11th Grade Academic English (P)

Ms. Childress

CLASS DESCRIPTION
Pathway: Component of all pathways; Pathway sequence: Core Graduation Requirement: Prerequisites: Must meet one of the
following criteria: grade of “C” or better in any English 3-4 course OR previous teacher’s recommendation
This college preparatory course assists students in meeting and/or exceeding state and district standards in word
analysis/vocabulary development, reading comprehension, literary response/analysis, written English language
conventions, writing process and written communication, listening and viewing, and speaking. Specifically,
students who meet course standards will:
 determine the meaning of, and use accurately, new words encountered in reading materials by applying
knowledge of word sources in British and ancient literature;
 read and understand grade level appropriate material and analyze the organization patterns, arguments and
positions advanced. The quality and complexity of the materials to be read are illustrated in the Santa Rosa
City Schools Reading List;
 read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of American, British and world literature, and
conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes. The quality and complexity of the materials to
be read are illustrated in the Santa Rosa City Schools Reading List;
 write effectively for a range of audiences and a variety of purposes while using the steps of the writing
process;
 demonstrate an understanding and control of the English language in written work;
 use conventions correctly and the writing process appropriately, while writing both literary and
informational texts;
 listen to, view, and respond critically to a variety of multimedia communications and demonstrate a variety
of organizational strategies and delivery techniques to convey meaning effectively; and
 deliver both formal and informal presentations, demonstrating effective organizational strategies and
delivery techniques.

CLASS SYLLABUS
The following thematic question will be explored in this class through reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing
and thinking activities – Dreams: How does dreaming affect a nation and an individual?
Reading List of Major Works: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Cannery Row, Crucible, Black Boy, Great
Gatsby, Macho!, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Things They Carried, and silent sustained/ outside reading texts.
Significant Writing Applications: Analytical Essay, Historical Investigation, Job Application and Resume;
Proposal/ Précis, Literary Response, Observation/ Description, and Reflective Essay

CLASS STANDARDS
Responsibilities: Your job is to be present in this classroom and to learn. My job is to be present in this classroom
and to teach. Our shared responsibility is to create an effective learning environment. Adhering to the following
standards will ensure our success this school year.

BEHAVIOR
Standards of Conduct
 BE IN YOUR SEAT, SILENT AND WORKING ON THE OVERHEAD TASK BEFORE THE BELL RINGS.
 BRING DAILY REQUIRED MATERIALS. You must bring the following items with you each class period.
a. Loose leaf paper (white lined college ruled)
b. Pen (blue or black only) or pencil (bring a hand held sharpener or mechanical pencil)
c. Class reading text and silent sustained/ outside reading book
d. Binder for English only with five defined sections labeled Reading, Writing, Grammar, Vocabulary, Notes
(continued on back)
 SHOW COURTESY AND RESPECT TO OTHERS. Absolutely no put-downs are tolerated.
 LEAVE YOUR SEAT DURING APPROPRIATE TIMES. Do not interrupt my teaching or a classmate’s voice
to meander around the room.
 USE BREAKS, PASSING TIME AND YOUR LUNCH PERIOD FOR YOUR PERSONAL BUSINESS. No
food, drinks, cards, games, cell phones, pagers or media players are allowed.
 TALK DURING APPROPRIATE TIMES. Talking is something we do as a class during class conversations or
group work. This is not the class to catch-up on the latest news.
 ACCEPT YOUR CONSEQUENCES. If you break a rule, never, never try to talk your way out of your
consequence. We will schedule a time to talk.

Consequences
1. Student/Teacher meeting 2. Contact home 3. Counselor/Parent/Teacher/Student meeting 4. Class
suspension
• Severe clause – immediate removal from class with referral

ATTENDANCE
Absences and Make-Up Work: Consistent attendance is critical for success in this class. Students are responsible
for finding out missed assignments, notes, handouts, and information. Students with an excused absence will be
given reasonable time to complete work. Students with an unexcused absence/cut will not be granted the
opportunity to make-up missing work. Students may personally speak with me at the end of class regarding
assignments. Do not interrupt my teaching at the beginning of class to ask me this information.

Tardy Policy: Entering the doorway of the classroom means students are ready to start class. Contain any social
discussion outside the walls of the classroom. Students must be in their seat, silent and working before the tardy
bell rings. The Piner High School tardy policy will be enforced.

Passes: Students receive three bathroom passes per quarter. Preferably, use the bathroom or get water prior to
class. Bathroom passes are nontransferable and cannot be used for points.

GRADING
Homework, classwork and activities are 40% of the overall quarter grade. Tests, papers and projects are 50% of the
overall quarter grade. Quarter and semester exams or projects are 10% of overall quarter grade. Semester grades
are calculated 50% for each of the two quarters.

Grade Breakdown: 100-98% = A+; 97-93% = A; 92-90% = A-; 89-88% = B+; 87-83% = B; 82-80% = B-; 79-78%
= C+; 77-73% = C; 72-70% = C-; 69-68% = D+; 67-63% = D; 62-60% = D-; 59%-Below = F

STUDENT WORK
Late Work: Work not turned into the teacher on the day it is due is late and will receive one letter grade deduction
for each day it is late. Always turn work into the In-box.

Quality of Work: Work must be neat and legible using only blue or black ink or pencil on white lined college
ruled paper or typed on white paper. Typed papers must use 12 point Times New Roman or Arial font, be double-
spaced and have 1” margins. Name, date, and assignment must be placed in header, not in the body of the paper.

Tests/Essays Redo: Tests may be retaken and essays may be rewritten for a better grade with the exception of the
end of the quarter/ semester tests. It is the student’s responsibility to make an appointment regarding a redo.

Plagiarism/ Cheating: Plagiarism is the use of “three or more consecutive words” from a source that is not
credited. With the advent of the Internet, copying and pasting papers and reading summaries of books in lieu of the
text has become a concerning issue in education, one that I take seriously. Work not originally created by the
student will receive no credit and the student will receive a referral.