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Elk Grove Unified School District

MSAT 12 Syllabus

School: Valley High School Room: C-7
Teacher: Ms. Sanford Phone: 916-689-6500 ext. 6554
Class Website: www.sanfordscholars.weebly.com Email: [email protected]

Course Title: MSAT 12

Course Description
The purpose of the MSAT 12 Class is to present standards-based instruction in reading and writing, teach skills
necessary for academic success and to provide content-area academic support. Students will read a variety of genre
and develop critical reading skills and literary analysis. Writing assignments will include in-class-timed responses
to readings, longer narrative and persuasive essays, editorials, and creative writing projects. Students will also
present formal speeches and presentations, engage in inquiry-based research, collaborate with their peers, and
complete a transition portfolio which will provide resources for post-secondary living. To ensure that students have
the skills needed to pursue post-secondary education, technology has been embedded into this course.

Course Objectives
Students will use inquiry-based lessons to improve skills in reading, writing, research, and oral
presentations.
Create a transition portfolio that will include information on: self-awareness, careers, colleges,
employment, post-secondary resources, and self-advocacy.
Students will read fiction and expository texts, and use critical reading strategies to improve reading
comprehension.
Students will organize weekly assignments using an assignment planner.
Students will use School Loop and conference with teachers to monitor academic progress.
Defend their position with evidence in both verbal (i.e., in small/whole group discussion,
persuasive speech, and Socratic seminars) and written formats.
Demonstrate writing competency in the following formats: letter writing, narrative, expository,
and persuasive essays.
Demonstrate skill in the use of technology (i.e., PPT presentations, Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Publisher).
Research a variety of topics that can be supported from reliable sources.
Present orally in both class settings and during a formal career presentation.
Students will become active participants of the learning community.

Classroom Expectations
Students are expected to adhere to the rules and guidelines of Elk Grove Unified School District as noted in the
Valley High School Student Handbook. It is expected that you will be prepared each day, excited to learn, and that
you will be an active participant in your education!

Behavior Expectations:
Be Prepared Be Positive Be Polite Be Punctual


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Homework/Grade Expectations:
One aspect of becoming a successful student is in the organization of ongoing work, and ensuring that
assignments are turned in on time. It is your responsibility to ask for help with any class assignments prior
to their due date. If you are absent, you have three options to get the missed work:
Check the class website to download the assignment.
Make an appointment, either before or after school, to review your work/progress.
Ask a classmate to get the assignment to you.
Tardies:
Should you arrive late to school, you must have a note signed by your parent/guardian, which you should
take to the office to get stamped prior to coming to class. Enter class quietly, and hand me your pass
before taking your seat.

Missed Assignments
Please be aware that all regular assignments must be completed in order to receive extra credit.

Make-up Work (Excused Absence):
You have three days to submit make-up work without a grading penalty.
If work is turned in after those three days, a 10% grading penalty will apply for each subsequent
day late.
If an assignment was due on a day you were absent, it needs to be turned in at the beginning of the
next class session that you attend.
Missed presentations will need to be scheduled with Ms. Sanford.

Late Work:
Late work will be accepted up to the end of the month in which it was assigned, unless prior
arrangements have been made. For example, an assignment given on September 6
th
, and due on
September 9
th
, will not be considered late as long as it is turned in during September. This
accommodation has been implemented to allow students extra time to manage the myriad
assignments from their other courses.

Missed Tests or Quizzes:
Must be made up within one week before or after school. It is the students responsibility to make
arrangements to make up this work.

Late Work Passes:
At the beginning of each quarter students will receive 2 late work passes that may be used on
any minor assignments throughout the quarter. The passes will enable a student to turn in an
assignment anytime during the quarter for the possibility of full credit. Lost passes WI LL NOT be
replaced.
If a student does not use the passes, they may turn the complete privilege pass sheet in at the end of
the quarter for 20 points of extra creditprovided that all outstanding work has been completed.

Passes Out of Class
Students will be allowed only two bathroom passes per quarter. Once the passes have been used,
students will not be allowed to leave class unless there is an emergency. Please plan accordingly.
If a student does not use the passes, they may be turned in at the end of the quarter for 20 points of
extra credit (see above).

Food and Drinks
Students are allowed to have something to drink in my classroom as long as it does not disrupt the
learning environment. If a student abuses this privilege, it may be taken away.
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I do not allow food in my classroom unless it is for a project or in special circumstances.

Class Website
The purpose of the class website is to have a place where students can find the resources they will need for
MSAT 12. Additionally, students will be able to access college and career websites, and get assistance
with post-secondary planning. A monthly blog can also be accessed at the site. For access, go to:
www.sanfordscholars.weebly.com

Student Evaluation
Everyone starts out with an A.
Semester work comprises 80% of the course grade. Assessments account for the remaining 20%.

Grades are weighted as follows:

Percent Assignment
20% Participation
20% Weekly Record
40% Major Assignments (i.e., presentations, essays, etc.)
20% Assessments

Assignments not turned in on time will be entered as zeroes in School Loop until the assignment has
been turned in for credit.
Students will keep every assignment that is returned to them as part of their portfolio of work.
Students may be asked to re-do work in order to improve their grade. This is an opportunitynot a
punishment.

Evaluation
Grades are an evaluation of your current academic skill set. As such, it is unrealistic to expect an
A on every assignment.
Grades are based on skill masterynot effort.

Below is a description of each letter grade and the percent of mastery needed to earn each grade:

A
Work completed is above and beyond what was expected. Student demonstrates mastery of
the assessed skill.
100% 90%
B
Work completed is of great quality. Student demonstrates a high proficiency of the assessed
skill.
89% - 80%
C
Work completed is of good quality. Student demonstrates proficiency of the assessed skill.

79% - 70%
D
Work completed is of okay quality. Student is working toward meeting the requirements of
the assessed skill.
69% - 60%
F
Work completed is of poor quality. Student needs to begin working toward meeting the
requirements of the assessed skill.
59%

o I view grades as a measure of how well a student is doing at any one point in time, which means
there can be opportunities to improve upon them.
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o Students who have not mastered a skill are encouraged to resubmit a corrected copy of the
assignment.
o Any assignment that has been resubmitted must be turned in by the end of the current unit of
instruction.
o I encourage open dialogue about assignments, grades, and skill mastery so that students understand
what their mastery level is on any given skill set.

Final Thoughts
This course is designed to teach a variety of academic skills (i.e., note taking, critical reading, and
conducting research), provide support of content-area classes, and assist students in creating a transition
portfolio that will be a resource that can be used after high school. The assignments have been chosen to
engage students, use inquiry-based learning, and will incorporate technology so that students will have
marketable skills when they graduate.

Students will be expected to work diligently, stretch their current academic skills sets, and be a true
scholar, which means that the learning may be challenging at times. That is to be expected! So, get
ready, be excited, and lets journey toward great things as we learn together.

Ms. Sanford













Syllabus adapted from http://www.d300.org/~michellemarconi
We are all inventors, each sailing out
on a voyage of discovery, guided each
by a private chart, of which there is
no duplicate. The world is all gates, all
opportunities.
Ralph Waldo Emerson