Pre-Calculus

2017-2018 Course Expectations & Syllabus

Alliance Simon Technology Academy High School

"I am better than I was. I will be better than I am." - anonymous

Instructor. Mr. Kang

Office/Room. 307
Email. ekang@laalliance.org
Webpage. mathkang.weebly.com
Tutoring Hrs. Tuesdays 3:45-5:30 PM
or by appointment

Welcome to Mr. Kang's Pre-Calculus course. I am excited to have the opportunity and privilege to work
with you this school year. I hope that students will not only gain a better understanding of the way in
which mathematics can be used to improve our understanding of the physical world, but will also enhance
our ability to implement ideas discussed in class in our everyday and future professional lives. My daily
goal is to prepare students for higher-level mathematics, high school graduation, and/or post-secondary
education. Each student has his/her individual needs and goals, so I encourage students and families to
communicate with me frequently to ensure their own personal success. J

Course Description
This course introduces and explores various algebraic and trigonometric topics
including: polynomial, rational, real & complex number systems, exponential,
logarithmic, and trigonometric functions and their graphs. Sequence and series,
probabilities, and induction proof are areas that are also studied. This class is taught as
a college-preparation course and is part of the 3-year course of math required by the UC
(4 years recommended) and CSU systems.

Attendance & Participation

Your engagement and participation are essential to your success in this course. Daily
attendance is required to learn from me and from one another. Please let me know of
any planned absences or extenuating circumstances that may prevent you from being in
class. Communication is key!

Classroom Behavioral Expectations

As this is a college-preparation course, the expectation is that you are in this class to
learn and succeed. I encourage students to take ownership of their learning and be self-
aware of the choices that they make in this class and in this critical time in their lives.
With that mind, I hope to build meaningful relationships with you, individually, and
with the class, as a whole. I also hope to create a safe space, where students openly
share and explore mathematical ideas. As agreed upon the first day of class, I promise
to keep you at most 15 seconds after the bell for closure of concepts/ideas at hand.

Electronics (such as cell phones, music players, and other devices) are suggested to
remain off or not in use during important class activities. My goal is to foster a culture

Kang 2017-2018 1
of students who identify the appropriate time and place to use such devices ; however,
technology will play a major role in our learning. If electronics distract from learning,
you will be given 15 seconds to finish up your phone use and place your phone in the
COMFY. Failure to comply to this policy will result in further disciplinary action, to
include a conference with parent/guardian and administrators.

The rules of common courtesy and mutual respect apply to our classroom. Violation of
our reasonable classroom expectations will have the following consequences:

1st time: Verbal warning

2nd time: Conference with student
3rd time: Phone call or e-mail to parent/guardian
4th time: Removal from class and referral to administrator for further discipline

Materials
We will be using a digital curriculum this year and each student will have access to the
online text and curriculum materials. In class, students will have access to laptops and
TI-Nspire graphing calculators.

The following materials are required for this course:

College ruled spiral notebook (at least 100 pages)
Folder
Pencil, eraser, colored pen, highlighter
Graph paper (recommended)

These supplies are non-negotiable and must be purchased before the second week of
school. If you are unable to get any or all of these resources, please talk with me
individually as soon as possible. I am more than happy to accommodate so that you
have the materials you need for this class.

Homework
Homework will be assigned almost every class period. Homework should be viewed as
valuable practice needed to help cement a new concept or as an opportunity for
spiraled learning. I can show you the main ideas and examples of how to apply these
new ideas and concepts in practical ways, but you must work out problems
individually and in small groups in order to gain a working knowledge. I am
intentional about each assignment that I give and rarely will students be expected to
complete an excessive amount of homework. Therefore, students are expected to
manage time wisely and complete every assignment to maintain and improve
understanding. Each homework assignment is worth 4 points following the standards
based grading scale and will be graded on correctness. Accuracy in math is a critical
aspect to your success. As a result, all grading, formative and summative will
emphasize correctness.

Kang 2017-2018 2
Late Work Policy
If you are absent due to an illness, please communicate that to me through email. In the
near future, you will have to communicate your absences to your professor or boss; not
just miss and come back to ask for whatever you missed. Thus, you will have the option
of emailing your assignment to me the day it is due if you are absent. An assignment
will be deducted a point each class period it is late beyond the due time.

Exams & Quizzes

Exams will be given at the end of every unit. Quizzes will be given periodically
throughout each unit. Retakes on exams and quizzes are available, but the student must
meet with me after school and demonstrate proficiency through tutoring, corrections,
and/or additional practice problems. I am more than happy to work with any student
willing to put in the time and effort to improve their understanding and performance
in our class. Also, study groups are encouraged but please be advised that quizzes and
exams will be taken individually.

Make-up Exams & Quizzes

If you miss an exam or quiz during an absence, you will need to schedule a time to
make up the exam or quiz within one week of your return. All exam/quiz make-ups
will be done after school. If you cannot stay after school for whatever reason, please
speak with me and we can discuss alternatives.

Grading
Students grades will be based entirely upon assessment of their knowledge of and
ability to meet the California State Standards pertaining to Pre-Calculus.

A 4-point rubric will be used to determine every students level of performance on each
standard assessed. The grade for each standard will be replaced every time a student is
assessed on such standard. Because students are assessed based upon their mastery of
each standard, extra credit will not be given. However, students will have multiple
opportunities to be assessed on standards due to the cumulative nature of exams
throughout the course.

Below is a chart of the grading scale:

Grade Rubric Range Performance Bands
A 3.40 4.00 Advanced
B 2.70 3.39 Proficient
C 2.00 2.69 Basic
NP Not Passing 1.99 and Below Below Far Below Basic

Kang 2017-2018 3
Below is the grading rubric for the levels of understanding:
Level Rubric Range
4 I can:
Perform a procedure correctly (80.01-100% of the
time)
Clearly and accurately explain almost all of the
process using justifications
Use mathematical language and organization to
explain and teach others
Know what it is and how it works and why we care
(connections)
3 I can:
Perform a procedure correctly (60.01-80% of the
time)
Accurately explain most of the process using
justifications
Use mathematical language and organization to
explain
Know what it is and how it works and sometimes
why we care (connections)
2 I can:
Perform a procedure correctly (40.01-60% of the
time)
Explain some of the process using little
justifications
Use some mathematical language and organization
to explain
Know what it is and how it works
1 I can:
Perform a procedure partially correctly (<40% of
the time)
Explain few of the process using no justifications
Know what it is

The grading policy is subject to change upon the teachers discretion. Any updates to
the grading policy will be communicated to students and families.

Academic Integrity/Honesty
Each student in this course is expected to abide by the Alliance Simon Tech Academic
Honesty Policy as outlined in pages 12-13 of the Parent-Student Handbook. Any work
submitted by a student in this course for academic credit will be the student's own
work. Students in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action and will
be at risk of failing the course.

Kang 2017-2018 4
You are encouraged to study together and to discuss information and concepts covered
in class with other students. You can give "consulting" help to or receive "consulting"
help from such students. However, this permissible cooperation should never involve
one student having possession of a copy of all or part of work done by someone else, in
the form of an e-mail, an e-mail attachment file, a flash drive, or a hard copy.

Units of Study
Derived from California State Standards.

Unit 1: Structure and Language of Mathematics

Unit 2: Domain
Unit 3: Introduction to Mathematical Modeling
Unit 4: The General Equation of the Second Degree in Two Variables
Unit 5: Polynomial and Rational Functions
Unit 6: Algebraic Functions, Graphs, and Their Inverses
Unit 7: The Relationship between Exponential and Logarithmic Functions
Unit 8: Applied Trigonometry
Unit 9: Analyzing Trigonometric Ratios and Functions
Unit 10: Verifying and Solving Trigonometric Equations
Unit 11: Sequences and Series

Course Objectives
After completing this course, students will be able to
Recognize parent functions symbolically and graphically.
Define functions, describe characteristics of functions and translate among verbal,
numerical, graphical and symbolic representations of functions.
Analyze the graphs of functions including domain, range, significant points of
functions, end behavior, and continuity.
Utilize transformations and inverses to graph functions.
Analyze the relationship between logarithmic functions and exponential
functions, both algebraically and graphically.
Solve trigonometric equations.
Use fundamental trigonometric identities to verify other identities including
multiple-angle formulas.
Define the six trigonometric functions and their graphs.
Recognize equations of conic sections and graph conic sections.
Use functions and their properties to solve real-life problems.

Kang 2017-2018 5
A note about email
I expect you to follow a certain level of formality and professionalism in our email
correspondence. Consider the following guidelines:
1. All messages should have a concise and descriptive subject line. The purpose of the
subject line is to alert me as to the content of the message.
2. Begin with a salutation. For example, it would be appropriate to begin your email
with Dear Mr. Kang or Good evening Mr. Kang or even Mr. Kang.
3. Use traditional rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation in your message. Use
spell check but also remember to proofread the message yourself as spell check wont
catch everything.
4. If you have a question about course administration or your grade, then double- check
the syllabus to see if your question is answered there before contacting me.
5. If you have a question about class subject matter, first attempt to solve the problem
yourself then ask a classmate. If this does not answer your question, send me a specific
question based on the outcome from the previous steps. Even if it is too difficult for me
to communicate a detailed answer over email, it will give me time to prepare a response
which I can share with you in class or in my tutoring hours.
6. Close your message with a signature. Be certain that you have included your full
name and in which period you are enrolled.

I receive many emails each day, so make sure that your messages are well thought- out
and are not easily answered by checking online resources or simply asking a classmate.

Miscellanious
My tutoring hours are not a substitute for attending class, reading your textbook, or
doing your homework. Try the following before asking a question in tutoring hours:
1. Re-read the text and your lecture notes.
2. Attempt the problem, keeping detailed notes about what youve tried and what
precisely seems to be the obstacle.
3. Ask a fellow student about the problem, communicating what youve already tried;
we often learn best from our peers.
4. If youre still stuck, then come to my tutoring hours and share with me the outcome
of the previous steps. This will make it easier to quickly ascertain the nature of your
question.

By following these steps you will probably strengthen your problem solving skills and
learn how to ask very focused and efficient questions.

Tips for Success

Mathematics can be very frustrating if you are lost and confused, but very fun if you
stay on top of things. If you spend enough time solving problems and studying your
notes, you will reach new levels of understanding. Consider skimming over the sections
listed on the course calendar before each lecture. You may be surprised at the difference
a fifteen minute head start makes in how much you understand during a lesson.

Kang 2017-2018 6
 Please return this page to Mr. Kang no later than Monday, 8/14/17.

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I am your students Pre-Calculus teacher. This is my first year at Simon Tech and I
firmly believe in building strong relationships with students and families to help
students achieve their goals. Please feel free to contact me frequently throughout the
year to learn about your students progress in my class. I look forward to partnering
with you in the education of your student. The above information is being provided to
you in an effort to increase our communication with you about what is happening in
school. It is important to us that you be well informed and therefore an active
participant in the educational experience of your student. Our mission is to graduate all
of our students ready for college, career and citizenship, but we cannot do this work
alone. Thank you for reading this course syllabus. After reading the syllabus, please
sign below, indicating that you understand and agree to the course expectations and
information.

Print Student Name: _____________________________________________________

3, 2017
Student Signature:
Sent Via Email ____________________________________ Date: ______________

dward Kang:
Print Parent Name: _____________________________________________________
eased to formally extend an offer to you on behalf of Chris Carr for a position as Math Teacher at
Parent Signature: _____________________________________ Date: ______________
e Cindy & Bill Simon Technology High School for the 2017-2018 School Year. We are excited for you
the Alliance family! Your employment start date will be August 1, 2017. The school year calendar is
ed.

alary Parent Email: _________________________________________

nnual base salary will be $52,470 based on information in your application. Additional compensation
oring, professional development days and potential paid career ladder opportunities may also be
ble. Parent Phone Number: _______________________________________
ts
hool offers a comprehensive health care package that was designed to provide you and your family
Questions/Concerns: __________________________________________________________
uality medical, dental and vision care. Please see the attached current benefits package for the
17 school year for reference. You will be provided the new 2017-18 benefits package during your
re orientation.

______________________________________________________________________________
uired by the state of California, Alliance participates in the California State Teachers Retirement
m (STRS), which provides contributing teachers with long-term retirement benefits. Alliance teachers
bute a portion of their salary to STRS, which is matched by a contribution from your school.

l Employment Agreement ______________________________________________________________________________

reement is conditional on your completion of our pre-employment requirements, which are
ed in the attached checklist.
______________________________________________________________________________
sign and date this letter below, formally accepting this offer of employment, and return it via email
manresources@laalliance.org within five (5) business days from the date above. Please feel free to
t me at (213) 943-4930, ext. 1078 with any questions that you may have.

ok forward to working with you!

Sincerely,

Alvarez
esident of Human Resources

Mr. Edward Kang

gnature below indicates that you accept this official offer of employment and commit to fulfilling
re-employment requirements.
Pre-Calculus and Transition to College Mathematics Teacher
_________________________________
d Kang (signature)
Alliance Simon Technology ____________________
Date
Academy High School
10720 Wilmington Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90059
601 South Figueroa Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017
Phone: 213-943-4930 Fax: 213-943-4931 www.laalliance.org

323.744.2122 (office)
ekang@laalliance.org
Kang 2017-2018 7