FRESHMAN ACADEMIES

Mission

In accordance with the RHS Mission Statement, the Freshman Academies will provide students with a personalized learning environment that will maximize their successful transition to the high school environment and eliminate anonymity.


The Freshman Academies will focus on:

• Establishing and reinforcing the habit of effective study skills
• Promoting personal responsibility through self advocacy
• Providing students a sense of belonging to their Academy and to the entire RHS community
• Instilling appropriate social interaction skills
• Developing strong peer and student-teacher relationships
• Encouraging family participation in the educational process
• Promoting ongoing communication between school and home
• Providing opportunities for teachers to team with colleagues

Pyramid of Academic Interventions


The Academy Team meets weekly and a portion of that meeting is dedicated to discussing students’ academic performance and implementing the Pyramid of Academic Interventions for those students who are experiencing academic difficulties. The pyramid is designed to provide early interventions in order to assist students in becoming academically successful. Included in the Pyramid of Academic Interventions is ongoing communication with parents including phone calls, letters, emails, and parent meetings.

1. Grade 9 Study Hall – All grade 9 students are assigned to a study hall which includes peer mentoring.
   
   The following interventions are implemented for students who fail to turn in assignments, hand in assignments chronically late, or fail one or more classes:
   
   
2. Guided Study Hall – Loss of Pass Privileges from study hall
   
   Initial contact with parent via email/telephone
   
   The Academy Team decides at a team meeting if a student will be scheduled into a Guided Study Hall. The student remains in the Guided Study Hall until he or she has a successful review at a future team meeting. The student is informed of this during his or her next study hall.
   
   
   
3. Academic Study Hall – Attend a Guided Study Hall with the appropriate academic teacher
   
   Letter to parent from the guidance counselor
   
   The Academy Team decides if a student will be scheduled into an Academic Study Hall based on his or her academic performance in that class or if the student is failing one or more classes on the Progress Report/Report Card. The student remains in the Academic Study Hall until his or her Progress Report/Report Card indicates passing grades in all classes. The student is informed of this during his or her next study hall.
   
   
   
4. Homework Center – Attend after school sessions (2:05 pm –3:15 pm) in the Academic Learning Center
   
   Parent meeting with Academy Team – discuss future interventions with parents (i.e., dropping a course)
   
   If a student’s academic performance is not improving in the Academic Study Hall, he or she attends the Homework Center. The student attends the Homework Center until his or her academic performance improves.
   
   
   
5. OPTION 1: Academic Learning Center – A course is dropped from the student’s schedule and he or she is scheduled to the Academic Learning Center during the open block
   
   Parent contact
   
   If a student fails two or more classes at the end of the quarter, the Academy Team determines which course will be dropped from the student’s schedule. The student is then scheduled to the Academic Learning Center during that block.
   
   OPTION 2: Academic Improvement Plan – Developed for students and parents who do not want to drop a course
   
   Parent contact
   
   If a student fails two or more classes at the end of the quarter, the Academy Team develops a contract to assist the student in improving his or her academic performance. If the student in unable to complete the plan, a course is dropped and he or she is scheduled to the Academic Learning Center during the open block.
   
   
   
6. Consultation with School-wide Support Services
   

Class/Homework & Major Assignments Late Grading Policy:

There is a shared late grading policy among the Freshman Academies. Students are expected to complete all assignments thoroughly and completely and will be given incremental credit for assignments turned in after the due date. Students who fail to turn in assignments on time will be provided support as outlined in the Pyramid of Academic Interventions. Essentially, our message to students is, “Not doing work is not an option!”

Student assignments are designated either Class/Homework Assignments or Major Assignments. All assignments turned in or before the due date will receive up to 100% possible credit. Students who turn in assignments late will be graded as follows:

Class/Homework Late Grading Policy:

ALL LATE CLASSWORK/HOMEWORK = 50% possible credit

Major Assignment Late Grading Policy:

ONE CLASS PERIOD LATE = 90% possible credit
TWO CLASS PERIODS LATE = 80% possible credit
BEYOND TWO CLASS PERIODS LATE = 50% possible credit

Students who are absent from class on the day an assignment is due will be expected to turn that assignment in on the day they return to class. If work is assigned on a day a student is absent, he or she is responsible, upon returning to class, for obtaining any missed assignments from the teacher. The teacher will inform the student of the due date at that time.

Any student who does not hand in major assignments by the end of the quarter will receive an incomplete (INC) as a grade on his or her report card. The student will receive a grade as soon as missing assignments are completed or within 10 school days.


Behavioral Policy:

All students are expected to behave according to the RHS Code of Conduct and must meet the RHS attendance requirements. Students who are chronically absent from class, chronically tardy to class, or continually violate the Code of Conduct will be reviewed at Academy Meetings and provided support as outlined in the Pyramid of Behavioral Interventions.

Pyramid of Behavioral Interventions:

The Academy Team meets weekly and a portion of that meeting is dedicated to discussing students’ behavior and implementing the Pyramid of Behavioral Interventions for those students who are experiencing difficulties. The pyramid is designed to provide early interventions in order to assist students in becoming successful. Included in the Pyramid of Behavioral Interventions is ongoing communication with parents including phone calls, letters, emails, and parent meetings.

One or more of the following interventions will be utilized for students identified at the Academy Meetings:

1. Conference with Student Mentor
2. Conference with Guidance Counselor
3. Conference with Social Worker/School Psychologist
4. Conference with Assistant Principal
5. Parent Phone Calls
6. Parent Letter
7. Parent Meeting

Notes:

Beginning in the school year 2008-09, there will only be two levels in the freshman grade: college and general. All freshman honors courses will go ahead as planned for 2007-08.

Beginning in the school year 2007-08, the freshman year GPA (grade point average) will not be calculated toward the final four-year GPA.