Lapeer East High SchoolMrs.

Chemistry IMrs.

Grading Policies

Final grades will be assessed as 80% of the Trimester Grade / 20% of the Final Exam Grade

Trimester Grades will be weighted as follows:

Category / Powerschool
Abreviation / Weight / Frequency
Tests / T / 50% / following each unit
Labwork & Quizzes / LQ / 40% / periodically throughout each unit
Formative Practice / P / 10% / several per week

Category percentages will be used to determine the final trimester grade based on the district grading scale:

93 – 100% / -- / A / 83 – 86% / -- / B / 73 – 76% / -- / C / 63 – 66% / -- / D
90 – 93% / -- / A- / 80 – 82% / -- / B- / 70 – 72% / -- / C- / 60 – 62% / -- / D-
87 – 89% / -- / B+ / 77 – 79% / -- / C+ / 67 – 69% / -- / D+ / 0 – 59% / -- / F

Test and QuizGrades:

  • Test/Quiz grades will be recorded as percentage points (i.e., a score of 20 out of a possible 25 points will be recorded as 80(%).
  • Tests will generally consist of multiple-choicequestions.For units in which there is an emphasis on calculations (gas laws, stoichiometry, thermochemistry, solutions) tests may include, or consist entirely of, calculation based and free response questions.
  • Students who perform poorly on a test will be offered the opportunity to retake the test pending satisfactory completion of review work.

■Absences: Students should make every effort to be present for all scheduled tests/quizzes. You will be informed in advance of test/quizdates.

If an absence on a scheduled test/quizdate cannot be avoided, the student is responsible for scheduling a make-up date with the teacher. At the teacher’s discretion, make-up assessments may not be identical to the one given on the scheduled date.

A student will not be excused from class for a school business absence on a test/quiz day unless prior arrangements have been made with the teacher and the student currently has a “B” or better overall average grade in the class.

An absence from class on the day prior to a scheduled test or quiz will not be considered sufficient reason to excuse a student from taking the assessment on the scheduled date.

Lab / Quiz Grades:

  • Written lab reports will be required for most labs and will be assessed according to the rubric provided on the last page of this document.
  • Lab grades will be recorded as a percentage of the total possible points. (i.e., If a student earns 20 of the 25 possible points, his/her grade will be recorded as 80(%).
  • The point value for lab workmay vary, depending on the amount of post-lab work involved.

■Philosophy of laboratory work: Laboratory work is an integral component of any Chemistry class and is meant to help students achieve a deeper understanding of theoretical chemistry, as well as become familiar with the proper use of basic laboratory equipment. Students who come to lab fully prepared to participate will gain the most benefit from their laboratory experience. We will emphasize preparation, organization, documentation, and analysis in laboratory reports.

■Safety: To ensure the safety of everyone in the lab area, students are expected to exhibit appropriate conduct in the lab at all times. Safety precautions will be addressed during lecture and prior to each laboratory activity throughout the trimester. All students will be required to sign a safety contract before they will be allowed to work in the lab.

■Late Lab Work: Students are expected to turn in all lab work on the designated due date – the grade will be reduced by 20% on any late lab work.

■Absences:Students should make every attempt to be present in class on scheduled lab days. The following policy will be implemented for absences from a scheduled lab activity:

Students are responsible for arranging a make-up date or alternative assignment with the teacher. Because chemistry labs generally involve the use of various chemicals and equipment for which storage for long periods in the laboratory area may not be feasible, it is expected that all missed labs will be made up within one week of the date of absence, or the student will receive a “0”.

Lab reports must be turned in within one week of the original due date, regardless of the date on which the laboratory work was made up.

Students with an excused absence may be exempted from an informal lab activity (a supplemental activity for which a formal lab report is not required). However, it is in the student’s best interest to make up this activity after school in order to benefit from the lab experience.

Formative Practice Proficiency:

  • Practice proficiency will be recorded for the purpose of allowing students, parents, and the teacher to assess student preparedness for summative assessments, which include tests, quizzes, labwork.
  • Practice work will be assigned at the teacher’s discretion. Assignments will vary and may consist of bookwork, worksheets,group work, or online work.
  • Practice work will be corrected at the beginning of the class period on the following day unless students are otherwise notified.
  • Practice work will be collected randomly, and not all assignments will be collected.
  • Practice work will be assigned a proficiency of 0 – 5 based on the percentage of correct responses:

Percent Correct / > 90 / 80 – 89 / 70 – 79 / 60 - 69 / < 60 / Missing
Proficiency / 5 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1 / 0
  • An average Practice proficiency of 4 indicates that a student is adequately prepared for an assessment.
  • An average Practice proficiency of 3 indicates that the student should spend more time studying.
  • An average Practice proficiency of 1 or 2 indicates that the student should seek extra help.
  • An average Practice proficiency of or near 0 indicates that the student is not completing sufficient practice work and may not be prepared for a summative assessment.

■Absences: Assignments will be posted on my district web page, which can be accessed via the Lapeer East High School website( Staff Directory, so thatstudents who are absent may stay current. Students will have a number of days equal to days absent to complete missed work.

■Late Assignments: Work turned in late for any reason (excused or unexcused) will be marked ‘Late’ so that the student, parents, and teacher can monitor for any trends that may impact the student’s success in this course. This will not affect the final grade for the course, but may impact unit test scores – see ‘Test Grades’. Practice work for a given unit will not be accepted following the unit test, as this work is intended to prepare students for successful completion of a test, and therefore completing work after a test defeats the purpose.

Parent Signature:______Date: ______

Student Signature:______Date: ______

Classroom Policies

Expectations:

Students are expected to

  • treat others with courtesy and respect, including
  • no sleeping in class
  • no inappropriate socializing
  • no cell phone use
  • be seated when the tardy bell rings.
  • be responsible for obtaining make up work following an absence.
  • observe safety practices in the lab area.
  • bring to class daily:
  • a calculator (scientific functions necessary)
  • textbook
  • pencil or pen
  • 3 ring binder and paper
  • correcting pen (red, green, purple, or etc.)

Consequences:

  • First Offense: Warning
  • Second Offense: Student-Teacher Conference / possible detention
  • Third Offense: Parent-Teacher Contact (phone call, email, or conference)
  • Further Offense: Administrative Disciplinary Action

Extra help: Students who are having difficulty understanding the material should not wait until the end of a trimester to seek help. I am available most days after school, or you may contact me at the email address indicated above if you have a question or concern. In addition, AP Chemistry students are available for tutoring after school several days a week.

Textbook Policy: Textbooks are becoming increasingly more expensive, and we are only able to replace them every 11 – 13 years. We need to insure that students are taking proper care of their textbooks! The science department is therefore requiring that

  • students use a book cover on their textbooks – a brown paper grocery bag works well! (The store-bought cloth covers tend to chew up the edges and cause more damage than they prevent.)
  • STUDENTS ARE NOT TO USE THEIR TEXTBOOK TO HOLD PAPERS!

If a student damages his/her chemistry book, the following charges will be assessed when the book is turned in:

  • A rebind fee will be assessed for excessive damage to the cover – front or back cover torn or defaced, ripped spine, etc.
  • A fee of 10-20% of the cost of the book will be assessed if there is unwarranted damage to the interior of the book, but it is still useable – writing on pages, spills are evident, torn pages, etc.
  • The replacement cost of the book ($93.65) will be assessed if the student turns in a book with such severe damage that it cannot be reissued. (This includes water/liquid damage that has resulted in the growth of mold on the pages; tears or writing on pages that obliterates text, etc.)

You will be given the opportunity when your textbook is issued to you to document any existing damages. Please take this task seriously so as to prevent problems from arising when you turn your textbook in at the end of the school year!

Parent Signature:______Date:______

Student Signature:______Date:______