Roles and responsibilities

Roles and

Roles and responsibilities

The development of sound learning skills is essential to the success of our students. Teachers and students will work together to understand and further the development of student learning skills in the areas of initiative, work habits, organization, teamwork, and independent work.

Take responsibility for your own learning by:

being present and engaged every day and using class time appropriately and productively
prioritizing evaluation dates
balancing extracurricular commitments
practicing and reviewing regularly and preparing for evaluations
working with others, including the teacher, to improve understanding

Bell H.S. Policy

Bell High School supports a learning environment built upon shared responsibilities between the school, students, and parents.

Students’ Responsibilities

1. Students are responsible for completing course requirements within the timeframe specified by the classroom teacher.

2. Through regular attendance, students are responsible for providing evidence of their learning within established timelines and ensuring that they have demonstrated academic integrity for all work submitted. There are consequences for cheating, plagiarizing, not completing work, and submitting work late.

3. Examinations provide students with a final opportunity to demonstrate their learning of overall expectations. Failure to attend an examination may result in the withholding of a credit. Please refer to the exam schedule posted on the OCDSB and Bell High School website.

Teachers’ Responsibilities

1. To use professional judgment in evaluating student work and, at semester end, to determine the full range of student learning and achievement in assigning a final grade.

2. To increase the reliability and validity of the evaluation of student learning, teachers will evaluate student work collected over time from three different sources: observations, conversations, and student products.

3. To monitor the steps and processes involved in tasks to ensure individual accountability and provide assessment feedback to students.

4. To assign due dates in a timely manner, in consultation with students where possible, and to allow sufficient completion time for students.

5. To consider mitigating factors including the grade level, maturity, number and frequency of incidents and individual circumstances of the student in determining next steps where mandatory evaluative pieces (e.g. tests, assignments, presentations, projects, etc.) have been missed or plagiarized. Expectations will naturally increase as the student progresses from junior to senior grades.

6. For students in grade 9 or 10 courses, report a final mark of “I” in cases of extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control in consultation with the appropriate vice-principal to indicate insufficient evidence to determine a percentage grade and consider for Credit Rescue.

Late/Missed Assignments

Students consistently missing assignment deadlines seldom meet course expectations and are less likely to succeed. Late submissions make it difficult for students to receive necessary feedback to improve achievement and do not allow students to demonstrate academic competence.

1. All assignments must be submitted by the due date specified by the teacher. Students concerned about due dates must approach the classroom teacher to discuss a mutually agreed upon extension or alternate task prior to the initial due date, providing a reason for the request. Where a subsequent extension or submission of an alternate task is also missed, zero evidence of learning will be indicated in the student’s evidence record. These placeholder marks will be reviewed by the classroom teacher before the end of the semester.

2. To promote the timely submission of assignments, teachers will use proactive strategies (e.g. planning for major assignments to be completed in stages so that students are less likely to be faced with an all-or-nothing situation at the last minute, collaborating with other staff to schedule major assignment dates for every class). Teachers will communicate with parents when a student fails to meet responsibilities.

3. Subsequent to employing a range of aforementioned strategies, including providing a student with an additional opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the overall expectations, a teacher may consider deducting marks as a consequence of late submission(s). If a deduction is being considered the teacher will communicate with school administration in order to maintain professional collaboration and consistency with school-wide practices. Mark deductions (if utilized) will not result in a percentage grade that, in the professional judgment of the teacher, misrepresents the student’s actual achievement.

4. Persistent disregard of deadlines will result in progressive interventions such as case conferences with parents, referral to the Student Success Team and the appropriate vice-principal/guidance counsellor, and/or an in-school sanction to facilitate assignment completion. Such behaviour will be reflected in the Learning Skills portion of the Ontario Report Card. Revised Sept. 2016

Missed Tests/Performances/Presentations

1. Students aware that they will be absent for a test (medical appointment, school activity) must approach the classroom teacher prior to the day of the test to discuss the possibility of alternate arrangements. Confirmation of appointments must be received in the form of a phone call, email, or note from parents.

2. Students missing tests for unexpected reasons (e.g. illness) must return to school with a parental note provided to the classroom teacher justifying the absence.

3. Based on their professional judgment, teachers will communicate with parents when a student misses an assessment or an evaluation.

4. Performances and presentations are one time opportunities requiring significant planning and preparation by all group members. Students will be evaluated individually within group situations. When group members are absent for any reason, this has a significant impact on the entire group and the finished product. Given the nature of these situations and the inability to “replay” them, students missing these opportunities will have no opportunity to display their learning and zero evidence of learning will be indicated in the student’s evidence record.

Academic Integrity

“Fraudulent work provides ‘zero evidence’ of a student’s knowledge or skills related to the expectations being evaluated. A mark of zero will represent the student’s absence of evidence of that learning.” [OCDSB Procedure PR.584.CUR, 5.5 (e)] This work will not be included among the evaluation evidence that is considered for grading purposes. To protect against and discourage plagiarism, Bell HS subscribes to software against which evaluations submitted by students are compared. Students may will be provided with a second opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the overall expectations when, in the teacher’s professional judgment, there is not sufficient evidence to evaluate student achievement or if the credit is in jeopardy. This possibility will be considered by the classroom teacher in consultation with the department head and/or vice-principal. When the transgression is close to the end of the semester, this opportunity may be provided through credit rescue at the end of the exam period for that semester.

Academic dishonesty at all levels will be addressed as a behavioural issue. Disciplinary measures will include parental contact. Where transgressions are considered premeditated and pertain to course requirements students will also be required to present themselves, along with a parent/guardian, before an Academic Review Committee (ARC) comprised of the classroom teacher, department head and the principal/vice-principal(s). Consequences for such behaviour may include suspension from extra-curricular activities; forfeiting of application to awards, bursaries, and scholarships at the school; and the informing of the student’s other teachers.

Adapted from Growing Success and OCDSB Procedure PR. 584 CUR

Ontario Ministry of Education: Roles and responsibilities in the science program

Student

Students have many responsibilities with regard to their learning, and these increase as they advance through secondary school.

Students who are willing to make the effort required and who are able to monitor their thinking and learning strategies and apply themselves will soon discover that there is a direct relationship between this effort and their achievement, and will, therefore, be more motivated to work.

Students who develop mental attitudes and ways of behaving that contribute to success in life will benefit as learners.

Successful mastery of scientific concepts and investigation skills requires students to have a sincere commitment to work and to the development of appropriate learning skills.

Furthermore, students should actively pursue opportunities outside the classroom to extend and enrich their scientific understanding and skills. For example, students can make an effort to keep up with current events related to local, national, and international scientific discoveries and innovations.

Teacher

Teachers are responsible for developing appropriate instructional strategies to help students achieve the curriculum expectations, as well as appropriate methods for assessing and evaluating student learning. Teachers bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing individual students’ needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student.

Using a variety of instructional, assessment, and evaluation strategies, teachers provide numerous hands-on opportunities for students to develop and refine their investigation skills, including their problem-solving skills, critical and creative thinking skills, and communication skills, while discovering fundamental concepts through inquiry, exploration, observation, and research. The activities offered should enable students to relate and apply these concepts to the social, environmental, and economic conditions and concerns of the world in which they live. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts will motivate students to learn in a meaningful way and to become lifelong learners.

Teachers need to help students understand that problem solving of any kind often requires a considerable expenditure of time and energy and a good deal of perseverance. Teachers also need to encourage students to investigate, to reason, to explore alternative solutions, and to take the risks necessary to become successful problem solvers.

Science can play a key role in shaping students’ views about life and learning. Science exists in a broader social and economic context. It is affected by the values and choices of individuals, businesses, and governments and, in turn, has a significant impact on society and the environment. Teachers must provide opportunities for students to develop habits of mind appropriate for meaningful work in science, including a commitment to accuracy, precision, and integrity in observation; respect for evidence; adherence to safety procedures; and respect for living things and the environment.

Teachers are also responsible for ensuring the safety of students during classroom activities and for encouraging and motivating students to assume responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. They must also ensure that students acquire the knowledge and skills needed for safe participation in science activities.

Parent

Studies show that students perform better in school if their parents are involved in their education. Parents who are familiar with the curriculum expectations know what is being taught in the courses their children are taking and what their children are expected to learn. This awareness enhances parents’ ability to discuss school work with their children, to communicate with teachers, and to ask relevant questions about their children’s progress. Knowledge of the expectations in the various courses also helps parents to interpret teachers’ comments on student progress and to work with teachers to improve their children’s learning.

Effective ways in which parents can support their children’s learning include the following: attending parent-teacher interviews, participating in parent workshops and school council activities (including becoming a school council member), and encouraging their children to complete their assignments at home.

The science curriculum has the potential to stimulate interest in lifelong learning not only for students but also for their parents and all those with an interest in education. In addition to supporting regular school activities, parents may want to take an active interest in current events and issues in the field of science, and to provide their children with opportunities to question and reflect on the impact of these developments on their immediate lives, the environment, and society. Parents can also provide valuable support by encouraging children to take part in activities that develop responsible citizenship (such as participating in an environmental clean-up program in their neighbourhood) or that further their interest in science (such as volunteering at local science centres or children’s museums).

(In Mme's classes, please share science articles with your child.)

Throughout the secondary science program, students will have opportunities to interact with living things and to work with a variety of equipment and materials. To help ensure students’ safety, parents should inform teachers of any allergies that their children may have. Parents should also encourage their children to arrive at school prepared to participate safely in activities. Simple precautions such as wearing closed-toe shoes, tying back long hair, and removing loose jewellery (or taping it down in the case of Medic Alert bracelets) contribute to a safe environment when working within science classrooms.

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