Curriculum and Instruction

Middle Grades The SSLA middle school curriculum will utilize a combination of traditional in-class courses and virtual courses via the Open Educational Resource Commons. All coursework will be aligned with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (including the recommended Frameworks as provided) and will emphasize service learning. Therefore, all middle school teachers will employ project-based learning strategies. Together with their students, middle school teachers will collaborate across the curriculum to identify one community-based problem and work together to help design possible solutions. Our desire at SSLA is to educate students in ways that allow them become change agents within their own community. To view the SSLA Logic Model, please click here. To accomplish this goal, each two-semester course will designed to include a minimum of one individual and one whole-class service learning initiative, one grade level service learning initiative, and one school-wide service learning initiative. All 8th grade students will design and submit a reflective Service Learning Portfolio, which will serve as a component of their middle school exit requirement. The following graphic depicts a sample middle school course offering: (*Required End-of-Course Test) 6th
6th Grade Language Arts & Reading 6th Grade Mathematics Earth Science Global Studies I (Europe, Latin America, & Africa) Connection 1 Connection 2

7th
7th Grade Language Arts & Reading 7th Grade Mathematics Life Science Global Studies II (Asia, North America, Australia, Antarctica) Connection 1 Connection 2

8th
8th Grade Language Arts & Reading 8th Grade Mathematics/ Coordinate Algebra* Physical Science* Georgia History Connection 1 Connection 2

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Curriculum and Instruction

Promotion and Placement Policy In accordance with Clayton County Board of Education O.C.G.A. 20-2-282 through 20-2-285 and State Board of Education Rule 160-4-2-.11, and in conjunction with Clayton County Public School Administrative Rule IHE, the following policy governs provisions regarding promotion, retention, placement and acceleration of Clayton County students except where provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) apply. Clayton County Public Schools will base the placement or promotion of a student into a grade, class or program on an assessment of the academic achievement of the student and a determination of the appropriate educational setting in which the student is most likely to receive instruction and other services needed in order to succeed and progress to the next higher level of academic achievement. In addition to local promotion criteria, as outlined in Clayton Administrative Rule IHE, the CriterionReferenced Competency Tests administered in all grades 1-8, in accordance with O.C.G.A. 20-2-281, will be weighed or otherwise utilized by the school principal or designee in determining:

The overall academic achievement of students; An appropriate plan of accelerated, differentiated, or additional instruction for students who do not achieve grade level; and Placement (with specific recommendations), promotion, or retention of a student.

Students shall be tested in accordance with requirements specified in State Rule 16-3-1-.07 Testing Programs - Student Assessment. Clayton County Public Schools shall annually notify parents or guardians that placement or promotion of a student into a grade, class, or program will be based on the academic achievement of the student, on criterion-referenced assessments, and on criteria established by the district.

No eighth grade student shall be promoted to the ninth grade if the student does not achieve grade level on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test in reading and the CriterionReferenced Competency Test in mathematics and meet promotion standards and criteria established by Clayton County Public Schools. LEP/ELL students may not be retained solely due to lack of English proficiency. The school principal or designee may retain a student who performs satisfactorily on the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test but who does not meet promotion standards and criteria established by Clayton County Public Schools.

(https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IHE&Sch=4038&S=4038&RevNo=1.85&C=I&Z=P)

For additional information, see Clayton County Public Schools complete Board Policy regarding Promotion and Retention.

Silveri Service Learning Academy 2012