Academic Policies

Report cards are mailed home at the end of each Quarter and progress reports are mailed at mid- Quarter for students who are not performing up to standard. Quarter grades are posted on the student’s permanent record card. By law, the teacher makes the final decision as to the grade earned by the student. Parents wishing to assist their student in school should direct academic questions to the teacher involved. If the student has problems in many classes, contacting a school counselor can initiate help for the student.

 

Personal integrity and honesty in academic endeavors are necessary traits for students to reach their full potential as students and citizens. Students are expected to act upon these core traits and respect the educational purpose of all school activities by completing work through their own efforts. The Board expects that students will not cheat, lie or plagiarize and will report infractions of this policy to school staff members.

 

Our belief is that all students, regardless of their academic abilities, can behave and be good citizens. Individual teachers set standards for the marks of: “O” = Outstanding, “S” = Satisfactory, “N” = Needs Improvement, and “U” = Unsatisfactory. Recognition will be given to students with high citizenship marks (all O’s and S’s) through the Excellence Awards Program.

 

Valadez Middle School Academy plans and staffs its programs on the basis of teacher recommendations and student course requests. Once the master schedule is developed, changes in students’ schedules are rarely made. Only exceptionally valid reasons for a change will be considered:

 

Changes needed as the result of scheduling errors and improper class placements have top priority for schedule adjustments at the beginning of the school year.

Requests for changes in elective wheel classes cannot be accommodated due to the limited number of electives.

Students may not change from one teacher to another teacher in the same subject unless there are extenuating Circumstances that have been examined in a parent- teacher-administrator conference. Administrative approval is necessary for the change to occur.

 

Students in the eighth grade must pass an established number of core curriculum classes (i.e., mathematics, science, social science, language arts, CARE and ELD) and successfully complete any prescribed supplemental instructional programs in order to be promoted to high school. Specifically, eighth-grade students shall be retained if either or both of the following exist:

 

Grade of F in 6 or more of the 16 core subject classes (based on a Quarter system) attempted in the eighth-grade year. Core classes include language arts, mathematics, science and social science.

Failure to show progress in ELD, CARE (reading) or other supplemental intervention programs and a score below 70 percent on the Math Mastery Test and a score of 2 or below on the District Writing Assessment over the academic year. Successful work in the alternative programs of summer school may make promotion possible, but day-by-day effort in studies is the best way to succeed in school.

 

Regular homework is believed to be an essential ingredient in improving student learning, as it extends learning time and challenges the student to apply what has been learned in the classroom. Students are assigned an average of twenty to thirty minutes of homework per academic class daily. In addition, students should expect some weekend and/or long- term assignments. Non-academic courses may also assign homework periodically. The purpose of homework is to reinforce skills taught in the classroom and to finish class work that was not completed during school hours. Homework may take many forms including:

 

Practice of skills or review of content

Traditional reading or writing assignments

Radio and TV programs to listen to or view

Field trips to community resources

Reviews for examinations

Simple science experiments

Interviewing people on topics vital to classroom study

Preparation of special reports or projects

Gathering materials/supplies for planned classroom activities

Parents share the responsibility for providing the student with the atmosphere and means for carrying out successful homework assignments. Family cooperation includes more than just supplying a quiet study center, adequate lighting and seating, reference books, and supplies. It requires proper encouragement to complete the assignment once begun, a minimum of interruptions, muted TV and radio, and an appreciation of work well done.

 

Students earning a 3.0 to 3.49 grade point average (GPA) for a Quarter are awarded Honor Roll status. All Honor Roll students automatically, receive an Excellence Award Point for their efforts High Honors are awarded to those earning a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA. High Honor students receive a Gold Card each quarter to be used for special privileges.

Seventh Grade students that attain a GPA of 3.85 or above will also be recognized at Distinguished Scholars Night.

 

Physical education students are expected to dress out every day. A student may be excused from activity for 1-3 days because of physical limitation or illness by presenting a written note from a parent. Absences of more than three days require a doctor’s verification and must be cleared by the health clerk. Please consult the physical education syllabus for further information.

 

Recognizing students that excel is important at Valadez.

Excellence Awards Students are recognized for their successes in various aspects of school. These include:

Attendance: Perfect attendance for the quarter

Citizenship: O’s and S’s on report card with no referrals or detentions

Honor Roll: 3.0 grade point average or better for the quarter Participating in a before or after school activity, tutoring or teacher approved service projects.