STUDENT HANDBOOK. Policies and Procedures. 1 of 11

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1 STUDENT HANDBOOK Policies and Procedures of 11

2 GENERAL INFORMATION K-12 schools arrange for Founders Education to deliver comprehensive virtual courses to the school s students. The virtual courses meet the requirements of the courses taught at the school and are taught by certified teachers. Schools typically utilize Founders Education s virtual instruction services, including ongoing teacher-student interaction, class lessons, assessments and grading, when the school cannot deliver a particular course to a student(s) in a face-to-face format. Each school selects which Founders Education virtual courses meet the school policy for inclusion on the school transcript. Founders Education certified teachers design and create comprehensive virtual courses based on a particular state s and/or school s curriculum requirements. It is not unusual for the curriculum supervisors of a particular school to guide the Founders Education certified teachers on the objectives of certain courses and class lessons during this process. Virtual courses are available in the following subject areas: Mathematics, Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, World Language (Spanish, French), and Health/Physical Education/Drivers Education. The format of the Founders Education program is online, with constant teacher-student access to a virtual classroom, Instant Teacher. Instant Teacher enables live one-on-one instructional sessions between certified teachers and students in each core subject area Monday to Friday from 7:30am to 7:30pm. During the summer months, the Instant Teacher hours are expanded to 10pm on Monday thru Friday and 8am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Certified teachers are also available to students via phone during the Instant Teacher hours. Additionally, certified teachers and students interact via through a Message system. Founders Education s certified teachers use a combination of assessments to evaluate students; including essay assignments, discussion forum participation, randomized tests, and randomized exams. Discussion Forums and Essays challenge students to think and write critically. Students exchange ideas with certified teachers and other students through ongoing Discussion Forums. Certified teachers facilitate the threaded conversation and provide insight along the way. Essay questions provide certified teachers an opportunity to evaluate each student s writing abilities. Certified teachers evaluate essays with a rubric and provide written feedback. Students are encouraged to improve essays until the certified teacher deems the writing is above average. A former principal of a New Jersey public high school leads Founders Education. Certified special education teachers, ESL/ELL teachers, and a guidance counselor provide additional education and student services. Internet Delivery You will access the course completely over the internet and no additional course materials are necessary. You may access the course at anytime through any computer with an internet connection. Virtual instructors teach the course. Instructors can be reached via course , Instant Teacher (live web-based 1-on-1 instructional sessions) and/or by phone. 2 of 11

3 Self-Paced Schedule You may work on the course at your own pace, but the entire course, including the Comprehensive Final Exam, must be completed by the End Date specified by your school and included in your Welcome . Complete, full year courses allow a maximum of 9 months and minimum of 4 weeks for completion. When it comes to delivering virtual instruction services that meet the school s requirements for the recovery of credits for courses where students performed poorly, Founders allows a maximum of 2 months and minimum of 4 weeks for completion. Course End Date The Course End Date has been communicated to you in your Course Welcome , and you can find the End Date highlighted in the calendar included in this online course. You must finish the entire course, including the Comprehensive Final Exam, by the End Date specified by your school. COURSE OVERVIEW The course is comprised of a group of Class Lessons, also known as Assignments, required Essay(s), Discussion Forums and Exams. All course Lessons/Assignments for this course can be accessed through a drop-down box in Class Lessons. The Comprehensive Exams will also be located in the Class Lessons drop-down box. Accessing Lessons/Assignments 1) Click Class Lessons found on the course homepage. 2) Select the Class (Course) you are working on, and Click Next. 3) Click Lessons. Scroll the drop-down box to view all course Lessons/Assignments. 4) Select your 1st, or next, Assignment, and Click Next. 5) All Activities for that Lesson/Assignment will appear; including: - Study - Practice - Mastery - Essay 6) The Comprehensive Mid-Term and Final Exams will be available in the drop-down box, upon completion of the assignments. Study Activity Work through the Study Activity until you feel comfortable with the material. Some lesson pages have pictures, drawings, charts and maps that should be clicked to access additional information. Sometimes practice problems are presented. If you need help to understand the lesson, access an instructor immediately via Instant Teacher or phone. *Click Exit in the top-right when you are ready to exit the Study Activity to take a Practice Test. 3 of 11

4 Practice Test A Practice Test can be taken no more than 2 times. You are encouraged to go back to the Study Activity for further review of the material after taking one or both Practice Tests. The grades on the Practice Tests will NOT be included in your grade for the course. The following message will appear in a pop-up window when you have answered all the questions for a Practice Test: "Click OK to score the test, or cancel to return to it." When you click "OK" to submit the Practice Test your score will appear immediately. *Click Exit in the top-right to go back to the Main Activities page for the Lesson/Assignment after reviewing your score. Mastery Test Your grade on the Mastery Test will be included in your grade for the course. You can only take the Mastery Test once, so be certain that when you access it, you are prepared take it in one sitting. To ensure connectivity throughout the Mastery Test we strongly recommend that it be taken with a wired internet connection (NOT a wireless internet connection). Essays -Where You Write the Essay Open a new Microsoft Word OR Open Office document and save it on your hard drive. After you complete your essay, upload it to the Essay Postings section of the website. Open Office is a free word processer that you can download at: -Before You Write the Essay Take time to think about the Essay Question prior to sitting down to write your Essay. Review and understand the essay directions and rubric found in this lesson. -How You Evaluate the Essay Upon completion of the 1st draft of your Essay, review your work and make sure you ve adequately covered all the items listed on the rubric. Work to improve your essay prior to submitting it to be graded. -Where and How You Submit the Essay Save all Essays on your hard drive to ensure they are not lost. Submit your Essay by uploading it in the Essay Postings section. -Where You Find Essay Feedback It may take several days for a teacher to grade and add comments to your essay. Once a teacher has graded your essay, your original essay with the teacher s feedback will be returned in Essay Postings and your grade will appear in your Gradebook. If you scored less than an 80% on your essay, you are encouraged to look at the teacher s feedback for suggestions on how to improve your essay. After making any necessary changes, you may then resubmit your essay to try to earn a higher grade. Discussion Forums -Where You Write the Discussion Forum Write your Discussion Forum directly in the Discussion Forum section of the website. -Before You Write the Discussion Forum Take time to think about the Discussion Forum prior to sitting down to write it. Review and 4 of 11

5 understand the Discussion Forum question, as well as, responses from other students and the virtual instructor. -How You Evaluate the Discussion Forum Upon completion of the 1st draft of your Essay, review your work and make sure you ve adequately covered all the items listed on the rubric. Work to improve your essay prior to submitting it to be graded. 5 of 11

6 -Where You Find Discussion Forum Feedback It may take several days for a teacher to grade and add comments to your Discussion Forum. Once a teacher has graded your Discussion Forum, your grade will appear in your Gradebook. You may resubmit your Discussion Forum to try to earn a higher grade. Instant Teacher Teachers are available during the hours below for live 1-on-1 web-based instructional sessions should you need assistance as you work through your Lessons/Assignments. Simply click Instant Teacher to get help from a live teacher. Below is the expected Instant Teacher schedule. -7:30am to 7:30pm Monday to Friday (10pm in Summer) -8am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday (Summer Only) * Hours are EST and subject to change. Instant Teacher is unavailable on national holidays. You can also reach a teacher via phone during the above Instant Teacher hours. Phone Number Mathematics Ext 1 -Science Ext 2 -Language Arts Ext 3 -Social Studies Ext 4 -World Language Ext 5 -Health, Physical Education, and Drivers Education Ext 6 -Technology Operations Ext 7 GRADING OVERVIEW Grading Scales Below are examples of the typical Grade Scales for each subject area. Founders Education will provide you and your school with the numeric grade you earn in the course. The letter-grade is provided by your school and is based on the grade scale at your school. -Language Arts Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 54 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 21 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Discussion Forums 4 Discussion Forum Grade Comprehensive Final Exam 15 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade -Mathematics Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 59 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 16 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Discussion Forums 4 Discussion Forum Grade Comprehensive Final Exam 15 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade 6 of 11

7 -Social Studies Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 54 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 21 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Discussion Forums 4 Discussion Forum Grade Comprehensive Final Exam 15 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade -Science Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 54 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 21 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Discussion Forums 4 Discussion Forum Grade Comprehensive Final Exam 15 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade -World Language Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 50 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 25 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Comprehensive Final Exam 15 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade -Health Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 70 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 10 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Comprehensive Final Exam 20 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade -Physical Education Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) 30 Current Grade for all Completed Mastery Tests Essays 10 Current Grade for all Completed Essays Activity Logs 40 Discussion Forum Grade Comprehensive Final Exam 10 Final Comprehensive Exam Grade Gradebook The Gradebook consists of data from multiple systems, and is expected to be updated every 24-7 of 11

8 72 hours. Teacher comments about an individual grade, if any, can be viewed in the Gradebook by clicking on the score. Grades on individual Lesson Tests (i.e. Mastery Tests) can be viewed under Progress in Class Lessons. Your grade for the Essays and Discussion Forums will appear in the Gradebook. Teacher comments about the Essay and Discussion Forums will be uploaded in the respective Essay Postings and Discussion Forum sections. After you upload an Essay or Discussion Forum, it may take several days for it to be evaluated by a teacher. You are encouraged to improve your Essay or Discussion Forum, and resubmit it to try to earn a higher grade, based on the teacher feedback. In addition to the above grade information, the Gradebook displays a Progress Overview, including: Progress Item Expected Progress Actual Progress Progress Item Description Suggested Percent of Lessons Completed Percent of Lessons Completed STATEMENTS, POLICIES AND OTHER INFORMATION Disability Statement If you have a disability or condition that may affect your ability to succeed in a course, please submit your IEP and/or 504 plan. Founders Education has several certified special education teachers available to review IEP s and 504 plans. Founders Education s special education teachers monitor the progress of every special education student to make sure all modifications and accommodations are being put into action. Your virtual teacher is committed to helping students with disabilities succeed, and every request will be treated with respect and confidentiality. Code of Conduct As a participant in the Founders Education program, a student has a responsibility to conduct him/herself with the highest standards of honesty and integrity. Academic Honesty is one of the most important characteristics of education. It is critical that mutual trust exists between instructors and students. Honesty in all academic matters is expected from all students. Any attempt to receive credit for work you did not do (i.e. cheat, plagiarize, falsify information, etc) will be considered a violation of Academic Honesty and will be addressed accordingly by Founders Education, the online instructor, and your school. The following are examples of some, but not all, acts that are considered violations of Academic Honesty. - Plagiarism (representing another person s ideas, words, expressions, or data in writing or presentation without properly acknowledging the source). - Submitting work through the use of another person's password/login. Student logins/passwords are confidential information that should not be shared with others. Any Lesson/Assignments, work, or projects posted while using another student's login will be considered plagiarism. 8 of 11

9 - Cheating (intentionally using or attempting to use unauthorized material, assistance, or study aids in any academic work). Cheating includes copying another student s work and submitting it as your own. - Performing work or taking an examination for another student or having another perform work or take an examination for you. - Falsification and/or misrepresentation of data (submitting made up data or sources). - Computer crimes (damaging computer programs, hacking, constructing viruses, introducing viruses into a system, copying programs, etc.). - Inappropriate use of course communication tools; including, but not limited to, Message Center, Drop Box, Web Meetings, Chats, Phone, etc. Academic dishonesty will be communicated to the virtual education coordinator and officials at the student s school. Generally, the discipline policy of the student s school will be followed, but Founders Education reserves the right to immediately impose a disciplinary action of its choosing without input or approval from the student s school. Possible courses of action include: -Loss of grade points -Disciplinary action in accordance with student s school policy -Removal from the course -Failure to receive a grade for the course Acceptable Internet Use Policy All students participating in Founders Education are expected to conduct their communication in a professional, respectful manner. The use of proper behavior is expected at all times, whether it is over the internet, phone, etc. Inappropriate behavior or language will result in disciplinary action and possible termination from the course at the discretion of Founders Education. The following are some, but not all, things to consider when it comes to ensuring Acceptable Internet Use. -Avoid sarcasm and slang. Cursing is unacceptable. -Never use derogatory comments, including those regarding race, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, political persuasion, body type, physical or mental health, or access issues. -Focus responses on the questions or issues being discussed, not on the individuals involved. -Be constructive with criticism, not hurtful. -Review messages before sending them. Remove easily misinterpreted language and proofread for typos. -Respect the privacy of others. Anti-Harassment Policy Founders Education is committed to safeguarding the right of all individuals involved in our education programs to work and learn in an environment that is free of harassment. Harassment 9 of 11

10 on the basis of race, color, ancestry, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, or disability in any form will not be tolerated and may result in termination from the course. Plagiarism Statement When you write an essay, response to a question, or any kind of paper, you should be mindful of plagiarism. Plagiarism is the use of another person's words or ideas in your writing without giving credit to them. Sometimes you might plagiarize unintentionally because you did not know how to properly give credit to the author s words or ideas in your paper. Or, you may not have understood the difference between common knowledge and information that requires a citation. The primary rule when writing is to always acknowledge another person's ideas even if you didn't quote the words directly. Even if you put an author's ideas in your own words, you still need to provide acknowledgement in your writing. Plagiarism also includes instances when students intentionally copy and paste another person's words directly from a website or other online text and try to pass the words and ideas off as their own. Below are some, but not all, specific examples of intentional plagiarism: - Copying or rephrasing another student's work. - Having someone else rewrite, or rephrase any part of a Lesson/Assignment (not just proofread it). - Direct copying, or rephrasing, of student aids (for example, Cliff Notes), critical sources, reference materials, or other materials in part or in whole without acknowledgement. Whether intentional or not, plagiarism is not acceptable in this course, and you will either receive a significant grade reduction or you will fail the course, depending on your school's plagiarism policy. Repeated plagiarism offenses in this or any other course may result in termination from this or all courses at the discretion of Founders Education. Source Citation Here are some guidelines for those instances where you will need to cite sources. Any direct quotations from material within this course can simply be cited as Lesson/Assignment Name and Page Number, if available. Any quotations from outside sources require full citations, including author, title, publisher, date of publication, and page number. If you're citing information found on a Web site, provide the complete Web page title, URL, author if known, and page number if applicable. Refunds Students who officially withdraw from a course through written notification (including ) to Founders Education may receive a refund under the following conditions: -Notice is received within 7 days of the Welcome being sent out for complete courses, or -Notice is received within 3 days of the Welcome being sent out for courses that meet the school s requirements for the recovery of credits where students performed poorly. No refunds will be provided unless the above conditions are met. 10 of 11

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