Syllabus | 2023-24
Objectives
Provide all students the opportunity to receive additional support within the school day including: reteaching, test preparation, and retesting or any academic support teachers feel is important to learning.
Students will implement and monitor their Education Development Plan via Xello.
Students will monitor their own learning through goal setting, grade checks, and personal reflections.
Students will explore various topics to enrich their learning, help prepare them for their future, and engage in their school community. These topics include: career exploration, college exploration, test preparation, inquiry-based learning, literacy growth, mental health, school climate, etc.
Course Requirements
Students will receive academic support during Seminar time from their teachers.
Students will implement and monitor their Education Development Plan via Xello to create goals, explore careers and/or explore colleges.
Students will monitor their academic progress by completing a monthly grade check and a semester reflection.
Students will choose from or be assigned various other activities to expand their knowledge base and to prepare them for college entrance exams and state testing via a menu of options..
Attendance is required.
The Menu
To ensure that students meet the objectives and fulfill the requirements of Seminar, students choose from a “menu” of options for how to use Seminar. Students are expected to choose one or more of the following options for each of the two WAVES of the Seminar period:
Requests: Student/teacher logs a request for a one-on-one or a small group academic support experience. Students visit their teacher's classroom during the Seminar period at designated release times.
EDP: Students engage in a personalized implementation of their state-mandated, four-year Educational Development Plan. Each semester, students will explore various elements in the plan to help prepare them for their future--course schedules, career/college exploration and planning, test preparation, etc.
Course Work: Students can work on formative coursework and get caught up on homework, read, or prepare individually for upcoming assignments/tests. Additionally, students may focus on enrichment opportunities within their current schedule.
Khan Academy & SAT: Students can access this resource for independent learning, remediation, and preparation for the PSAT/SAT. Just six hours spent with Khan Academy is associated with an average 90 point increase on the SAT. Students may also take advantage of resources on a number of subjects and areas of interest.
Enrichment: Students can elect to participate in enrichment and wellbeing activities and events related to wellness, preparing for college, career readiness skills and the skills needed to be prepared for life after high school.
Navigating Your Seminar Folder
Each student has a Seminar folder which stays in the Seminar classroom or can be housed electronically, depending on their seminar teacher's preference. The folder contains the syllabus, forms that corresponds to the monthly progress check/semester reflection, as well as forms for EDP, and Khan Academy. Students are expected to use these forms to document and self-report their Seminar Menu choice and progress related to that choice. These forms are the evidence for how a students spends their time in Seminar. Students are expected to update their forms when appropriate.
Grading
Seminar is a ¼ credit pass/fail course per semester.
In order to pass, students need an 80% or higher in the course.
Student progress is tracked in three areas: Monthly Goal Setting (34%), Monthly Grade Check (33%), EDP (Xello) completion, and Final Reflection (33%).
Monthly Grade Check/Goal Setting: Students will track their own class performance and identify areas where they need academic support. Students will also indicate how they will use each wave of Seminar and set a goal for each wave.
Monthly Progress Check :
The Monthly Progress Check is based on the student grade check and goal setting.
Teachers have the option to check that students are progressing on Seminar choices, including Naviance, Khan Academy, and other options that occur throughout the semester.
Xello: Students will complete specific Xello activities prior to the end of each semester to complete their Educational Development Plan. Students will keep track of their weekly progress and overall progress will be checked by the Seminar teacher and noted in Infinite Campus.
Final Reflection: A required final reflection essay serves as the final exam for Seminar.