Brockton High School - Bpsma

ACADEMIC LEVELS AT BROCKTON HIGH SCHOOL Brockton High School sets high standards and expectations for all students at all levels. Every course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and high level skills needed for post secondary education, technical training, and employment. Course level placement for students is determined on an individual basis by examining data including assessments, teacher recommendations, grades, and other relevant information. Students must work with their parents and guidance counselors to plan a course of study over four years that will help them reach their highest potential in achieving their goals after high school. Successful completion of courses taken at the levels described below, in addition to meeting graduation requirements, will enable students to meet the recommended prerequisites for admission to a college or university. LEVELS Honors College Prep Advanced College Prep DESCRIPTORS (Descriptor refers to the depth to which the content of the course is covered) Goal at this level: Expert mastery of key concepts with intensive examination of course content. Goal at this level: Advanced mastery of key concepts with extensive examination of course content. Goal at this level: Proficient mastery of key concepts with comprehensive examination of course content. Courses at Brockton High School develop literacy skills and teach students to think critically and analytically. All courses are based on rigorous and relevant content which follow the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Courses prepare students to demonstrate successful performance outcomes including proficiency on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) and standardized entrance exams such as the SAT, SAT subject tests, and ACT. Students must be aware that colleges, technical schools, and employers seek students who have completed a rigorous academic program. Therefore, students in all academic levels are expected to exhibit behaviors which lead to maximum learning within all content areas. Students must work independently, take responsibility for their learning, engage in the learning process, demonstrate time-management skills, utilize effective study skills, be inquisitive, practice problem solving strategies, use technology effectively, accept feedback, and persevere with difficult tasks. Note: N indicates Non - level courses. No quality points are assigned and these courses are not factored into the GPA. International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement have their own standardized criteria and curricula and are distinct from the levels above. Students will have the option of participating in these programs by meeting established criteria. These programs are described on the following pages. BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 4 3/4/2009

ADVANCED PLACEMENT and INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE Studies have shown that the rigor of a student's high school curriculum is the single best predictor of success in college. The National Association for College Admission Counseling's (NACAC) annual State of College Admissions survey consistently finds that student performance in high level college preparatory classes is the most important factor in the admissions decision. With this in mind, we encourage enrollment in International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Often, students have the impression that only "top" students should take these courses or the fear that taking a challenging course might result in a lower GPA. Students find that the effort that it takes to successfully complete an IB or AP course is worth it since it helps prepare them for the rigor and independence needed to be successful in college courses. Students appreciate the opportunity to develop these skills in a more nurturing and helpful environment before they attend college. Many colleges and universities have IB and AP credit policies which allow students who have taken the courses or the exam to earn college credit or qualify for placement. Students should review the policies of the different colleges in which they may be interested as the policies vary from school to school. Who should take IB or AP courses? The IB and AP courses are intended for students who wish to take college courses while in high school. The offerings are college courses which follow world or national curricula. The course work is rigorous and the pace is intense. The student must: Have received excellent grades in previous courses in that subject area Be motivated to achieve Have a very strong work ethic Be able to work well independently Agree to take the International Baccalaureate exam or the National AP exam Students should see their guidance counselor to enroll in an AP or IB course or the IB Programme. ************************************ Advanced Placement Advanced Placement courses provide students an opportunity for learning that goes beyond just facts and figures. The rich course material, classroom discussions, and demanding assignments typical of AP courses will help students develop the content mastery and critical thinking skills expected of college students. In addition, AP helps students to develop better study habits, improve their writing skills, and sharpen their problem-solving abilities, skills vital to success in college AP courses offered at Brockton High School are approved annually by the CollegeBoard. The process for approval involves a review of the course syllabus each year along with a review of textbooks, resources and materials that will be used by the classroom teacher. BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 5 3/4/2009

Advanced Placement Courses Offered: English Literature and Composition European History US History Studio Art Chemistry Physics Biology Calculus French Latin Spanish ************************************ The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme* is an intensive student-centered course of study in which the student is expected to pursue the in-depth study of a subject through inquiry and research. Through the course of study, the student is expected to develop an understanding of the nature and value of one’s own culture as well as other cultures and their interconnectedness through the study of one’s own language, other languages, the social sciences, the sciences, mathematics, and the arts. In a philosophy course the student will also examine the complexity of knowledge in all disciplines. The courses offered through the International Baccalaureate Programme are rigorous, yet seek to develop learners who are not only knowledgeable about a subject, but also questioning and reflective. Students acquire skills to conduct constructive inquiry and research, and become active, independent learners and critical thinkers. The course of study offered through this program is highly respected among colleges. Many schools offer credit for an entire year of college or university study with full diploma study. Course Requirements: English Foreign Language – select from Spanish – French – Latin Social Science Mathematics Science – Biology or Chemistry Philosophy Elective – current offerings include: art, a second foreign language, or a second social science course A minimum number of hours is required for each course. Not every course will be taken everyday. To complete the two year course of study, students will be required to: take both internally and externally graded assessments in each subject, complete one extensive research paper *If students wish to pursue study through the International Baccalaureate Programme, they can still take the AP exams in a subject at the end of the year. Statistics indicate that students are very successful in AP exams after taking courses in this program. *Students do not have to enroll in the entire programme; individual IB courses may be taken. A certificate is awarded for individual courses. ****************************** BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 6 3/4/2009

A second component of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is the CAS (Creativity, Action, and Service) component. Students will be expected to complete 150 hours of activity in sports, the arts, and community service. This requirement can be met in a variety of ways. For example, a student who is in the band may count his or her hours of performance as part of the arts component. Or, a student who is on the baseball team can count the hours playing as part of the sports component. A member of the drama club may be involved in creating set designs and could count that as part of his or her required hours. Members of the National Honor Society or Key Club may count the many hours they spend in Community Service as part of that component. There is a CAS Advisor who will help students plan how they will meet the requirements and help them in preparing their log to account for the time. BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 7 3/4/2009

Level Assignment Information The criteria for placement in an academic level is based on test scores, standardized testing information, previous grades and levels, and teachers’ recommendations. If a student is considering moving to a higher academic level, he or she must understand the level of commitment required of a particular level. If a student wishes to make a move upward during the academic year, he or she must wait until after the first marking term. Decisions will be based on the criteria listed above and space availability. Students requesting a drop in level must exhibit serious gaps in their ability to perform successfully in any given subject. Level changes will be made only after careful consultation with the counselor, teacher and department head. Generally, students who demonstrate their best effort to try and resolve issues in a particular class overcome these challenges. Ways to demonstrate effort include: going for extra help, good attendance, and completion of class assignments and homework. In semester courses, level changes should be completed by the end of the first term; in full year courses, level changes should be completed by the end of the first semester. Lateral changes (i.e. student remains at the same level but requests a teacher change) are rarely approved; these changes will be made only in extreme circumstances and with the approval of the student’s Housemaster. The school policy dictates that students will not be allowed to drop any classes once the school year begins. If extenuating circumstances exist, the student and parent should make an appointment with the Housemaster. BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 8 3/4/2009

SUMMER SCHOOL POLICY ELIGIBILTY: Any Brockton High School student who fails either a full year or a semester course should consider enrolling in the same course in Summer School. According to Brockton High School policy, a student who fails a full year course is eligible only if s/he passes at least two terms during the regular school year, and the course is offered in Summer School. Any student who fails more than two terms will be required to repeat the course during the school year. A student who fails a semester course is eligible for summer school as long as the course is being offered. If a student fails one term, s/he is required to take the two-hour course offered for that subject. If a student fails both terms, s/he is required to take the four-hour course called Workshop for that subject. Any student may enroll in an elective course and upon completion, receive the same credit granted during the regular school year, not to exceed 3.0 credits. PASSING A SUMMER SCHOOL COURSE: The Summer School program is aligned with the Department of Education’s Time and Learning policy and the following policy is adopted in order for student to earn a passing grade: The student must: meet the entrance requirement for the course, pass the daily course work assigned by the instructor, pass the departmental final for the course. Failure to meet all three requirements stated above will result in a grade of “F”. PORTFOLIO REVIEW: Students enrolled in the Junior Year Writing Workshop, Writing Skills Workshop and the Literature Development Workshop must participate in a Portfolio Review at the end of the course. The grade for this Portfolio Review will count 60% of the course grade. ATTENDANCE: Daily attendance is of primary importance to a student’s success in Summer School. To insure that every student has the opportunity to be successful, there will be no excused absences from Summer School without the permission of the Headmaster or the Assistant Headmaster. Due to the short duration of the Summer School Program, medical or bereavement waivers cannot be issued; however, buy-back sessions are available. Buy-back sessions are held after school each week. Additionally, a student must attend at least ninety-five percent (95%) of the class meetings, whether absences are excused or not. Students who do not meet these requirements will not receive any credit for the course, but they may wish to audit the course. TARDINESS: Three (3) tardies will equal one absence. Community School policy states that any tardiness of more than ten (10) minutes, without the permission of the Headmaster or Assistant Headmaster, will be considered an absence. BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 9 3/4/2009

The BHS Guidance Department consists of: Bilingual guidance counselors Occupational education counselor Guidance counselors who are assigned by house and whose students are assigned alphabetically Adjustment counselors Department Head of Guidance: Catherine Leger Guidance Counselors All secondary students are assigned a guidance counselor who works to prepare them to face decisions that will affect their futures. These decisions may involve personal issues, high school, college, military, or career choices. Counselors work with students both individually and in small groups, and they often conduct larger classroom sessions or workshops. The services provided are determined by the needs of the student and the family. Counselors have broad areas of responsibility. These include: Counseling: academic, personal, or family focus Exploration of vocational and career development options Student academic achievement: interpretation of student performance through report cards, progress notices, and weekly reports College preparation: utilizing workshops, college fairs, computer-based information, and a series of college guidebooks Registration: transfers of students to other schools, including processing of records and transcripts Attendance: ensuring adherence to the Brockton Public Schools attendance policy Student testing and evaluation: coordination and administration of the school wide and state wide testing programs, including MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System); Student Improvement Plans based on MCAS scores Educational Services: Coordination of Special Education services and referral to alternative programs and to programs specifically designed for target populations Students, parents and teachers have access to guidance staff in a variety of ways: 1. Schoolwork is gathered for students and parents when needed 2. Parent / teacher conferences are arranged 3. Teacher and counselor consultations School Adjustment Counselors School adjustment counselors deal with a student’s behavior or social problems. S/he works with students and their families when behavioral or adjustment problems are causing difficulties at home and /or affecting school performance. The SAC uses casework BHS COS 2009-2010 lgm 10 3/4/2009

or group work approaches to problem solving. He or she initiates protective interventions for students at risk, and usually has major role in management of critical incidents in the school setting. The SAC is the mental health professional in a school and is available to teachers and administrators who need to understand mental health issues pertaining to particular students. The SAC coordinates mental health interventions with outside counseling agencies, private therapists, Juvenile Court, the Department of Social Services, hospitals, and

Brockton, MA 02301 (508) 580-7633 www.bpsma.org . Dr. Susan E. Szachowicz Maria E. LeFort, Associate Principal Principal For Curriculum & Instruction Brockton High School Brockton High School Phone (508) 580-7633 Fax (508) 580-7600 Phone (508) 894-4536 Fax (508) 580-7600 .