Student Handbook Index

ABOUT THE STUDENT HANDBOOK

This handbook is intended to provide students, teachers, aides and parents with a guide to academic and program requirements. It is hoped that every student and parent will read all of the information carefully and discuss it before enrolling in OFYCS. Planning a school program is very important and careful thought should be given to future educational and vocational goals, aptitudes, past academic achievement and willingness to work. If you have any questions, please contact your local center or supervising teacher

EXPECTED SCHOOL-WIDE LEARNING RESULTS..

The primary purpose of OFYCS is to offer students who are not attending traditional schools an alternative to existing educational programs. It is the belief of the OFYCS stakeholders that students are unique individuals who:

Can learn

Are capable of self-improvement

Are capable of quality work

Are worthy of a positive dream for their future and can develop positive life plans

will flourish in a positive school environment with instruction personalized to their specific needs

Upon graduation, OFY students are expected to be life-long learners in the 21st Century. To that end, the program seeks to teach students how to be:

RESPONSIBLE

• Work independently and with others when appropriate
• Finish assigned work
• Attend appointments regularly and be on time
• Manage time efficiently
• Make and keep commitments

INDEPENDENT ACHIEVERS

• Earn a Diploma or Certificate of Completion
• Get a good job or go on to college or trade school
• Make good judgements under pressure
• Discover and use many different resources in order to make good decisions
• Continue learning outside the classroom
• Set positive goals that will lead to the fulfillment of dreams

GOOD CITIZENS

• Contribute to the community in a positive way
• Do good deeds and respect others
• Obey the law
• Contribute to the family; show by example the importance of staying in school

GOOD COMMUNICATORS

• Obtain the communication skills necessary to get and keep a job or go on to higher education
• Use technology to communicate effectively
• Ask for help when appropriate and not try to solve all problems alone Learn to use English to express themselves clearly

STUDENT EDUCATIONAL GOALS

Charter school students will outperform their counterparts in traditional California public schools. They will complete courses as outlined in the charter school course descriptions. The course objectives are consistent with the expected school-wide learning results and the state content standards.

Students will be intrinsically motivated. This will be accomplished through providing interesting, worthwhile learning opportunities that will stimulate the interests of each student. In addition, OFY is committed to providing an environment that is conducive to learning.

Students will demonstrate competency in six growth areas. The extent to which students achieve these growth areas is determined by achievement of the grade level standards:

Growth Area Goal #1:
Student communicates effectively. (See grade level content standards for Language Arts.) Identified ESLRs: Independent Achievers, Good Communicators.

1. 1a. Student reads actively and derives meaning from written word.
2. 1b. Student reads extensively for a variety of purposes.
3. 1c. Student writes using grammatically acceptable English.
4. 1d. Student adjusts tone and style of writing for purpose and audience.
5. 1e. Student supports statements using well-rounded facts, theory, and opinion.
6. 1f. Student separates fact from opinion.
7. 1g. Student logically reaches conclusions based on sufficient evidence.
8. 1h. Student clearly and succinctly states key points.
9. 1i. Student organizes ideas in a variety of ways.
10. 1j. Student demonstrates creativity through style, organization, and development of content.

Growth Area Goal #2:
Student sufficiently understands and functions in the world around him/her. Identified ESLRs: Responsible, Independent Achievers, Good Citizens, Good Communicators.

1. 2a. Student demonstrates involvement in his/her community.
2. 2b. Student has knowledge of the reciprocal relationship between the individual and his/her environment.
3. 2c. Student demonstrates various requirements in seeking employment and/or college admission.
4. 2d. Student demonstrates the ability to be a selective consumer.
5. 2e. Student understands his/her role as an employee or employer, consumer, and financial manager.
6. 2f. Student identifies and documents the effects of technology on his/her environment.
7. 2g. Student understands the importance of life-long physical health.
8. 2h. Student participates in physical activities, develops strength, endurance, and personal fitness.
9. 2i. Student has a program for personal physical fitness;
10. 2j. Student identifies resources available to support physical fitness
11. 2k. Student understands, through participation, the importance of lifetime leisure recreation.

Growth Area Goal #3:
Student appreciates the history of mankind and its diversity and comprehends the political process. (See grade level content standards for Social Science.) ESLRs addressed: Independent Achievers, Good Citizens, Good Communicators.

1. 3a. Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying a relationship between past and present events or situations involving cause and effect: people, events, or situations influencing an action or result.
2. 3b. Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying a relationship between past and present events or situation involving comparison: similarities and differences.
3. 3c. Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying a relationship between past and present events or situations involving classification: events and situation explained as political, economic, social, and/or intellectual.
4. 3d. Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying a relationship between past and present events or situations involving anticipation of the future using evidence from the past and the present to draw conclusion about the future.
5. 3e. Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying a relationship between past and present events or situations involving understanding of the extent of time.
6. 3f. Student applies physical and cultural geography to his/her understanding of societies.
7. 3g. Student analyses the elements of the United States market economy in a global setting.
8. 3h. Student understands the structures, operations, and relationships of the governments in the United States.

Growth Area Goal #4:
Student applies mathematical principles and operations to solve problems. (See grade level content standards for Mathematics.) ESLRs addressed: Responsible, Independent Achievers, Good Communicators.

1. 4a. Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in number and operations.
2. 4b. Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in geometry and measurement.
3. 4c. Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in function and algebra.
4. 4d. Student demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in statistics and probability.
5. 4e. Student solves problems that make significant demands in one or more of these aspects of the solution process: problem formulation, problem implementation, and problem conclusion.
6. 4f. Student communicates his/her knowledge of basic skills, understanding of concepts, and his/her ability to solve problems and understand mathematical communication of others.

Growth Area Goal #5:
Student applies scientific concepts and skills to explain his world and find solutions to its problems. (See grade level content standards for Science.) ESLRs Addressed: Responsible, Independent Achievers, Good Citizens, Good Communicators.

1. 5a. Student observes, compares, orders, and categorizes characteristics and behaviors.
2. 5b. Student communicates ideas.
3. 5c. Student relates factors of differing objects and events, and infers about unknown or unseen processes.
4. 5d. Student applies knowledge and thought processes to explain his/her world and solve problems.
5. 5e. Student shows a perception of the interrelationships among the scientific themes (energy, interactions, patterns, change) and their application to the four spheres (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, ecosphere).
6. 5f. Student recognizes the effects of the sciences, technologies and societies on one another and on the environment.

Growth Area Goal #6:
Student realizes his own special interests, talents and abilities. ESLRs Addressed: Responsible, Independent Achievers, Good Citizens.

METHODS OF MEASURING STUDENT PROGRESS

While all students will achieve the required standards by graduation, not all will progress at the same rate. Evaluation of that progress is based on individual abilities, interests and talents. Methods by which student progress is assessed will be through a variety of the following:

• Monthly review of work
• Oral and written tests
• Portfolios of student work product
• Teacher observation
• State mandated assessment testing
• Student demonstrations
• Student grades

Student Handbook Index