AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)​ ​Syllabus

9​th​ Grade AVID 2018-2019

Ms. Peralta Room 511
831-796-7500 EXT 2680
jemmalyn.peralta@salinasuhsd.org
jjuper.weebly.com
General Description​:
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an elective program that helps students to
achieve the necessary requirements and skills ​to be eligible for​ university acceptance, and it is
scheduled during the regular school day as a year-long course. Each week, students receive instruction
utilizing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum provided by AVID Center, tutor-facilitated study
groups, motivational activities and academic success skills. The program has two major components:
tutorials and AVID curriculum. Tutorials will occur once a week (first semester) and twice a week
(second semester). Tutorials are small study groups that are facilitated by college students and/or peers
who will assist students with their studies. Each AVID student is to come prepared for the tutorial with
questions from their core classes. Field trips may be scheduled to visit local colleges and universities,
providing students with the opportunity to visit the institutions firsthand.
In AVID, students participate in activities that incorporate strategies focused on writing, inquiry,
collaboration, organization and reading (WICOR) to support their academic growth. Some students will
have previous experience with AVID at the middle grades, and some students will be experiencing
AVID for the first time. Either way, the ninth grade AVID Elective course will serve as a review of the
AVID philosophy and strategies. Students will work on academic and personal goals and
communication, adjusting to the high school setting. Students will increase awareness of their personal
contributions to their learning, as well as their involvement in their school and community. There is an
emphasis on analytical writing, focusing on personal goals and thesis writing. Students will work in
collaborative settings, learning how to participate in collegial discussions and use sources to support
their ideas and opinions. Students will prepare for and participate in college entrance and placement
exams, while refining study skills and test-taking, note-taking, and research techniques. They will take
an active role in field trip and guest speaker preparations and presentations. Their college research will
include financial topics and building their knowledge on colleges and careers of interest.
AVID students are expected to be motivated and determined to achieve university acceptance at
the end of their high school career. It will be necessary for AVID students to manage their time so that
school and studies become a top priority. This means that they will need to be responsible for making
wise and sometimes difficult choices. The AVID elective is a four-year elective that will require you to
take a summer course in order to fulfill all requirements in order to remain in the AVID elective cohort.

Required Materials​:

The following materials are required in class every day. A lack of materials wastes valuable class time
and interferes with success.
● 1 ½ inch to 3 inch, 3-ring binder
● Color dividers (a minimum of 1 per class)
● At least 15 sheet protectors (2 for your AVID Binder and 13 for your portfolio)
● 2 black/blue ink pens
● 2 #2 pencils
● Zipper pouch to store supplies
● 2 different colored highlighters
● 1 pack of filler paper (college ruled)
 ● Graph Paper
● A school provided planner or Google Calendar (used daily)
● School provided Chromebook
● 1 USB flash drive
● 1 Post-It Notes
● 1 Eraser
● 1 Whiteout
● 1 Ruler
● 1 scientific calculator (with sin, cos, tan, and probability functions)

Expectations​:
❖ Students are expected to demonstrate maturity, responsibility, and respect for others. The work
that they submit must be their own.
❖ Students are expected to follow the behavior manual signed in the beginning of the school year.
❖ Arrive to class on time, sitting in assigned desk by the ​final​ bell
❖ Be prepared with materials, homework, and cooperative attitude
❖ Student is responsible, respectful, and cooperative within the class and in groups
❖ Students remain in their seats until teacher releases class
❖ Everyone ​must be respectful to one another, the classroom, and guests
❖ Electronics will be taken away during class time and returned at the end of the period/day
if a student cannot be responsible enough to put it away during class or misuse.
❖ Students are also expected to meet the requirements on the AVID contract, 2.0 GPA, Tutorial
participation, community service hours of at least 15 by the end of their freshman year, etc…if
requirements are not abide by, restrictions may be enforced by academic probation, grade
checks, parent/teacher meetings, etc...
❖ TRF’s/Tutorial Study Groups pre-work must be completed before coming to class

Flow chart of consequences for violating these rules​:

1. warning and annotation in discipline file 6. teacher/parent conference
2. lower citizenship grade for quarter 7. suspension from class
3. teacher/student conference 8. referral to after school detention
4. notification of parent 9. office referral
5. lunch detention

HOMEWORK​:
Expect homework occasionally, including weekends! Homework is an important part of
learning. The purpose of homework is to help you practice and inform me what we as a class may need
to review on. Some homework may be related to research on topics and connections to the classwork we
will do. Parents be sure to check and ask your student if they have completed their assignments.
It is the student’s responsibility to find out about and make up class work and homework during
an absence. Students should make arrangements with another student in this class to be able to call
him/her to find out about missed class work and assignments that you missed when absent. Students
should be sure to have at least two students to contact in case one of them is absent also. Homework is
meant to be practice and preparation for tasks, milestone task at the end of each unit, and assessments.
It is ​your responsibility​ to find out what you have missed and ask for any papers that may have
been handed out ​the day you return​.
EXPECTATIONS CONCERNING SUBSTITUTES:
In the event that I am unable to be in the classroom, I expect you will treat the person in charge
with the same respect and courtesy given to me. (I am absent more often than other teachers due to other
positions I do.)

Attendance & Late work

❖ You are responsible for ​all​ material presented in class. Even if you have a college class, you are
still responsible for completing and turning in assignments when they are due.
❖ You will be given 1 day for each day absent to submit missed assignments. It is your
responsibility to ask for missing assignments.
❖ Late work will ​not​ be accepted. All assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. It
is your responsibility to print essays or have assignments ready ​before​ the class period begins.
❖ Most assignments will be turned via Google Classroom
❖ If you have a serious extenuating circumstance, speak with me as soon as possible. Waiting until
the class period when something is due is not acceptable.

Evaluation​: ​Final grades will be weighted using the following categories:

Binder/Chromebook/Backpack Check (30%)

❖ Binders will be checked and graded in the AVID class weekly. Binders and/or backpacks will be
graded for organization, Cornell notes, materials & supplies, a completed daily planner/calendar, and
daily “to do” lists. If you are absent for Binder Check, due to illness, you may request a Binder
Check on the day you return. Additional binder checks may randomly occur throughout the year so
binders must be organized at all times. A minimum of five (5) pages of Cornell notes/learning logs
are required for each class each week. At least three (3) pages are required for AVID.

Class work , Homework, & Projects (30%)

❖ Class work and homework assignments are designed to help students to develop personally and
academically and to ultimately prepare them for college and a career. Essays will be written in MLA
format.
❖ There will be numerous individual and group projects each semester.

Tutorial (30%)
❖ Students will be graded on each tutorial session. Students earn points for their questions,
participation, and reflection during the tutorial process. Since tutorials are a collaborative effort,
students must be present and participate to receive credit. Students who are absent due to illness
may make up points by completing a one page writing assignment from a provided list.
❖ Tutors will assist students on their path towards arriving at answers, but they will not provide the
answers for students.

Portfolio (10%)
❖ Students will collect specified documents to be placed in a portfolio. Portfolios will be assessed at
least once per semester.

Grading Scale​: Final grades will be assigned as follows (Raw Score Grading):
100% - 90% = A 89.99% - 80% = B 79.99% - 70% = C 69.99% - 60% = D Below 60% = F

Grade Checks:
Students are expected to turn in a progress report every week on Thursday. If they must do one for
sports a copy/scanned image may be turned in instead.
Technology Expectations:
Students will be assigned a Chromebook. In this course we will be implementing the use of Google
Classroom, as well as other apps that parents & students may access. For instance, Remind, Weebly
Website, etc. The Chromebook is a tool used in the classroom and will be monitored in the classroom.
Students must treat it like their own textbook, have it fully charged before coming to school, and use it
for school purposes during class, a low battery Chromebook does not excuse an assignment or
participation in class. Consequences will occur if students misuse their Chromebook.

TEACHER CONTACT:
The best way to contact me is through email: ​jemmalyn.peralta@salinasuhsd.org​. You may also call my
classroom in the morning, lunch, or afterschool. I am also located in Room 813 in the mornings.

The Viking Creed

N​ever give up
S​tay focused
H​onor yourself and others
S​tay positive