|
       
Copper River School Correspondence Program
Handbook
Printable Version of CRSD Correspondence Program Handbook
(word document)
Please use the following table of contents
to navigate this handbook page. Simply click on the topic of interest, and
use the "back to table of contents" button to return to the top of this page.
Back to Top
| Welcome and thank you for your
interest in the Copper River School District’s Correspondence Program, Accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.
This handbook is written for parents and students to explain the procedures and requirements of the Correspondence Study Program.
The Copper River Correspondence Program has been helping families school their children at home, Kindergarten
through 12th grade, throughout the state of Alaska for over 15 years. Our program provides financial assistance to all students
residing within the state of Alaska for curriculum, technology, tutoring, instruction and instructional aids to assist in the
delivery of an outstanding home program through public education. In addition, we offer instructional aid and accountability
through on-site teacher support and through the teaching services of our approved curriculums.
The program remains small and therefore personable for those who do not care to wade through pages of
information, or ‘red tape’ to accomplish your goal. When you call our office, you will generally get the same person on the
line who can answer almost all of your questions immediately, and if not, will seek to have your questions answered as quickly
as possible.
Students receive district report cards and transcripts for completed work.
Office hours: 8:00am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday. The office is open throughout the summer although office hours
are subject to change during the summer months.
The Copper River School District takes in Glennallen Alaska where the Glenn Highway and Richardson Highways meet.
The Correspondence Program Office is located within the District Office which is located in the south end of the
Glennallen Elementary School, on Aurora Drive at mile 187 on the Glenn Highway.
|
|
Copper River School District Program
P.O. Box 108
Glennallen, Alaska 99588
(907) 822-5933
1-800-822-3234 |
|
Copper River School District Web Address: www.crsd.k12.ak.us
Email for Information
Principal / Superintendant: James W. Elliott, Ph.D.
Teacher: Boyd Ables
Administrative Assistant:Lanette Phillips
The Program is supervised by the CRSD Board of Education and the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
Accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools.
|
Back to Top
| The Copper River Correspondence Program is a state approved, accredited, statewide program
and may enroll students from all districts within the state of Alaska. Students must be residents of the state and intend to
remain residents in order for us to serve them. All credits received through the program are transferable to other schools.
Enrollment is open from May 1st through September 15th. Early enrollment ensures that materials will be ready
for students to start their studies by the end of summer.
All children between the ages of 6 and 16 are required to attend school. A child enrolled in correspondence
must be participating on a regular basis to be considered attending school.
AGE:
- 1. A student must be 5 years of age before August 15th to enter Kindergarten and 6 years of age to enter 1st grade.
- 2. A preschool program for students under this age is not currently offered.
- 3. The student must be less than 20 years of age before August 15th (unless he/she qualifies for ‘Special Services’)
OUT OF STATE:
According to state law a student living outside the state of Alaska is eligible for enrollment as long as he/she was physically present and residing within the state in the preceding school year. Parents/Guardians must also agree to have the student at the annual state mandated achievement testing site in the spring. You may call the office or email for this year’s date. (See Achievement Testing, page 15)
HOW:
If you decide to enroll with us you will need to complete the registration forms included with your enrollment packet. (If you did not receive these forms, please call our office or you may download them from our web site.)
Placement tests may be required for new students.
Items to include for registration:
- *Registration Form (be sure to fill this two page form out completely and sign it)
- *Student Record Request Form (only if student has attended school previously)
- Photo-copy of Birth Certificate
- Up-to-date and signed Immunization Record, (including a new TB test and reading)
- Physical for School Entrance Exam (If first time in public school in state of Alaska)
- Photo-copy of most recent report card
- *Placement test if applicable
- Guardianship papers if applicable
- *Home Teacher Agreement Form (be sure to read before signing)
*Included with enrollment packet
You will be notified of enrollment acceptance. Upon acceptance and receipt of any necessary placement test results, curriculum materials are mailed to the student’s home.
|
Back to Top
PART-TIME ENROLLMENT
| Families in the state of Alaska are entitled to enroll their children in a public education program part-time.
Therefore, you may dual-enroll your child part-time at their local public school and part-time in a statewide correspondence study
program such as Copper River. However, you must be aware that this will cause an adjustment to the student allotment (page 16).
For each course (high school) or each hour (K-8) that your child physically attends at their local school, that school is entitled
to count them for one quarter of the funding for their education. The correspondence program would then receive the remaining funds.
For example: if your child took band at their local school and the rest of their studies from a correspondence program, their local
school would receive 25% of the funding and the correspondence program would receive the remaining 75%. Accordingly, if your child
took two classes such as band and PE at their local school, that school would receive 50% of the funding and the correspondence
program would receive the remaining 50%. This would cause a respective adjustment to the student allotment for correspondence
study materials. If you should decide to enroll your child in two different schools at anytime you must report this dual
enrollment to both schools right away. Failure to do so will jeopardize the student allotment. 50% of a student’s coursework
in correspondence is required to be core academic subjects.
|
Back to Top
Commitment
| According to state guidelines, a school year runs from July 1st through June 30th and districts align their calendars
according to these guidelines. Upon enrollment, we ask that you remain with the program for a minimum of one year in order
for us to access the state funds necessary to operate the program and provide student materials. At the time of enrollment
it is important that a student not be enrolled full time or attends another public school or correspondence/homeschool program.
If you desire to have them dual enrolled you must notify the correspondence office immediately (see part-time enrollment).
After enrollment forms have been submitted, you are asked to remove your child’s name from waiting lists of other programs.
Failure to do so may jeopardize your student’s allotment.
|
Back to Top
Withdrawal
| If you should need to withdraw your child, it is important to call
the office as soon as possible in order to keep accurate records. A
student cannot be enrolled in two programs/schools at the same time on a
full-time basis. If you withdraw your child to attend another school
during the course of the year or if your child is unable to complete the
entire year’s curriculum by the beginning of the next school year and
chooses to return to their local school, the grade level placement will
be up to the receiving school’s principal. Final grades will not be
given for incomplete work. Records will be sent to enrolling school upon
receipt of a student record request.
Upon withdrawal, all non-consumable items purchased with district
funds are to be returned to the program office.
|
Special Education
| The Copper River School District provides comprehensive educational services through the Special Education
Department to all special needs children ages 3-21 who have additional needs beyond those which can be generally met by the regular
classroom program. The Special Education programs for these children are cooperatively developed by a Child Study Team which
includes the parent/guardian as a contributing member. These teams make every effort to provide the appropriate special education
program to the child in a setting as close to his/her normal classroom as possible. If you have a child or know of one who may benefit
from any of the special education programs, please contact the office to speak with the Special Education representative.
|
| To enroll a child in the Copper River Correspondence Program who has been enrolled in Special Education
through an Individual Education Plan (IEP), whether currently receiving services or not, it is important that the parent notify
the Correspondence Office in order to go through the proper steps of enrollment lined out on the following page. This insures
that all parties are in compliance with special education laws.
|
***************************************************************************
PLEASE SEE THE FOLLOWING PAGE FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
ENROLLMENT
****************************************************************************
Cooperative Agreement Process
(4AAC 33.432)
If your child has a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) (whether currently receiving services or not) or you feel he
/she may be eligible for Special Education services, you must let the district know immediately so the proper steps can be taken
to insure the student’s needs are being met. The following process must take place before enrollment:
- Copper River School District (CRSD) initiates a meeting with the student’s local school district’s special education department or representative to review the request for alternative placement in the Correspondence Program.
- Parent participates in local school district IEP team meeting (includes CRSD representative) to discuss IEP goals, objectives, direct service, and related service needs in order to determine appropriate placement for implementing the delivery of services outlined in plan. Please note that you as a parent, and/or others you may feel are advocates for your child, are expected to be part of the IEP Team and it is the team that makes a recommendation for change in school placement.
- If correspondence school placement is recommended, the local district is responsible for the amendment and implementation of the IEP and the related services outlined in the IEP. The amended IEP is then sent to CRSD for review along with the enrollment application. Allocation of all educational funding will be determined at the IEP meeting. Student allotment will be adjusted according to this allocation.
a. In most cases direct services (speech therapy, evaluations tutoring, etc.) will be provided by your local school district.
- The local district and the Copper River Correspondence Program will work together to develop an Individual Cooperative Agreement for those students enrolling in both programs. This agreement will be based on the objectives discussed and outlined in the cooperative IEP meeting.
- The finalized agreement will be sent to the student’s local district for signature.
- The parent will be contacted by CRSD staff to review course selections or modifications.
- This process must take place before October 1st.
- If the local district and CRSD are unable to develop an Individual Cooperative Agreement for a dual enrolled student that is satisfactory to both districts, the student will be unable to enroll with CRSD. In this case, the local district will retain responsibility for the student’s education.
|
Back to Top
Promotion
| Students will promote to the next level when all requirements for
the current level have been completed. Report cards will be sent showing
this promotion.
High School promotion is as follows:
|
| 5 credits | Sophomore status |
| 11 credits | Junior status |
| 23 credits* | Graduate with Certificate of Achievement |
| 23 credits* + passing all 3 sections of the High School Graduation
Qualifying Exit Exam | Graduate with Official Diploma |
*May change to 22
Back to Top
GRADE SCALE K - 12
| Academic grades will be reported periodically. Letter grades will be used for grade levels 3-12.
These grades are then used to determine the student’s grade point average (GPA). Pass/Fail course grades are not calculated
into the GPA.
Letter grades are awarded for grades 3 – 12 as follows:
|
| A | 90 – 100% |
| B | 80 – 89% |
| C | 70 – 79% |
| D | 60 – 69% |
| F | 59% and below |
| I | Incomplete |
District staff has worked diligently to develop a performance based report card for grades K-2 and the Correspondence Program has been
working on implementing it into the program. Otherwise Excellent, Satisfactory, and Needs Improvement are still widely used for final grade
reporting.
If an independent study program has a grade scale differing from Copper River School District’s grade scale, the grades are transposed
to the scale listed above.
|
CALVERT GRADES: Calvert has their own grading system which is used until final grades are received,
at which time; the grades are transposed into CRSD’s grade scale.
GRADES ARE TRANSFERABLE: Credits and grades are transferable into the Correspondence Program if they come
from a public and/or accredited school. Grades and credits earned in correspondence are transferable to other schools in the District,
the State, and across the country. If students withdraw before finishing their courses, their cumulative permanent record card will
reflect an incomplete for all unfinished courses.
|
Back to Top
Deadlines
Students may work at their own pace provided the work is completed in a timely manner in order to be
eligible for promotion within the school year. If the office does not receive work for a student for a period of sixty (60)
days he/she could be withdrawn without further notice. If your child is not able to turn work in for some reason, the office
should be contacted with an explanation to insure the student will stay enrolled. Some curriculum options have deadlines of
their own.
SENIORS: It is strongly recommended that seniors have all exams (except finals)
sent in to any program outside the state of Alaska by March to insure all completed transcripts are received in the correspondence
office prior to graduation. If work should be returned with an incomplete or partial grade, this insures enough time for the student
to retake the exam and send it in for further grading. Once all exams receive passing grades the student is eligible to
take the final exam. This will be sent through the mail. The student is to take all finals under supervision, closed book,
after having turned in all previous exams to their home teacher. Finals should be mailed in by April 1st.
|
Back to Top
Home Teacher
All students must have a responsible adult (usually a parent or guardian) who will agree to supervise and assist
the student as his/her home teacher. The home teacher is responsible to assist the student in completing homework, supervising tests,
and returning student work for grading. Even a child who seems to be an independent worker requires supervision to observe and insure that all work is actually being completed. The home teacher needs to be continually available to provide instruction to the student. Teaching children at home by correspondence study is a full-time job. The home teacher also needs to maintain regular contact with the school office. Communication is our best ally.
Following is a list of some of the responsibilities of the home teacher:
- To have the student at the appropriate achievement testing center to participate in the mandatory testing for your area in the spring.
- To provide a regular place for the student to work.
- To be present to assist the student on a regular full-time basis in all educational study.
- To organize a study schedule that will permit the student to finish a year’s course.
- To direct and correct daily work.
- To supervise tests, students must not take tests unsupervised.
- To see that tests and exams are being sent in on a regular basis.
- To return all non-consumable items upon withdrawal.
- To notify the program office of any changes in address, telephone number, or email address.
Failure of the home teacher to abide by these responsibilities may result in the student being withdrawn
from the Copper River Correspondence Program.
Students often attempt to get home teachers or others to help them more than the home teacher should. Home teachers
should be aware that this is sometimes a natural tendency for some students and respond accordingly. In a few cases,
students have received too much help. When this situation is identified, the home teacher is notified and the student
may be required to take examinations for the courses under appointed supervision. If you have any questions about how
much help you should be giving your student, please contact the office for ideas and suggestions.
|
Back to Top
Advisory Teaching Services
| Advisory Teaching Services are required by both the state and the
district to insure academic progress of the students being served. All
approved curriculums listed in this handbook come with Advisory Teaching
Services. This means that the student will send in work and/or tests on
a periodic basis to the independent program providing the curriculum. A
teacher will be assigned to grade and comment on the student work. The
work is then returned to the Correspondence Program office for recording
at which time it is immediately returned to the student.
Students have access to their advisory teacher or counselor for
questions and concerns. In addition, students have access to an on-site
teacher for curriculum and career counseling.
Once course materials have been chosen, they are ordered and sent to
the home. Envelopes and stamps are provided for sending in all work to
the advisory teacher. Some courses can be done online which eliminates
the need for mailing and provides faster feedback. See each independent
program for information.
Monthly contact with the correspondence office must be maintained,
whether that be through tests/exams being sent in or counseling
conversations with a teacher. If you are unable to turn work in for a
period of time, it is extremely important to contact the office with an
explanation.
|
Back to Top
Placement Tests
The Calvert and Saxon math programs require a placement test and students will be placed at the level
recommended by the placement test results. Students that take placement tests need to understand that they need to take the
time to do their best on these tests, making sure that they do not make unnecessary mistakes that would place them lower than need be.
If you did not receive a placement test and are requesting one of these programs, be sure to call the correspondence office.
|
| PARENT DESIGNED PROGRAMS:
|
| For students living within the boundaries of the Copper River School
District, there is an additional option of designing your own program
with the assistance of an advisory teacher. Five meetings per year would
be held with this teacher. The first meeting would be to review and
approve the curriculum source and agree upon assessments. The remaining
four meetings would be held to determine quarter grades. A student
portfolio is kept for all student work. A district standards-based
report card is used to verify all grades. Contact the office for more
information.
|
Back to Top
Curriculum
you will need to scroll down to view the
entire curriculum section
| Knowledge is the great equalizer and curriculum is the
key. Consequently, parents and teachers have the responsibility to
provide the very best they can for their children, their students, and
our future. Since curriculum gives us the guidance we need to provide
this knowledge, we believe it has to be built on solid, sequential
academic content and scientifically solid methods of assessment.
We need to not only know what our students know, but more
importantly, what their level of need is. It is not enough to just toss
knowledge into the wind and hope it will be retrieved by our youth. Only
through valid periodic evaluation such as tests and assessments can we
know if what we are presenting is appropriate. If we don’t understand
what the student’s needs are, then what we teach may be too hard, which
can then lead to frustration. Conversely, if it is too easy, it can
often lead to boredom. Good curriculum defines the expectations, the
rigor, and the method of evaluation necessary to accomplish specific
goals and objectives.
We offer more than one curriculum and it is important that you
carefully evaluate each to insure your child’s needs are met. It is
equally important to find a program you are comfortable with in order to
maintain continuity. Alternating between various curriculums and
programs can often lead to some basic concepts being overlooked and
holes in a student’s educational foundation. If you would like
assistance in your decision you may contact our office to speak with the
correspondence advisor.
It is important to note that it is not innate ability or IQ, but
rather effort that builds knowledge. It is critical that basic
fundamentals be provided in a thorough, often repetitive, step-by-step
structured way, in order to insure a solid educational foundation.
Below is a list of curriculum materials that have been reviewed by a
curriculum committee for verification of performance standards and
approved by the Copper River School District school board.
|
|
CURRICULUM MATERIALS CURRENTLY APPROVED BY THE COPPER RIVER SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD
OF EDUCATION FOR USE IN THE CORRESPONDENCE PROGRAM
|
Program
Grade Levels |
Address & Phone |
Web Address |
American School
9-12 |
2200 East 170th
St.
Lansing, IL 60438
1-708-418-2800 |
www.americanschoolofcorr.com |
ALEKS Math
4-12 |
Online program for tutoring only |
www.aleks.com
for guest user option |
Brigham Young University
7-12 |
PO Box 2151
Provo, UT 84602-1514
1-800-914-8931 |
http://elearn.byu.edu |
Calvert
K-8 |
10713 Gilroy Road, Ste B
Hunt Valley, MD 21031
1-888-487-4652 |
www.calvertschool.org |
Keystone National High School
9-12 |
420 W. 5th Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
1-800-255-4937 |
www.keystonehighschool.com |
North Dakota
Div of Independent Study
4-12 | PO Box 5036
Fargo North Dakota 58105
1-701-231-6000 |
www.NDISonline.org |
Nebraska Independent Study
High School
9-12 | 269 Clifford Hardin
Lincoln, NE 68583-9400
1-877-243-4747 |
www.unl.edu/ISHS |
Saxon Math & Phonics
K-12 |
2450 John Saxon Blvd.
Norman, OK 73071
1-800-284-7019 |
www.saxonpublishers.com |
K12 Online
(Expanding to gr. 12)
K-8 currently |
8000 Westpark Dr., Ste 500
McLean, VA 22102
1-888-968-7512 |
www.k12.com |
|
We fully support all curriculums listed and are also willing to review new materials
on a case-by-case basis provided they come with similar teaching services as explained above.
K-8:
If you are new to teaching your child at home, we recommend the Calvert Program for grades K-8 due to the high standards
they operate by and because it is user friendly. This program comes with the entire year of books and supplies needed
to complete the course. The manual is well-scripted, complete with schedule. Of course, as the home teacher, you have
the authority to be flexible with scheduling provided the student is still able to complete the course within the school year.
A placement test is required by Calvert for grades 4-8 and will be sent with your enrollment packet. Students are placed
according to these results; therefore, it is important that a student not make unnecessary mistakes on this test.
Calvert is an advanced curriculum; therefore it is not uncommon for students to place in a lower grade than expected.
It is important not to place a student in a curriculum that may prove to be too difficult and therefore cause
the student to struggle. Placement test results are not necessarily a reflection of the student’s knowledge
or past instruction. All curriculum materials are not equal in what is taught by grade level which could
result in a student not having all the necessary instruction for a skill level taught in a certain grade level.
Students that use the Calvert curriculum starting in the early grades and moving up, prove to be well grounded
in English Language and Math skills. On the other hand, a student that enters this curriculum in the later
years may simply be lacking in some skills, hence, the importance of a placement test. Meeting the student
at their skill level, rather than just grade level, is the important concern.
Calvert curriculum comes with 160 lessons. Upon completion of 20 lessons the student does
a review and then takes a test in each subject. This test, including any additional lesson work, is then
sent to Calvert school where it is graded and returned to our office for recording. The student will be
assigned an advisory teacher with Calvert School who will review, grade and comment on all student work
for that grade level. These tests are expected to be sent in approximately every 5-6 weeks. Upon completion
of all tests, Calvert sends a transcript to the Correspondence Program office for recording. Grades are transferred
to the student’s permanent record and a copy is sent home.
9-12:
The Correspondence Study Program offers a basic comprehensive
curriculum for all students in grades 9-12. The courses are provided
through a variety of accredited high school independent study programs.
The home teacher and student, with assistance from the Correspondence
Program staff, select the desired courses from the catalogs provided
with the enrollment packet. The lessons/exams/tests are graded by
teachers at the respective independent study programs. The district’s
Correspondence Program staff monitor students’ progress and record
grades. Upon completion of a course, the final grade is recorded on a
student’s permanent transcript and a copy is sent home.
If you are new to correspondence as a high school
student, we suggest beginning with American School courses. These
courses come with a textbook and study guide. The study guide is used to
direct the coursework. The study guide usually comes with periodic
self-check tests for the student to take. Answers for these tests are
given in the back of the book; it is simply a tool for the student to
determine how well he/she is absorbing the information. At the end of
each unit is an exam. The student may take this exam open-book,
following the instructions in the study guide. These exams constitute
50% of the final grade. The exams are mailed into the American School
office where they are graded and returned to our office for recording.
Exams must have a passing grade of 75% or higher. If the exam does not
have a passing grade, it is returned to the student with a ‘partial’
grade. Instructions are given to the student listing pages to read and
questions to answer. Once the student receives passing grades on all
exams, they will be sent a final exam. The final exam is to be taken
under supervision, closed book, all in one sitting. The supervisor (home
teacher) is to send this exam to American School for grading. American
School will then send a transcript to our office with the final grade.
This grade is then entered on the student’s permanent transcript and a
copy is sent home.
North Dakota courses work in much the same way except
that lesson work is also required to be sent in for grading. All unit
tests and finals are to be taken closed book under supervision and must
be accompanied by a signed affidavit. North Dakota does have several
online courses available. Call for a current catalog or look them up
online.
American School courses come as both semester and full
credit courses. North Dakota courses all come as semester courses,
meaning both semesters would have to be ordered and completed to receive
full credit.
|
Back to Top
GRADUATION CREDIT REQUIREMENTS
Current Copper River School District graduation credit requirements are as follows:
|
CREDITS REQUIRED |
REQUIRED COURSES |
|
|
|
|
| 4 |
English |
| 3 |
Mathematics (Algebra & Geometry are strongly encouraged) |
| 3 |
Science (Physical Science and Biology are strongly encouraged) |
| 1/2 |
Alaska Studies |
| 1 |
World History |
| 1 |
United States History |
| 1/2 |
American Government |
| 1/2 |
Economics |
| 1/2 |
Physical Education |
| 1/2 |
Health |
| 1 |
Technology |
| 7 1/2 |
Electives |
23 Total credits required *
*Scheduled to change to 22 total credits (6 ½ electives) for 2005 graduation.
To receive a Diploma, students must also pass the High School
Graduation Qualifying Exit Exam. Core subject courses that are
taken beyond the number required may be taken as electives. It is highly recommended that those students who are capable should
extend their learning in these academic areas.
Back to Top Choosing High School Courses
| The high school enrollment packet should contain a sheet for planning courses for a student’s high school career.
You may download this sheet by clicking here..
If you need help with your selections, be sure to call. Students can
choose up to six full credits per year; be sure to note whether the
courses you are choosing are a half (semester) or a full unit credit. We
suggest splitting your order up into two orders so as not to overwhelm
the student at the beginning of the year. If the courses you’ve chosen
are full unit credits, the student would work more intensely in fewer
subjects at a time. When the student is close to completing the current
work, you must call the office to notify them that you are ready for the
second order to be placed. It can take up to a month, at the most, to
receive books depending on the schedule. Often it only takes a couple
weeks to receive books.
Additional courses may be considered on an individual basis for
students who are behind or who may show exceptional academic progress,
provided there is sufficient funding in the student’s allotment. |
Back to Top Work Experience
| Students can earn as much as three elective credits toward their high school diploma under
the Work Experience Program. The work must be done through an approved employer and the student must complete the requirements
of the Credit for Work Experience plan. A student can earn up to one full credit over the course of a school year for a minimum
of 160 hours, or ½ credit for 80 hours per semester. One full credit can also be earned over the summer for the same hour requirements.
The student must be in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade to participate in this program and enroll within four weeks of the beginning
of the semester, or before the school year ends for summer employment. The student must be enrolled in the program prior to the hours
being earned. If you are interested in this program, please request a Credit for Work Experience plan by calling or emailing the
correspondence office.
|
Back to Top Career Planning
Students should always be considering their long-range career plans when choosing high school courses. If you need help with this, you may call the office for assistance.
Juniors and Seniors can contact the office or the guidance counselor directly at 907-822-5286 to receive information on college entrance testing. Correspondence students are tested at the same time as other district students. College placement tests that students regularly take are: PSAT, SAT, and ACT. You can check with the district guidance counselor for any other tests that may be required by colleges that your student may be considering. These tests are given at different times throughout the year at many high schools across the state. It may be that your local high school offers them. You can call your local school to find out the schedule and how to sign up or access the information online from
www.collegeboard.com. A student does not have to be attending the school where they plan to take the test; however, the student must have a school number to register for the test. Call to get this number.
SCHOLARSHIPS: These are available through the correspondence office or through the
guidance counselor at 907-822-5286. The Correspondence Program must
be the student’s school of record for all scholarships. If the student is dual enrolled in two schools, the school
of record must be decided by the beginning of the senior year.
|
Back to Top
Dual Credit College / High School Courses
| The Correspondence Program accepts credits from students that take college courses.
Normally three college credits transfer into one half high school unit of credit. This can be a great way
for students to get a jump on earning college credits. If you are considering this option, you need to contact
the office for prior approval. |
Back to Top
Graduation
Correspondence students are welcome to come to Glennallen to participate in the local high
school graduation ceremony. If you would like to consider this option, it is important to notify the office at the
beginning of the senior year so the proper planning can take place. The student will need information on ordering announcements,
cap, and gown for the local ceremony. Upon completion of all needed course work and documentation, the Correspondence Director
will start the procedure for the graduating student to receive their diploma in a timely manner. If a student chooses not
to participate in a ceremony, diplomas are sent through the mail.
SENIORS: It is strongly recommended that seniors have all exams
(except finals) sent in to any program outside the state of Alaska by March to insure all completed
transcripts are received in the correspondence office prior to graduation. If work should be returned
with an incomplete or partial grade, this insures enough time for the student to retake the exam and send
it in for further grading. Once all exams receive passing grades the student is eligible to take the final exam.
This will be sent through the mail. The student is to take all finals under supervision, closed book, after
having turned in all previous exams to their home teacher. Finals should be mailed in by April 1st.
EARLY GRADUATION: A student who wishes to graduate in a period of less
than eight (8) semester attendance periods in a secondary school (9-12), must obtain approval from the
Copper River School District Board of Education.
Early graduates having never attained senior status, via the eight (8) semester rule,
are ineligible for senior graduation honors.
In order to be considered for early graduation, a
student must present to the Superintendent a written request for early graduation signed by the
student and the student’s parents(s) or guardian(s). This request will be considered at the first
meeting of the Board immediately following the request. A decision on the request will not be
rendered until the second meeting of the Board following the request.
(Above policy adopted through the CRSD Jr./High School Student Handbook)
HONORS: Salutatorian and Valedictorian honors will be decided on a case-by-case
basis for all dual enrolled students that are enrolled in two schools their senior year. |
Back to Top
Achievement Testing
All students in the state of Alaska, in grades three through high school, are required to take mandated
achievement tests each year. Testing sites will be set up in each major area. This gives parents, students, staff, and administration
information about the student’s progress in comparison to other students nationally. Test results are sent to the home as soon
as they are received.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION QUALIFYING EXIT EXAM: Sophomores start
taking this exam during the spring of their sophomore year. This test is required, along with fulfilling all credit requirements,
in order to earn a diploma. The test is given in three sections; Reading, Writing, and Math, one per day.
Students that do not pass one or all sections of the exam will be given the opportunity to take that section again every
fall and spring of every year until all sections have been passed. There are no make-up dates provided for this test.
If they miss the test date, they must wait until the next time it is offered.
Students that fulfill the credit requirements, but do not pass one or all of the sections of this exam,
will receive a certificate of achievement and will be eligible to receive a diploma upon taking and passing all sections.
Once this exam is passed, there are no other required tests.
DATES: These tests are normally given in the spring.
You can call for the exact dates. Information is sent out in all letters from the Correspondence Office so be watching
these letters for important information.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
In order for the Correspondence Program to meet what is called Annual Yearly Progress (AYP), the attendance requirement must be met. This means 95% of the age appropriate students must be tested. It is advised that you mark these dates on your calendar so as not to plan trips, doctor appointments, activities, etc. during the week of testing. Only documented emergencies will be considered with the office being notified as soon as possible.
SAMPLE TESTS: Sample tests are available on the State of Alaska web site at: www.eed.state.ak.us/tls/assessment/
Failure to be present for achievement testing will jeopardize the student allotment. |
Back to Top
Allotment
All students are provided with a student allotment of $1800.00 set up as an educational account
to be used in accordance with the educational plan. Enrolling more than one family member allows funding to be set up
as a family account. This means that funds can be transferred from one family member to another as needed.
GUIDELINES:
- The school district purchases the student’s curriculum materials and deducts the
cost from the allotment.
- At least one half of the allotment must be used for the student’s core academic program.
- Remaining funds may be used for supplemental materials,
academic activities, tutoring services, checking out a computer, or Internet service.
- Funds may not be used for;
- Yearly, monthly, or seasonal health
club dues, memberships, passes or punch cards.
- Private or group lessons offered by an organization, academy, ski resort, or club.
- Family travel or activities associated with family trips.
- Religious, partisan, sectarian, or denominational textbooks or other curriculum materials.
- Services provided by a family member.
- Part-time enrolled student allotments will be adjusted accordingly.
- Allotment is available from July 1st through June 30th.
- Remaining funds do not rollover to the following year.
- All receipts must be turned in by May 15th for the current school year (Approved tutoring is the only exception to this rule).
- Receipts for previous years are not accepted.
- All non-consumable items are to be returned to the district upon completion of use or upon withdrawal from the program. Therefore, it is expected that students will treat these items with respect and keep them in good shape.
- New students should be well into their program studies before requesting funds for supplemental items. Time is needed to observe and assess what may actually be needed to supplement the current curriculum so as not to overwhelm the student with too many materials to complete or too many activities that could subtract from the student’s academic program.
Prior approval and good academic standing is required for the following supplemental purchases:
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: If you should find that your student needs supplies or educational
materials there are two ways to fund these:
If you would like to order supplies from a catalog, you can request a
Requisition Letter along with a
Requisition Form to be filled out completely and send it in to the Correspondence Office.
The order will be placed through the CRSD business office and the items will be sent directly to your home. You will need to let
the office know when you receive the items. The office does not pay these invoices until all items have been received.
If you purchase the items yourself, you can request a
Reimbursement Form to be filled out and sent in with the original store receipt. Directions are on the form.
Supplemental items that are not approved include:
- Bigger equipment such as telescopes, aquariums, fax machines etc.
- Music instruments, physical education equipment or uniforms.
Be sure to get prior approval for any major purchases.
Used books and software may be available from the Correspondence office for a small rental fee so you may want to check with the office before purchasing an item. Lists of these items are generally sent out in the fall.
TUTORING: Some students can benefit greatly from tutoring. Allotment funds can be used to help with the financing for academic subjects only. The parent is in charge of finding an available tutor. Request the
Tutoring Parent Letter along with the Tutoring Forms to be filled out by the tutor and mailed into the office for payment. Payment for tutoring differs in that the tutor should bill the district after services have been rendered. How often the tutor sends in a bill is up to you and him/her. They must turn in a resume’, one letter of reference, a W-9, and a copy of his/her teaching certificate if applicable. These bills may be turned in as late as June 30th. Family members may not be paid for services.
COMPUTERS: If you are interested in checking out a computer, they are purchased from Dell and sent directly to your home. The computers come with a three year warranty from Dell and all service is to be provided through Dell. The district is not responsible for damage, maintenance, or service of computers. A $200 non-refundable deposit is required along with signature on a check-out form before computers are ordered. The student allotment is then charged $500/year for desktops or $600/year for laptops for a two year period. At the end of the two years, the computers are retired and you would receive written notification remitting ownership to you. If you should need to withdraw your child before the two years are up, it is expected that you would return the computer or remit the additional $500/$600 due. Computers are to remain in your home and are not to be loaned out to friends or family. They are for the student’s educational needs only. One computer is allowed for every two children per family enrolled in the program. A new computer may be purchased through this plan once every 3 years. Desktops are recommended over laptops as they are faster, hold more, and last longer. Virus protection is strongly recommended. The Correspondence Program will not be responsible for loss due to virus invasion. Printers are not provided; however, the district will allow up to $100.00
reimbursement
from the student allotment towards the purchase of a printer. To be reimbursed for this purchase, request a Reimbursement Form to be filled out and turned in with the original store receipt after being sure there are sufficient funds in the student allotment.
INTERNET: Internet subscription for up to 9 months is reimbursable under the allotment. Request the Reimbursement Form
to be filled out and turned in with
either a receipt or copies of the monthly billing. Copper River School District is not responsible for information accessed over the Internet.
All forms, except computer forms, can also be found on the forms page
of this Web-site:
CLOSING
If you have further questions, the office is open Monday through Friday throughout the year for assistance. We look forward to the opportunity to serve the educational needs of your family and hope to be hearing from you soon.
All statutory or regulative changes
enacted after publication of this handbook shall be added as addenda.
|
Back to Top
|
