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hector high school student/parent handbook 2010-2011

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table of contents introduction 1 district mission statement 1 district vision statement 1 high school value statements 1 section 504 policy 2 student handbook 2 letter from the superintendent 3 letter from the high school principal 3 academics 4 academic deficiencies 4 adding dropping classes 4 admission of home school students 4 advanced placement courses 4 alternative education 4 cats career advisement training and support 5 concurrent credit classes 5 conferences parent 5 credit recovery/correspondence courses 5 early graduation 5 english language learners 6 gifted and talented learners 6 grading policy/grade point scale 6 grading policy/make-up and late work 7 home school 7 homework 7 honor graduates 8 library-media center 8 library-media center challenged materials policy 8 math policy 10 placement/graduation status students entering from a non-accredited school or home school 11 placement/graduation status students entering from an accredited school 11 pledge of allegiance 11 policy for student performance 11 progress reports/parent teacher conferences 11 reading across the curriculum 12 religion in the school 12 report cards 12 remediation policy 12 summer school 12 athletics activities 12 assemblies and athletic events 12 athletic team participation 13 attendance requirement for activities 14 cheerleaders 15 dances 15 extracurricular activities 15 fees and dues lockers and memberships 16 fellowship of christian athletes 16 field trips and class trips 16 limit to offices a student can hold 16 pictures 17 attendance 17 attendance policy 17 mandatory attendance policy 20 policy for admittance to class after absence 20 checking out policy 20 i

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awards recognition 21 awards 21 girls state-boys state 21 homecoming/mr ms hhs 21 honor roll 21 discipline 23 behavior code violations and sanctions rules consequences 23 behavior on buses 31 behavior requirement regarding suspensions and after-hours activities 31 constructive work detail/lunch detention 32 corporal punishment 32 discipline for handicapped 32 expulsions 32 grievance procedure 33 group hearings for suspension or expulsion 33 hall passes 33 in-school suspension 33 lunch detention 34 saturday school suspension 34 student discipline 34 suspension 34 tardies 36 health 36 accident or illness at school 36 contagious disease 36 health service 36 medication policy 37 wellness policy 38 organizations 39 school organizations 39 beta club 39 fbla -future business leaders of america 40 fccla family career and community leaders of america 40 organizational good standing 40 student council 40 policies 40 amending the student handbook 40 anti-bullying policy 40 cafeteria 41 chemical screen test policy 42 closed campus policy 46 computer use policy 46 concerns 47 due process 47 early intervention 48 equal educational opportunities 48 eligibility to participate in the graduation ceremony 48 emergency drills 48 food and drink on campus and in the classroom 48 fundraising 48 homeless children and youth 49 inclement weather 49 insurance 50 open containers 50 parent communication 50 parental involvement policy plan 50 promotion/retention/course credit secondary students 52 promotion/retention/course credit special education students 53 referrals 53 ii

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school choice policy 54 school property 54 search and seizure 54 semester test exemption 55 smart core curriculum policy and graduation requirements 55 special education 59 student participation in surveys 59 student school records and educational records 60 student publications 61 student publications on school web pages 61 student distribution of non-school literature publications and materials 61 newspaper 62 yearbook 62 telephones 62 testing 62 textbooks 63 transfer between schools 63 transportation 63 video surveillance 64 visitors adults 64 visitors students 66 volunteers 66 bell schedule 67 2010-11 class and club sponsors 68 homeroom assignments 68 request for reconsideration of library/media center materials 69 iii

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introduction district mission statement hector school district is dedicated to providing a safe and nurturing environment that educates and motivates the whole child to become life-long learners and responsible and productive citizens district vision statement hector school district is a small rural school district that strives to fulfill the mission of educating and motivating the whole child to become life-long learners and responsible and productive citizens through · high expectations o the district is dedicated to promoting high academic and ethical standards and performances for faculty staff and students · a focus on the whole child o the district is dedicated to working with families and community groups to remove barriers to learning in an effort to meet the intellectual emotional physical social occupational and developmental needs of all students · opportunities and resources o the district is dedicated to providing the best possible technological instructional evaluative managerial material financial and human resources possible for all faculty staff and students · a safe secure and nurturing environment o the district is dedicated to providing an environment conducive to and for the physical emotional intellectual and developmental needs of all faculty staff and students · rigorous curriculum o the district is dedicated to providing an instructional program that engages all students through effective varied and research based best practices to improve academic performance high school value statements · high expectations o the district is dedicated to promoting high academic and ethical standards and performances for faculty staff and students this will be accomplished at hector high school in the following ways we will regard education as an opportunity to develop critical thinking and lifelong skills necessary in an everchanging society we will focus on increasing the graduation rate and lowering the secondary/post-secondary remediation rates for all students by offering the most up-to-date and innovative educational programs and support systems available we will as a faculty and staff continue to increase our academic knowledge and instructional abilities and skills by taking part in the most advanced and innovative professional development available and use the knowledge abilities and skills learned to better meet the needs of our students we will provide an environment that values high ethical standards of behavior from all students teachers parents and community shareholders a focus on the whole child o the district is dedicated to working with families and community groups to remove barriers to learning in an effort to meet the intellectual emotional physical social occupational and developmental needs of all students this will be accomplished at hector high school in the following ways we will teach students to make healthy decisions for themselves their friends and their families we will build a culture of support for teaching and learning among all stakeholders students parents teachers community and business members we will foster a nurturing environment in which each student is valued we will provide an environment that supports a healthy physical lifestyle for all students teachers parents and community shareholders opportunities and resources o the district is dedicated to providing the best possible technological instructional evaluative managerial material financial and human resources possible for all faculty staff and students this will be accomplished at hector high school in the following ways we will provide a broad spectrum of traditional career pre-ap ap and concurrent credit classes available to all students · · 1

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· · we will provide opportunities for each student to participate in extracurricular activities that will expand their skills and sense of accomplishment we will maximize the availability and utilization of current technologies to enhance high school programs and services we will as a faculty and staff utilize all of the resources available to us to meet the needs of our students and we will take part in relevant trainings necessary to keep current in the instructional application of those resources a safe secure and nurturing environment o the district is dedicated to providing an environment conducive to and for the physical emotional intellectual and developmental needs of all faculty staff and students this will be accomplished at hector high school in the following ways we will proactively respond to the needs of students parents and staff in the event of local state or national crisis by offering comprehensive prevention and intervention systems that will ensure a positive and safe learning environment we will provide meaningful focused and supportive professional development to enable each staff member to experience job satisfaction and success which contributes to student success we will provide exemplary educational programs which meet the diverse needs of all students we will provide a school climate that affords a feeling of safety security and open communication among all shareholders rigorous curriculum o the district is dedicated to providing an instructional program that engages all students through effective varied and research based best practices to improve academic performance this will be accomplished at hector high school in the following ways we will provide a curriculum that is comprehensive relevant and rigorous we will challenge and support each student through differentiated instructional strategies we will as a faculty and staff encourage all students in their efforts to enhance their academic knowledge by providing a rigorous curriculum that includes concurrent credit pre-ap and ap courses and we will support those programs in all courses through our training application of higher order thinking skills and high expectations for all students we will as a faculty and staff apply research based best practice by closely following all state academic frameworks and by utilizing the most up-to-date teaching strategies available section 504 policy it is the policy of the hector school district to provide a free appropriate public education to each qualified student with a disability within its jurisdiction regardless of the nature or severity of the disability it is the intent of the district to ensure that students who are disabled within the definition of section 504 of the rehabilitation act of 1973 are identified evaluated and provided with appropriate educational services students may be disabled under this policy even though they do not require services pursuant to the individuals with disabilities education act under section 504 due process rights of qualified students with disabilities and their parents are guaranteed in the hector school district susan freeman is the district coordinator of section 504 for the hector schools she may be contacted at 284-3537 monday through friday student handbook it shall be the policy of the hector school district that the most recently adopted version of the student handbook be incorporated by reference into the policies of this district in the event that there is a conflict between the student handbook and a general board policy or policies the more recently adopted language will be considered binding and controlling on the matter provided the parents of the student or the student if 18 years of age or older have acknowledged receipt of the controlling language 2

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letter from the superintendent dear students welcome to hector school district we are very happy to have you here and look forward to providing you with the best education possible in order for this to happen it will take all of us working together as a team faculty and staff parents and students the faculty and staff members will strive to provide you with good solid instruction to always lay the ground work necessary to prepare you for a successful future it is also inherent upon you to do your part to show a desire and willingness to learn hard work and persistence on your part will play an important role in getting the most out of your education you cannot expect to get more out of it than what you put into it these years will provide you with some of the best memories in your life good luck on this road to adulthood and always remember life is about choices try to always make sure you can live with the consequences of the choices you make best regards karen c smith hector superintendent letter from the high school principal dear students welcome back to another great year at hector high school as your instructional leader it is my responsibility to provide you with the resources opportunities and environment necessary for you to be successful it is my core belief that all students can learn and the instruction that you will receive at hector high school will provide you with the best possible opportunity to perform at your highest level with this in mind the hector school district will provide talented dedicated and knowledgeable teachers who will motivate you to always do your best we will also provide a safe supportive environment that will allow you to develop the necessary skills and abilities needed to be productive members of the workforce and/or pursue further education this year i challenge all of you to take part in your school through academics athletics fine arts student organizations or any other interests that motivate you these resources are here for you and the teachers sponsors and coaches involved with those groups will always welcome you to take part high school will be over before you know it so be a part of it and join in on all of the benefits that come with it if you ever need any help have a question that you need an answer to or just need to talk my door is always open have a great year mr walt davis hector high school principal 3

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academics academic deficiencies students who have not completed the required number of units of credit at the time of graduation will not participate in graduation activities their diploma will be held for them until the necessary requirements are met a senior may continue enrollment in lower level or mixed classification classes until the end of the school year in an attempt to successfully complete requirements for a diploma even though they may not participate in graduation activities academic deficiencies may be eliminated by the following credit recovery correspondence courses summer school or alternative education adding dropping classes · · students in grades 9-12 have one week after the start of each semester to change classes all class changes will be approved by the principal and initiated through the counselor s office the student then takes the written approval to the teacher and is officially dropped or added to the class roll after five school days a student may not drop a class for any reason without approval from the principal admission of home school students home school students may only be admitted near the beginning of a grading period placement will be by a testing procedure arrived at by the administration and counselors home school students must attend hector high school at least one school year to graduate advanced placement courses it is the policy of the hector school district to allow students in grades 9-12 to take advanced placement courses students who transfer into our district with ap ib or approved weighted credits for grades 9-12 on their transcripts will receive those credits the grades for ap ib or approved weighted courses shall be based on the district s grade point system all ap courses will be taught by teachers who have received approved ap training students who wish their ap course grades to be based on a 5 point scale must take the appropriate ap test at the end of the course alternative education the district shall have an alternative learning environment ale which shall be part of an intervention program designed to provide guidance counseling and academic support to students who are experiencing emotional social or academic problems the superintendent or his/her designee shall appoint an alternative education placement team which shall have the responsibility of determining student placement in the ale the team should consist of at least a school counselor the ale director or principal and at least one regular classroom teacher the team will include the input from parents/guardians in their decisions students who are placed in the ale shall exhibit at least two of the following characteristics · disruptive behavior · drop out from school · personal or family problems or situations · recurring absenteeism · transition to or from residential programs for the purposes of the ale personal or family problems or situations are conditions that negatively affect the student s academic and social progress these may include but are not limited to · ongoing persistent lack of attaining proficiency levels in literacy and mathematics · abuse physical mental or sexual · frequent relocation of residency · homelessness · inadequate emotional support · mental/physical health problem · pregnancy · single parenting 4

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the teachers and administrator of the ale shall determine exit criteria for students assigned to the district s ale on which to base the student s return to the regular school program of instruction cats career advisement training and support cats is a student advisement program that meets periodically during the regular school day each student will be assigned a cats advisor who will work with them throughout their junior high and high school career along with advising the student on the proper course of study to reach graduation and their own personal goals this program will also allow students the opportunity to learn valuable insight into their own personal career interests gain information about those careers and how to work toward them and have an advisor who will help to guide them toward opportunities that will aid them in that endeavor concurrent credit classes it is the policy of the hector school district to permit students in grades 9-12 to concurrently be enrolled in an accredited institution which is accredited according to the rules and regulations of the state board of educationpursuant to ar code § 6-18-223 the decision of whether credit will substitute for a required core course or be used as an elective will be made by a committee comprised of the building principal counselor and a faculty member from the subject area in which the course was taken three semester hours of college credit shall be the equivalent of one-half unit of high school credit it is recommended that concurrent credit classes be discussed with the counselor prior to enrollment when feasible to do so credit for concurrent credit courses will not be given until a transcript is received by the school a student who wishes to enroll in concurrent credit classes may do so at his/her own expense the hector school district assumes no responsibility for tuition books transportation or any other related expense clep scores do not qualify for concurrent credit students must take an advanced placement test to receive a weighted grade conferences parent parents will be given the opportunity to meet with teachers to discuss their child s educational progress at least twice each year in a conference parents should feel free to make appointments through the principal s office for a conference with the child s teachers counselor or the administration parents will be contacted by the school administration counselor and teachers as they deem it necessary to discuss the needs of individual students throughout the school year credit recovery/correspondence courses students may take a maximum of two 2 full credits four 4 half credits through on-site credit recovery or off-site correspondence for the purposes of on-site credit recovery students must have taken the course in a teacher led class before being eligible to take the corresponding credit recovery course credit recovery will be offered during the summer months for students going into grades 10-12 that are interested in making up a credit there will be a fee associated with credit recovery which is the responsibility of the student to pay before being allowed to take part in credit recovery for seniors that fail a fall course during the fall semester they may be allowed to take a credit recovery course during the spring semester to replace a failed credit in those cases the senior must attend all scheduled saturday school dates from the point they are assigned to credit recovery until they are completed with it all credit recovery must be completed no less than one week prior to graduation to be able to walk during the ceremony if successfully completed students may use the grade assigned through credit recovery or correspondence to replace an in-class course grade of lesser value if it can be worked out in a student s schedule a student may take credit recovery during a remediation period during the school day credit recovery may not be completed off-campus early graduation if a student wishes to graduate early correspondence courses that are taken because of a deficiency will not be counted toward the number of cumulative credits earned if a student chooses to graduate early they forfeit the right to participate in any speaking activities at graduation and will be ranked with the class they were scheduled to originally graduate with students will participate in their original class activities but may attend senior meetings as deemed necessary for graduation purposes 5

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english language learners the district shall utilize the special needs funding it receives for identified english language learners on activities and materials listed in the ade rules governing the distribution of student special needs funding and the determination of allowable expenditure of these funds gifted and talented learners gifted and talented children and youth are those of high potential or ability whose learning characteristics and educational needs require qualitatively differentiated educational experiences and/or services possession of these talents and gifts or the potential for their development will be evidenced through an interaction of above average intellectual ability task commitment and/or motivation and creative ability the identification process yields information obtained through a variety of procedures and from independent sources · procedures for obtaining information about students include at least two objective assessment methods such as group and individual tests of ability achievement and creativity · procedures for obtaining information about students include at least two subjective assessment methods such as checklists rating scales product evaluations and grades · an individual portfolio is designed for the students considered and viewed by the identification committee a placement decision is then made · students may be nominated for the program through teachers counselors parents community members peers and students themselves the k-2 students are served for 40 minutes a week in a gt whole group enrichment class grades three through six are served through a pull-out program and receive instruction in the gt resource room for a minimum of 150 minutes a week grades 7-12 are served in a secondary course content program also students may take the college board approved advanced placement courses offered in the four core subject areas ap english ap biology ap history and ap calculus pre-ap courses are also offered in the core areas nomination forms may be obtained through the gt teacher/coordinator for the district mrs jeanette emerson she can be contacted at the elementary school 284-3586 grading policy/grade point scale a student s grade will reflect only educational objectives pursuant to ar code § 6-15-902 a students nine week grade counts as 40 of the semester grade the grading scale and numeric value for courses offered by or transferred to the district including ap/ib courses shall be as follows must take ap exam to receive weighted grade the grading scale and numeric value for courses offered by or transferred into the district including ap ib or approved weighted courses shall be as follows regular courses ap/ib/approved weighted courses a 90-100=4 quality points a 90-100=5 quality points b 80-89=3 quality points b 80-89=4 quality points c 70-79=2 quality points c 70-79=3 quality points d 60-69=1 quality point d 60-69=2 quality points f 0-59=0 quality points f 0-59 0 quality points the following example demonstrates how courses are counted and grade point average g.p.a is calculated history a4.00 english b 3.00 algebra a 4.00 science c 2.00 13.00 divided by 4 total of classes 3.25 g.p.a parents will have access to the school s online electronic grade book program parents should expect regular updates in each class whether through grades or teacher messages while progress reports and report cards will still be sent home the electronic grade book will offer constant updates for parents who are interested in taking advantage of the program core subject grading categories and category percentages 6

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math department tests/quizzes 60 classwork/homework 40 english department tests/quizzes 30 reading assessments 25 writing assessments 25 classwork/homework 20 grading policy/make-up and late work if a student misses school for any reason other than out of school suspension or expulsion they will be able to make up the work and will have the same amount of days to make up the work as the amount of days missed assignments given out or tests announced before an absence takes place will be due or taken upon return parents may request make-up work for students who may be absent for several days please give the teachers at least 24 hours to collect homework assignments when they are requested it is the policy of hector high school to allow late work in cases where extenuating circumstances arise while the amount of time given by teachers for assignments may vary accepting late work will be at the discretion of the teacher who assigned it or the principal when allowed late work must be completed in a timely manner any work not completed by the end of a 4 ½ week or 9 week grading period whether extra time is given by the teacher or not may result in a student receiving an i incomplete or zeros for all work not completed home school parents or legal guardians desiring to provide a home school for their children must give written notice to the superintendent of their intent to do so and sign a waiver acknowledging that the state of arkansas is not liable for the education of their children during the time the parents choose to home school notice shall be given · at the beginning of each school year but no later than august 15 · by december 15 for parents who decide to start home schooling at the beginning of the spring semester or · fourteen 14 calendar days prior to withdrawing the child provided the student is not currently under disciplinary action for violation of any written school policy including but not limited to excessive unexcused absences and at the beginning of each school year thereafter the parents or legal guardians shall deliver written notice in person to the superintendent the first time such notice is given and the notice must include · the name date of birth grade level and the name and address of the school last attended if any · the location of the home school · the basic core curriculum to be offered · the proposed schedule of instruction and · the qualifications of the parent-teacher to aid the district in providing a free and appropriate public education to students in need of special education services the parents or legal guardians home-schooling their children shall provide information which might indicate the need for special education services homework homework is an accepted part of the educational process it will be assigned in most cases on a variable basis and some work should be expected each night as an extension of the classroom homework must be planned and organized and should be viewed by the student as purposeful parents are requested to help their children by establishing some homework guidelines and cooperating with the teacher in seeing that the assignments are completed if you have any questions regarding homework please contact your child s teacher teachers are aware of the potential problems students may have completing assignments from multiple teachers and will do their best to vary the amount of homework they give from day to day social studies department tests 50 performance assessments/quizzes 30 classwork/homework 15 accelerated reader 5 science department tests/quizzes 50 classwork/homework 25 labs/lab write-ups 20 accelerated reader 5 7

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honor graduates we do not recognize a valedictorian or salutatorian we do recognize honor graduates those students who have a 3.25 cumulative g.p.a at graduation the top three honor graduates will be recognized and allowed to speak during the graduation ceremonies graduation speakers are required to submit their speeches to the building principal no less than 24 hours before the graduation ceremony act 980 of 1991 an act to establish qualifications for distinction as an honor graduate of a high school and membership in the national honor society or its equivalent and for other purposes be it enacted by the general assembly of the state of arkansas section 1 a require students to complete at least 4 credits in mathematics and three 3 credits in science with at least two 2 credits in each area from courses with content comparable with that in college preparatory curriculum b 1for the purpose of meeting the requirements of a and b the students must complete the minimum core of course recommended by the state board of higher education and state board of education pursuant to arkansas code 6-61-217 enlisted during the period of his enrollment in high school the state board of education shall establish the requirements for a technical preparation which shall include the following a require students to complete at least four credits each in mathematics and science with at least two credits in each area from courses with content comparable to that in the college preparatory curriculum the two high level math and science courses may be courses designed to teach essential content from the college preparatory curriculum through an applied or functional instructional process and b require students to complete at least four credits in a vocational major and two related vocational credits section 2 a beginning with the 1991-92 school year only a student who is enrolled in a course of study containing the minimum core of high school courses recommended for preparation for post-secondary education as set forth by the state board of higher education and state board of education pursuant to arkansas code 6-61-217 or the technical preparation program as set forth by the state board of education shall be eligible for membership in the national honor society or any equivalent honorary society b a student who is a member of any academic honor society on the effective date of this act shall be exempt from the provisions of a above library-media center the library has as its aim service to the students and faculty in order to achieve this aim your library has the following objectives · to teach you how to find and use materials independently · to encourage reading for enjoyment as well as research · to teach rules concerning use of materials · to help you become lifetime users of libraries and thereby informed citizens library hours 8:05-3:30 books are checked out for a period of two 2 weeks they may be renewed once by the student assistant at the desk they may be renewed the second time by permission of the librarian a fine of 10 cents per day will be levied for each day the book is overdue overdue notice and fine slips are printed each monday and given to english teachers they are then given to individual students library-media center challenged materials policy the ultimate authority for the selection and retention of materials for the schools media centers rests with the board of education which shall serve as a final arbiter in resolving a challenge to any media center materials licensed media center personnel shall make the initial selections in consultation with school and district licensed staff materials selected shall be in accordance with the guidelines of this policy the purpose of the schools libraries/media centers is to supplement and enrich the curriculum and instruction offered by the district promoting the dialogue characteristic of a healthy democracy necessitates the maintenance of a broad range of materials and information representing varied points of view on current and historical issues in the selection of the materials and resources to be available in each library/media center consideration will be given to 8

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their age appropriateness materials should be available to challenge the different interests learning styles and reading levels of the school s students and that will help them attain the district s educational goals selection criteria the criteria used in the selection of media center materials shall be that the materials · support and enhance the curricular and educational goals of the district · are appropriate for the ages learning styles interests and maturity of the schools students or parents in the case of parenting literature · contribute to the examination of issues from varying points of view and help to broaden students understanding of their rights and responsibilities in our society · help develop critical thinking skills · are factually and/or historically accurate in the case of non-fiction works and/or serve a pedagogical purpose · have literary merit as perceived by the educational community and · are technically well produced physically sound to the extent appropriate and represent a reasonably sound economic value retention and continuous evaluation media center materials shall be reviewed regularly to ensure the continued appropriateness of the center s collection to the school s curriculum and to maintain the collection in good repair those materials no longer meeting the selection criteria have not been used for a long period of time or are too worn to be economically repaired shall be withdrawn from the collection and disposed of a record of withdrawn media materials including the manner of their disposal shall be maintained for a period of three years gifts gifts to the media centers shall be evaluated to determine their appropriateness before they are placed in any media center the evaluation shall use the same criteria as for all other materials considered for inclusion in the media centers any items determined to be unacceptable shall be returned to the donor or disposed of at the discretion of the media specialist the media centers shall have a list of desired items to give to prospective donors to aid them in their selection of materials to donate challenges the parent of a student affected by a media selection or a district employee may formally challenge the appropriateness of a media center selection by following the procedure outlined in this policy the challenged material shall remain available throughout the challenge process before any formal challenge can be filed the individual contesting hereinafter complainant the appropriateness of the specified item shall request a conference through the principal s office with a licensed media center employee the complainant shall be given a copy of this policy and the request for formal reconsideration form prior to the conference the meeting shall take place at the earliest possible time of mutual convenience but in no case later than five 5 working days from the date of the request unless it is by the choice of the complainant in the meeting the media specialist shall explain the selection criteria and how the challenged material fits the criteria the complainant shall explain his/her reasons for objecting to the selected material if at the completion of the meeting the complainant wishes to make a formal challenge to the selected material he/she may do so by completing the request for formal reconsideration form and submitting it to the principal s office to review the contested media the principal shall select a committee of five 5 or seven 7 licensed personnel consisting of the principal as chair and at least one media specialist the remaining committee members shall be personnel with curriculum knowledge appropriate for the material being contested and representative of diverse viewpoints the task of the committee shall be to determine if the challenged material meets the criteria of selection no material shall be withdrawn solely for the viewpoints expressed within it and shall be reviewed in its entirety and not selected portions taken out of context the principal shall convene a meeting after a reasonable time for the committee members to adequately review the contested material and the request for formal reconsideration form submitted by the complainant the complainant shall be allowed to present the complaint to the committee after which time the committee shall meet privately to discuss the material the committee shall vote by secret ballot to determine whether the contested material shall be removed from the media center s collection a member from the voting majority shall write a summary of the reasons for their decision a notice of the committee s decision and the summary shall be given by hand or certified mail to the complainant if the decision is to not remove the material the complainant may appeal the committee s decision to the district board of directors by filing a written appeal to the superintendent within 5 working days of the committee s decision or of written receipt of the decision the superintendent shall present the original complaint and the committee s decision along with the summary of its reasons for its position plus a recommendation of the administration if so desired to the board within 15 days of the committee s decision the board shall review the material submitted to them by the superintendent and make a decision within thirty 30 days of receipt of the information the board s decision is final 9

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instructional and supplemental materials are selected for their compatibility with the district s educational program and their ability to help fulfill the district s educational goals and objectives individuals wishing to challenge or express concerns about instructional or supplemental materials may do so by filling out a challenge to instructional material form available in the school s office the contesting individual may present a copy of the form to the principal and request a conference be held at a time of mutual convenience prior to the conference the principal shall consult with the teacher regarding the contested material in the conference the principal shall explain to the contesting individual the criteria used for the selection of the material and its relevancy to the educational program as well as any other pertinent information in support of the use of the material following the conclusion of the meeting the principal shall have five 5 working days to submit a summary of the concerns expressed by the individual and the principal s response to those concerns to the superintendent if the contesting individual is not satisfied with the principal s response the individual may after the five 5 working day period request a meeting with the superintendent where the individual shall present the same challenge to instructional material form previously presented to the principal the superintendent shall explain to the contesting individual the criteria used for the selection of the material and its relevancy to the educational program as well as any other pertinent information in support of the use of the material following the conclusion of the meeting the superintendent shall have five 5 working days to write a summary of the concerns expressed by the individual and the superintendent s response to those concerns the superintendent shall create a file of his/her response along with a copy of the principal s response and a copy of the contesting individual s challenge to instructional material form if after meeting with the superintendent the contesting individual is not satisfied with the superintendent s response regarding the appropriateness of the instructional or supplemental material he/she may appeal the superintendent s decision to the board the superintendent shall present the contesting individual s challenge to instructional material form to the board at the next regularly scheduled meeting along with the written responses to the challenge the board may elect if it so chooses to hear brief verbal presentations from the parties involved in the challenge the board shall decide at that meeting or their next regularly scheduled meeting whether to retain the material limit the availability of the material or remove the material from the school the board s primary consideration in reaching its decision shall be the appropriateness of the material for its intended educational use math policy it is the goal of the hhs math department to ensure that all hhs students graduate with a mastery of the math skills necessary to succeed in life in order to accomplish this goal it will be necessary to place hhs students in courses that are appropriate for the skills that they have mastered or that will provide remediation to allow for further advancement in mathematics even though a student may receive a credit toward graduation with a 60 or better in a mathematics course this does not ordinarily indicate a level of mastery sufficient to succeed in a higher-level course with the advent of a permanent transcript stamp showing he did not master algebra and geometry skills it is no longer to a student s advantage to advance to the next level of course work in mathematics until he/she is able to achieve at a c level accordingly students that do not achieve at least a 70 should not be automatically advanced to the next level of mathematics absent other indicators to offset their performance scores on such instruments as the benchmark exam other end of course eoc exams and star math tests can also be used as indicators of sufficient mastery to advance it is also imperative that students whose poor performance indicates a need for remediation be transferred as soon as possible to a slower-paced class to allow time for them to make up any deficits in mathematics skills before they are required to take an eoc exam after school tutoring and math lab are provided by the school and may be used for remediation purposes remediation in 7th and 8th grade classes can be handled with the rotation skills class coupled with targeted accelerated math reviews for mastery eighth graders will be guided toward algebra i or algebra a depending on the indications of skills mastery listed above advancement in 9th 12th grades will occur at the 70 mastery level with corrective actions taken when the following remediation indicators occur d or below at 5 weeks conference with student and parents to evaluate placement in a slower-paced course for remediation placement will be changed at 9-weeks without improvement absent mitigating circumstances d or below at semester placement will be changed below basic scores on benchmark or eoc exam change placement unless satisfactory class performance in current course and other mitigating circumstances occur basic score on benchmark or eoc exam evaluate current placement based on actual score on test and performance in current course 10

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placement/graduation status students entering from a non-accredited school or home school hector high school welcomes home schooled students and students who have attended non-accredited educational facilities while these students will receive no graduation credit for the courses taken in a non-accredited situation they will be offered the opportunity to earn those credits through the steps outlined below hector high school will accept only those credits earned in an educational facility or program accredited by the state of arkansas or similar recognition from another state those students who have earned credits from other nonaccredited sources will be awarded credit upon completion of the following procedures · produce transcript or similar records that indicate courses taken and grades achieved · take an appropriate end of course test in the corresponding courses at hector high school in most cases this test will be a final test in the subject in which the student wishes to receive credit · score a grade of 60 on the subject area test · each student will have two opportunities to pass each subject test the entering student will receive credit for each course attempted on a pass/fail basis the courses will count toward graduation but will not be calculated when determining a student s cumulative grade point average a student who enters from a non-accredited situation must earn at least 12 of the 22 required credits for graduation and all of the minimum designated honors courses at hector high school to be eligible to be designated an honor graduate and be eligible to speak at graduation placement/graduation status students entering from an accredited school the hector school district shall review and accept or reject requests for transfers both into and out of the district on a case by case basis the district may reject a nonresident s application for admission if its acceptance would necessitate the addition of staff or classrooms exceed the capacity of a program class grade level or school building or cause the district to provide educational services not currently provided in the affected school the district shall reject applications that would cause it to be out of compliance with applicable laws and regulations regarding desegregation any student transferring from a school accredited by the department of education to a school in this district shall be placed into the same grade the student would have been in had the student remained at the former school pledge of allegiance the pledge of allegiance shall be recited during the first class period of each school day those students choosing to participate shall do so by facing the flag with their right hands over their hearts or in an appropriate salute if in uniform while reciting the pledge students choosing not to participate shall be quiet while either standing or sitting at their desks students shall not be compelled to recite the pledge but students who choose not to recite the pledge shall not disrupt those students choosing to recite the pledge students choosing not to recite the pledge shall not be subject to any comments retaliation or disciplinary action policy for student performance it shall be the policy of the board of education of the hector school district to develop the knowledge of all the students according to their capabilities students assessment data shall include competency test scores standardized test scores subject matter mastery test scores and observations of teachers and parents/guardians the test results will be evaluated by the counselor the teachers will be given a list identifying basic skill weaknesses and the names of the students who did not master the skills working together the teacher counselor and principal will devise an academic plan whereby the child will have an opportunity to master these skills the school will use in addition to the basic curriculum remedial work to be offered in the student s classroom resource room and computer software and peer tutoring progress reports/parent teacher conferences progress reports will be sent out to parents around the fifth week of each nine week grading period the district s phone system will be utilized to help inform parents of when those reports are sent with students progress reports may be sent to indicate problem areas or recognize significant progress progress reports will be sent home by way of students students are responsible for delivering progress reports to parents parent/teacher conferences will be held following the first nine week marking periods and in the middle of the third nine weeks grading periods 11

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