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2010-2011 Table of Contents
Welcome Letter from the Administrative Team Sky Mountain Charter School Contact Information General School Information School Accountability Report Card Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation Instructional Funding Information Policy for Criterion of Materials
Educational Oversight and Support The SMCS Educational Specialist No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Teacher Policy Assigning carnegie units to a 7th and 8th grader
Student Admission and Enrollment Learning Records and Attendance Documentation Suspension and Expulsion Process
Curriculum and Educational Resources Criterion for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds Tracking
Materials Computer Options Driver’s Education and Training
Contract Programs, Educational Activities, and Group Educational Activities Contract Programs Policies and Procedures Educational Activities Policies and Procedures Educational Activities Permission Slip Volunteer/Employee Vehicle Usages Group Educational Activities Policies and Procedures GEA Frequently Asked Questions
Opportunities/Information/Resources for Parents (Quick Links) First Meeting Information Sheet
High School Guidance High School Graduation Requirements Checklist for UC/CSU University Bound Students Community
College Enrollment Information Website
Links Information
Mandatory Assessments Wide-Range
Achievement Test
Special Education
Welcome Letter from the Administrative
Team
Welcome to Sky Mountain Charter School’s 2010-2011 school year! You have chosen an exciting form of education for your children—home-based personalized learning. We trust that this parent manual will be a helpful resource for you that you will keep handy and refer to throughout this school year.
Sky Mountain Charter School is in its fourth year of operation, and we are managed by Innovative Education Management (IEM), a nonprofit public benefit education corporation which has managed a number of “parent friendly” public charter schools in California since 1993. Sky Mountain Charter School is also a fully accredited school through the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
IEM charter schools have a long history of educational offerings and policies that go above and beyond to support parent choice in education. This is most evident when you look at our exhaustive vendor list for curriculum purchases and classes, and the amount of funds allocated for the development and delivery of each child’s educational plan.
Your school’s administration consists heavily of staff members who also through Sky Mountain Charter School choose home-based, personalized learning for their own children. They understand the needs and day-to-day challenges of this type of educational model. And equally important, they know the joys that can come from seeing your child engaged and learning while developing the strong family values that can come from this type of educational setting.
Everything we do at Sky Mountain Charter School is in an effort to support your choices as a parent educator while endeavoring to make this type of educational model possible. We are truly excited to continue building a first-rate home-based program in partnership with families who want the best for their children.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Director, an Advisor, our Parent Support Clerk, or an ES at any time. Your commitment to our school is important and your feedback helps us to strengthen and refine our program. We hope this will be a rewarding and memorable year for you and your family.
Sincerely,
The Sky Mountain Administrative Team
Sky Mountain Charter School Contact Information 1166 Broadway, Suite Q Placerville, CA 95667 School Phone: (800) 979-4436 School Fax: (530) 295-3583
School Terminology The following is a list of commonly used terms at Sky Mountain Charter School:
School Accountability Report Card (SARC) A copy of the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) is available on the school web site, and will be provided to parents upon request. (Education Code Section 35256)
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) SMCS received its WASC accreditation in May of 2009. When a school becomes accredited it: · certifies to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning · validates the integrity of a school’s program and student transcripts · fosters improvement of the school’s program and operations to support student learning · assures a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program WASC accreditation is important because the military often requires applicants to be from accredited schools and many school districts and universities will only accept credits from WASC accredited schools.
Instructional Funding (IF) Information Instructional Funds Policies: · Each student, by his/her average daily attendance (ADA) generates the funds of the Charter School. The funds are budgeted for use each year in three areas: 1.) district and program administration, 2.) teachers’ payroll, and 3.) instructional materials. The funding must be spent according to the SB740 funding model for Charter Schools.
· The Charter School may not provide any funds or other things of value to the pupil or his or her parent or guardian that a school district could not legally provide to a similarly situated pupil of the school district, or to his or her parents or guardian.
· The Charter School may only receive funding for the provision of independent study to pupils who are residents of San Bernardino County or who are residents of a county contiguous to San Bernardino County.
· The Instructional Funds are appropriated for education purposes to deliver the student’s educational plan. The IF (instructional funding) may only be spent on appropriate educational materials for the enrolled student. They may not be used to provide educational materials/admissions for siblings or parents or anyone else not enrolled in the charter school, or for materials not applicable to the enrolled student’s educational plan. · The funds may be used on educational materials, Contract Program Activities, Group Educational Activities, HQT SMEs, and AESS for the enrolled student. · These funds can NOT be used for items designated in the Policy for Criteria of Materials (see below) or activities/product/instructors disallowed in the Conflict of Interest Policy (see below). They also cannot be spent on any item or activity that requires payment for transportation. SMCS does not pay for transportation, as our school receives no transportation funding. For our students, all learning occurs at home, and anything the parent/student chooses to do outside of their home needs to be within the realm of what transportation they can and want to arrange/provide. · The amount of funding that is allocated in the ES's budget for use to deliver the student’s educational plan is based on the ADA calendar the state goes by to appropriate school funds. The IF amount is prorated and differs depending on the student's enrollment date.
· Students who are enrolled on the first day of the school year, will have the maximum amount of appropriated funds when planning their educational program. Students who enroll later in the year will have less than the maximum amount of appropriated funds with which to plan from. For the 2010-2011 school year, the maximum IF appropriation for each student is $1,600 for grades K-8, and $2,000 for grades 9 – 12 for those students who are enrolled for the entire 175 school days. The instructional funds are placed into the parent accounts in two disbursements during the school year. No school funding is provided directly to parents or students for any purpose.
· You will notice that the amount of appropriated instructional funds at Sky Mountain Charter School is much higher than that of other similar charter schools. This is in keeping with the philosophy of this charter school. The IEM and SMCS founders believe that more instructional funds provide more choice, opportunities, and individualization among the students’ educational plans.
Management of Educational Funds: Each Education Specialist has the responsibility of being aware of expenses incurred to meet the educational needs and choices of each enrolled student assigned to them. Sibling IF funds are posted and tracked as a family budget under the family name under the name of the ES. It is the responsibility of the ES to stay within the overall budget for each family. There may be times when an ES spends more on one sibling’s educational plan than another within the same family. This is acceptable as long as the family’s overall budget is not exceeded. Information about the ES expenditure of instructional funds is public information and should be shared with any interested party upon request.
The parent and the ES work in cooperation in determining the use of the allocated funds in order to produce the maximum possible in terms of student learning. At no time should this funding be spent indiscriminately by any person(s). The funds remain part of the school’s budget and anything purchased with these funds remains the property of the school. School expenses are audited annually.
Parents have a right to participate in the determination of how the allocated funding is spent. But ultimately the ES is responsible for the professional and ethical distribution of this funding and that responsibility is not “shared”. As an example, if a student is studying US History, parent requests for purchases for European Renaissance materials would not be consistent with that student’s educational plan and the ES would not allow that purchase. The ES also has the responsibility to ensure that all core curriculum has been purchased, either with IF Funds or independently by the parent, and is in place prior to using IF Funds for special interest/extra curricular activities. Conversely, the ES should not spend any of the IF allocation without the parents’ approval. Any disagreement between an ES and parent regarding the purchase of educational materials will be mediated by the administration of the School.
Tracking Materials: All materials are shipped directly to the ES by the vendor. Delays can occur from products from vendors that will only ship through the school office. Once the items are received by the ES, the ES will mark appropriate items with the school’s name before distributing them to the family.
ES’s are responsible for all items ordered from their parents’ accounts, including consumables. Every item issued to a student must be either:
School property willfully damaged, lost, or not turned over to the ES of record will be expected to be paid for by the student/parent prior to leaving the school. This school reserves the right to withhold a diploma and/or transcript for a bill not paid.
All materials ordered by Sky Mountain Charter School (SMCS) with state funding, including consumable items, such as workbooks, pencils, paper, clay, and any other materials consumable in nature, are the property of SMCS. Materials are loaned to enrolled students for their educational usage only. The items must be returned to the school via the assigned Education Specialist (ES) when the student is done using that item, or when the student leaves SMCS. If an item has been “consumed” by the student—used up and no longer usable by any other student—then it can be “archived” by the ES. If a student disenrolls or is dropped by the school prior to the end of the school year for any reason, all materials must be returned to Sky Mountain Charter School within two school days. Families will be billed for any items not returned, including those that are consumable in nature. Student transcripts will not be released until all materials are returned.
Policy for Criterion of
Materials Definition: Average daily attendance (ADA) funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below. What constitutes "basic educational items" is to be determined by the school.
Acceptable Items:
Bunsen Burners
Chemicals
Examples of Unacceptable Items- This list is not all inclusive:
Poisons Knives Bows and Arrows Darts with sharp points Trampolines Swimming pools Rocket engines Weapons Power tools Welding equipment Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport.
Private Schools The school Conflict of Interest Policy must be followed by Service Vendors. The policy states that the vendor may not be a California Department of Education (CDE) registered California private school that charges tuition and teaches core classes and that does not need to "enroll" our students into their private school in order for our student to take classes through them. This is based on the California Education Code that states that a student may not be enrolled in a California private school and a California public charter school concurrently. Dual Enrollment For our continuing and newly enrolled families, we want to remind you that SMCS is a public school, therefore your child(ren) can not be enrolled in SMCS and another public or private school at the same time. California Education Code Section 47602(b) and Title 5, California Code of Regulations Section 11965(a) prohibit such “dual enrollment”. A student at SMCS may be enrolled in is a Regional Occupation Program (ROP) or community college with the necessary approval from SMCS, pursuant to the signed enrollment forms.
The Parent Council will consist of 19 parents of SMCS students. The member of the Parent Council will be elected by a majority vote cast by the parents of SMCS students, and the term of office of each member will be two years. Elections will be held during May of each year by written ballot. Each family having one or more student(s) enrolled in SMCS on the date of the elections will be entitled to one vote per enrolled student. No more than one parent from any family may serve as a School Council member at any time. A quorum of the School Council which will be a majority of the elected members will be necessary for the transaction of business to occur. A charter school administrator will preside, but not vote, at all School Council meetings. All meetings of the School Council will comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code), will take place at least semi-annually, and will be held at a location within the sponsoring district. The charter school practices and policies will ensure parental involvement through the School Council activities.
The School Council will be responsible for assisting in the development of school council by-laws and each member will each be a part of a sub-committee responsible for the following: WASC accreditation, organizing student group educational activities, developing a school yearbook, coordinating fundraising events and approving expenditures of funds raised, volunteer coordination (STAR testing, etc), organizing the yearly graduation ceremony, assisting with grants, and other school events and activities approved by the school site administrator. The School Council will uphold the mission of the school, monitor the school’s performance, and make suggestions to the school administrator for school improvement.
The yearly school calendar is posted on the school website at: http://skymountaincs.org/school_calendar.html
Ask your ES for a copy of the calendar if you do not have a hard copy.
Important: Student ID cards are required for all CAHSEE students who do not have another valid photo ID.
Please mail the school secretary a one inch by one inch index size picture with the enrolled student’s full name, grade, and date of birth on the back of the photo. You also have the option of emailing a picture to skyparents@ieminc.org as an attachment that can be printed the correct size. When emailing a picture the ID card will have a black and white picture.
Mail picture to: SMCS: ATTN: Sarah Coyan 1166 Broadway, Ste Q Placerville, CA 95667
Your new student ID card will be mailed to you, but please allow at least two weeks for processing. If you have any questions you may call the Sky Mountain Charter School / IEM Office at 1-800-979-4436 and ask for the school secretary.
Educational Oversight and Support
The SMCS Education Specialist Each student is assigned to a supervising teacher called an Education Specialist (ES). Siblings are assigned to the same supervising teacher if at all possible. The Education Specialist is a California certificated teacher who typically holds a multiple-subject credential or a single-subject credential(s), or both. Your ES will also have one or more No Child Left Behind certifications.
After enrollment and if it is something you desire, your ES can help you determine your child’s learning style and show you where you can read about the types of educational philosophies and learning approaches on the school’s website. Your ES will find it helpful (but again this is certainly optional) to know why you chose this educational model and what you hope to gain from it, as well as what issues you may have had with your previous school(s). Your ES will need to see a transcript for planning purposes for a high school student. He/she may also find it helpful to know for planning purposes what activities might pull on your family’s time during the day as some curricula are more time intensive to teach than others. Using any background and assessment information available, the ES will help to advise and develop your child’s personalized educational plan. Together, you will determine what resources (curricula, classes, activities, HQT SMEs, tutors, computers) will be needed for the various subjects your child will cover this school year.
Each ES is expected to have a broad base of educational knowledge to draw from to meet the individual needs of their students when advising on their personalized educational plan. An ES should be familiar with and be able to explain the numerous curriculum options available, the various learning approaches, the ways that the No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified teacher subject matter expert requirement for each core subject may be met within our school, and the resources available within the school and in the community. He/she should be able to explain the portfolio options, graduation requirements, Internet resources, group educational activities (field trips), and contract program classes. If an ES cannot explain any of these, he/she will need to research them and get back to you in a timely manner. If you feel you are requiring more information than your ES is able to provide, you should not hesitate to contact your ES’s Advisor (see below). First year parents should be particularly pro-active about getting any information they need.
Typically, the ES is required to meet face-to-face with parents and their students at least once every 20 school days. Some ES’s will meet more often with their students because the parent desired to contract for Additional ES Services (AESS). The ES will meet with the parent at a mutually agreed upon location. Typical locations are a coffee shop, local library, or park in good weather. The monthly meeting is a very important event: contractual information must be exchanged, important school information communicated, and the assignments viewed and an assessment of student progress must be made. As a result, neither party should accept missed appointments, late arrivals, or unpreparedness as routine. Because everyone’s schedules are so full, rescheduling appointments can be challenging for everyone. So make every effort to make the monthly meeting appointments a priority, and change them only if absolutely necessary (e.g. illness, death in the family, etc.)
The ES is the main liaison between the school and the family and is your primary source of information. At your first meeting with your ES, you should receive a General Information Sheet with important contact information on it. Communication from the ES to the family will occur at the monthly meetings, and through telephone calls, e-mails, and/or through the mail. Because much information is time-sensitive, you will want to let your ES know what method of communication works best for you between meetings. Your ES should also communicate their preferred communication and best days/times to reach them.
Sometimes an ES may feel that the family would be better served by another ES. In that case, they may request to be released from the assignment to the family. Parents may always request a different ES if they are unhappy with their current arrangement by contacting the ES’s Advisor. The ES’s Advisor contact information is on the General Information Sheet.
The ES Advisors were once ES’s themselves at an IEM charter school. They have first-hand knowledge of the ES job and a good grasp of the school’s policies and program offerings. Their role is to “make sure that the teachers they supervise know what to do and that they are doing it”. After the ES, they are the family’s “go to” person and that extra layer of support, should you need more help and information than your ES is able to provide. The ES Advisor serves as the ES’s mentor, trains the ES on school policies and procedures, provides the ES with curriculum counseling, meets individually with them as needed, reviews and evaluates their performance, and acts as the ES’s professional growth advisor.
Your first resource for information should always be your ES and the school website. If you feel you still need further assistance, then the ES Advisor is always there to help you either directly, or by helping your ES to help you. Either way, the ES Advisor’s job is to make sure that the families are getting the assistance they need and desire. The General Information Sheet that your ES gave you at the beginning of the school year or at your initial meeting will list your ES Advisor’s name, e-mail, and phone number.
Report Cards are not required for grades K-8th but can be requested via your ES. While K-8 report cards are not required, they are sometimes necessary for other student endeavors—sports teams, insurance, government verifications, etc. We recommend that parents of 8th graders whose child will be transferring into another public high school request an 8th grade report card because of potential high schools entrance requirements. All 9th -12th grade students are required to have a report card issued at the conclusion of each semester.
In the state of California by law, it is the assigned ES’s responsibility and the highly qualified “teacher of record’s” responsibility (not the parent’s responsibility) to assign the official grades and credits. The grades and credits awarded represent the professional evaluation by the teacher of record of the student’s progress toward the state and school standards of the grade level in which the child is on assigned on record. Be sure to let your ES know if you would like a copy of your child’s report card.
A portfolio is a purposeful, integrated collection of student work that shows effort, progress, or achievement in one or more areas. Each student’s portfolio must include a wide sampling of the student’s best work/learning in each growth area or high school level course. The Education Specialist’s written evaluation of progress towards the student standards is included monthly in the learning records, which are on file at the school office. The samples in this portfolio include one sample in each growth area from the first semester AND one sample in each growth area from second semester to support the progress listed for each course in the monthly learning records. Education Specialists will be collecting the student’s best work each month throughout the school year at the learning record meetings. The ES will collect one work sample per growth area at each Learning Record Meeting. Portfolio work samples become the property of the school and will not be returned. These samples may be in the form of projects, writing samples, videotapes, audiotapes, drawings, tests, photographs, etc. In the end, no two families’ portfolios will look alike. Ultimately, it is the Education Specialist’s responsibility to have examples of work for each student for each semester in each attempted “growth area” for K-8th graders and each course attempted for high school students. It is advisable to save at least one sample each month for each attempted growth area/high school course for every student, and to provide those samples monthly to your ES at the Learning Record meetings. A) This policy will apply to all pupils enrolled in Sky Mountain Charter School (SMCS), an independent study charter school serving pupils in grades K-12. B) Students who attend SMCS will be educated through individually designed curricula, which may include, but are not limited to: non-classroom based learning programs, cooperative school programs and classes, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, community-based educational programs, group seminars, distance learning via current technology, and supplemental learning projects. C) The Charter School will comply with all state and federal Charter School laws regarding independent study instruction. D) Each student’s independent study will be coordinated, evaluated, and carried out under the general supervision of an assigned certificated employee or employees of the Charter School. E)The maximum length of time that may elapse between the time an independent study assignment is made and the date by which the student must complete the assigned work shall be no more than twenty (20) school days, or as modified by an assigned credentialed teacher at the time the work is assigned to the pupil. F) Students who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate monthly progress toward the student standards, as determined by the professional judgment of the credentialed teacher assigned to that student, will be subject to expulsion for truancy.
After one (1) missed assignment an evaluation shall be conducted to determine whether it is in the best interests of the pupil to remain in independent study. A written record of the findings of any evaluation made pursuant to this subdivision shall be maintained in the pupil’s permanent record. The evaluation may consist of some or all of the following: · Monthly review of work · Annual portfolios · Parent, student, and Education Specialist observation · Norm and criterion referenced tests · Student demonstrations · Student grades
The role of the credentialed teacher is critical to the success of charter school independent study students. The teacher’s observations, discussions with parents and students, and examinations of written work are the key to quality control.
G) A current written student agreement for each independent study pupil shall be maintained on file for each participating student. Each written student agreement shall be signed and in effect prior to the start of reporting attendance (ADA) pursuant to that agreement. Students must meet all elements of the written student agreement in order for continued enrollment in this charter school. The independent study agreement for the student must require and cover a study plan that represents the same amount of study that would be required of a student in a classroom. Written agreements will include subsidiary agreements, such as course contracts and assignments, work records, and testing requirements. Each agreement shall also include the following: · The manner, time, frequency, and place for submitting a pupil’s assignments and for reporting his or her progress. · The objectives and methods of study for the pupil’s work, and the methods utilized to evaluate that work. · The specific resources, including materials and personnel that will be made available to the pupil. · A statement of the policies adopted regarding the maximum length of time allowed between the assignment and the completion of a pupil’s assigned work, and the number of missed assignments allowed prior to an evaluation of whether or not the pupil should be allowed to continue in independent study. · The duration of the written student agreement, recognizing that no written student agreement shall be valid for any period longer than one semester. · A statement of the number of course credits or, for the elementary grades, other measures of academic accomplishment appropriate to the agreement, to be earned by the pupil upon completion. · The inclusion of a statement in each written student agreement that attendance at this charter school is an optional educational alternative in which no pupil may be required to participate. · Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.
H. The Charter School will not provide any funds or other things of value to the pupil or his or her parent or guardian that a school district could not legally provide to a similarly situated pupil of the school district, or to his or her parents or guardian.
I. Charter School may only receive funding for the provision of independent study to pupils who are residents of San Bernardino County or who are residents of a county contiguous to San Bernardino County.
J. Charter School must comply with Education Code Section 51745.6 and California Code of Regulations Section 11704 regarding teacher to ADA limits. Each enrolled student will be assigned to a credentialed teacher. Student participates with the credentialed teacher and parents in the design of an individualized learning plan that incorporates all aspects of his or her educational program and that serves as the student’s learning contract with SMCS.
K. On a regular basis, consistent with the written student agreement, the assigned credentialed teacher and the parent shall evaluate the education program of the student and modify as necessary to maximize student success. The assigned credentialed teacher will have the final authority with regard to the education program of the student, and outcomes with the exception of students who qualify for special education services whose services and outcomes will be determined by an Individual Education plan (“IEP”) team pursuant to law.
L. It is understood that no student who qualifies for special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (“IDEA”) shall participate in independent study unless it is specifically authorized in his or her IEP. Identified special education students are expected to attend scheduled tutorials to assist him/her in meeting the identified goals and objectives in their Individual Educational Plan (IEP). Three unexcused absences or missing more than 50% of a student’s special education services in a month will result in the student being truant. Parents will be invited to an IEP meeting to review their student’s educational progress, and to insure that this charter school remains the least restrictive environment in which to promote educational benefit. A second truancy in the current academic year will result in immediate dismissal from the charter school.
M. Acceptance into this charter School:
Acceptance of students into the charter school requires the following: · Parents who enroll their children in SMCS shall, through specific enrollment and curriculum contracts, accept responsibility for their children’s education. SMCS will support its students and parents both with appropriate educational materials, and with a team of NCLB certified California teacher credentialed Education Specialists, ES Advisors, and school administrators. SMCS Education Specialists and ES Advisors shall advise and assist parents and students in all aspects of student education pursuant to relevant contracts.
· Any parent or legally responsible entity may legally designate an alternate party to act in place of the parents. SMCS adult students do not require parental participation in educational or admission contracts, or performance evaluations.
N. Independent Study Roles
The credentialed teacher will: · Ensure that independent study occurs in accordance with state law and charter policy and regulations. · Facilitate the completion of written student agreements. · Supervise and assess approved coursework. · Assign all grades and credits earned and report the information for inclusion in student’s permanent record. · Establish, complete, and maintain necessary reports and records, including, but not limited to, learning records and attendance record. · Personally judge the time value of student assignments or work products before ADA is earned. · Assess the student’s level of education, modifying the curriculum as necessary to meet charter guidelines. · Administer school and state mandated tests as required. · Select and save representative samples of the student’s completed and evaluated assignments.
The parents will: · Understand that attendance at this charter school is entirely voluntary on the part of the students who enroll. · Participate with the credentialed teacher in the development of the student’s educational plan. · Meet face to face with their Education Specialists at least once every 20 school days to review and document attendance and the learning that occurs in that learning period. · Transport their student to each school or state mandated assessment location. · Under the direction of the credentialed teacher, the parent will assume responsibility for supplied school owned books, materials, supplies, and equipment and will reimburse the school for lost or willfully damaged items.
The student will: · Be responsible to fulfilling the written student agreement components.
No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Teacher Policy Policy According to the Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) regulations, all our students must be taught by NCLB certified “Highly Qualified Teachers” as “teacher of record” beginning in the 2008 school year. Each local educational agency (LEA) must develop a plan to ensure that all elementary, middle and high school teachers who are assigned to teach core academic subjects meet the NCLB requirements to ensure they are highly qualified. For IEM schools this means that the assigned ES must either be NCLB certified in each particular subject each of their students are taking, or the student must have another “teacher of record” who is NCLB certified serving the student for that course, or the student is taking that course at a community college, or the course is taken from one of our school approved online vendors. All ES’s must be NCLB-compliant in at least one subject area.
The Collaborative Teaching Model IEM schools will be utilizing a model called the Collaborative Teaching Model to meet the Federal NCLB requirements. · Under this model, each student continues to be served by one ES who is their “supervising teacher” for all subjects. · The assigned ES is also the “teacher of record” for all courses their students are taking that they are NCLB certified to teach (See examples below). · For any NCLB subject areas in which the assigned ES is not NCLB-certified, the ES must see that each of their students are being served in another approved way for those courses. · All ES’s are encouraged to obtain as many NCLB certifications as possible, so that they might be better able to serve all assigned students. · ES’s with Single Subject credentials only may only serve high school students until they are certified in “multi-subjects”.
NCLB Core Academic Subjects for K-8th grades For IEM schools, K-8th graders can be served in all subjects by a teacher certified in multi-subjects, as 7th and 8th grades have been designated to be a part of our elementary school program. An exception to this would be a junior high student who is taking a high school course for high school credit. Also Algebra 1 has been designated a high school level course for NCLB purposes (even though it is expected to be taken in 7th or 8th grade) that must be overseen by a NCLB math certified HQT.
NCLB Core Academic Subjects for 9th to 12th grades The core academic subjects for California High Schools are: · English (which includes Drama and Theater for NCLB purposes) · Reading/Language Arts · Mathematics · Science · Social Sciences (which include Civics, Government, Economics, History, and Geography) · Foreign language · Arts · As of now, PE and dance courses do not requires an NCLB certified teacher, along with all other electives not in subject areas named above.
Ways that a student can be served by an HQT in a subject area in which their ES is not currently certified Any of the following are recognized ways to meet the NCLB HQT requirements for your students: · Take courses through a school approved online vendor · Take courses at a community college · Enroll in a modified CP course taught by one of our HQT Subject Matter experts (SME) who becomes “teacher of record” for that course. This option is required if one of the other options is not being utilized.
CP HQT Subject Matter Experts (SME)
We are in the process of establishing SME’s in the following core areas. Parents will be notified as SME’s become available this school year. · English · Reading for English Learners · Math · Science · Social Science · Arts · Foreign Language
These SMEs (fully credentialed teachers with a single subject credential in their certified area) will each be available as a resource and support in their field of study.
Student Admission and Enrollment
Student Enrollment Student Application: A Student Enrollment Application completely filled out and signed by the parent must be submitted prior to a student being considered for enrollment in an IEM Charter School. It is important that all information requested on the application is completed including the signature of the parent, guardian, or caregiver, and date the application is signed. Submission of the application does not constitute enrollment in the school, but only requests an enrollment interview with our School Secretary/Intake Specialist. Immunization records, dental health records (K & 1st grade), Health forms (K & 1st grade), verification of birth certificate, and other requested enrollment paperwork are required before enrollment can begin. The student records office will automatically request a cume file from the student's previous school, but an unofficial transcript will be helpful for high school students, as cume files may take several months to arrive.
Enrollment Requirements: Students age five (by December 2) and older as verified by a birth certificate may be enrolled in this Charter School. Any child turning 5 after December 2 will have to wait until the following school year to enroll in the charter school. Due to a state law that became effective July 1, 2004 we may only serve continuing or new adult students if they have been continuously enrolled in any high school from a date prior to their 19th birthday, making regular progress (our school defines regular progress to be 25 credits).
To be considered for enrollment, students must reside in the county of the charter school’s granting school district or in counties that are contiguous to the granting district (San Bernardino, Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties). According to charter law, students may not be enrolled in a private school while enrolled in a public school. A student may be enrolled in only one public school at a time. An inter/intra-district transfer is not necessary.
Before the student can be enrolled in this Charter School, specific documentation needs to be signed at an enrollment meeting with your assigned Education Specialist. These documents include the Student Agreement, the school's charter summary, and a “First Meeting Information Sheet”. It is the responsibility of the Education Specialist to fully explain the contents of the documents being signed.
Special Education Students: Special Education students need to send a copy of their past and current IEPs with their enrollment application. These IEPs will be reviewed by our Special Ed department for legal compliance prior to being approved for enrollment. No student should disenroll from their current school until they have cleared the Special Education department, been assigned to an ES, and have met face to face with that teacher to complete enrollment paperwork.
When the School is Full: Student Enrollment may be delayed if the school is "full". If we do not have an ES with an available space in your geographic area, the student will be put on our waiting list. No guarantees of enrollment can be made at any time. We do hire and train teachers continually to prepare for growth when we are full in a geographic area.
Enrollment Exclusions: Students who have been expelled from other public schools are not eligible for enrollment in this charter school. Students who have been previously enrolled in this charter school and were dropped for truancy are not eligible for re-enrollment in this charter school.
Closed Enrollment: Each school year enrollment is closed in late winter (date determined each year). To be enrolled for that school year, the student must start on or before the last date announced for that school year. At that point, students can choose to remain on our school prospective waiting list to be enrolled for the following school year. We begin placing those students with ES’s in the spring.
A current written student agreement for each independent study pupil shall be maintained on file for each participating student for each semester of enrollment. Each written student agreement shall be signed and in effect prior to the start of reporting attendance (ADA) pursuant to that agreement. Students must meet all elements of the written student agreement in order for continued enrollment in this charter school. By California law, each agreement shall include the following: · The manner, time, frequency, and place for submitting a pupil’s assignments and for reporting his or her progress. · The objectives and methods of study for the pupil’s work, and the methods utilized to evaluate that work. · The specific resources, including materials and personnel that will be made available to the pupil. · A statement of the policies adopted regarding the maximum length of time allowed between the assignment and the completion of a pupil’s assigned work, and the number of missed assignments allowed prior to an evaluation of whether or not the pupil should be allowed to continue in independent study. · The duration of the written student agreement, recognizing that no written student agreement shall be valid for any period longer than one semester. · A statement of the number of course credits or, for the elementary grades, other measures of academic accomplishment appropriate to the agreement, to be earned by the pupil upon completion. · The inclusion of a statement in each written student agreement that attendance at this charter school is an optional educational alternative in which no pupil may be required to participate. · Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.
Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.
Learning Records and Attendance Documentation Learning Records: The Learning Record (LR) is the ES’s documentation and evaluation of the attempted assignments and learning for that Learning Period. The assigned ES is required to meet face to face at least once every 20 school days. In order to remain enrolled in this charter school, the student must demonstrate progress towards the student standards. High school students must be attempting at least 25 credits a semester. Students receiving Additional ES Services (AESS) must meet with their ES weekly or bi-weekly, depending upon their contract. The Learning Record meetings typically take one hour per student to complete. Please plan for this amount of time with your ES when you schedule LR appointments.
All learning records must contain the following elements: · The working grade level for each growth area goal, with standards selected from that level · The course name for 7th to 12th grade students earning high school credits. · The learning that occurred for that learning period · The activities participated in that meet the objectives/standards for the learning period · The methods of assessment or evaluation · Specific school provided resources used to support the student’s educational plan during this learning period · The “CP Course” designation next to all CP/GEA courses and educational services the school is paying for in each appropriate section of each LR · The “HQT” designation for each core course when the ES is not the teacher of record
The Learning Record is: · An auditable, legal school document that becomes the course of study description for that course. · Looked at by other schools because it becomes a part of the cume file if a student transfers. · Read by college counselors to determine if prerequisites for courses have been met. · Is read by the superintendent of the school district and the board to assess the quality of the charter school and the students’ achievement, and may be a determining factor in whether or not a charter is renewed from year to year. · Is read by a financial auditor who view items discussed in the LR almost like a PO. The LR must validate the school’s instructional purchases. · Is viewed by a programmatic auditor to determine if we are complying with charter law requirements in stating activities, means of assessment/evaluation, school resources used, and objectives (standards) for each subject area covered. · Is compared to the transcript by the programmatic auditor to be sure it supports the awarded grades and credits.
Copies of Learning Records may be given to parents upon request by their ES as long as the students are enrolled in the school. BUT, after a student has dropped, the request for any school information needs to go to the IEM office for processing.
Determining the Assignment Period: The assignment period is determined by the agreed upon time and frequency of the regular assessment meetings between the ES and the student/parent as stated on the Student Agreement. It may not go longer than a 20 day period.
Assessment of Student Work: During the Learning Record meeting, the assigned ES will evaluate the student’s work product and will note the activities and means of assessment/evaluation used (observed, recorded the grades, listened) for each work product. The ES is responsible for viewing the entire body of work from the previous learning period. The ES needs to verify all concepts learned during the learning period through viewing the body of work or interviewing the student. During the Learning Record meeting, it is possible that the ES will read examples of the student’s work, listen to the student’s explanation of a concept learned, watch while a student demonstrates an activity, taste a sample of a baking assignment, interview the student about what they learned, etc. The ES will determine which standards were met by the new learning in that learning period. Only new learning that occurs during the Learning Period will be recorded in the Learning Record. It is not necessary for repetitive learning to be documented unless a new skill has been learned. The standards recorded will be the ones that were worked on, but ones not necessarily mastered.
It is the responsibility of the ES to prepare the Learning Records. Parents are not required to keep lesson plans, take notes, or write learning records. Parents can choose to keep notes or a journal if they wish. Parent notes can be written by hand or sent to the ES electronically via e-mail. If the parent does document their observations of the child’s learning, that documentation can be used as the basis of the learning record along with the ES’s own observations. Even with parent documentation, the ES is still required to meet face-to-face with the parent/student in order to assess the work product. During the meeting, you can ask for suggestions about activities and resources to supplement your child’s educational plan, or discuss challenges you are having with your child or your school day schedule.
Attendance Documentation: Attendance is tracked in the student records with the attendance rollsheet, which is filled out by the parent and ES. A hard copy of the attendance rollsheet is given to the parent at each meeting for the next learning period. The rollsheet stays with the parent who marks daily on the roll sheet as learning occurs. It is necessary that the parent keep the rollsheet since the parent is with the student daily. The rollsheet must have original (not copied) signatures as it is a legal document. When the ES visits the family to write the Learning Record, the attendance rollsheet for that Learning Period is turned into the ES. The days marked as attendance days must be validated by learning that is reported on the Learning Record, with portfolios samples to support the learning. If the ES determines that the student did not complete enough learning to constitute the full amount of attendance for that learning period, then the ES will complete the rollsheet to reflect this determination. These elements are required by law in order for our charter school to stay in existence!
Truancy Definition The definition of "truancy" for this charter School is defined in the policy below as a missed appointment/attendance period. This is not the same definition of "truancy" as defined by California Education Code, nor are the practices and procedure below defined by California Education Code, but by this charter school.
Truancy Policy Charter School students who are truant for two school attendance periods (length of time between meetings with an ES, but no more than 20 days maximum) or have 2 missed appointments within the same school year, or a combination of the above, will be dropped from the school and will not be permitted to re-enroll in the school at a later date. Please note that the truant attendance periods within one school year do not have to be consecutive. Truancy is documented on the Attendance Roll Sheet as 50% or less attendance during any consecutive school days on the student's calendar track (example: 10 truant school days over a 20 day period). A missed appointment is a mandatory assessment date missed or any other school required meeting missed. Mandatory assessments include, but are not limited to, Scantron testing and state testing. Also, please note that there are no “excused” absences or “excused” missed appointments. Full attendance is based on work in 5 growth areas for a K – 8 student or a high school student attempting a minimum of 25 credits
Truant Practices It is required that the ES assess student learning every 20 school days; there are no provisions for illness. The ES must be able to assess the student’s learning via the learning record meeting every 20 school days, or the student will be marked truant. Students who do not demonstrate sufficient learning and work to support the claimed attendance will also be marked truant. Again, please note that there are no “excused” absences or “excused” missed appointments.
Parents and students must make every effort to be on time for learning record meetings and other school appointments. Parents and students who are more than 15 minutes late to learning record meetings and/or other school appointments may be subject to a truancy. Two truancies will result in dismissal from Sky Mountain Charter School. Parents and students that receive a first truancy must meet with their ES within 5 school days of the initial truancy for a follow-up learning record meeting. Failure to attend this meeting may result in the issuance of a second truancy, thus resulting in a dismissal from Sky Mountain Charter School.
Suspension and Expulsion Process Suspension/Expulsion Definition: Students may be suspended or expelled from this charter school for non-compliance with the terms of the parent-student contract, or any material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth in the charter school charter, the school handbook or of the school’s policies and procedures. This includes a student who has committed plagiarism (see plagiarism policy). The Special Education Director will be involved in the suspension/expulsion process for all identified pupils with disabilities. Students, who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate progress toward the student standards, as determined by the professional judgment of the certificated Education Specialist assigned to that student, will be subject to expulsion.
This charter school will suspend a student from participation in any school events outside of the student’s home if the student is found to have committed any act listed in CA Education Code 48900 that occurs during, or while going to or coming from, a school sponsored class, a school site, an assessment session, or any other school activity. If the student violates their written requirement to be at home during school hours and not at any location where the school is holding educational events, the student is subject to expulsion from the school.
CA Education Code 48900: “(a) (1) Caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person. (2) Willfully used force or violence upon the person of another, except in self-defense. (b) Possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object, unless, in the case of possession of any object of this type, the pupil had obtained written permission to possess the item from a certificated school employee, which is concurred in by the principal or the designee of the principal. (c) Unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or been under the influence of, any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind. (d) Unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind, and either sold, delivered, or otherwise furnished to any person another liquid, substance, or material and represented the liquid, substance, or material as a controlled substance, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant. (e) Committed or attempted to commit robbery or extortion. (f) Caused or attempted to cause damage to school property or private property. (g) Stolen or attempted to steal school property or private property. (h) Possessed or used tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, clove cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew packets, and betel. However, this section does not prohibit use or possession by a pupil of his or her own prescription products. (i) Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity. (j) Unlawfully possessed or unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any drug paraphernalia, as defined in Section 11014.5 of the Health and Safety Code. (k) Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties. (l) Knowingly received stolen school property or private property. (m) Possessed an imitation firearm. As used in this section, "imitation firearm" means a replica of a firearm that is so substantially similar in physical properties to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to conclude that the replica is a firearm. (n) Committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault as defined in Section 261, 266c, 286, 288, 288a, or 289 of the Penal Code or committed a sexual battery as defined in Section 243.4 of the Penal Code. (o) Harassed, threatened, or intimidated a pupil who is a complaining witness or a witness in a school disciplinary proceeding for the purpose of either preventing that pupil from being a witness or retaliating against that pupil for being a witness, or both. (p) Unlawfully offered, arranged to sell, negotiated to sell, or sold the prescription drug Soma. (q) Engaged in, or attempted to engage in, hazing as defined in Section 32050.”
Expulsion/Suspension Procedure: Expulsions or suspensions will be made by the Charter School Administration based on information provided by the assigned Education Specialist or course instructor according to school policy. A written notice of the suspension or expulsion will be sent to the parent. As required by Education Code 48902, a school administrator will notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the school is situated, of any acts of the pupil that may violate Section 245 of the Penal Code.
Expulsion Hearing: The parents of a student who has received an expulsion notice from the school Administration may request a hearing where the parent/student shall be given an opportunity to participate and present facts relevant to the issues set forth in the expulsion notice. In the event of any such request, the school administration shall appoint a Hearing Committee composed of five (5) members of the School Parent Council which shall conduct an expulsion hearing. An expulsion hearing, if requested, shall be conducted in accordance with the due process requirements established in Education Code 48915-48918. After an expulsion hearing, the Hearing Committee shall send its recommendation to the school Administration for a final decision. The school Administration will make all final decisions concerning suspension, expulsion, or reinstatement of suspended or expelled students.
Expulsion Procedure: Whenever a pupil is expelled from this charter school, the school shall notify the pupil and the pupil’s parents/guardians in writing of the pupil’s duty to attend the school district in which the residency of either the parent/legal guardian is located. The charter school will notify the student’s district of residence of the student’s expulsion.
Education Code 48918: 48918. The governing board of each school district shall establish rules and regulations governing procedures for the expulsion of pupils. These procedures shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, all of the following: (a) The pupil shall be entitled to a hearing to determine whether the pupil should be expelled. An expulsion hearing shall be held within 30 school days after the date the principal or the superintendent of schools determines that the pupil has committed any of the acts enumerated in Section 48900, unless the pupil requests, in writing, that the hearing be postponed. The adopted rules and regulations shall specify that the pupil is entitled to at least one postponement of an expulsion hearing, for a period of not more than 30 calendar days. Any additional postponement may be granted at the discretion of the governing board. Within 10 schooldays after the conclusion of the hearing, the governing board shall decide whether to expel the pupil, unless the pupil requests in writing that the decision be postponed. If the hearing is held by a hearing officer or an administrative panel, or if the district governing board does not meet on a weekly basis, the governing board shall decide whether to expel the pupil within 40 schooldays after the date of the pupil's removal from his or her school of attendance for the incident for which the recommendation for expulsion is made by the principal or the superintendent, unless the pupil requests in writing that the decision be postponed. If compliance by the governing board with the time requirements for the conducting of an expulsion hearing under this subdivision is impracticable during the regular school year, the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee may, for good cause, extend the time period for the holding of the expulsion hearing for an additional five schooldays. If compliance by the governing board with the time requirements for the conducting of an expulsion hearing under this subdivision is impractical due to a summer recess of governing board meetings of more than two weeks, the days during the recess period shall not be counted as schooldays in meeting the time requirements. The days not counted as schooldays in meeting the time requirements for an expulsion hearing because of a summer recess of governing board meetings shall not exceed 20 schooldays, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 48925, and unless the pupil requests in writing that the expulsion hearing be postponed, the hearing shall be held not later than 20 calendar days prior to the first day of school for the school year. Reasons for the extension of the time for the hearing shall be included as a part of the record at the time the expulsion hearing is conducted. Upon the commencement of the hearing, all matters shall be pursued and conducted with reasonable diligence and shall be concluded without any unnecessary delay. (b) Written notice of the hearing shall be forwarded to the pupil at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the hearing. The notice shall include all of the following: (1) The date and place of the hearing. (2) A statement of the specific facts and charges upon which the proposed expulsion is based. (3) A copy of the disciplinary rules of the district that relate to the alleged violation. (4) A notice of the parent, guardian, or pupil's obligation pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 48915.1. (5) Notice of the opportunity for the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian to appear in person or to be represented by legal counsel or by a non attorney adviser, to inspect and obtain copies of all documents to be used at the hearing, to confront and question all witnesses who testify at the hearing, to question all other evidence presented, and to present oral and documentary evidence on the pupil's behalf, including witnesses. In a hearing in which a pupil is alleged to have committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault as specified in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, a complaining witness shall be given five days' notice before being called to testify, and shall be entitled to have up to two adult support persons, including, but not limited to, a parent, guardian, or legal counsel, present during their testimony. Before a complaining witness testifies, support persons shall be admonished that the hearing is confidential. Nothing in this subdivision shall preclude the person presiding over an expulsion hearing from removing a support person whom the presiding person finds is disrupting the hearing. If one or both of the support persons is also a witness, the provisions of Section 868.5 of the Penal Code shall be followed for the hearing. This section does not require a pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian to be represented by legal counsel or by a non attorney adviser at the hearing. (A) For purposes of this section, "legal counsel" means an attorney or lawyer who is admitted to the practice of law in California and is an active member of the State Bar of California. (B) For purposes of this section, "non attorney advisor" means an individual who is not an attorney or lawyer, but who is familiar with the facts of the case, and has been selected by the pupil or pupil's parent or guardian to provide assistance at the hearing. (c) Notwithstanding Section 54593 of the Government Code and Section 35145, the governing board shall conduct a hearing to consider the expulsion of a pupil in a session closed to the public, unless the pupil requests, in writing, at least five days before the date of the hearing, that the hearing be conducted at a public meeting. Regardless of whether the expulsion hearing is conducted in a closed or public session, the governing board may meet in closed session for the purpose of deliberating and determining whether the pupil should be expelled. If the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel appointed under subdivision (d) to conduct the hearing admits any other person to a closed deliberation session, the parent or guardian of the pupil, the pupil, and the counsel of the pupil also shall be allowed to attend the closed deliberations. If the hearing is to be conducted at a public meeting, and there is a charge of committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, a complaining witness shall have the right to have his or her testimony heard in a session closed to the public when testifying at a public meeting would threaten serious psychological harm to the complaining witness and there are no alternative procedures to avoid the threatened harm, including, but not limited to, videotaped deposition or contemporaneous examination in another place communicated to the hearing room by means of closed-circuit television. (d) Instead of conducting an expulsion hearing itself, the governing board may contract with the county hearing officer, or with the Office of Administrative Hearings of the State of California pursuant to Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 27720) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code and Section 35207, for a hearing officer to conduct the hearing. The governing board may also appoint an impartial administrative panel of three or more certificated persons, none of whom is a member of the board or employed on the staff of the school in which the pupil is enrolled. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with all of the procedures established under this section. (e) Within three schooldays after the hearing, the hearing officer or administrative panel shall determine whether to recommend the expulsion of the pupil to the governing board. If the hearing officer or administrative panel decides not to recommend expulsion, the expulsion proceedings shall be terminated and the pupil immediately shall be reinstated and permitted to return to a classroom instructional program, any other instructional program, a rehabilitation program, or any combination of these programs. Placement in one or more of these programs shall be made by the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee after consultation with school district personnel, including the pupil's teachers, and the pupil's parent or guardian. The decision not to recommend expulsion shall be final. (f) If the hearing officer or administrative panel recommends expulsion, findings of fact in support of the recommendation shall be prepared and submitted to the governing board. All findings of fact and recommendations shall be based solely on the evidence adduced at the hearing. If the governing board accepts the recommendation calling for expulsion, acceptance shall be based either upon a review of the findings of fact and recommendations submitted by the hearing officer or panel or upon the results of any supplementary hearing conducted pursuant to this section that the governing board may order. The decision of the governing board to expel a pupil shall be based upon substantial evidence relevant to the charges adduced at the expulsion hearing or hearings. Except as provided in this section, no evidence to expel shall be based solely upon hearsay evidence. The governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel may, upon a finding that good cause exists, determine that the disclosure of either the identity of a witness or the testimony of that witness at the hearing, or both, would subject the witness to an unreasonable risk of psychological or physical harm. Upon this determination, the testimony of the witness may be presented at the hearing in the form of sworn declarations which shall be examined only by the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel. Copies of these sworn declarations, edited to delete the name and identity of the witness, shall be made available to the pupil. (g) A record of the hearing shall be made. The record may be maintained by any means, including electronic recording, so long as a reasonably accurate and complete written transcription of the proceedings can be made. (h) Technical rules of evidence shall not apply to the hearing, but relevant evidence may be admitted and given probative effect only if it is the kind of evidence upon which reasonable persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs. A decision of the governing board to expel shall be supported by substantial evidence showing that the pupil committed any of the acts enumerated in Section 48900. In hearings which include an allegation of committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, evidence of specific instances, of a complaining witness' prior sexual conduct is to be presumed inadmissible and shall not be heard absent a determination by the person conducting the hearing that extraordinary circumstances exist requiring the evidence be heard. Before the person conducting the hearing makes the determination on whether extraordinary circumstances exist requiring that specific instances of a complaining witness' prior sexual conduct be heard, the complaining witness shall be provided notice and an opportunity to present opposition to the introduction of the evidence. In the hearing on the admissibility of the evidence, the complaining witness shall be entitled to be represented by a parent, guardian, legal counsel, or other support person. Reputation or opinion evidence regarding the sexual behavior of the complaining witness is not admissible for any purpose. (i) (1) Before the hearing has commenced, the governing board may issue subpoenas at the request of either the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil, for the personal appearance of percipient witnesses at the hearing. After the hearing has commenced, the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel may, upon request of either the county superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil, issue subpoenas. All subpoenas shall be issued in accordance with Sections 1985, 1985.1, and 1985.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Enforcement of subpoenas shall be done in accordance with Section 11455.20 of the Government Code. (2) Any objection raised by the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil to the issuance of subpoenas may be considered by the governing board in closed session, or in open session, if so requested by the pupil before the meeting. Any decision by the governing board in response to an objection to the issuance of subpoenas shall be final and binding. (3) If the governing board, hearing officer, or administrative panel determines, in accordance with subdivision (f), that a percipient witness would be subject to an unreasonable risk of harm by testifying at the hearing, a subpoena shall not be issued to compel the personal attendance of that witness at the hearing. However, that witness may be compelled to testify by means of a sworn declaration as provided for in subdivision (f). (4) Service of process shall be extended to all parts of the state and shall be served in accordance with Section 1987 of the Code of Civil Procedure. All witnesses appearing pursuant to subpoena, other than the parties or officers or employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall receive fees, and all witnesses appearing pursuant to subpoena, except the parties, shall receive mileage in the same amount and under the same circumstances as prescribed for witnesses in civil actions in a superior court. Fees and mileage shall be paid by the party at whose request the witness is subpoenaed. (j) Whether an expulsion hearing is conducted by the governing board or before a hearing officer or administrative panel, final action to expel a pupil shall be taken only by the governing board in a public session. Written notice of any decision to expel or to suspend the enforcement of an expulsion order during a period of probation shall be sent by the superintendent of schools or his or her designee to the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian and shall be accompanied by all of the following: (1) Notice of the right to appeal the expulsion to the county board of education. (2) Notice of the education alternative placement to be provided to the pupil during the time of expulsion. (3) Notice of the obligation of the parent, guardian, or pupil under subdivision (b) of Section 48915.1, upon the pupil's enrollment in a new school district, to inform that district of the pupil's expulsion. (k) The governing board shall maintain a record of each expulsion, including the cause therefore. Records of expulsions shall be a non-privileged, disclosable public record. The expulsion order and the causes therefore shall be recorded in the pupil's mandatory interim record and shall be forwarded to any school in which the pupil subsequently enrolls upon receipt of a request from the admitting school for the pupil's school records.
48918.5. In expulsion hearings involving allegations brought pursuant to subdivision (n) of Section 48900, the governing board of each school district shall establish rules and regulations governing procedures. The procedures shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following: (a) At the time that the expulsion hearing is recommended, the complaining witness shall be provided with a copy of the applicable disciplinary rules and advised of his or her right to: (1) receive five days' notice of the complaining witness's scheduled testimony at the hearing, (2) have up to two adult support persons of his or her choosing, present in the hearing at the time he or she testifies; and (3) to have the hearing closed during the time they testify pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 48918. (b) An expulsion hearing may be postponed for one school day in order to accommodate the special physical, mental, or emotional needs of a pupil who is the complaining witness where the allegations arise under subdivision (n) of Section 48900. (c) The district shall provide a non threatening environment for a complaining witness in order to better enable them to speak freely and accurately of the experiences that are the subject of the expulsion hearing, and to prevent discouragement of complaints. Each school district shall provide a room separate from the hearing room for the use of the complaining witness prior to and during breaks in testimony. In the discretion of the person conducting the hearing, the complaining witness shall be allowed reasonable periods of relief from examination and cross-examination during which he or she may leave the hearing room. The person conducting the hearing may arrange the seating within the hearing room of those present in order to facilitate a less intimidating environment for the complaining witness. The person conducting the hearing may limit the time for taking the testimony of a complaining witness to the hours he or she is normally in school, if there is no good cause to take the testimony during other hours. The person conducting the hearing may permit one of the complaining witness's support persons to accompany him or her to the witness stand. (d) Whenever any allegation is made of conduct violative of subdivision (n) of Section 48900, complaining witnesses and accused pupils are to be advised immediately to refrain from personal or telephonic contact with each other during the pendency of any expulsion process.
Plagiarism Policy
Definition of Plagiarism:
According to Dictionary.com, plagiarism is defined as: 1. the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work. 2. something used and represented in this manner.
Examples of Plagiarism:
If you do any of the above listed, even if you did not intent it, you have committed plagiarism.
Consequences of Plagiarism: The staff at Sky Mountain Charter School will not tolerate plagiarism. We strongly believe that plagiarism is a great insult to the authors as well as the readers. If an ES suspects or has confirmed that a student committed plagiarism, a meeting will be held with the student, parent and the ES. This meeting will be conducted to: 1. Confirm the student has conducted plagiarism 2. Set up a plan to help the student learn about plagiarism and how to avoid it in the future 3. The student will receive an F for the work turned in and must resubmit new work to the ES by a set date decided at the meeting. If the student is caught committing plagiarism a second time then there will be serious consequences. The ES will take the information to their ES advisor and the school director to determine the disciplinary action. This can include suspension or expulsion from the school.
Curriculum and Educational Resources Learning Styles Each child has a specific mode or combination of modes in which he learns best. VISUAL LEARNERS: learn best by seeing flash cards, visual images, matching games, pictures and diagrams, puzzles, watching someone do something, printed material, charts, pictures, posters, wall strips, desk tapes, video tapes, computer programs. AUDITORY LEARNERS: learn best by hearing and benefit most from cassette tapes, lectures, educational songs and rhymes, rhythm instruments, recitation, singing and reading aloud. KINESTHETIC LEARNERS: learn best by doing and touching, for example: long nature walks, model kits, yard work, gardening, textured puzzles and manipulatives, typing instead of writing, drama, dance, lab experiments, building models. SOCIAL LEARNERS: learn best by interacting with others through one-on-one conversations, discussions, group participation. One favorite learning style inventory tool used to determine the learning style can be purchased from Performance Learning Systems, http://www.plsweb.com (also see approved vendor list). This learning style inventory tool, The Kaleidoscope Profile, can be purchased as either a hard copy, or completed online. Students should choose from one of the following two versions: Student Version, Grades 3-6: $3.75/each or $2.00/online Student Version, Grades 7-12: $3.75/each or $2.00/online
It is also recommended that the parent-teacher complete The Kaleidoscope Profile, Educator Version (for adults to determine their learning style): Educator Version, Adults: $4.95/each or $2.00/online
The reason for parents to know their learning style is that teachers tend to choose curriculum and materials and to teach in their learning style, and it may very likely be different from the learning style of the student(s) they are teaching. So awareness of both the student’s and teacher’s learning style is helpful, particularly if they are not the same in an independent study learning environment.
In addition to the above mentioned learning styles, there are many theories about how thinking styles affect a child's learning style. For more information and resources, books, free learning style inventories, websites, right brain vs. left brain patterns, and multiple intelligences information, go to http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/indexiem.htm. To learn about multiple intelligences, the book to read is, Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice, by Howard Gardner.
By enrolling in Sky Mountain Charter School, you are choosing an alternative method of educating your children. Experience has shown that parents are more successful with alternative forms of education if they have a clearly defined philosophy of education. Your philosophy of education is your unyielding convictions about what you believe to be the role of the parent, child, government, and community in the education of your children. There are going to be times during your children’s educational journey, when the pressures of life will cause you to question the educational decisions and choices you have made. One main reason for this self-doubt is that there is no perfect educational system--they all have advantages and disadvantages. By having your educational philosophy written out and by referring to it during the challenging periods in your life, you will be better able to re-evaluate your belief system and goals and to prioritize with more reason than emotion. This link will assist you in developing your philosophy if you are not sure what yours is: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/edapproach/teachingstyle.pdf.
Sky Mountain is a parent choice school. This means that parents may choose what curriculum is used, how the curriculum is used, and the style that will be used to meet the needs of their children (so long as the curriculum meets the guidelines set forth in our materials/curriculum criteria). Sky Mountain has many curricular options and an extensive vendor list.
When a parent chooses to enroll with Sky Mountain, the parent is choosing to abide by SMCS’s charter, policies, and procedures. These policies and procedures must be followed to ensure that our school is in compliance with the state of California and the No Child Left Behind Act. These policies state that students must follow the state standards and take the required state tests.
Once you have determined your educational philosophy, you need to think about which teaching style and methods support your philosophy. Margie Rouge has summarized and we have listed here some of the more popular teaching styles:
The Schoolroom Method: This is also referred to as “doing school at home”. This method of instruction is similar to the classroom with a complete textbook curriculum, grading, testing, and schedules. Usually a homeschool “curriculum package” is used with the same subject emphasis as that taught in a traditional school. Each child learns in their grade level independently from the other children who are learning in their grade level. The family has a schedule with a similar amount of time devoted to a subject from one day to the next. The instruction is teacher centered rather than student centered.
Classical Education: The classical approach to education is based upon the philosophy that the best education involves teaching children to think, not teaching "subjects". The core of the classical syllabus is what is known as the Trivium. The Trivium consists of three parts: "Grammar", "Dialectic", and "Rhetoric".
The first part, "Grammar", is not the subject of grammar; rather it is the study of the basic facts for different subjects. This stage covers the ages of approximately 6 to 10, the stage when children are the most receptive to, and will readily memorize, information.
The "Dialectic" stage begins at approximately age 10 when children naturally begin to demonstrate independent or abstract thought. During this stage, children begin to build understanding and the ability to respond to the information acquired during the first phase, while integrating that information into a comprehensive whole.
In the "Rhetoric" stage (which lasts from teen into adulthood), the aim is to produce a student who can use language, both written and spoken, eloquently and persuasively to express what he thinks. Emphasis is placed on the ability to intelligently discuss a wide variety of subjects traditionally taught in the western world, such as Latin, Euclidean Geometry, and the classical authors.
Theme Unit Studies: Theme Unit studies are an integrated thematic approach to learning several subjects/concepts through a main topic. Topics or themes can be chosen by the child's interests, experiences in family life, books, events in the news, etc. This method can be used with different grades at one time to incorporate all the children of a family. Unit studies can be made up by the parent, taken from a book of unit studies or from sources online. The teacher uses all sources available: online, library, community, etc. to bring together studies in various subjects which correlate with the theme. EXAMPLE: A theme unit study of the California Gold Rush might look like this: § History: Study of events leading up to, and what happened after the Gold Rush, to cover all of CA history. § Science: Study of plants and animals in California expanded to cover life science standards; § Language Arts: Read books about the time of the Gold Rush; write reports, letters, and stories about the Gold Rush. § Health: Study about the health and living conditions at the time of the gold rush compared with today. § Art: Make craft replicas of items used during the Gold Rush. § Music: Sing songs sang during the Gold Rush days; put on a musical about the time period. § PE: Play games played by the pioneer children. § Technology: Play a computer game, “Oregon Trail;” make a “Gold Rush” website by first researching facts online; use a library database to find books related to the theme; use online sources for pictures & documents.
Interactive Learning (Waldorf and Montessori): Many teachers, parents, and philosophers throughout the ages have noted that children naturally are inquisitive and will readily try out any manipulative items they are put in contact with. (In fact, it is often difficult to keep a young child from touching an item of interest!) With this in mind, several educators have built systems of learning based largely on the practical use of handicrafts and manipulative materials in every subject. Two of the most famous of these are the Waldorf approach to education and the Montessori Schools. Although Steiner (who started the Waldorf school) and Montessori do differ in some of their philosophies, there are more similarities in their approaches to learning than differences, so they are listed here together as examples of the “Interactive Learning” approach to education. Some background about both of these well-known educational systems may be helpful before giving the distinctions of this philosophy.
Rudolf Steiner began his first school in 1919 at the Waldorf factory in Germany. The Waldorf philosophy is educating the whole child -- head, heart and hands. It is geared to the child's stages of development and incorporates all elements -- intellectual, artistic, spiritual and physical. The goal is to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives.
Meanwhile, Dr. Maria Montessori, a renowned educator, began her first preschool in 1907, which quickly grew to a complete elementary and spread throughout the world as she espoused her philosophy of sensory, tactile education through spontaneous, purposeful activities with the guidance of a trained adult. Montessori preschools and elementary schools abound in America, with well-trained teachers as facilitators of the active, child-directed education which they are known for.
Some distinctive features of both Waldorf and Montessori education include the following:
§ Academics are de-emphasized in the early years of schooling. There is no academic content in the Waldorf kindergarten experience (although there is a good deal of cultivation of pre-academic skills), and minimal academics in first grade. Reading is not taught until second or third grade, though the letters are introduced carefully in first and second. Montessori encourages reading explorations, but children learn to read when they are ready rather than at a pre-determined age.
§ During the elementary school years (grades 1-8) the students have a teacher who stays with the same class for (ideally) the entire eight years of elementary school.
§ Certain activities which are often considered "frills" at mainstream schools are central at Waldorf and Montessori schools: art, music, gardening, and foreign languages, to name a few. In the younger grades, all subjects are introduced through artistic or tactile mediums, because the children respond better to this than to dry workbooks and rote learning. The Montessori Association produces many hands-on educational materials for use in their schools, and these can often be purchased online. Because of this emphasis on activities rather than book learning, I have referred to this method as “Interactive Learning.”
§ There are no "textbooks" as such in the first through fifth grades. All children have "main lesson books" in the Waldorf system, which are their own workbooks which they fill in during the course of the year. They essentially produce their own "textbooks" which record their experiences and what they've learned. Montessori children use materials from the real world instead of a regular “text.” Upper grades use textbooks to supplement their main lesson work.
§ Learning in Waldorf and Montessori schools is a noncompetitive activity. There are no grades given at the elementary level; the teacher writes a detailed evaluation of the child at the end of each school year.
§ The use of electronic media, particularly television, by young children is strongly discouraged in Waldorf schools and replaced by hands-on activities in Montessori schools.
Natural Schooling: The philosophy here is that education is not separated from living life. Education is imbedded in the process of life. It is not a thing that happens only at certain times and in certain ways. In natural schooling, learning can happen anywhere and at anytime. It is an ongoing and natural endeavor. Therefore, the parent makes the child a part of the family daily activities, and incorporates the entire community into his daily learning. The world is his school and the child follows his own interests in learning. Proponents of natural schooling believe the child is naturally inquisitive and will learn all the basic subjects if given the time and opportunity. All subjects are incorporated into his everyday existence. For instance, math is taught in relation to how it is used in the real world, not as an isolated set of numbers. Children of natural learners often begin "apprenticing" in future careers even before they reach their teens, and are allowed to excel in their own areas of interest and ability.
Part of the enrollment process is determining on the Student Agreement the amount of responsibility the parent and the ES will have in selecting the curriculum for the student. Even when the parent has contractually assumed much of that responsibility, one important role of the ES is always to be a support to the parent. The type of information that can be of help to an ES when discussing the student’s educational plan and determining their curriculum might include the following: the student’s learning style, previous learning challenges at home and at prior school(s), the student’s maturity level, the student’s ability to “stay on task” and work independently, the motivational level of the student, issues in the family that might affect the student’s ability to learn; accommodations through special education, the student’s likes/dislikes and interests, available student STAR test results; high school transcripts, report cards, alternative assessments, and student diagnostic reading assessments, and math readiness tests.
The ES will also find the following information about the parent helpful in making recommendations about the student’s curriculum: the parent’s educational philosophy and preferred teaching style, the amount of experience the parent has had with independent study; the amount of time the parent has to spend with any one student during the school day, the amount of time the parent has for educational planning and preparation each week, the parent’s ability to teach necessary courses, and the resources already available in the home. Taking this information into consideration, the curriculum suggestions and resources necessary to accomplish the student’s educational plan will be identified and implemented within the educational and financial guidelines of the school. The ES will help secure tutors, set up activities and classes, and place the actual POs necessary for the curriculum.
The school each year allocates instructional funds to be used to facilitate the student’s educational plan through the purchase of educational materials, contract program activities (classes and tutoring), group educational activities (field trips), and additional ES support (AESS). The parent and ES work in cooperation in determining the use of these allocated instructional funds. Not “one penny” of the instructional fund allocations should be spent on a student without the parent’s knowledge, but should there be a disagreement ultimately the ES is responsible for the professional and ethical distribution of this funding and that responsibility is not shared.
The ES is responsible to place the purchase orders (POs) for the items needed by the family in a timely manner. Purchase orders for materials can only be made through school approved vendors, and all purchases must be made in accordance with the school’s purchasing guidelines, must be non-sectarian, and must support the student’s educational plan (meaning the items must be age and subject appropriate), and must be used to meet school and state standards for the student that the materials are being purchased for. Sky Mountain Charter School maintains a very comprehensive list of approved vendors in keeping with the school’s philosophy to support parent choice in education while adhering to the California Department of Education’s Codes regarding the purchasing of instructional materials.
Curriculum Subscriptions: This charter school has a wealth of subscriptions to choose from. To view the vendors and the subscriptions that can be purchased, go to the school’s website home page, click on “Educational Resources”, select “Educational Resources Homepage”, and then click on “Approved Subscriptions”.
Criterion for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds Definition: ADA funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below.
Materials must be used to meet school and state standards for the student that the materials are being purchased for. The following purchases are acceptable:
The following types of purchases are unacceptable:
Poisons Knives Bows and arrows Darts with sharp points Trampolines Swimming pools Rocket engines Weapons Power tools Welding equipment Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport.
The PO materials are shipped to the address of the ES, where they are “received” internally and marked as being the property of Sky Mountain Charter School. The materials are delivered to the parent by the ES, and the list of items is signed for by the parent as having been received by the parent who then assumes responsibility for those items.
All instructional items purchased with school funds, including consumable items, remain the property of the school and must be in the possession of the school or written off by the school as “consumed” at the time of the student’s disenrollment. All materials should be returned to the ES after student is done using the item or the family chooses to leave Sky Mountain Charter School. Parents are NOT allowed to purchase items from the school, as all items must be returned. Parents will be charged for lost or missing items, items that were willfully damaged, and items not documented by the ES as “consumed”, and not returned to the school at the time of student disenrollment. Items will not be prorated, but rather school fines will be charged for all lost or missing materials at the full price paid by the charter school to purchase the materials for the student’s use. The Missing Materials form is completed and sent by the ES to Student Records in a timely manner whereby the student’s cume file, diploma, and transcript will be held until the school fines are either cleared up or are paid by the parent.
The charter school maintains a list of school approved vendors that the ES can place POs through to draw from their ES instructional fund allocations. The approved vendor list is comprised of vendors that offer products only, services only, or a combination of product and services. On the vendor list is the phone number, website address, and a brief description of each vendor’s products and/or services. Not every item offered by an approved vendor is approved for purchase and it is the responsibility of the ES to research and be aware of as much as is possible the items that are not approved for purchase. If there is a vendor a parent would like to see added to the approved vendor list, contact your ES who will submit the vendor request paperwork and who receive the response back from school administration.
To view the approved vendor list, go to the Sky Mountain Charter School’s website home page, click on “Educational Resources”, then click on “Curriculum”, and select “Approved Vendor List”; or go to http://www.SMCS.cc/search/search_vendors.php.
If you are looking for service vendors in your area, please go to the Google Group site for Sky Mountain Charter School at http://groups.google.com/group/sky-mountain. Look in the “files” section and you will find a recently update list that is sorted by city. You must be part of the parent list serve to access this webpage.
Computer Options: To view a listing of current student computer options, go to http://www.sscs.cc/Handbook/computerrel/stucomputers/GCmain1204.htm. You must also add the warranty fee or environmental fees to the cost of the computer option listed. The computers don’t come with Word or Office unless the web description says it does. You may order them separately.
Computer Repair/Refresh Process: Only a school owned computer under warranty can be repaired/refreshed with school funding. A computer must be “refreshed” by an approved school computer vendor before it can be placed with another family. All personal information and any software programs that the school does not own must be removed from the computer. A computer under warranty must be repaired only by the company listed on the warranty paperwork. For a refresh, a school approved vendor can be used, or the ES may request a new vendor, using the vendor approval process. Typically the cost of the refresh is paid for with allocated instructional funds by the family “receiving” the computer.
Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Your Students’ Usage ISP Information: We are currently using Inreach as our ISP vendor. The charge for internet access is $13.95 a month, and it is deducted monthly from your ES account for each family with ISP services. Internet services and monthly deductions will continue until the ES notifies the office that services need to be terminated. Please check the school’s website and with your ES for information about computer security and virus protection. We are not able to offer high speed internet with school funding at this time.
To Set-Up/Deactivate: ES’s can set up e-mail accounts for families for 1 parent and up to 2 students (maximum). The ES will provide and have the family fill out the Network/Internet Acceptable Use form and send the form into the school to be kept on file. Students can purchase the ISP without owning a school-owned computer. The ISP and e-mail accounts will be readied, and activated once a month on the first of the following month if received prior to the 25th of the current month. The actual user names and passwords will be assigned (not selected by the parent/student) by the office, and emailed to the ES for distribution to the family upon account activation.
To deactivate: To deactivate an account by choice or if a family drops from the school the ES must immediately e-mail the school to deactivate the account and stop the monthly ISP deductions. ISP accounts will remain active through the summer months for continuing students who the funds and have submitted a Fall Student Agreement (SA). For activation/deactivation on the 1st of the month, please be sure all paperwork will reach the school by the 25th of the preceding month. Any notifications reaching the school after the 25th will start/stop services the following month (in 5 weeks).
ISP For Summer Service: If continuing students want to have summer internet access, make sure that the family communicates that to their ES early enough in the year so the ES can make sure they maintain enough funding in their current year account for the $13.95 X 2 months ($27.90 for June and July). The family must also sign and have on file Fall Student Agreements. If there is enough funding, and the family will not be dropping from the school, they may continue their internet service over the summer months. If they don't have enough funding, or they are dropping from the school, then it must be discontinued.
Every fall and spring the school will generate a school-wide newsletter that will be posted on the school’s website. The newsletter will have yearly calendar events, testing dates, group activities and class updates, and information from the curriculum and guidance departments and more. You may read the newsletter online or print it out and keep it handy to refer to through out the year. All newsletters can be viewed by going to the school’s website home page and clicking on “Newsletters”. http://www.skymountaincs.org/newsletter.html
All students between the ages of 14 and 18 are required to have a work permit before they begin work, unless they are in the entertainment business, in which case they will still need a work permit, but the age limit is much lower.
Work Permit Packet: Students should print out a work permit packet from the school website. The completed packet when ready to submit will include a Work Permit Checklist, Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit, a copy of the student’s Social Security Card with the same name as the one in which the work permit is requested, copy of the student’s official Birth Certificate, and approval form signed by the student’s ES approving this request. (http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/workexp/wkpermitltr.htm) Indicate here if your ES will be sending the e-mail to the office by e-mail and not to you.
Work Permit Application Instructions: To ensure prompt processing of your new Work Permit Packet, please follow these instructions carefully:
For Processing of the Work Permit Paperwork by School:
Work permits require a two week turn-around time, so please be sure to complete your paperwork and notify your ES with ample time to have it processed.
Please email or Fax your ES with the packet and your ES will forward the information to Mark Fisk.
Driver’s Education and Training IEM Charter Schools will allow use of instructional funds to pay for Driver’s Education and Training at licensed driver’s training programs in the State of California.
There are two options for completing Driver’s Education with your students to earn a Certificate of Completion or DMV “Pink Slip”: NOTE: Students must have a DMV Certificate of Completion to take the driving test and be issued a driving license or learning permit to drive. The vendor, NOT the school, issues the pink slip. 1. Contact with a local approved driving school vendor as a Contract Programs course or as an Educational Activity. (Pink slips are awarded by the vendor, NOT the school). 2. Contract with an on-line approved vendor such as driver’sed.com. (Pink slips are awarded by the vendor, NOT the school).
Credits: The Driver’s Education course can be taken up for up to 5 credits, although most vendors do not teach a 5 unit course. The ES will use their professional judgment in awarding units for driver’s education. Driver’s Training Instruction can be counted for no more than 1 credit.
Approval of Driving Schools: A list of approved driver’s training schools is available in the curriculum area of the school website. If an ES wants to use a vendor not presently on the approved vendor list, a vendor request form should be submitted to Vendor Relations.
Process for signing up students for CP Driver’s Education and/or Training: 1. Parent or ES locates the local driving school offering the best combination of price and service and makes arrangement for the student to be served. 2. The ES sends in a vendor approval request to have the business added to the IEM Charter Schools’ approved vendor list. 3. The ES will process a “service” PO using the Educational Activities policy and procedures. Please submit a separate PO for the "in class" portion and the "behind the wheel" portion if the student is participating in both. 4. The ES should tell the parent that a PO has been submitted, and ask them to call the vendor when they are ready to schedule their classes. 5. The ES will document skills learned on the student’s learning record under the correct course name. 6. The ES may assign no more than 5 credits for Driver’s Education and 1 credit for Driver’s Training, using their professional judgment.
No summer school option at this time; the state has reverted back to the 07/08 funding levels as the baseline for summer school funding through 2012/13. If a school did not offer summer school during this time, such as Sky Mountain, there is no funding available through the 2012 school year. We will monitor the funding levels for summer school and inform you of any changes in future school years.
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Placerville, CA
Fax 530-295-3583
