Willamette Leadership Academy
Curriculum Guide 2016-2017
Mission Statement:
Willamette Leadership Academy (WLA) is a military style charter school, which provides academic, social, and emotional instruction to middle and high school students (cadets).
"The philosophy of the schoolroom today will be the philosophy of the government tomorrow".
-President Lincoln
It is the mission of Willamette Leadership Academy to provide our cadets with the academic skills that will enable them to reach their personal career goals and provide them with the leadership skills and positive character traits that will enable them to be responsible citizens of their community. The leadership skills learned will allow the cadets to become more successful in school and improve their relationships with family, friends and authority figures.
Table of Contents
Advising/Teaching Staff Directory 2
Graduation Requirements 4-5
Grading Policy 6
Academic Supports 6-7
Course Descriptions 8-19
Oregon University Admissions 20
Academic Planning Checklists 21-22
9Th Grade Educ. Planning 23-24
10th Grade Educ. Planning 25-26
11th Grade Educ. Planning 27-29
12th Grade Educ. Planning 30-32
Staff Directory
Please refer to the staff directory on our website for a brief introduction to each staff member at:
http://www.willametteleadershipacademy.net/staff.html. This directory is for contact information for staff for advising, career counseling, information on scheduling, or graduation requirements. Follow the link above for a complete listing with biographies and educational backgrounds. In the course directory, you will find the email of the teacher below each course for questions relating to particular courses. You can always email your student’s company commander to ask a question relating to academics, or their NCO if you’d like to discuss their behavior. This list is for advising purposes, refer to the curriculum guide or the link above to get a listing of all staff.
Graduation Requirements
Course Requirements for diploma are mandated by the OR State Department of Education
Course Requirements Requirements for 2016-2019English Language Arts (LA) / 4.0 Credits
Mathematics (MA) (Algebra I & Above) / 3.0 Credits
Science (SC) / 3.0 Credits
Social Studies (SS) (Global Studies, US History, Econ, Government, & Civics offered) / 3.0 Credit
Health (HE) / 1.0 Credit
Physical Education (PE, referred to as PT at WLA) / 1.0 Credit
Arts, Career Technical Ed () and Second Language / 3.0 Credits
Electives / 6.0 Credits
Total / 24 Credits
Personalized Learning
Education Plan & Profile (EPP) / Required
Career Related Learning Experience (CRLE) / Required
Extended Application (EA) / Required
Demonstrate Proficiency of Essential Skills
Read and comprehend a variety of text / Pass Smarter Balanced Exam (or alternative assessment)*
Write clearly and accurately / Pass Smarter Balanced Exam (or alternative assessment)*
Apply mathematics in a variety of settings / Pass Smarter Balanced Exam (or alternative assessment)*
Students who do not meet the requirements will not receive a diploma. Please be sure to track diploma progress and prepare for passing the essential skills requirements throughout your academic career!
Personalized Learning:
• Education Plan and Profile (EPP): students develop an education plan, with the assistance of adult advisors (Major DeBoer, their CO, and their case manager if in SPED). This is a plan to meet the goal of graduation, to study for standardized assessments and complete the CRLE and EA.
• Career Related Learning Experiences (CRLE): students connect classroom learning with real life experiences in the workplace and community. Students will interview or job shadow a person in the community in a profession of interest to them and include a cited reference in their senior career research project (EA).
• Extended Application: students apply their knowledge and skills appropriate to their personal interests and post-high school goals for college and/or career. Students will use Career Information Systems (CIS) to begin exploring careers, expanding transferable job skills and researching career options . Their senior year they willresearch a particular career of interest and find the salary, benefits, demand, hiring practices, requirements and create a cited research paper summarizing their results. This will be saved into their portfolio on CIS.
Satisfying the Essential Skills Requirements:Proficiency in Essential Skills can be met in a variety of ways those below. Please refer to the following table for more information.
· Meeting statewide testing benchmark scores (Passing Smarter Balance Exams)
· Demonstrating Proficiency through work samples, passing work keys assessments
· Obtaining satisfactory SAT or ACT scores
Assessment / Reading / Writing / MathSmarter Balanced / Reading claim score: 2515 / Writing claim score: 2583 / Math claim score: 2543
ACT[1] / 18 / *See lower table. / 19
Accuplacer / 86 (derived from Reading Comprehension Placement Test) / N/A / N/A
PSAT / 24 / N/A / 24.5
SAT / Administered prior to 3/2016: 440 / Administered prior to 3/2016: 460 / Administered prior to 3/2016: 450
NEW SAT / Pending ODE / Pending ODE / Pending ODE
Work Keys[2] / 5 / N/A / 5
Work Samples[3] / -Total of 2 assessments, 1 must be informational
-The 3 trait scores must add up to 12, with no score lower than a 3. / -2 Assessments, 1 must be expository or persuasive. 2nd can be narrative, expository or persuasive.
Score of 4 in all 3 traits or higher is needed. / -2 Assessments, selected from required content strands (Algebra, Geometry or Statistics).
-Minimum score of 4 in all process dimensions.
Calculating Passing ACT Writing Score:
IF student receives ACT Reading Score of: / Then student must achieve an ACT Writing Score of:12 / 36
13 / 36
14 / 34
15 / 32
16 / 30
17 / 30
18 / 28
19 / 19
20 / 16
21 / 16
22 / 12
23 / 10
24 / 7
25 / 7
26 / 1
WLA Grading Policy
A / Student meets objectives, demonstrates excellent grasp of the subject matter and outstanding performance.B / Student met objectives and demonstrated above average grasp of the subject matter.
C / Student satisfactorily met course objectives with an average understanding of the content of the course.
F / Student failed to meet a minimum of learning objectives for the course.
NG / Student has received NO GRADE. This is usually due to transferring in too late in a quarter to meet objectives and earn a grade.
P / Passing grade in a Pass or No Pass course. Student satisfactorily completed the learning objectives.
NP / Not passing. Student did not meet the minimum objectives for the course.
I / Incomplete. The student has not satisfactorily met objectives and has the opportunity to complete final or projects in the first week of the next term. If the work is not completed, the I will change to an F ten days after the start of the next term.
GPA
A = 4.0 B = 3.0 C = 2.0 F= 0
Final Examinations: Final examinations are comprehensive tests given at the end of the quarter or semester. Depending on the course, standards, and requirements, teachers may or may not require a comprehensive final examination. Some teachers utilize final projects or term projects to demonstrate learning throughout the course.
Transcripts: A transcript is the official record of all courses taken and credit earned. It is maintained by the school and updated by the registrar. You can view your student’s transcript through synergy. If you need parent access to use the gradebook, please see Headquarters and pick up an information packet.
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Academic supports at WLA
How the leadership model supports learning and development:
At WLA, we utilize a different educational model (military structure) designed to support student learning, development of positive habits, self-respect, self-discipline, leadership and character. Students at each grade level are assigned to a company, and they have a teacher (CO/company commander) and an educational assistant (NCO/Unit 1st Sergeant) to reach out to for support. If the student is struggling academically, they are advised to approach this team for additional help. The student companies compete in physical, drill and academic competitions; the competitions facilitate and encourage peer assistance. This leadership model allows for students to have multiple sources of support within their peer groups (squad leaders, platoon leader, class leader) and to adults to reach out to for assistance when they need academic or other assistance.
Volunteer Counselors & Interns
We have volunteer counselors who serve our student community by visiting with students on a referral basis. Staff can refer a student to see a counselor, or a student can see their CO or NCO and request to be referred for an appointment. These local school psychologists are currently in training and attending or working as supervising counselors at Northwest Christian University. This resource allows us to serve our students’ emotional needs more effectively without relying solely on visits from a district school counselor. If you’d like to discuss options for your student, please contact their CO/NCO, or case manager if the student is utilizing Special Education Services, to discuss options.
Special Education Services
Willamette Leadership Academy provides Special Education Services for Students with disabilities who qualify for an Individual Education Program (IEP). Student’s on IEPs receive specially designed instruction related to their goal areas and accommodations and modifications according to their IEP. These services are provided in the least restrictive environment for each student. Willamette Leadership Academy provides a general education setting for all students and Special Education services are provided in the classroom and outside of the classroom if necessary. These Special Education services are in accordance with the IDEA Act. Students and parents may get additional information from the SPED department and administration at the time of enrollment.
Peer Tutoring
Students at WLA who have demonstrated academic success in a particular content area are allowed to provide supervised tutoring of students in that subject area. Students who voluntarily commit to a schedule of assistance with another student learn from the experience, and can earn community service hours. Tutors may advise and assist; they can help build the necessary skills and understanding through peer instruction. They are not allowed to do another cadet’s homework, assist during tests, or directly oversee course work. Research has shown that the tutor often gains more knowledge than those assigned needing assistance, because you learn more by trying to teach or explain a concept than in regular coursework.
Peer Mentoring
For the last few years, select students from the junior and senior classes have been paired with incoming freshmen to advise them on non-academic matters. They have held class presentations on how to succeed academically (take notes! See your teachers! Come to school!) at WLA, how to avoid drama in peer groups, how to resist peer pressure, and how to build character. They have also met in pairs or small groups (supervised by staff) to help particular students who are struggling. Students who have asked to participate (as a mentor or requesting one) have reported positive benefits. If you’d like to find out more, let your CO/NCO know you are interested. The program is developed each year as student leaders emerge.
Course Descriptions
This section has brief descriptions of the courses available for the 2016-2017 academic year. Students will be assigned a course schedule that is designed to meet their core requirements, and electives will be assigned according to student choice and course availability. Students may not be able to take their first preference of elective and CTE courses due to the need to prioritize satisfying core academic courses, the periods they have open and limited class sizes of particular electives. Students are advised to plan ahead, and consider their post-high school plans when selecting preferences for their education plans.
Due to our size, staffing, and student choice not every class may be offered every year. If a class does not have a minimum number of students interested and available, for example, it may be cancelled. For the 2016-2017 school year, this will be finalized at the start of the year as we are still hiring and scheduling courses. It is also important to note that student choice increases throughout their academic year. Their freshmen year, their schedule may be full of core required classes, for example. However, if they pass their courses, their schedule opens up and allows for more and more choice as they progress towards their senior year. Failing a course limits choice as the student will have to retake a course or fill the period with a required, instead of an elective course.
English/Language Arts
32
English 9
English 9 is comprised of two components to meet the Language Arts requirements. The first component is a course that provides students with a solid foundation in written and oral communications. Students will get instruction in research and write papers in the explanatory and argumentative modes. Students will be given instruction in vocabulary acquisition and grammar skills. There will be a focus on reading non-fiction narratives and essays. The second component is a course that provides students with a solid foundation in literary analysis. Students will read and study literature from a variety of genres as they consider differing opinions and attitudes, participate in discussions, and write clear, perceptive compositions.
Length: One year Credit: 1.0
English 10
English 10 is comprised of two components to meet the Language Arts requirements. The first is a course that provides students with a solid foundation in written and oral communications. Students will get instruction on rhetoric and argument analysis. Students will be given instruction in vocabulary acquisition and grammar skills. There will be a focus on reading narratives and essays. The second is a course that provides students with a solid foundation in literary analysis. Students will read and study literature from a variety of genres as they consider differing opinions and attitudes, participate in discussions, and write clear, perceptive compositions.
Length: One year Credit: 1.0
American Lit
Post Modern (For Juniors and Seniors who need 10th or 11th grade English credit)
Students will study a selection of the American literature that has defined the culture of the past 100 years. The class will examine Post-modern American society through novels, short stories, music, film, and visual art. Students will consider differing opinions and attitudes, participate in discussion, write clear and perceptive compositions, and complete a final synthesis paper.