Part 1 Academics
            Academic Dishonesty
            Accreditation
            AIDS and Sexuality Curriculum Inspection
            Eligibility for Activities and Athletics
          Extended Learning Opportunities
            Grading Scale
            Homework/Make-up
            Parent Teacher Conferences
            Progress and Report Cards

Part 2 Attendance
            Check In/Check Out
            Absences
            Release of Students During School
            Truancy

PART 1
ACADEMICS

Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty, cheating or plagiarism, is not acceptable. Cheating includes sharing or copying another student’s work, such as homework, class work, test answers, as one’s own. Plagiarism is the use of another person’s original ideas or writing without giving credit to the true author. A student who engages in any form of academic dishonesty will be subject to the loss of credit for the work in question, as well as other disciplinary measures.

Accreditation
The state Department of Education grants accreditation to the schools in Kansas that meet at least the minimum requirements for accreditation. USD # 270 schools are accredited through the Quality Performance Accreditation process.

AIDS and Sexuality Curriculum Inspection
The human sexuality and AIDS curriculum is available for inspection from the building principal. A parent or guardian may use the district opt-out provision to remove the student from some portion or all of human sexuality and AIDS classes included in the district’s required curriculum. To receive information on the opt-out provision, contact the principal’s office.

Eligibility for Activities and Athletics
A student, to be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities, must be certified by the school principal as meeting all eligibility standards set forth by the Kansas State High School Activities Association. All KSHSAA rules and regulations are available in detail online at www.kshsaa.org. The KSHSAA requires that students be in good standing and passing at least five subjects. Schools may require more stringent guidelines for eligibility.

Additionally, at USD #270 all students must pass all classes and SIP to be eligible to participate in school activities. Including; athletic teams, FCCLA, FFA, Cheerleading, Dance Team, All-School Play and journalism contests. Eligibility will be determined weekly on Monday, unless the beginning of the grading period falls on Wednesday or after. In that case the last weekly eligibility will carry over until at least one full week of classes has occurred. A student who has a failing grade will be placed on academic probation for one week to bring up that grade. If a student is not successful in bringing up the grade to a passing status, they will become ineligible until the grade is passing. The “ineligibility” status runs from Tuesday 12:01 a.m. through Monday night at 11:59 p.m.

A student must be at school all day in order to participate in activities and practices for activities. Only exceptions will be funerals and scheduled appointments.

Extended Learning Opportunities

School Board Policy AEB may extend or modify a student’s school year, by requiring a student to attend before/after school tutoring, Saturday school, summer sessions, and/or school day remedial sessions (i.e. recess or lunch time). Truancy laws, suspension and expulsion policies and laws, and student behavior codes apply during extended academic sessions.

Grading Scale
As determined by the teacher and based on the scale as listed, with teachers determining the level of difficulty and mastery in each area.

A+       =          100%                           A          =          99-91%
A-        =          90                                B+       =          89
B          =          88-81                           B-        =          80
C+       =          79                                C         =          78-71
C-        =          70                                D+       =          69
D         =          68-61                           D-        =          60
F          =          59 & below

Homework/Make-up
Students are expected to complete homework assignments or make-up work as required by teachers and approved by the principal. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain make-up assignments from teachers following an excused or unexcused absence. Unless special arrangements are made by the student with the teacher, make up work is to be completed by allowing one day make up for each day absent plus one day. Example: a student misses school on Monday, returns on Tuesday and has an assignment. The assignment will be due on Thursday. Teachers have the discretion of assigning a consequence for any work not completed in the time allotted. Make-up work for absences that are known of in advance, such as trips out of town, appointments, and school activities should be arranged with the teacher in advance.

Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parents and students are encouraged to request a conference with teachers at any time convenient to all parties. Scheduled parent conference dates may be found on the school calendar. It is important the school and the parents work together for the best education of each student.

Progress and Report Cards
Progress reports may be sent to parents at any time. Formal reports in writing shall be made to parents following the end of each established grading period. Parents and students are encouraged to monitor the student’s progress on Power School as well.

PART 2
ATTENDANCE
Kansas State Law requires all students to attend school until they are 18 years of age unless parents of 16 and 17 year old students allow them to drop out. When a student is inexcusably absent for three consecutive days, for five or more days per semester or, seven unexcused absences per year, such a student will be considered truant. A significant part of a school day shall be an hour or more. A truant shall be reported to SRS or the county attorney. Students are expected to be in each of their assigned classes daily except in cases of emergency or for the following reasons: doctor or dental appointments, personal illness, illness in the family, death of a relative, or for other reasons contact the school office personnel to notify of the absence.

Check In/Check Out

Students who have to leave the building during the school day MUST have their parent’s or guardian’s permission and they MUST report to the school office and sign out before leaving the building. Failure to receive permission and sign out in the office before leaving will be considered an unexcused absence.
Parents/guardians may not excuse student who leave during the school day after the absence has occurred. All excuses must be cleared through the school office PRIOR to the student leaving campus.
Students who become ill or have an accident during the school hours should report to the nurse’s office or office if the nurse is unavailable. No student who checks out during the school day for illness will be eligible to participate in any extra curricular activity/practice that day.
Students must check in when arriving at school after the beginning of the school day.
Student’s refusal to sign in/out may be counted as an unexcused absence and subject to the school discipline code.
Students will not be permitted to checkout to their vehicles during the school day.

Absence

Process outcome I, indicator 4, of the Kansas School Improvement Process states: “Schools will increase or maintain a high student attendance rate.”

Regular attendance is the responsibility of the student and parent.

Absences will either be excused or unexcused depending on the reason for the absences. Excused absences include emergencies, doctor or dental appointments, personal illness, illness in the family, or death of a relative. All other situations must have pre-approval of the principal. The building principal will make the final decision as to whether an absence is excused or unexcused.

Students who are absent should have their parents call the school by 8:15 a.m. on the day they are absent. To arrange a pre-excused absence, parents should call the office in advance of the absence. Students are to notify teacher(s) of planned absences and collect homework. Parents who have not called the school will be called at home or at work as soon as possible after the reported absence.

Students must attend each class period or a school approved activity a minimum of 90% of days school is in session. When a student has accumulated ten or more absences in one or more of his/her classes, he/she will be required to attend an Attendance Review Panel. The number of allowable absences for the 2008-2009 school year is nine each semester. Review will be made as soon as the student has accumulated ten or more absences.

An Attendance Review Panel of teachers and administrators will evaluate all the student’s absences, not just absences in excess of 90%, to determine if extenuating circumstances existed. All absences except school business, pre-approved college visits, and suspensions will count as “absent from school”. At the review the parent will be required to document reasons for the absences. The Attendance Review Panel will need doctor notes stating the dates the student was seen in his/her office. At the end of the attendance review, if the panel feels not all absences are excusable, the student will be assigned detentions until the time is made up. If a student does not attend detention then he/she will be subject to suspension.

Release of Students During School
Students shall not be released during the school day except upon a written or verbal request from the student’s parent or guardian. Before releasing a student during the school day, the school office personnel shall verify the identity of the person seeking release of the student. If the principal/or school office personnel are not satisfied with the identification provided by the person seeking release of a student, the student’s release may be refused.

Each student has the responsibility to arrive at school and to each class on time
Students who arrive in class 15 or more minutes after the class begins will be counted as an unexcused absence for the entire class period.
A student who arrives at school after the 8:15 bell MUST check in through the office.
Students tardy to other classes should receive a slip from the excusing teacher explaining the delay in order to be excused.

Truancy
The building principal shall report students who are inexcusably absent from school to the appropriate authority. Truancy is defined as any three consecutive unexcused absences, any five unexcused absences in a semester or seven unexcused absences in a school year, whichever comes first. Students who are absent for a significant part of any school day shall be considered truant. If a truant child is returned to school by a law enforcement official, the principal shall notify the parent or guardian.