the main topic is written across the top. The sub topics are written on the left. The details are written on the right.

Cornell notes are arranged with two columns The wider column is used for the main notes; the narrow column is for key words, key phrases, questions, and your own ideas. 2 Columns main notes column key word column Date / Course

Main notes column (done in class) Key word column (done after class) Notes taken in class are written in this portion of the page. Ideally, use point form notes and focus on main ideas and important details. Key words that you make after class go here.

Key People Great Britain on the Offensive Effects of War Causes Early Battles CHAPTER MAPS A VISUAL FORM OF NOTE TAKING War of Francis Scott Key -Andrew Jackson -Dolley Madison -William Harrison -Tecumseh -James Madison - Impressment - Battle of Tippecanoe - Feelings of resentment - Battle of Lake Erie - Battle of the Thames - Battle of Horseshoe Bend - Burning of DC - Fort McHenry - national pride - secured territory - entered US on world stage

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE GOOD NOTES? Have I listed all of the main ideas? Have I indented to show subtopics? Are the notes brief words and phrases? Have I used my own words to restate ideas? Do the words and phrases convey the meaning of the text? Do my notes make sense? Are they complete and legible? If used, is my graphic note-taking easy to follow?

REVIEWING AND ADDING COLOR More Research… –U–Unless notes are reviewed within 24 hours, a student will forget 50% of the information! HOT TIP! While reviewing, add color to make clear how ideas and details relate to each other.

ESSAY AND DBQ BASIC REQUIREMENTS 1. Must be typed using the format and rubrics provided by your teacher word minimum (1 and ½ pages), double-spaced with font size no larger than Essay must include an introduction, body and conclusion if it applies to the directions. Your essay should have four to five paragraphs. 4. Writer must include specific examples from his/her reading or research to clarify and support the ideas that are presented in the essay. 5. Any sources need to be cited using the MLA works cited format ( 6. Use spell and grammar check before final copy is printed. 7. Student and teacher names will be written on the upper right- hand corner of the top page of the essay.

PaperRater.com will provide immediate feedback and recommendations for improving your essays. This will help you become a better writer. A PaperRater report needs to be printed and submitted with all essays. Instructions for using PaperRater are below. Click “Use Now Free” Copy and paste your completed paper into the box provided Give your paper a title Education Level – Select 9, 10, or 11 (seniors choose 11) Type of paper – Select “Essay” Originality Detection – Select “Include” Select “Get Report” Print and turn in at your weekly appointment

PLAGIARISM What is plagiarism? What can I do to make sure I am not plagiarizing? What happens if I do plagiarize?

PLAGIARIZING IS: Copying a source exactly word for word and calling it my own work. Copying another student’s work. Asking other students to do all or part of your work for you. Taking someone else’s work, rewriting it, and calling it my own. Letting another student copy your work. Cut and pasting from the Internet.

PLAGIARIZING IS NOT: Citing your source and giving credit to the person who said it originally! Using “quotation marks” when you cannot possibly rewrite the idea in your own words. Using facts that belong to general knowledge.

PLAGIARISM AT LA ENTRADA Copying answers from the answer key while correcting work Changing your answers in your work to match the answer key Copying another students work Having someone do your work or project for you Copying large amounts of text from the internet (Wikipedia, etc.) Purchasing an essay from an essays-for-sale website

A LITTLE LESSON ON PLAGIARISM The original text from Elaine Tyler May's "Myths and Realities of the American Family" reads as follows: Because women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage, single mothers rarely earn enough to support themselves and their children adequately. And because work is still organized around the assumption that mothers stay home with children, even though few mothers can afford to do so, child-care facilities in the United States remain woefully inadequate.

HERE ARE SOME POSSIBLE USES OF THIS TEXT. AS YOU READ THROUGH EACH VERSION, TRY TO DECIDE IF IT IS A LEGITIMATE USE OF MAY'S TEXT OR IS IT PLAGIARISM. Version A Since women's wages often continue to reflect the mistaken notion that men are the main wage earners in the family, single mothers rarely make enough to support themselves and their children very well. Also, because work is still based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for child care remain woefully inadequate in the United States. Plagiarism! In Version A there is too much direct borrowing of sentence structure and wording. The writer changes some words, drops one phrase, and adds some new language, but the overall text closely resembles May's. Even with a citation, the writer is still plagiarizing because the lack of quotation marks indicates that Version A is a paraphrase, and should thus be in the writer's own language.

VERSION B As Elaine Tyler May points out, "women's wages often continue to reflect the fiction that men earn the family wage" (588). Thus many single mothers cannot support themselves and their children adequately. Furthermore, since work is based on the assumption that mothers stay home with children, facilities for day care in this country are still "woefully inadequate." (May 589). Plagiarism! The writer now cites May, so we're closer to telling the truth about the relationship of our text to the source, but this text continues to borrow too much language.

VERSION C By and large, our economy still operates on the mistaken notion that men are the main breadwinners in the family. Thus, women continue to earn lower wages than men. This means, in effect, that many single mothers cannot earn a decent living. Furthermore, adequate day care is not available in the United States because of the mistaken assumption that mothers remain at home with their children. Plagiarism! Version C shows good paraphrasing of wording and sentence structure, but May's original ideas are not acknowledged. Some of May's points are common knowledge (women earn less than men, many single mothers live in poverty), but May uses this common knowledge to make a specific and original point and her original conception of this idea is not acknowledged.

VERSION D Women today still earn less than men — so much less that many single mothers and their children live near or below the poverty line. Elaine Tyler May argues that this situation stems in part from "the fiction that men earn the family wage" (588). May further suggests that the American workplace still operates on the assumption that mothers with children stay home to care for them (589). This assumption, in my opinion, does not have the force it once did. More and more businesses offer in-house day-care facilities… No Plagiarism The writer makes use of the common knowledge in May's work, but acknowledges May's original conclusion and does not try to pass it off as his or her own. The quotation is properly cited, as is a later paraphrase of another of May's ideas.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET CAUGHT CHEATING OR PLAGIARIZING? 1 st offense Student conference with teacher. A zero grade and no credit for the assignment Parent notified 2 nd offense Consequences from 1 st offense and Dropped from course 3 rd – offense Consequences from 1st and 2 nd offenses and Conference with principal Possible referral to resident school. Work IS checked by teachers and submitted to plagiarism detection websites.

CELL PHONE USAGE Students may bring cell phones to school. Cell phones must be on silent and not visible. Any cell phone use in the classroom will result in a failing grade on tests or work. Phone calls to parents or to coordinate transportation must be completed outside the school building.

DRESS CODE REMINDERS PLEASE DRESS FOR SUCCESS! No offensive language, symbols, and pictures on your clothing. Clothing must cover all undergarments. No short shorts, bare midriffs, or low cut fronts or backs. No pajamas and/or slippers.

WHAT FACTORS LEAD TO SUCCESS IN INDEPENDENT STUDY? Organization Learning skills Motivation Parental Involvement Time Management

WHY IS TIME MANAGEMENT IMPORTANT? Major reason for not finishing assignments Major reason for dropping out of college Leads to procrastination (Davies, 2011; Huie et al., 2008) A skill linked to college success Good time management skills linked to better academics (Britton & Tesser, 1991; Tuckman, 2003)

THE SURVEY SAYS Approximately ¾ of students plan their week and when they will do their assignments However, 46% try to do their school work in two days (not good practice) 41% let other activities take priority over their school work 1/3 admit to procrastinating with their weekly assignments

WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM INDEPENDENT STUDY STUDENTS Many do not have a set schedule for their weekly assignments Many put it off until the last thing every day Half of the students try to do their work in two days Procrastination and making school work the lowest priority makes for poor work habits and poorly done assignments, as well as lower grades

PUT YOURSELF ON A TIME MANAGEMENT PLAN! 9 2% improvement in overall assignments I mproved grades I mproved attendance I mproved quality of work L ower stress levels B etter prepared for college

T HANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE ORIENTATION POWERPOINT. M AY YOU HAVE AN ENJOYABLE AND SUCCESSFUL YEAR AT L A E NTRADA !