Middle School Course Catalog - T.R. Smedberg Middle School

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGIntroductionThe middle school years, which include grades 7-8, are a unique period in students’ lives as they undergo rapidand profound developmental changes. As a result, middle schools have the challenge of addressing both theeducational and social-emotional needs of young adolescents. The Elk Grove Unified School District embracesthis challenge in meeting the needs of all middle school students.Using the Guiding Principles for Middle Schools noted above as a foundation, each middle school offersinstructional programs framed by the Common Core State Standards and designed to meet the needs ofindividual students. It is the primary purpose of every school to teach and reinforce the skills necessary formiddle school success, prepare students for future high school study, and begin to build students’ college andcareer readiness.INTRODUCTIONwww.EGUSD.netStudents are afforded opportunities for enrichment and acceleration, as well as for intervention and academicsupport, when necessary. A positive and successful middle school experience provides students with academicskills and knowledge, along with an understanding of the importance of responsibility, organization, timemanagement, and effort. Middle school truly serves as a bridge to a student’s future.The purpose of this Middle School Course Catalog is to inform parents and students about courses offered at themiddle school level in the Elk Grove Unified School District. Courses unique to each middle school are providedon each middles school’s website. A separate handout may be provided during the course selection process atthe parent/student information meeting.It is intended that students and parents review this catalog together and make informed decisions aboutstudents’ course requests. Counselors are available at each school site to advise students and parents in courseselection. Please contact them if you need assistance during the course selection process. For your convenience,school site phone numbers and website addresses are listed at the end of this publication.7

MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONSMIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGMost Commonly Asked QuestionsWhat does the course selection process entail?Typically, the course selection process beginsearly in the spring of the student’s 6th grade year.Counselors may visit the feeder elementary schoolswhere they present information about middle schooland the registration process. Each middle schoolconducts parent information meetings to informparents about expectations for middle school, aswell as course requirements. At each school, parentcommunication and involvement are key to astudent’s successful middle school experience.Students and parents should use this course cataloginformation, and any other handouts provided bytheir middle school, to assist in selecting appropriatemiddle school courses.How do middle schools work with elementaryschools to effectively transition students tomiddle school?Principals and teachers at the elementary schooland middle school levels meet and plan regularlythroughout the year to ensure that students arebeing prepared both academically and socially formiddle school. Additional articulation betweenelementary schools and middle schools occurs forspecific academic placement of special educationand English Learner students.Are Honors courses offered at all middle schools?Yes. All middle schools in Elk Grove Unified SchoolDistrict offer Honors and accelerated courses. Inorder to be ready for Advanced Placement (AP) orInternational Baccalaureate (IB) courses at the highschool level, it is critical that a rigorous curricularfoundation is established at the middle school level.All Honors courses provide enriching andchallenging curriculum that engages high achievingstudents. Honors students should have themotivation to accelerate through content standardsand commit to more in-depth study. The subjectmatter in Honors courses is more sophisticatedand complex, requiring strong organizationalskills, self-monitoring, and the student’s ability towork independently and in a team. Honors coursesprepare students for the rigor of high schoollevel Honors and accelerated courses and can be8considered “Pre-AP/IB.” Every student is encouragedto challenge him/herself through enrollment in oneor more Honors-level or accelerated courses duringthe middle school years.Students are encouraged to enroll in Honors Englishand/or History/Social Science and also to acceleratein both Mathematics and Science as follows: Mathematics 7 Accelerated: Students who areenrolled in Mathematics 7 Accelerated willadvance through both the 7th grade mathstandards and a majority of the 8th grade mathstandards. Mathematics I: Students who successfullycomplete Mathematics 7 Accelerated will beenrolled in Mathematics I in grade 8. Science: Science 8 Honors provides students withthe opportunity to enroll in additional upper levelscience courses in high school. This course coversboth 8th grade and high school General Sciencestandards. Students who successfully completeScience 8 Honors may enroll in Biology as 9thgraders and are expected to fulfill the Science8 Honors Agreement and complete Chemistryand Physics while in high school. Studentsshould be concurrently enrolled in Mathematics8 or higher when taking Honors Science 8. Thiscourse receives a weighted grade for purposes ofcalculating the student’s grade point average.How does my child qualify for the Gifted andTalented Education (GATE) program?The Elk Grove Unified School District identifies GATEstudents in five unique areas and each identificationarea is considered separately.The GATE identification process is based on studentsexhibiting exceptional ability in one of the followingareas: Creative Ability, Leadership Ability, Visualand Performing Arts Ability, Academic Ability, orCognitive Ability. Students with exceptional abilitypossess a capacity for excellence beyond theirchronological peers in one of these areas. Studentsdo not have to be high academic achievers to beconsidered for GATE identification.For more information on GATE identification andprogram services at your child’s school, pleasecontact the school’s GATE Coordinator.

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGMy child still needs help with his/her readingskills. What kind of support is offered?Intervention support is offered for students who arereading below grade level and need further supportin reading. Proper placement of students into classesis critical for reading success. Students’ summativeand diagnostic assessment performance, teacherrecommendations, and other diagnostic assessmentsmay be used to determine placement.What services are provided by middle schoolcounselors?The middle school counseling program is alignedwith the American School Counseling AssociationNational Standards and State Standards. Thesestandards focus on helping students acquirecompetencies in the areas of academics, careerdevelopment, and personal/social development.Middle schools are staffed with counselors whoprovide assistance to students and parents, helpwith the registration and course selection processes,and collaborate with teachers and administratorsto address student needs. Initially, middle schoolstudents may be overwhelmed by the enormityof their new school environment with attendingmultiple classrooms with multiple teachers, andmeeting so many new students. Counselorscan assist students with acclimating to this newenvironment and help make school a place wherestudents feel a sense of connection and belonging.What academic services are offered for EnglishLearner studentsEnglish Learners (EL) comprise about 15% ofour district’s student population. Ranging frombeginning to advanced proficiency, our EL studentscome from diverse backgrounds and experiences.At the middle school level, English Learners receiveinstructional support to acquire English fluencyas well as learn the State’s content standards inEnglish Language Development (ELD) classes and inSpecially Designed Academic Instruction in English(SDAIE) content classes. Students must be testedannually with the English Language ProficiencyAssessment of California (ELPAC) to determine theirlevel of English language proficiency. The ELPAC isone measure also used to determine if students areready to be reclassified as Fluent English Proficient(FEP). This testing occurs at the middle schools underthe direction of the ELPAC Coordinator and siteadministrators.What about the special education student?The smooth transition from 6th to 7th grade forspecial education students is extremely important.For this reason, it is essential that there be strongcommunication among parents, the feederelementary school, and the middle school. Realizingthat strong bonds and attachments are made at theelementary level, middle school faculty and staffmake an effort to work with 6th grade teachers totransition the special education student to 7th gradeas seamlessly as possible.Is it important for parents to be involved duringmiddle school?YES! Parent involvement in their child’s education ismore important in middle school than ever. Whenparents are actively involved in their student’seducation, students do better in middle school.When parents become involved, both students andthe school benefit: grades and test results are higher;students’ attitudes and behavior are more positive;academic programs are more successful; andschools, as a whole, are more effective. Even if yourchild says he/she doesn’t want you to be involved,stay involved.MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)www.EGUSD.netWhat are some of the ways parents can beinvolved in middle school?There are many opportunities for parentinvolvement: school visitations, participation ina parent/teacher organization, serving on theSchool Site Council, volunteering at school eventsor in classrooms, enrolling in the school’s ParentUniversity, signing up for ParentVUE, or attendingschool activities. To find out how you can becomeinvolved, contact your child’s middle school.What can parents do to prepare students formiddle school?1. Ask to see homework. Ask daily to see whatkinds of activities are assigned for homework.By seventh grade, students are required to dohomework daily. If your student says that he/shedoes not have any homework, check with theteacher.2. Help develop a routine for homework. Studiesshow that if a student follows a routine andparents expect their students to do theirhomework before they can watch television or9

MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS (CONT.)MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGplay video games, etc., students are generallymore successful in school.3. Communicate with the school staff. Find out howto communicate with your child’s teachers. Manymisunderstandings can be resolved quickly ifthere is strong and clear communication betweenthe school and home. Sign up for ParentVUE andthe EGUSD Portal to get timely access to yourchild’s academic information and to contact theschool.4. Ask about your child’s assignments and grades.When they go to middle school, students willbe asked to write down their assignments andhomework in either their binder, student agenda,or assignment record sheet. Parents may alsocheck assignments on ParentVUE.5. Encourage your child to read and write. One ofthe best ways for a student to become a betterreader and writer is to practice. Just as an athletegets better with practice, so does a studentbecome a better reader and writer with practice.Regular reading enhances a student’s vocabulary.Vocabulary development is key to academicsuccess in high school and entry into college.6. Get involved in Parent Education and otherinvolvement activities, such as Math, Science, orReading Nights, Parent Universities, participationon the School Site Council or other committees.How can I communicate with my child’s teachersand school?There are multiple ways for parents to communicatewith their child’s teachers and school. Allmiddle schools have school websites and phonenumbers. Schools also ParentVUE, an Internetbased program that allows parents and studentsto receive daily information regarding their child’sgrades, assignments, and other school information.Additional information regarding ParentVUE and itsusage is available by contacting your child’s middleschool.section on pages 29-32 of in this catalog, talk to yourchild about the following: Enrolling in Honors and accelerated courses Developing strong study habits and maintaininggood grades Getting involved in clubs and activities oncampus Taking the PSAT exam in 8th grade, offered free ofcharge Exploring college and career planning throughhttps://www.californiacolleges.edu/ Visiting colleges; including researching collegeentrance requirements nowDoes the school district have a website withinformation to assist parents and students?EGUSD’s website has several resources to helpparents and students navigate information aboutacademics, special programs and athletics. It alsoincludes a college and career website with numerousresources about college entrance requirements,financial planning, and scholarships.WE AREDETERMINEDBuilding a brighter futureone student at a timeMichael LynchCo-founder of “ImproveYour Tomorrow”Viking Strong creativity andintegrity & Valley HighSchool graduate.Are there ways that my child can begin preparingfor college now?Yes. In addition to reviewing the informationcontained in the High School GraduationRequirements and College Planning Information10We are the future. We are Elk Grove Unified.

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGCourse RequestsThe course descriptions contained in the EGUSDmiddle school course catalog will help students/parents understand what each course offers andwill assist with making final course selections.Prerequisite requirements for course selections areincluded in the course descriptions.The number of students requesting each course willdetermine which courses will be offered and thenumber of teachers needed to teach these courses.Therefore, students should plan and select coursescarefully. It may be difficult to change a course oncea request is made.Challenge TestsThe Elk Grove Unified School District makeschallenge tests available in order to help studentsmake the best use of their time in middle school.Some students enter middle school with backgroundand knowledge in specific areas, but their schoolrecords may not clearly show this. Other studentsmay be so knowledgeable in a required subjectthat they wish to pass the course by examinationand take a more advanced course instead. In theseinstances, a student may challenge a course throughexamination.Students may challenge a specific course only onceand may not use a challenge test to make up acourse that they have failed. A student must scoreat 80% or above for a successful challenge. No lettergrade or credit for the challenge test will be reflectedon the student’s grade work, just the opportunityto advance in a subject area or have a promotionrequirement met.Challenge tests are administered by the Office ofCurriculum/Professional Learning at the Robert L.Trigg Education Center. Please contact a counselor ifyou are interested in a challenge test for a particularcourse.Special EducationProgram opportunities are available at each middleschool for students who have exceptional learningneeds and have an active Individual Education Plan(IEP).Some of these programs vary from school to school;however, all middle schools provide instructionalplanning, tutorial assistance, special instruction andother services to individuals with learning handicapsin regular classrooms and /or special programs.Additionally, other Designated Instructional Services(DIS) are provided as needed, such as Language/Speech and Hearing Service (LSH), Adapted PhysicalEducation (AdPE), and Occupational Therapy (OT).Standards-Based Promotion &Retention RequirementsPromotion/RetentionThe EGUSD Governing Board of Educationexpects students to progress one grade leveleach school year. To accomplish this, instructionshould accommodate the varying interests andgrowth patterns of student and include strategiesaddressing academic needs.PromotionStudents shall progress through grade levels bydemonstrating growth in learning and meetinggrade level standards of expected studentachievement. In addition to demonstratingproficiency in reading, language, English/LanguageArts and mathematics, students must earn aminimum number of course credits to be promotedto the next grade level.RetentionWhile schools work to support the academic successof all students, some students may be recommendedfor retention between grades 7 and 8 or betweengrades 8 and 9.Recommendation for retention will be made onthe basis of an individual student’s failure to meetminimum levels of proficiency, as indicated by theresults of state assessments and other indicators ofacademic achievement. These may include in-classassessments, end of course grades, and completionof required courses. The responsibility for theretention recommendation may involve a team ofteachers, counselors, and administrators. Studentsat-risk or recommended for retention shall be offeredan appropriate academic program to assist themin meeting grade-level expectations. [Board Policy5123]COURSE REQUESTS / CHALLENGE TESTS / SPECIAL EDUCATION / STANDARDS-BASED PROMOTION & RETENTION REQUIREMENTSwww.EGUSD.net11

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGMIDDLE SCHOOL PROMOTION REQUIREMENTSMiddle School Promotion RequirementsIn order to promote to the ninth grade, middle school students must complete the following courses:7th grade8th gradeEnglish 7English 7 HonorsELA Literacy 7-8English 8English 8 HonorsELA Literacy 7-8OROREL English Intensive MS Course IEL English Intensive MS Course IIEL English Intensive MS Course IIIEL English Intensive MS Course IVEL English Intensive MS Course IEL English Intensive MS Course IIEL English Intensive MS Course IIIEL English Intensive MS Course IV* One course listed above must becompleted.* One course listed above must becompleted.Mathematics 7Mathematics 7 SupportMathematics 7 AcceleratedMathematics 8Mathematics 8 SupportMathematics I* One course listed above must becompleted.* One course listed above must becompleted.Physical EducationPhysical Education 7Physical Education 8ScienceScience 7Science 8orScience 8 HonorsSocial ScienceSocial Science 7orSocial Science 7 HonorsSocial Science 8orSocial Science 8 HonorsEnglish/Language Arts*English for English LearnersMathematics**Additional elective course credits may be required for promotion.WE ARESUCCESSWe’re building a brighter future onestudent at a time.Before Chris Kelly became a Hollywood film director andco-head writer of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, he studied atJames Rutter Middle School. Helping Chris develop hiscommunication and collaboration skills, as early asmiddle school, brought him success later in life.12We are the future. We are Elk Grove Unified.WeAreEGU.com

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOGAnti-DiscriminationDistrict Policy Prohibiting Discrimination/Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying of StudentsThe Elk Grove Unified School District prohibitsdiscrimination against, nor will it tolerate theintimidation, harassment or bullying of, any studentby a student, employee, or any other person fromor in the District, on the basis of the student’sactual or perceived disability, sex, gender, genderidentity, gender expression, nationality, immigrationstatus, race, ethnicity, color, ancestry, religion,sexual orientation, age, marital or parental sta

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOG MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE CATALOG 3 www.EGUSD.net The District Serves a Diverse Community EGUSD MISSION STATEMENT Elk Grove Unified, located in one of