Digital Learning Department

Our credit retrieval courses have been designed to be completed within a 6-week session. Although we encourage all students to formulate a plan to complete the course within six (6) weeks, we do allow students up to a maximum of twelve (12) weeks to complete the course. This is a six-week credit retrieval course for students who have already taken this class and not earned credit. A diagnostic assessment, given at the beginning of the course, indicates what standards have been met, and what skills need to be practiced and demonstrated. Based on the results of the diagnostic assessment, an individual plan for completing the course is developed by the teacher and communicated to the student. Upon successful completion of the course, the student earns a passing grade (C) and .5 credit in Sophomore English. The goal of this class is to develop the writing skills you already possess by working on reading and writing assignments that ask you to take your thinking to a higher level. Then, you will be more prepared to succeed in all parts of your educational and, later, professional life. This course helps meet the state minimum requirements of 3.0 English credits. Please check with your district for more specific requirements.
 

Washington State Standards

EALR 1: The student understands and uses different skills and strategies to read.
1.2 Use vocabulary (word meaning) strategies to comprehend text.

EALR 2: The student understands the meaning of what is read.
2.1 Demonstrate evidence of reading comprehension.
2.3 Expand comprehension by analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing information and ideas in literary and informational text.
2.4 Think critically and analyze author’s use of language, style, purpose, and perspective in literary and informational text.

EALR 3: The student reads different materials for a variety of purposes.
3.1 Read to learn new information.
3.4 Read for literary experience in a variety of genres.

EALR 1: The student understands and uses a writing process.
1.1. Prewrites to generate ideas and plan writing.
1.2. Produces draft(s).
1.3. Revises to improve text.
1.4. Edits text.
1.5. Publishes text to share with audience.
1.6. Adjusts writing process as necessary.

EALR 2: The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.
2.1. Adapts writing for a variety of audiences.
2.2. Writes for different purposes.
2.3. Writes in a variety of forms/genres.
2.4. Writes for career applications.

EALR 3: The student writes clearly and effectively.
3.1. Develops ideas and organizes writing.
3.2. Uses appropriate style.
3.3. Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate for the grade level.

EALR 4: The student analyzes and evaluates the effectiveness of written work.
4.1. Analyzes and evaluates others' and own writing.

Course Outline [top]

 

• Unit 1: Truth is Stranger Than Fiction (3 weeks)
• Unit 2: (Book) Lord of the Flies and (Film) "Phenomenon" (3 weeks)

 

Course Work [top]

All assignments will be submitted through our learning system, on the assessment pages. We recommend working in a writing program, such as Word, on your home computer, saving, and then cutting and pasting your work into the assesement text boxes. Plagiarized assignments will receive no credit. Students who complete class successfully will have followed the timeline laid out in our checklist.

At the beginning of the course, you will want to obtain copies of these books. We strongly recommended that they are purchased new or used so that you are able to take notes on the pages, highlight, and of course, keep for your own personal library.

 

Grading Description [top]

 

The goal is for students to meet standards and earn credit for this class. Assignments that meet standards are marked as passing in the gradebook. If needed, the student is given instructions to revise an assignment in order to demonstrate that standards have been met. Grades are regularly posted online for student and parent access.

Completion of all required assignments in a satisfactory manner, within the six week session, results in a passing grade (C) and .5 credit earned.

 

Policies and Requirements [top]

 

Establishing a consistent schedule to work daily provides the student the opportunity for maximum teacher interaction, revision, and successful completion of their learning plan and earned credit.

Academic integrity is essential to learning. Students are expected to complete their own work. Copying, plagiarizing, cheating or other methods of intentional deception are prohibited and may result in loss of grade or credit for the assignment or the course.

Expectations for assignment and course completion: IA students assume the major responsibility to be self-motivated, and to stay on target with the class. All work for the course must be completed at a passing level to earn credit, and must be completed within the 6 week session. Students are expected to work consistently with their instructor and their individual learning plan, to successfully complete the class. Successful students use their online gradebook and checklist to determine required assignments.

Students are given the feedback needed to revise assignments to meet standards. Students who wait until the end of the session to turn in the majority of their assignments lose this opportunity and risk successful completion of the course.

E-mail and software agreements: Students agree to maintain electronic integrity and face disciplinary measures if they do not abide by their promise.

Teachers reserve the right to make adjustments to the course content and expectations.

 

 

Expectations [top]

Students taking this class are expected to:

1. Stay in contact with their instructor daily. This lets the Internet Academy, parents and guardians, the school district, and the state know that students are attending class. It also helps students move at a steady pace toward completing the class within the six week timeframe.
2. Have the computer hardware and software necessary for the class work.
3. Communicate with the instructor in a clear, friendly, courteous manner. This includes signing communications with their full name and the name of the class they are in.
4. Communicate in Standard English. "e-english," the informal, lower-case, run-together communications used in chat rooms, is appropriate for the audiences and purposes of some e-mail. It is not appropriate for communicating with an instructor in class.
5. Turn in original work. Internet Academy teachers monitor for intentional deception through the use of an on-line subscription service and IA email archives. The consequences for intentional deception (copying, plagiarism, cheating, using someone else's work) may result in:
   • No credit for the assignment
   • Parent contact
   • Proctored testing
   • Failing the course
6. Do their very best work at all times.
7. Proceed at a steady pace toward finishing the class.
8. Have fun writing, reading, and learning!!

The instructor of this course is expected to:

1. Know the course material.
2. Communicate at least weekly with students and guardians in a clear, friendly, and courteous manner.
3. Respond to emails within a reasonable amount of time. It is your instructor's goal to answer QUESTIONS and HELP requests within 24 hours during the school week. Assignments will be graded and returned within two-three school days of receipt.
4. Be available for appointments and return phone calls promptly..
5. Keep accurate records.
6. Encourage and maintain high standards.
7. Help make learning fun!

Tech Support:

• Tech Help
  • 253-945-2249
  • helpdesk@iacademy.org

Weekly Contact Requirements: Students are expected to submit work each week following the provided checklist. They are also expected to maintain weekly communication with their teacher, ask for assistance when needed, and respond to e-mails from the teacher. If they are having trouble keeping up with the checklist, they should email their teacher immediately. The teacher is flexible and willing to work with students to meet their needs as they are communicated. If students are unable to meet these expectations, they will be dropped from the class for lack of attendance.