Calendar Handbook - Frederick County Public Schools

More documents

Recommendations

Info

The Calendar Handbook for 2011–2012 34 Report Cards and Interim Reports Report cards are issued four times during the year to communicate students’ term grades and other classroom achievement information. Interim reports may be issued between report cards and at any time throughout the year to notify students and parents about a significant decline or improvement in performance or to indicate a unique problem that may require attention. Parents or guardians must sign and return interim reports of unsatisfactory or declining performance within five days. Important 2011-12 dates for each term are listed below: Term 1 Mid-Term September 30* Interims Issued October 10* Term Ends November 3 Report Cards Issued November 17 Term 2 Mid-Term December 9* Interims Issued December 19* Term Ends January 20 Report Cards Issued February 3 Term 3 Mid-Term February 21* Interims Issued February 29* Term Ends March 23 Report Cards Issued April 13 Term 4 Mid-Term May 3* Interims Issued May 11* Term Ends June 15** Report Cards Issued June 22** * Elementary interims will be issued September 30, December 9, February 21 and May 3. ** Elementary report cards will be issued June 15. Dates may change due to school closings. ★ Performance Measures FCPS encourages students to take full advantage of challenging learning opportunities and to work hard to realize their academic goals. Homework, quiz, project and test grades enable students to assess their individual progress in each subject. Parent-teacher conferences in the fall and spring offer a helpful avenue for gauging student achievement. For details about these and other student performance measures, contact your school. ★ report Cards and achievement Grades Online FCPS uses an online software program called Pinnacle to give parents and students access to grades from any Internetconnected computer. After grading tests and assignments, teachers enter the grades in their electronic grade books. Missing assignments are also noted. Pinnacle organizes the data for convenient online viewing anytime, day or night. Grades are available online for all middle and high school students. Parents/students can sign up for timely Pinnacle e-mail alerts about student progress. Contact the school to obtain your child’s Pinnacle student identification number and PIN. ★ Help prepare Your CHild for SuCCeSS ★ let your child know you expect high achievement in school . ★ Stay in touch with your child’s teachers, and volunteer when you can . ★ read and write together, and make books part of everyday family life . ★ Provide a comfortable place for studying . ★ Show an interest in your child’s school activities . ★ limit television viewing and other passive activities . ★ learn about the issues that affect your child’s education and health . ★ Champion the character attributes that build better citizens and a better society: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship . The Health-Learning Link The academic success of America’s youth is strongly linked with their health. In turn, academic success is an excellent indicator for the overall well-being of youth and a primary predictor of adult health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recognizing the strong link between health and learning, FCPS has adopted a wellness regulation and works with the state-mandated School Health Council to provide a forum for discussion among school and community members representing diverse interests, opinions and values within Frederick County. The Council provides school guidelines regarding the eight components the CDC identified for a coordinated school health program: 1) nutrition 2) health services 3) physical education 4) health education 5) family/community involvement 6) health promotion for staff 7) healthy school environment 8) counseling, psychological and social services Physical fitness, good nutrition and positive attitudes lead to higher levels of attendance and academic performance and lower levels of anxiety, stress and illness in children. Schools are one place where children develop lifelong habits and where all are afforded equal access to nutritious meals and physical activity. Schools also link parents and community members to resources for promoting a healthy lifestyle. For more, see Policies 316, 409 and 505 and Regulation 400-82 and/or contact the FCPS health specialist. ★
FCPS-Required Testing Programs Criterion-Referenced Evaluation System (CRES) FCPS uses local CRES testing to determine how well students have mastered the essential curriculum through daily instruction. The assessments consist of selected-response (multiple-choice) and constructed-response (essay and shortanswer) items. CRES results are used to ascertain students’ and schools’ progress toward meeting accepted standards for student performance and to establish the steps necessary to improve instruction and performance. ★ Final Examinations High school students take final examinations in most courses. Finals can consist of components administered throughout the course, at the end of the course or a combination of both. FCPS-mandated CRES assessments make up the final exams for many courses. The letter grades assigned to final examinations consisting of FCPS-mandated CRES assessments count 20% of students’ final course grades. School-sponsored events are prohibited on the afternoons and evenings preceding end-of-semester examinations. ★ Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition (SAT-10) The SAT-10 is a national norm-referenced standardized assess ment administered to all FCPS second graders. Results provide parents and school staff with additional information about students’ progress in reading, mathematics and science one year prior to the first administration of the state’s Maryland School Assessment (MSA). Results are also used as part of the county’s readiness standards for the end of second grade. Test results and other data for individual schools and the school system as a whole are published annually in the FCPS Progress report and online at www.fcps.org . Testing Programs State-Required Testing Programs Maryland School Assessments (MSA) The state’s testing program is designed to meet requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The MSA includes multiple-choice and constructed-response items. Students receive individual test results. In March students will take the MSA in reading and math in grades 3 through 8. In April, students take the MSA in science in grades 5 and 8. Grade 10 MSA requirements are met by HSA exams in algebra, biology and English 10. ★ High School Assessments (HSA) The High School Assessments (HSA) are state-level, end-of-course exams aimed at raising academic standards and preparing graduates to compete in the workplace and post- secondary education. Middle and high school students enrolled in Algebra/Data Analysis, English 10 and Biology must take the exams at the completion of each course. Taking the HSA is a graduation requirement, and students are required to: n pass the exams, or n earn a total combined score of 1208. ★ Advanced Placement (AP) Exams AP is a program of rigorous, college-level courses available at all high schools. National exams administered by the College Board allow students to earn college credit for high scores. FCPS strongly urges students to challenge themselves by taking AP classes and the exams. Testing dates are May 7-18, 2012. College Entrance Examinations FCPS offers several opportunities for high school students to take the optional SAT and ACT examinations. Successful performance on one of these two national exams is a widely accepted college entrance requirement. Schools also offer SAT preparatory courses and the PSAT, a preliminary exam. Registration and other college entrance information is available in high school counseling offices. Registration deadlines are typically a month before the test date. SaT PSaT aCT October 1 October 12* September 10 November 5 October 15 October 22 December 3 December 10 January 28 February 11 March 10 (SAT I only) April 14 May 5 June 9 June 2 Dates apply to the 2011-12 school year. *provided free to FCPS 10th graders during the school day FindOutFirst e-mail – sign up at www.fcps.org 35
Page 2 and 3: The Calendar Handbook for 2011-2012
Page 12 and 13: SEPTEMBER 2011 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDA
Page 14 and 15: NOVEMBER 2011 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
Page 16 and 17: JANUARY 2012 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY
Page 18 and 19: MARCH 2012 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WE
Page 20 and 21: MAY 2012 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDN
Page 22 and 23: JULY 2012 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WED
Page 64: Put the public in public education:

Calendar Handbook - Frederick County Public Schools

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?