Frontier Student Handbook Internship Instructional Plan Beth Knuth

1. Frontier Student HandbookInternship Instructional PlanBeth Knuth

2. Project Summary • Frontier is an all senior campus in IPSD 204 that will be doubling in size next year (200 -> 400 students). • Students at Frontier currently receive their home school’s handbook (WVHS or NVHS). • Currently there is no formal written policy for Frontier rules and procedures. A written policy will be developed to be added to next year’s student handbook.

3. Project Goals • To communicate to students specific Frontier policies and procedures • To address and define “Flex Fridays” to students • To address and come up with a concrete tardy/attendance policy at the Frontier campus • To give teachers a resource to refer to for disciplinary issues in these areas

4. Implementation Steps • Research other schools’ tardy and attendance policies. Information from high schools with block schedule and community colleges will be researched online. • Draw up a rough draft of Frontier policies based on the above research and current policies taking place.

5. Implementation Steps • Review the rough draft with Frank Kesman and a Dean from the NV campus and make changes as necessary • Format the final version of the Frontier Policies to be printed on the inside cover of the next year’s student handbook • Present and discuss the policies with the faculty of Frontier at a faculty meeting

6. Research of Project • Educational Topics Researched: Block Scheduling, Attendance/Tardy Policies, Student Handbooks, Disciplinary Actions • Online research was conducted on high schools with block schedule and community colleges due to their similar environment to Frontier. The following are some of the websites that I used to do my research. • Northwest Education Center http://nec.dvusd.org/CampusPolicies_Handbook.html • COLONIAL FORGE HIGH SCHOOL http://stafford.forge.schoolfusion.us/modules/cms/pages.phtml?pageid=26602&sessionid=cf6f09b2aeef78edc4c99 • Front Range Community College http://www.frontrange.edu/FRCCTemplates/FRCC1.aspx?id=671 • Delaware Community College http://learn.dccc.edu/~severly/Bus%20231%20Syllabus%20Spring%202007%20DCCC.doc • HOUSTON COMMUNITY COLLEGE http://swc2.hccs.edu/DEESL/colcar/pdf/fallsyllabusgust1370.pdf • Palmer Night School (Block) http://www.d11.org/palmer/program.htm • CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL http://www.d321.k12.id.us/~Central/Policies.html • WHEATON HIGH SCHOOL – MARYLAND http://www.d321.k12.id.us/~Central/Policies.html

7. Timeline • Weeks 3-8: Research other school’s policies online and meet with Frank to develop a vision for the Frontier student handbook • Week 9: Determine enrollment at Frontier for the 2008/09 school year and discuss how this will impact the campus next year • Weeks 10-11: Develop a rough draft of Frontier Policies

8. Timeline cont. • Week 12: Discuss rough draft of Frontier Policies with Frank and make revisions as necessary • Week 14: Meet with a Dean of students from the NV high school campus to discuss Frontier Policies • Week 16: Create a final copy of the policy and present to faculty at a faculty meeting

9. Stakeholders • Frank Kesman, Academic Dean • Frank will communicate his vision on Frontier policies for next year and help me to formulate a guide for the student handbook • Katie Kulak, Guidance Counselor • Katie will be impacted by the policies put in place. If a student is frequently absent or tardy, she will be dealing with them on a more personal basis

10. Stakeholders • Sandy Almanza, Frontier Secretary • Sandy will be assisting us with absences and tardies by recording them in the system and calling students’s parents when necessary • Jerris Sabey, Dean’s Assistant • Jerris will be tracking down truant students next year and disciplining them according to the policy that I am creating. She needs clear guidelines as to how to deal with students.

11. Stakeholders • Frontier Staff • All teachers and staff at Frontier will need to be familiar with the Frontier policies that I am establishing. It will be clearly communicated with them so they know how to deal with student issues.

12. Stakeholders • Frontier Students • All students at Frontier next year will receive their home school’s student handbook with the added Frontier section that I am creating. This will indicate clear expectations to them as students at this campus and they will be familiar with disciplinary procedures.

13. Resources/Budget • Frontier Campus website • www.frontier.ipsd.org • Frontier Campus brochures and handouts • Research found using the Internet to find information on other school’s policies • Dean’s from the Neuqua Valley main campus • Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley Student Handbooks • This project did not cost anything. Printing the Frontier policy page into the student handbooks will be provided by district resources

14. Formative Evaluation • Continuously discuss and revise the Frontier policy document based on conversations with Frank • Continuously discuss and revise the Frontier policy document based on conversations with Dean’s from the main campus • Use other policies researched from other school’s to update and adapt the Frontier plan • Look at enrollment for Frontier next year to determine what policies and procedures need to be put into place

15. Summative Evaluation • To address the success of the implementation of the new Frontier policies, the following will occur: • Continuously talk to staff at Frontier to make sure they are implementing the policies outlined in the new handbook • Record how many detentions are given due to unexcused absences and tardies to determine effectiveness of the plan • Record how many students are attending Frontier on “Flex Fridays” when their grade drops below a “C” for extra help from their teachers

16. Summative Evaluation-Measuring Goals- • To communicate to students specific Frontier policies and procedures • Measured through student understanding of the Frontier student manual • To address and define “Flex Fridays” to students • Measured by the number of students whose grades drop below a C that are attending Flex Fridays

17. Summative Evaluation-Measuring Goals- • To address and come up with an official tardy/attendance policy at the Frontier campus • Measured by the number of students attending Frontier on a Flex Friday for tardy/attendance detentions • To give teachers a resource to refer to for disciplinary issues in these areas • Measured by communication with teachers at faculty meetings to determine their understanding of the policies.

18. Summative Evaluation-Stakeholders- • Frank Kesman – His vision for Frontier will be the main framework in developing the policy. We will meet frequently to discuss the success of the implementation • Katie Kulak, Sandra Almanza, and Jerris Sabey – We will meet frequently throughout the year with these individuals to make sure they are carrying out the policies properly • Frontier Staff – We will continuously address the new policies with staff at meetings and ask for input to see how it is working • Frontier Students – We will address the policies with those students that are having attendance/tardy/grade problems and implement the necessary disciplinary action

19. Summative Evaluation-Results- • The results will be presented to the academic dean of Frontier, Frank Kesman to determine what changes or additions should be made for the following year. • The results will also be presented to individuals at the district office that oversee the Frontier program to show the effectiveness of the policies implemented.

20. Reflection • Overall I was very excited to be a part of this project. I have been with Frontier since it opened two years ago and I feel very strongly about the program. Seeing it double in size for next year shows how well it is doing, and I was glad to be part of the process in making some more concrete policies for the larger student body coming next year. Developing, implementing and evaluating this project has been extremely useful in experiencing the role of an administrator in this program. It has made me think about the campus more from an administrative standpoint rather than a teacher standpoint.

21. Reflection-Standards- • Vision: Frank carefully communicated his vision for Frontier next year as we made up the policies for the handbook. • Culture: The policies developed and placed in the student handbook will promote a positive school culture and an effective instructional program at Frontier.

22. Reflection-Standards- • Management: The policies created for Frontier will help with disciplinary issues of students in the areas of attendance, tardies, and poor grades. Overall it will help administration manage the campus more effectively. • Community: The policies will be communicated with parents through their reading of the student handbook and if they have questions about why their child was disciplined in a certain way.

23. Reflection-Standards- 5. Ethics: The policies created were made with the highest level of integrity. By having uniform disciplinary actions, all students will be treated fairly. 6. Larger Context: Through research of other school’s student policies and handbooks, I have a better understanding of how schools operate and manage their students and staff.

24. What worked well: Working with Frank and developing his vision Researching other schools’ attendance and tardy policies Working with staff to gather input on official policies for Frontier Designing a draft of the policy for the student handbook Things that could be improved: It was hard getting in touch with the deans for feedback. I would be more persistent in meeting with them if I had to do it all over again. I would make myself more available to meet with Frank, it was hard finding time with my schedule but it seemed to work out ok. Reflection

25. Reflection-Benefits- • The Frontier Staff now has an official policy to refer to when dealing with absences, tardies, and low grades. Previously, staff seemed to have their own rules and procedures that they followed and there was not enough consistency. This made it very confusing for students when teachers handled disciplinary issues differently. The new policy in writing that will be added to the student handbook will answer any questions that staff, students, or parents have. • The Frontier Campus is doubling in student size next year and this policy will provide a framework for students and staff in order to manage the campus more efficiently.

26. Frontier Campus Policies and Procedures Welcome to Frontier Campus! The student handbook will be followed in its entirety, but the following will outline some specific guidelines for Frontier. Please read through the following information to familiarize yourself with the policies and procedures. Class Schedule A Block 7:40-9:10 B Block 9:25 -10:55 C Block 11:10-12:40 D Block 12:55 – 2:25 Attendance Phone Number: 630.428.5570 Website: http://frontier.ipsd.org/ Flex Fridays A Flex Friday is a Friday in which no class meets. These are a privilege for students who come to class regularly and are performing well academically. Occasionally classes will meet on a Flex Friday if there is a holiday or day off of school earlier in the week. These Fridays are mandatory to attend. Teachers will hold office hours on Flex Fridays during their normally scheduled class time. Students can use this time for extra help, make-up work, and exams. **If a student’s grade drops below a C in any class, they are REQUIRED to attend a Flex Friday to meet with their teacher. In addition, if a student is absent from class, they may be required to attend the following Flex Friday unless other arrangements are made with the teacher. Attendance/Tardy Policy Good attendance habits are encouraged to assure success in school. Missing 1 class at Frontier is equivalent to missing 2 classes at the traditional high school campuses due to the block schedule. Please notify your teachers in advance if you can not make it to class. The district’s tardy policy will be followed and enforced: 1st and 2nd Tardy – Warning 3rd and 4th Tardy – 15 minute teacher detention on a Flex Friday 5th Tardy – Referral to an Academic Dean for a 2 Hour Detention on a Flex Friday If arrival is more than 15 minutes late to class the student is considered absent. All students more than 5 minutes late to class must sign-in and get a pass at the front desk. Other -The district’s Honesty Policy mentioned in this handbook will be strictly enforced. -Frontier is an “open” campus. Students may leave the building between classes if needed. -Students with a Frontier parking pass may park in their numbered spot only. Parking anywhere else could result in being stickered or towed. -After 3:00 the Frontier Campus is turned over to C.O.D. All high school students must be out of the building at this time. -Cell phones should be left off at all times and should not be used in the building during the school day. Frontier Campus Student Handbook Policy Page