Policies, Grading, Procedures, Academic Remediation

1. Google Classroom: All classwork will be submitted on google classroom. You may upload work from your google drive or take a picture of the written work from paper with your signature on it. Grading will be performed on google classroom, but your official grade in the classroom is found on Infinite Campus (IC) which includes all the grading categories, such as assessments and participation marks.

2. Webassign: You will have online homework assignment(s) each week, done primarily on WebAssign. The assignments will close at 11:59 PM on the date due. You are welcome to ask for additional time via email, and I will often reopen the assignment for completion at 10% prorated penalty for uncompleted work, and only prior to the testing date for the unit of study. 

3. You will also be expected to read each Chapter in the textbook its entirety unless told otherwise. A detailed guide of covered chapters is found on AP Chemistry Pacing Calendar Page. You will have access to an eTextbook, but older edition physical texts are available for checkout.

4. Assessments will be given on a regular basis, which are posted on the Pacing Calendar (see sidebar). Remediation on assessments is provided so students may raise their grade up a full letter grade, at a maximum of 74%, except for the final exam. Students who earn above a 74% are not eligible for raising their scores. Exams are normalized if the instructor approves. The instructor reserves the full right to determine the remediation work and whether to restore any or deny remediation credit based on the evaluation of the student work. 

5. Labs will be performed regularly and will coincide with content covered in each chapter. Reports shall be written for grades on all lab activities for credit. Simply performing labs will not yield any credit until a report is submitted. Students may share only the lab data, and all other synthesized work for a lab report must be their original and their own work. 

6. Absent students are expected to participate with coursework using the online resources which are updated each class period. The resources from this class are made accessible through the google site . It is your responsibility to stay current.

   • Tests are announced in advance and are expected to be taken upon the day you return if you are absent excused on a testing day.

   • Labs need to be made up within one week of the original lab day.  

   • For unexcused absences, the work cannot be made up; you will receive a zero for the assignment for that day. This includes tests, labs, or classwork.

7. Extension Requests: Students may request an extension for any work that is due, only prior to the day it is expected to be turned in, without penalty. All extension requests must be done through email by 11:59pm the day before something is due. Late work will receive deductions based on the instructor's judgement of the circumstances. A full letter grade deduction or up to half credit are the typical range of deductions.

8. Late Work: Late work is accepted. A deduction will be assessed unless an extension request was approved. Deductions are based on instructor discretion, starting at 10% for minor delays and escalating from there. You must email the instructor with a request to grade any late work, please include the assignment number and description in the email.

9. Cheating, violations of the student-code, or any dishonest conduct will result in a zero mark and administrative referral. AI may assist your learning, but submitting work generated by AI is not your own and will be considered cheating.

10. Difficulty in AP Chemistry: If you are having difficulty in the course, please arrange for a time to come in and see me so we can assess your study methods and skills. As the instructor, it is my job to assist and advise students on how to better perform in the classwork, as AP Chemistry is an extremely difficult course. Please understand that ultimately, it is the responsibility of the student to master content and perform to the AP standards.

11. AP Chemistry goes all the way up to "11" when most classes only go to "10" at the loudest. And most classes don't even rock that hard. AP Chemistry has been known to cause spontaneous combustion in a person. The drummer of the band Spinal Tap is a perfect example of this effect. See picture taken from the movie Spinal Tap for clarification on what it means to go to "11".

12. Cell phones of students will be placed into the bag at the front of the classroom once they enter the room. Failure to place the actual working phone into the bag is a violation (don't place a case or burner phone into the bag while keeping your real phone) and will result in administration referral. Once students complete work to the satisfaction of the instructor, students may gather their phone from their bag in the final moments of class. Students are responsible for the security of their phones in the bag and must understand they are considered to be in their own possession when in the bag.

Regarding Testing:

• 1. A missed test or quiz due to an excused absence will be administered the day you return unless extenuating circumstances exist. If extenuating circumstances occur, please email me to provide basic explanations so that conversations are kept private regarding your personal business. I will grant postponements or exemptions for proper circumstances such as family emergencies.

  2. Unexcused absences will result the failure of the exam. A student may perform test corrections in order to earn a 60% as the maximum score.

  3. If a student is absent the day prior to a test or quiz, the student will take the test on the scheduled day. Classes prior to testing are reserved for catching up and studying for the exam and minimal or no new information will be covered. Absent students can access all the review materials on google classroom and are expected to prepare for the exam. 

  4. If a student is absent two consecutive classes prior to the exam, the student will test the second class after their return. This will allow for the student to learn the missed material and then study for the exam.

  5. If a student refuses to take an exam, the score will be a zero. An opportunity to perform test corrections with a maximum score of 60% can be earned.

LATE WORK SUBMISSIONS

Late Work Submission Policy: After you submit your late work to your google classroom (GC) account, please email the teacher at jbehrmann@lps.k12.co.us and include in the title of the email "LATE WORK". Please include the assignment(s) number(s) and name(s), and your class period in the email. Once I receive the email, it may take up to 5-business days to update the late work scores.  

Grading Categories:

~Webassign/Homework/Classwork - 15%

~ Labs and Reports - 25%

~ Exams - 60%

Grading Scale

A = 100%-90% 

B = 89%-80% 

C = 79%-70% 

D = 69%-60% 

F = 59% and lower

Scores are rounded to the closest integers in final marks. Yes, this means I will round scores up.