Academy Handbook and Code of Conduct

PREAMBLE

We, the students of the Deptford High School Academy Programs, subscribe to the high standards of conduct in an educational setting. DHS Academy students join the faculty and administration in accepting personal and collective responsibility for maintaining standards of professionalism, including honesty, integrity, respect, and accountability, which are essential attributes to being a college and career ready student. Abiding by these principles begins on the first day of our academy in 9^th or 10^th grade. Although students are expected to act in an appropriate manner at all times while on the campus of Deptford High School, we, the students of the Academy Programs, expect to act appropriately at all times and to set an example to the rest of the school and district. The following code provides specific guidelines that all students in the academies are expected to review and to abide by at all times. Students will be required to sign an agreement acknowledging that they have read and understood the following Student Code of Conduct. This Student Code of Conduct will be used by school administrators when evaluating a student’s performance or any deviations from expected behavior. Any actions that violate the Academies Student Code of Conduct, could result in dismissal from their academy. This Student Code of Conduct serves as the student’s warning.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Each student must demonstrate integrity and honesty in all academic matters.
Each student must be aware of and abide by all Deptford High School policies, rules, procedures and standards, both general and academic.
Each student must truthfully represent his/her work and the work of others.
Each student must demonstrate respect in all interactions with faculty, staff, students, and all other members of the school and community.
Each student must demonstrate respect for property at all times.
Each student must take responsibility to assess his/her own actions and the actions of others and report violations of this Student Code of Conduct to a member of the academy staff or administration.
In a situation where it is unclear whether an individual’s conduct is unprofessional, it is a student’s responsibility to seek clarification from a member of the high school administration and supervisor of the academies.

I. EXAMPLES OF VIOLATIONS OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

CHEATING occurs when an individual misrepresents his/her mastery of the subject matter or assists another to do the same. Instances of cheating include, but are not limited to:

1. Copying another's work and submitting it as one's own on an examination, paper or other assignment;

2. Allowing another to copy one's work;

3. Using unauthorized materials during an assessment or activity such as a textbook, notes, or any electronic devices.

4. Collaborating with another individual by giving or receiving unauthorized information during an examination or evaluation.

5. Reproducing or distributing unauthorized information about an examination or evaluation.

6. Changing, altering, or falsifying a graded examination, completed evaluation, grade report form or transcript.

7. Taking an exam for another or allowing another to take an exam for oneself.

8. Sharing of answers or assignments via electronic platforms with another student (Google Drive, student z-drives, email, etc.).

PLAGIARISM is an act whereby an individual represents someone else's words, ideas, or data, whether oral, in print or in electronic form as his/her own work. This includes internet and web-based resources. Examples include, but are not limited to:

1. Using the exact words of another source without quotations and appropriate referencing;

2. Using the ideas, opinions, data or theories of another without a reference, even if completely paraphrased;

3. Using charts, diagrams, and/or any image from another source without revision, permission from the author and/or appropriate referencing.

Any student caught cheating or plagiarizing:

First offense – 0 on assignment or assessment (with NO make-up). Immediate academic probation.
Second offense – dismissal from respective academy.

STANDARDS FOR BEHAVIOR (taken from the Deptford High School Student Agenda)

Students are required to attend school and arrive on time. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

Truancy Lateness to class or school
Cutting class Leaving school without permission

Students are required to conduct themselves in an orderly manner to and from school and on school premises. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

Vandalism/Graffiti Smoking
Misuse of school equipment Stealing
Fighting Possession of Smoking paraphernalia
Extortion Assault
Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying
Misconduct going to, from, or at the bus stop, or on school grounds

Students are required by New Jersey Law to adhere to the authority of their teachers in and out of school. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

Disrespect
Threatening a staff member
Assaulting a staff member
Foul language directed towards a staff member
Insubordination (refusing to submit to the authority of a staff member)
Failure to serve a teacher’s detention or an administrative detention.

Students are required to take the appropriate steps to pass all of their classes and to respect the rights of other students to learn. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

Unprepared for class
Cheating and/or copying
Disrespect towards a staff member
Not doing school work or homework
Disrupting class or other activity (including study hall, cafeteria, etc.)

Students are required to follow all other school rules and regulations. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

Bomb Threats
Foul language, vulgar or improper remarks
False Alarms
Possession of a weapon
ID card violation
Pornographic material
Possession of laser pointer
Dress code violation
Public display of affection
Electronic devices /cell phones in school (without teacher or administration authorization).
Driving violation (unauthorized parking or unauthorized passenger, etc.)
Possession of dangerous substance paraphernalia or look-a-like including trafficking or being under the influence.
Any act that endangers yourself or others (includes straws-toothpicks in the mouth)

Students are required to be respectful of their learning environment in each classroom. Examples of Inappropriate Behavior:

· Damaging classroom furniture (tables, chairs, stools), desktop or laptop computers

· Leaving gum, writing on or producing graffiti on furniture, floors, walls, and/or computers.

Students will also be required to pay for any damages to any property of the school, academy or other students’ property.

Possible Consequences Disciplinary action will be taken for inappropriate behavior (consistent with due process) and may include any of the possible consequences stated. In appropriate cases, discipline will be progressive – taken into account prior misconduct and consequences. The administration has the right to review all infractions on a case by case situation. Parents and students will be liable for illegal behavior by a student. When an unlawful act does occur, prosecution for illegal behavior will be to the fullest extent of the law.

Dismissal from their respective academy
Loss of good student standing
Loss of driving privilege
Reprimand Payment for damaged property
Parent Conference
Detention
Class Suspension
Educational Accommodation Program
Twilight Program - Expulsion
External Suspension
In-School Suspension
Spartan Period Detention

BEHAVIOR PROBATION

The high school and academy administration reserves the right to determine if the student remains in their respective academy or be dismissed based on the severity of their actions that violate the high school and academy student code of conduct. The code of conduct and handbook serves as the students warning concerning their actions and consequences.

If a student were to remain in their respective academy after an infringement upon the school or academy codes of conduct, the student will be placed on behavior probation. A student will remain on behavior probation for 45 school days. Students will be taken off of behavior probation if they do not infringe upon the academy code of conduct. If a student does infringe upon the code of conduct under the behavior probation, the student will be dismissed from their respective academy at the end of the school year.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ACADEMIES

Academy of Engineering and Computer Science

1^st Year

Students will:

Sign up for STEM Premier Access
http://www.stempremier.com/
- It is like a Linked-In for HS STEM students
- Update their STEM Premier Portfolio Quarterly
STEM Premier Portfolio is for college applications
- Colleges you are interested in applying to will see all the work you have done throughout the 4 years in the academy
Take the AutoCAD Certification Exam
- Exam and certification is paid for by the high school
- Looks great on college and job applications

2^nd Year

Sign up for AP-PLTW Student Recognition Program (or the 1^st year the student takes an AP Course in the following content):
https://www.apandpltw.org/
Engineering
- AP Biology
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Chemistry
- AP Physics
- AP Statistics

Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Nursing Allied Health

1^st Year

Students will:

Sign up for STEM Premier Access
http://www.stempremier.com/
- It is like a Linked-In for HS STEM students
- Update their STEM Premier Portfolio Quarterly
STEM Premier Portfolio is for college applications
- Colleges you are interested in applying to will see all the work you have done throughout the 4 years in the academy

2^nd Year

Students will:

Sign up for AP-PLTW Student Recognition Program (or the 1^st year the student takes an AP Course in the following content):
https://www.apandpltw.org/
Biomedical Sciences
- AP Biology
- AP Chemistry

Spartan School of Business

1^st Year

Join FBLA
- Actively participate in activities and events
Complete 40 SSB Points – see SSB Agreement

Subsequent Years

Maintain point expectations of the Spartan School of Business Agreement

ACADEMIC PROBATION

Students must meet the requirement of a “C” average in their overall GPA and Academy courses. If a student fails to meet this requirement, the student will be put on academic probation.

Students’ grades will be evaluated at the end of each marking period.
Students in danger of being put on academic probation will be notified in person by Mrs. Gambale, any of their teachers in their academy, or by their guidance counselor.
Students will only be placed on academic probation at the end of the school year. Students and parents will be notified in writing if they will be put on academic probation.
If a student fails a class in any academy, they will need to retake the course while they are placed on academic probation. This will make it very challenging for students to meet all of their requirements for their academy.
If a student does not improve their academic standing by the end of the school year of their academic probation, they will be dismissed from their respective academy.

WITHDRAWING OR TRANSFERRING FROM ACADEMY

Withdrawal from Academy - Students who do not wish to participate in their respective academy any longer need to complete the withdrawal procedures (withdrawal procedures can occur at any point in school year but changes will not take place until following school year). Students are required to complete their course until the end of the school year as high school graduation credits may be on the line. Procedures for withdrawing from an academy:

Meet with guidance counselor to discuss and determine the reason for the withdrawal.
Complete and return “Withdrawal from Academy Form” with parent signature to guidance department.
Discuss with guidance counselor the next steps in selecting your high school courses and 4-year outlook.

Transferring to another academy – student can transfer to another academy but this transfer can only take place by the end of 9^th grade. No students will be accepted into an academy for a transfer (or as a new student) after the start of their 10^th grade year. Procedures for transferring to another academy:

Students must complete an application for their new academy of choice
Student will be placed into selection pool along with the other students that applied for their newly desired academy. This includes incoming 9^th grade students, school choice students, and transfer students. Student is NOT automatically selected. Student must go through application process like the other students applying for that academy.
If student is selected for new academy, the student must withdraw from their previous academy following the same procedures listed above.

EOC EXAM IN GRADEBOOK

Students enrolled in the PLTW courses are required to take the End of Course (EoC) exam for their respective PLTW courses. Students’ performance on the exam will be monitored by PLTW and by prospective colleges via the STEM Premier account. Students’ performance on the EoC exam will also be graded and entered into the gradebook for their respective class. Students’ performance will be entered into the gradebook (as a full test/project grade in the 4^th marking period).

*If a student fails the EoC exam and subsequently fails the course, they will NOT continue on with their academy.

COLLEGE COURSES/CREDITS

(Students are not required to take college courses or apply for college credits. The opportunities are there for students to take courses at a high school discounted rate. Students should inquire with future colleges and majors to determine if the college credits are transferable or accepted).

Courses approved for dual credit at Rowan College at Gloucester County (RCGC)

Academy of Engineering and Computer Science

AutoCAD (taught by Ms. Sukumar) – RCGC Course – DFT 103

Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Nursing/Allied Health

Advanced Anatomy and Physiology (taught by Ms. Egner) – RCGC Course – BIO 105
Medical Terminology (taught by Ms. Canobbio) – RCGC Course - ALH 102
Biomedical Ethics (taught by Ms. Canobbio) – RCGC Course – PHI 106
Customized Articulation Program
- Human Body Systems
- Biomedical Innovations

Procedures for earning college credit:

Dual Credit – AutoCAD, Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, Biomedical Ethics:

Students will need to submit the application/registration form with payment ($125 per course) to RCGC – the application/registration form can be found on the Academies website or in the guidance department
Student must then earn a B or better in the course to receive college credit.
Once a final HS transcript is submitted to RCGC at the end of the academic year, they will post the credit to student’s transcript.

Customized Program Articulation – Human Body Systems, and Biomedical Innovations:

Complete all CPA coursework (according to school's CPA agreement) with a final grade of "B" or higher
Submit completed CPA form to RCGC Office of Admissions with official high school transcript. This includes the recommendation from the high school teacher or guidance counselor
Submit a RCGC application for admissions and enroll in at least one course within two years of high school graduation
The CPA course will be posted as transfer credit to a student's RCGC transcript during first semester of enrollment at RCGC

Spartan School of Business Courses Recommended at RCSJ

Please note: These courses are not offered at the high school. Students will take their desired course(s) at RCSJ. These courses are recommended by the School of Business at RCSJ for students to take that will apply to a business major and should transfer to 4-year colleges/universities.

BUS 101 – Introduction to Business
BUS 221 – Principles of Marketing
BUS 224 – Social Media and Internet Marketing
CIS 102 – Computer Information Systems
CIS 110 – Fundamentals of Programming
CIS 120 – Spreadsheets, Excel
COM 104 – Business Communications
ECO 100 – Introduction to Economics
ECO 101 – Principles of Economics 1 (Macro)

Engineering courses approved through Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

RIT College Credit for Project Lead the Way courses is a discounted rate of $225 and RIT awards three transcripted semester credits for each course the student qualifies and pays for.

Eligible Courses:

Introduction to Engineering Design (IED)
Principals of Engineering (POE)
Digital Electronics (DE)
Civil Engineering and Architecture (CEA)

Qualifying students must have:

Have a minimum PLTW final class average of 85%
Have a stanine score of 6 or higher on the EoC assessment exam

Assigned Grades

The transcripted grade received from RIT is based solely on the End of Course (EoC) exam score they receive on the PLTW year-end assessment exam (6=C; 7=B; 8 and 9 = A).
If a student subsequently attends RIT, the college credit grade point average (GPA) received is counted towards his/her undergraduate RIT cumulative GPA.
If a student attends another university, the course credits often are transferred without the letter grade or GPA.

Procedures for earning college credits:

Students complete the EoC assessment exam (June 2018).
Teacher sends grades to RIT and notifies qualifying students of college credit eligibility.
Students must submit registration form and payment to RIT by November 2nd (2018) of the following school year.

Requesting Transcripts

RIT will send the student a transcript at the end of the semester in which he/she registers (Fall of 2018 is the first semester).
Students who apply to colleges other than RIT may request, that a transcript be sent to those schools by completing a Transcript Request Form. There is a charge for transcripts.

Biomedical Science courses approved through Stevenson University

Students who complete all four courses in the Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences program at a PLTW certified high school can apply to receive credit for Stevenson University’s BIO 113 General Biology I: Cell Biology and Genetics lecture and laboratory course. For those students who meet the requirements, four (4) credits are awarded for BIO 113 and BIO 113L from Stevenson University.

Course description:

BIO 113 General Biology I: Cell Biology and Genetics (3 credits). Emphasizes the molecular nature of biology and biological principles that are common to all life. Topics covered relate to the physical and biochemical structure and function of cells and cell processes and genetics.

BIO 113L: General Biology I Laboratory: Cell Biology and Genetics (1 credit). Introduces experimental methods and techniques used in the biology laboratory. Topics relate to cell structure and function, and skills covered include the scientific method and experimental design, microscope and micropipette use, and aseptic technique.

Qualifying students must:

Complete all four (4) courses in the PLTW Biomedical Sciences program. These include Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovation.
Earn a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all PLTW Biomedical Sciences courses, with no more than one grade of “C” in a PLTW course.
Earn a score of 7 or higher on the end of course exams for the Principles of the Biomedical Sciences, Human Body Systems and Medical Interventions courses.

Procedures for applying college credits at Stevenson University:

When you are starting the PLTW Biomedical Innovation course, complete the Intent to Apply Form (http://apps.stevenson.edu/forms/pltw/intent.cfm)
After you complete all of your PLTW courses, including Biomedical Innovation, print and complete the “Special Student Application – Project Lead the Way”.
Mail the completed Special Student Application (http://www.stevenson.edu/academics/schools/school-sciences/stem-initiatives/project-lead-the-way/documents/Special%20Student%20Application.pdf), your official high school transcript showing the PLTW courses, and a $175 fee to the address below. Checks should be made out to Stevenson University.

Meredith C. Durmowicz, Ph.D.

Dean, Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences

Stevenson University

Kevin J. Manning Academic Center

11200 Ted Herget Way

Owings Mills, MD 21117

The application, transcript, and fee must be postmarked no later than August 1 of the year in which you complete the PLTW courses.

BRING YOUR OWN DEVICE

It is a high school and district policy where students have the right and choice to bring their own device to school to work on assignments and activities in class. Please note that this is NOT a requirement of every student (to have their own device). Please also note that if a student were to bring their own device to school, they would be the only individuals using their device.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

By signing and submitting the agreement with your academy teacher, you and your parents/guardians are aware of the consequences and outcomes of the decisions and actions of the student.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Gambale (Supervisor of Academy Programs) and Mr. Jeff Lebb (Principal)