Parent Resources

2010-2011

Table of Contents                     

Welcome Letter from the Directors

Charter -South Sutter Charter School
Parent Forms
Curriculum Information

General School Information

Mission Statement

Educational Philosophy

School Terminology

Expected School-Wide Learning Results & School Growth Area Goals

School Accountability Report Card

Western Association of Schools and Colleges Accreditation

Instructional Funding Information

School Contact Information

Governance Structure

School Calendar
School ID Cards

Educational Oversight and Support

The SSCS Education Specialist
The SSCS ES Advisor

Report Cards
Portfolio Information

Independent Study Policy
No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Teacher Policy

Student Admission and Enrollment

Student Enrollment

Student Agreement

Learning & Attendance Documentation

Truancy Policy

Suspension and Expulsion Process

Curriculum and Educational Resources

Learning Styles

Educational Philosophies

Teaching Styles and Methods
Choosing the Right Curriculum

Curriculum Ordering

Criteria for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds
Tracking Materials

Approved Vendor List

Requesting a New Vendor

Curriculum K-5
Curriculum 6-12

Addressing the California Standards

Computer Options

Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Your Students’ Usage

Newsletter

Work Permits

Driver’s Education and Training

School-Wide Writing Assignment

Website Links Information

Contract Programs (CPs), Educational Activities (EAs), and Group Educational Activities (GEAs)

Contract Programs Policies and Procedures

Educational Activities Policies and Procedures

Educational Activities Permission Slip

Volunteer/Employee Vehicle Usages

Group Educational Activities Policies and Procedures

Parent Support

Parent Support Department

Opportunities/Information/Resources for Parents (Quick Links)

Parent List Serve

First Meeting Information Sheet

General Information Sheet

High School Guidance

High School Course Plans

High School Graduation Requirements Checklist for UC/CSU University Bound Students

A-G Courses and UC/CSU Entrance Requirements

Community College Enrollment Information

Regional Occupational Programs (ROP)

Career Exploration

Mandatory Assessments

Scantron Assessments

Wide-Range Achievement Test

State Mandated Assessments

Special Education

Welcome Letter from the Directors

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Welcome to South Sutter Charter School’s 2010-2011 school year!.  You have chosen an exciting form of education for your children—home-based personalized learning.  We trust that this parent handbook will be a helpful resource for you that you will keep handy and refer to throughout this school year.  

South Sutter Charter School is in its fourth year of operation, and we are managed by Innovative Education Management (IEM), a nonprofit public benefit education corporation which has managed a number of “parent friendly” public charter schools in California since 1993. 

IEM charter schools have a long history of educational offerings and policies that go above and beyond to support parent choice in education.  This is most evident when you look at our exhaustive vendor list for curriculum purchases and classes, and the amount of dollars allocated for the development and delivery of each child’s educational plan. 

Your school’s administration consists heavily of staff members who also through IEM charter schools chose home-based, personalized learning for their own children.  They understand the needs and day-to-day challenges of this type of educational model.  And equally important, they know the joys that can come from seeing your child engaged and learning while developing the strong family values that can come from this type of educational setting. 

Everything we do at South Sutter Charter School is in an effort to support your choices as a parent educator while endeavoring to make this type of educational model possible.  We are truly excited to continue building a first-rate home-based program in partnership with families who want the best for their children. 

Please do not hesitate to contact the Education Services Director, the Director of ES Support Staff, or your Area Facilitator at any time.  Your commitment to our school is important and your feedback helps us to strengthen and refine our program.

We hope this will be a rewarding and memorable year for you and your family.

Yours sincerely,

Becky Cote, Education Services Director

Janet Marsh, Director of ES Support Staff

General School Information

  Mission Statement

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     We believe in educating each of our students for the 21^st century by providing   individualized learning opportunities in small learning communities that incorporate  increased parental participation and involvement.

Educational Philosophy
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     South Sutter Charter School (SSCS) will operate on the understanding that all students have different learning styles, abilities and background experiences.  As important as “what” students learn is “how” they learn. The former may be viewed as the end goal of education while the latter is the road leading to it.  SSCS will utilize learning and assessment modalities that, based on current research, identify best practices regarding how students learn.

     SSCS identifies an educated person in the twenty-first century to mean a person who is literate, can understand and function sufficiently in the world around him or her, has an overview of the history of mankind, has an understanding of United States political processes, has an ability to solve mathematical problems and to think scientifically, and has the values necessary to enhance the world in which he or she lives. This person is one who has realized his or her own unique educational interests, talents, or abilities, whether it is in the arts, sciences, or other areas. It is the goal of this charter school to help students become educated individuals who are intrinsically motivated to learn, who have diverse yet well-developed interests, and are becoming competent lifelong learners.

Charter School Terminology

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The following is a list of commonly used terms at South Sutter Charter School:

Expected School-Wide Learning Results (ESLRs) & School Growth Area Goals

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The Expected Schoolwide Learning Results (ESLRs) are the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that the school wants each of our graduating seniors to have effectiveness in when they leave our school.  Each skill is linked to one or more California State Content Standards and are in compliance with the terms, conditions, and requirements of EC 47605 and related statutes and as amended by the Charter School Act.

All aspects of the student’s individualized learning plan needs to be designed to incorporate the steps necessary for the student to reach the expected schoolwide learning results during his/her educational program.  South Sutter Charter School’s ESLRs consist of seven school growth area goals.  The extent to which students achieve these goals is determined by mastery of the student standards and by demonstrated proficiency on STAR-specific assessments and our Scantron assessment.

SSCS will prepare its graduates to have:

1.  Effective Language and Communication Skills (Reading/Writing) - “Student reads and writes effectively”.  Student:

• Reads actively and derives meaning from written media.
• Reads extensively for a variety of purposes.
• Writes using grammatically acceptable English.
• Adjusts tone and style of writing for purpose and audience.
• Supports statements using well-rounded facts, theory, and opinion.
• Separates fact from opinion.
• Logically reaches conclusions based on sufficient evidence.
• Clearly and succinctly states key points.
• Organizes ideas in a variety of ways.
• Demonstrates creativity through style, organization, and development of content.
  
  

2.  Effective Technology and Social Skills (Life Skills) - “Student sufficiently understands and functions in the world around him”.  Student:

• Demonstrates involvement in his/her community.
• Has knowledge of the reciprocal relationship between the individual and his/her environment.
• Demonstrates various skills in seeking employment and/or college admission.
• Understands and demonstrates his/her role as an employee, consumer, and financial manager.
• Identifies and documents the effects of technology on his/her environment.
• Participates in physical activities that develop strength, endurance, and personal fitness.

3.  Effective Historical Awareness (History) – “Student appreciates the history of mankind in all its diversity”.  Student shows his/her appreciation for history by identifying relationships between past and present events or situations:

• Involving cause and effect:  people, events, or situations influencing an action or result.
• Involving comparison: similarities and differences.
• Involving classification: events and situations explained as political, economic, social, and/or intellectual.
• To draw conclusions about the future.
• Involving understanding of the extent of time.
• Applies physical and cultural geography to his/her understanding of societies.

4.  Effective Citizens (Political Process) - “Student comprehends the political process”.

• Student understands the structure, operations, and relationships of the governments in the United States.

5.  Effective Mathematics Skills (Math) – “Student applies mathematical principles and operations to solve problems”.  Student:

• Demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving with numbers and operations.
• Demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in geometry and measurement.
• Demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in functions and algebra.
• Demonstrates knowledge of basic skills, conceptual understanding, and problem solving in statistics and probability.
• Solves problems that make significant demands in one or more of these aspects of the solution process: problem formulation, problem implementations, and problem conclusion.
• Communicates his/her knowledge of basic skills, understanding of concepts, and his/her ability to solve problems and understand mathematical communication of others.

6.  Effective Science Skills (Science) – “Student applies scientific concepts and skills to explain his world and find solutions to its problems”.  Student:

• Observes, compares, orders, and categorizes characteristics and behaviors.
• Communicates ideas.
• Relates factors of differing objects and events, and infers about unknown or unseen processes.
• Applies knowledge and thought processes to explain his/her world and solve problems.
• Shows a perception of the interrelationships among the scientific themes (energy, interactions, patterns, and change) and their application to the four spheres (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, ecosphere).
• Recognizes the effects of the sciences, technologies, and societies on one another and on the environment.

7.  Effective Personal Skills (Special Interests) – “Student realizes his own unique educational interests, talents, and abilities”.  Student:

• Participates in visual and performing arts, obtains aesthetic perception and valuing opportunities, and understands historical and cultural contributions, or
• Communicates in a language other than English, while gaining knowledge and understanding of different cultures.

School Accountability Report Card (SARC)

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A copy of the School Accountability Report Card (SARC) is available on the school web site, and will be provided to parents upon request.  (Education Code Section 35256).

Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)

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SSCS received its WASC accreditation in February of 2008.

When a school becomes accredited it:

• certifies to the public that the school is a trustworthy institution of learning
• validates the integrity of a school’s program and student transcripts.
• fosters improvement of the school’s program and operations to support student learning.
• assures a school community that the school’s purposes are appropriate and being accomplished through a viable educational program.

WASC accreditation is important because the military often requires applicants to be from accredited schools, many school districts and universities will only accept credits from WASC accredited schools.

Instructional Funding (IF) Information

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Instructional Funds Policies:

• Each student, by his/her average daily attendance (ADA) generates the funds of the Charter School.  The funds are budgeted for use each year in three areas: 1.) district and program administration, 2.) teachers’ payroll, and  3.) instructional materials.   The funding must be spent according to the SB740 funding model for Charter Schools.
• The Charter School may not provide any funds or other things of value to the pupil or his or her parent or guardian that a school district could not legally provide to a similarly situated pupil of the school district, or to his or her parents or guardian.
• The Charter School may only receive funding for the provision of independent study to pupils who are residents of Sutter County or who are residents of a county contiguous to Sutter County.
• The Instructional Funds are appropriated for education purposes to deliver the student’s educational plan. The IF (instructional funding) may only be spent on appropriate educational materials for the enrolled student.  They may not be used to provide educational materials/admissions for siblings or parents or anyone else not enrolled in the charter school, or for materials not applicable to the enrolled students educational plan. 
• The funds may be spent on educational materials, Contract Program Activities, Group Educational Activities, HQT SMEs, and AESS for the enrolled student. With parent permission, a small percentage of funds may be used for rent on a building in each geographic area which will be used as a site for contract program activities, or purposes designated as necessary for the area, as long as it does not conflict with charter school educational codes.
• These funds can NOT be used for items designated in the Policy for Criteria of Materials (see below) or activities/product/instructors disallowed in the Conflict of Interest Policy (see below).  They also cannot be spent on any item or activity that requires payment for transportation. SSCS does not pay for transportation, as our school receives no transportation funding. For our students, all learning occurs at home, and anything the parent/student chooses to do outside of their home needs to be within the realm of what transportation they can and want to arrange/provide.
• The amount of funding that is allocated in the ES's budget for use to deliver the student’s educational plan is based on the ADA calendar the state goes by to appropriate school funds. The IF amount is prorated and differs depending on the student's enrollment date. The ES can view for the parent the prorated amount for each enrollment date by looking in the WEBfiles under "View", “IF chart”.
• Students who are enrolled on the first day of the school year, will have the maximum amount of appropriated funds when planning their educational program.  Students who enroll later in the year will have less than the maximum amount of appropriated funds with which to plan from.  For the 2010-2011 school year, the anticipated maximum IF appropriation for each student is $1,600 for grades K-8th,  and $2,000 for grades 9th – 12th for those students who are enrolled for the entire 175 school days. No school funding is provided directly to parents or students for any purpose. 
• You will notice that the amount of appropriated instructional funds at South Sutter Charter School is much higher than that of other similar charter schools.  This is in keeping with the philosophy of this charter school.  The IEM and SSCS founders believe that more instructional funds provide more choice, opportunities, and individualization among the students’ educational plans.

Management of Educational Funds:

Each Education Specialist has the responsibility of being aware of expenses incurred to meet the educational needs and choices of each enrolled student assigned to them.  Sibling IF funds are posted and tracked as a family budget under the family name under the name of the ES.  It is the responsibility of the ES to stay within the overall budget for each family.  There may be times when an ES spends more on one sibling’s educational plan than another within the same family.  This is acceptable as long as the family’s overall budget is not exceeded.  Information about the ES expenditure of instructional funds is public information and should be shared with any interested party upon request.

The parent and the ES work in cooperation in determining the use of the allocated funds in order to produce the maximum possible in terms of student learning.  At no time should this funding be spent indiscriminately by any person(s). The funds remain part of the school’s budget and anything purchased with these funds remains the property of the school.  School expenses are audited annually.

Parents have a right to participate in the determination of how the allocated funding is spent. Without any reason to disagree with the parent concerning the aforementioned determinations, the ES should make every effort to comply with the parent's opinion.  But ultimately the ES is responsible for the professional and ethical distribution of this funding and that responsibility is not “shared”.  As an example, if a student is studying US History, parent requests for purchases for European Renaissance materials would not be consistent with that student’s educational plan and the ES would not allow that purchase.  Conversely, the ES should not spend “one penny” of the IF allocation without the parents’ approval.  Any disagreement between an ES and parent regarding the purchase of educational materials will be mediated by the administration of the School. 

Accrual of Instructional Funds: 

 An ES must first understand how and when instructional funds are placed in the ES budget. At the beginning of a semester, funding is placed in an ES's budget for a student based on their date of enrollment and the expected amount of ADA the school hopes to collect for that student. It isn't "real" money until attendance for that student is collected that will equal the amount projected. If, for any reason, that student drops prior to the date that the money was "earned", then some of that money may not be available to be transferred for any purpose. Students graduating at the end of first semester must remember that only the first semester funds are "real", and 2^nd semester funds will be deducted from the ES budget when the graduate drop is complete.

Tracking Materials:

All materials are shipped directly to the ES by the vendor.  Delays can occur from products from vendors that will only ship through the school office.  Once the items are received by the ES, the ES will mark appropriate items with the school’s name before distributing them to the family. 

ESs are responsible for all items ordered from their ES account or transferred to them from another ES, including consumables.  Every item issued to a student must be either:

1.) in the possession of and in use by an enrolled student for educational purposes,

2.) in the possession of the ES,

3.) checked into a local site library (if applicable)

4.) written off as discarded due to normal usage,

5.) written off as consumed, if appropriate,

6.) be listed on a Missing Materials Form that has been submitted to the office.

School property willfully damaged or lost will be expected to be paid for by the student/parent prior to leaving the school.  This school reserves the right to withhold a diploma and/or transcript for a bill not paid.

POLICY FOR CRITERION OF MATERALS

Definition:

Average daily attendance (ADA) funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below. ESs are helped by their Advisors if they are not sure whether an item is acceptable or not. 

Acceptable Items:

• Materials for the student being purchased for if those materials will be used to meet that student’s school and state standards.
• Educational curriculum appropriate for the students courses.
• Reading (library type) books that correlate to the student's English and History curriculum and are to be used in that study, as long as they are not sectarian, are allowed. (For example: A reading book with a study guide, phonics reader set, etc)
• Basic school & office supplies adequate for learning basic course skills (paper, pencils, etc).
• Enough basic raw materials (not top-of-the-line) for learning basic course skills in one learning record documented educational project: fabric, wood, yarn enough for one project (Exception: no food purchases allowed.) (ESs are responsible for monitoring the quantities of items purchased.)
• Basic equipment (not top-of-the-line) for documented learning as needed by student: sewing machine, VCR, cassette players, manipulatives, cameras, tools (not power tools), musical instruments (basic school models), computers (only from school’s computer options), printers, scanners.
• The following types of items can only be ordered for a high school student (and the grade level must be noted on the PO):
  • Bunsen Burners
• The following types of items can only be ordered in small quantities for a student with the educational usage noted on the PO:
  • Chemicals

Unacceptable Items: 

• Any item that is sectarian or denominational per California state law.  The ES is to carefully check to make sure that any item(s) they order for a student is not sectarian or denominational.  If they should accidentally order an unacceptable item, the policy is that the ES is to contact Vendor Relations to return the item to the vendor and not deliver it to the family.  ESs who frequently order unacceptable items, or deliver unacceptable items to a family will be dismissed.  ESs are to get help from their Advisor if they are unsure whether an item is acceptable or not.
• Generic library books intended for free reading and not a part of the student's curriculum study.  Please use your local public library.
• Furniture, storage, organizational items (large or small items), picture frames, and other non-educational household items.
• Computer parts, equipment, and software upgrades for non school-owned computers (exceptions made only for printers, scanners, and other external parts needed for courses).
• Ready- made clothes
• Ready-made jewelry
• Toys
• Personal hygiene items
• Personal PE items: skis, bicycles, tricycles
• Musical Instrument Rentals or Exchanges
• Home and Office Equipment: faxes, copiers, phones, dictation equipment, TV's (we assume that the student's home is equipped with basic home and office supplies), DVD and VCR players, power tools
• Kitchen Equipment: popcorn poppers, trays, plates, silverware (we assume that the student's home is equipped with basic kitchen supplies)
• Yard Equipment: grass watering kits, garden ponds, swimming pools
• Religious materials of any type to include: Books, Magazines, DVDs, CD-ROMS, CDs, Videos, Cassette tapes, posters, etc.
• Materials must not expose the ES or student to dangerous or serious injury.  The following types of items are unacceptable:

Poisons

Knives

Bows and Arrows

Darts with sharp points

Trampolines

Swimming pools

Rocket engines

Weapons

Power tools

Welding equipment

Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST POLICY

      Service Vendors:

The school Conflict of Interest Policy must be followed by Service Vendors.  The policy states that the vendor may not be a CDE registered California private school that charges tuition and teaches core classes and that does not need to "enroll" our students into their private school in order for our student to take classes through them.  This is based on the California Education Code that states that a student may not be enrolled in a California private school and a California public charter school concurrently.

       Conflict of Interest Protocol for School Employees: 

All school employees must avoid situations involving actual or potential conflict of interest. IEM Schools consider certain activities and situations to be a conflict of interest and therefore will not allocate school funding towards these nor allow these potential conflict of interest situations to occur. A brief description of each is listed below.  This is not an exhaustive list of all possible situations which would constitute conflicts of interest. The school administration reserves the right to add to or amend this list as it deems appropriate. Any relationship or action which creates an expectation of benefit or profit beyond an employee’s normal employment relationship with the School can impair an employee's ability to exercise good judgment on behalf of the School, and therefore creates an actual or potential conflict of interest. It is the School’s policy that all School employees must scrupulously avoid all such situations. We expect that the ESs authorizing expenditures from the school Instructional Funds will be responsible to see that none of these activities under their control are allowed:

• An ES may not solicit students for their “class list” who are already enrolled with another ES. (This in no way limits a parent’s choice to request a new ES, or ESs to work together on transfers for the good of the students).
• An ES who serves as ES for their own children or other children who reside in their household may not complete an AESS contract for them.
• An ES or anyone in their immediate family may not become a “Product vendor” for the school or otherwise receive payment for product sold to the school. An exception to this would be when the school bid process is used to secure the vendor. If selected, the employee must sign a Conflict of Interest Disclosure statement and submit it to the school Parent Council.
• An ES may not order product for a student from a “Product vendor” who is a relative of that student.
• An ES who is also a school CP instructor may not be paid from the Instructional Funding account they control for their own children or other children who reside in their household.
• A Classified CP Instructor (who is not also working in the capacity of a school ES) with relatives enrolled in their CP classes must have an equal number of enrolled school students as the number of relatives in order for the class to be approved and for the instructor to be paid for serving the relatives.
• A “Service PO” may not be created for a student to attend a course offered by a relative of the enrolled student.
• An ES may not require any of the students on their “class list” to become AESS students, to enroll in the CP courses they instruct, or to participate in the service activities for which an ES receives payment. If an ES feels that a student would benefit from one of the above activities, and the parent disagrees, the ES can only require it of them if approved in writing by the ES's Advisor. (This does not limit a parent’s ability to choose to participate in any of these situations).
• An ES may not become a contracted "business vendor" during the same time they are a school employee. An ES may teach courses or offer tutoring as a school employee through contract programs in addition to serving as an ES.
• No ES, school employee, or any school employee's spouse or dependent may serve as a School Parent Council member

Governance Structure of the School

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The charter school will be governed by the School Council, which will consist of 29 parents of SSCS students.  The member of the Parent Council will be elected by a majority vote cast by the parents of SSCS students, and the term of office of each member will be two years.  Elections will be held during May of each year by written ballot.  Each family having one or more student(s) enrolled in SSCS on the date of the elections will be entitled to one vote per enrolled student.  No more than one parent from any family may serve as a School Council member at any time.  A quorum of the School Council which will be a majority of the elected members will be necessary for the transaction of business to occur.  A charter school administrator will preside, but not vote, at all School Council meetings.  All meetings of the School Council will comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government Code), will take place at least semi-annually, and will be held at a location within the sponsoring district. The charter school practices and policies will ensure parental involvement through the School Council activities.

The School Council will be responsible for developing the school council by-laws and each member will each be a part of a sub-committee responsible for the following:  WASC accreditation parent group, organizing student group educational activities, developing a school yearbook, coordinating fundraising events and approving expenditures of funds raised, volunteer coordination (STAR testing, etc), organizing the yearly graduation ceremony, and other school events and activities approved by the school site administrator.  The School Council will uphold the mission of the school, monitor the school’s performance, and make suggestions to the school administrator for school improvement. 

The charter school will be operated as a public charter school and will be managed by IEM, a 501(c)(3) California nonprofit public benefit corporation.  IEM will oversee all aspects of the charter school’s operations and will act as liaison with the sponsoring district.  IEM shall establish and approve all major educational and operational policies, approve all major contracts, approve the school’s annual budget and oversee the school’s fiscal affairs, and select and evaluate the school administrators and administrative staff.  IEM will act as SSCS’s fiscal agent to the fullest extent of the law.  In fulfilling all obligations relating to, IEM and SSCS will comply with the provisions of Charter School Legislation and the State Department of Education directives regarding charter schools.

The Marcum-Illinois Union Elementary School District, as the authority that grants a charter to a charter school to be operated by, or as a nonprofit public benefit corporation, will not be liable for the debts or obligations of the charter school.  SSCS will maintain a comprehensive range of insurance coverage, commensurate with that of other public schools and/or nonprofit organizations of similar type and size to protect both itself and the sponsoring district by means of an Memorandum of Understanding “MOU” between SSCS and the sponsoring district.  

South Sutter 2010-2011 School Calendar
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The yearly school calendar is posted on the school website at: http://www.sscs.cc/school_calendar.html. Ask your ES for a hard copy of the calendar if you cannot print one for yourself.

Student ID Cards

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Policy
Student ID cards are required for all High School students that do not have another valid photo ID. All enrolled students K-12th  may request a school ID card. The Photo ID is required for admission to the CAHSEE exam site.

Procedure
To request a school ID card, either the parent or the ES may follow these steps:
1. Email a picture (head and shoulders only) with the student's legal name and grade to the SSCS school secretary, Brenda Christensen at sssecretary@ieminc.org.
2. If you do not have access to email a picture, then please mail a one inch picture (head and shoulders only) with the student's name and grade on the back of the photo to the Placerville IEM school office.
3. The school secretary will check FRED to ensure that this student is enrolled prior to printing the ID card.
4. Your new ID card will be mailed to the requesting person at the address showing in the school’s system, but please allow at least two weeks for the processing and mailing. If you have any questions you may call the South Sutter Charter School / IEM Office at 1-800-979-4436 and ask for your school secretary, or phone your school secretary direct at (530) 656-2307.

Special Note
SSCS/OGCS can only provide school ID cards to our enrolled students, not to their parents.  Our parents are not officially enrolled or employed by this charter school, therefore it is not ethical to provide an ID card.

Educational Oversight and Support

The SSCS Education Specialist

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Each student is assigned to a supervising teacher called an Education Specialist (ES).  Siblings are assigned to the same supervising teacher if at all possible.  The Education Specialist is a California certificated teacher who typically holds a multiple-subject credential or a single-subject credential(s), or both.  Your ES will also have one or more No Child Left Behind certifications.

After enrollment and if it is something you desire, your ES can help you determine your child’s learning style and show you where you can read about the types of educational philosophies and learning approaches on the school’s website.  Your ES will find it helpful (but again this is certainly optional) to know why you chose this educational model and what you hope to gain from it, as well as what issues you may have had with your previous school(s).  Your ES will need to see a transcript for planning purposes for a high school student. He/she may also find it helpful to know for planning purposes what activities might pull on your family’s time during the day as some curricula are more time intensive to teach than others.  Using any background and assessment information available, the ES will help to advise and develop your child’s personalized educational plan.  Together, you will determine what resources (curricula, classes, activities, HQT SMEs, tutors, computers) will be needed for the various subjects your child will cover this school year. 

Each ES is expected to have a broad base of educational knowledge to draw from to meet the individual needs of their students when advising on their personalized educational plan.  An ES should be familiar with and be able to explain the numerous curriculum options available, the various learning approaches, the ways that the No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified teacher subject matter expert requirement for each core subject may be met within our school, and the resources available within the school and in the community.  He/she should be able to explain the portfolio options, graduation requirements, Internet resources, group educational activities (field trips), contract program classes, and parent in-services.  If an ES cannot explain any of these, he/she will need to research them and get back to you in a timely manner.  If you feel you are requiring more information than your ES is able to provide, you should not hesitate to contact your ES’s Advisor (see below).  First year parents should be particularly pro-active about getting any information they need.

Typically, the ES is required to meet face-to-face with parents and their students at least once every 20 school days.  Some ESs will meet more often with their students because the parent desired to contract for Additional ES Services (AESS).  The ES typically meets with the parent and student in the parent’s home, but other locations can be used if agreeable to both parties. Typical locations are a coffee shop, local library, or park in good weather. The decision of where to meet ultimately lies with the parent, and if the ES feels unable to accommodate the parent’s decision a different ES may be requested.  The monthly meeting is a very important event: contractual information must be exchanged, important school information communicated, and the assignments viewed and an assessment of student progress must be made.  As a result, neither party should accept missed appointments, late arrivals, or unpreparedness as routine.  Because everyone’s schedules are so full, rescheduling appointments can be challenging for everyone.  So make every effort to make the monthly meeting appointments a priority, and change them only if absolutely necessary (e.g. illness, death in the family, etc.)

The ES is the main liaison between the school and the family and is your primary source of information.  At your first meeting with your ES, you should receive a General Information Sheet with important contact information on it.  Communication from the ES to the family will occur at the monthly meetings, and through telephone calls, e-mails, and/or through the mail.  Because much information is time-sensitive, you will want to let your ES know what method of communication works best for you between meetings.  Your ES should also communicate their preferred communication and best days/times to reach them.         

Sometimes an ES may feel that the family would be better served by another ES.  In that case, they may request to be released from the assignment to the family.  Parents may always request a different ES if they are unhappy with their current arrangement by contacting the ES’s Advisor.  The ES’s Advisor contact information is on the General Information Sheet.

The SSCS ES Advisor                

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The ES Advisors were once ESs themselves at an IEM charter school.  They have first-hand knowledge of the ES job and a good grasp of the school’s policies and program offerings.  Their role is to “make sure that the teachers they supervise know what to do and that they are doing it”.  After the ES, they are the family’s “go to” person and that extra layer of support, should you need more help and information than your ES is able to provide.  The ES Advisor serves as the ESs mentor,  trains the ES on school policies and procedures, provides the ES with curriculum counseling, meets individually with them as needed, reviews and evaluates their performance, and acts as the ESs professional growth advisor.

Your first resource for information should always be your ES and the school website.  If you feel you still need further assistance, then the ES Advisor is always there to help you either directly, or by helping your ES to help you.  Either way, the ES Advisor’s job is to make sure that the families are getting the assistance they need and desire.  The General Information Sheet that your ES gave you at the beginning of the school year or at your initial meeting, will list your ES Advisor’s name, e-mail, and phone number.

Report Cards

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Report Cards are not required for grades K-8^th but are available upon request from your ES.  While K-8 report cards are not required, they are sometimes necessary for other student endeavors—sports teams, insurance, government verifications, etc.  We recommend that parents of 8^th graders whose child will be transferring into another public high school request an 8^th grade report card because of potential high schools entrance requirements.  All 9^th – 12^th grade students are required to have a report card issued at the conclusion of each semester. 

In the state of California by law, it is the assigned ES’s responsibility and the highly qualified “teacher of record’s” responsibility (not the parent’s responsibility) to assign the official grades and credits. The grades and credits awarded represent the professional evaluation by the teacher of record of the student’s progress toward the state and school standards.  Be sure to let your ES know if you would like a copy of your child’s report card.  

Portfolio Information
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A portfolio for the purposes of this school is a collection of student work which accurately shows student learning and demonstrates student progress towards state standards and school growth area goals as described in the charter. The assembling of a student portfolio is an accountability job of the ES to do from the body of work collected over a semester; it is not the job of a parent/student.  The parent is responsible to assist their ES with collecting a variety of evidence of student learning at each LR meeting.

Independent Study Policy 
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A) This policy will apply to all pupils enrolled in South Sutter Charter School (SSCS), an independent study charter school serving pupils in grades K-12.

B) Students who attend SSCS will be educated through individually designed curricula, which may include, but are not limited to, non-classroom based learning programs, cooperative school programs and classes, apprenticeships, on-the-job training, community-based educational programs, group seminars, distance learning via current technology, and supplemental learning projects.

C) The Charter School will comply with all state and federal Charter School laws regarding independent study instruction.

D) Each student’s independent study will be coordinated, evaluated, and carried out under the general supervision of an assigned certificated employee or employees of the Charter School.

E) The maximum length of time that may elapse between the time an independent study assignment is made and the date by which the student must complete the assigned work shall be no more than twenty (20) school days, or as modified by an assigned credentialed teacher at the time the work is assigned to the pupil.

F) Students who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate monthly progress toward the student standards, as determined by the professional judgment of the credentialed teacher assigned to that student, will be subject to expulsion for truancy.

After one (1) missed assignment an evaluation shall be conducted to determine whether it is in the best interests of the pupil to remain in independent study.   A written record of the findings of any evaluation made pursuant to this subdivision shall be maintained in the pupil’s permanent record. The evaluation may consist of some or all of the following: 

Monthly review of work

Annual portfolios

Parent, student, and Education Specialist observation

Norm and criterion referenced tests

Student demonstrations

Student grades

The role of the credentialed teacher is critical to the success of charter school independent study students.  The teacher’s observations, discussions with parents and students, and examinations of written work are the key to quality control.

G)  A current written student agreement for each independent study pupil shall be maintained on file for each participating student.  Each written student agreement shall be signed and in effect prior to the start of reporting attendance (ADA) pursuant to that agreement.  Students must meet all elements of the written student agreement in order for continued enrollment in this charter school. The independent study agreement for the student must require and cover a study plan that represents the same amount of study that would be required of a student in a classroom.  Written agreements will include subsidiary agreements, such as course contracts and assignments, work records, and testing requirements. Each agreement shall also include the following:

The manner, time, frequency, and place for submitting a pupil’s assignments and for reporting his or her progress.

The objectives and methods of study for the pupil’s work, and the methods utilized to evaluate that work.

The specific resources, including materials and personnel that will be made available to the pupil.

A statement of the policies adopted regarding the maximum length of time allowed between the assignment and the completion of a pupil’s assigned work, and the number of missed assignments allowed prior to an evaluation of whether or not the pupil should be allowed to continue in independent study.

The duration of the written student agreement, recognizing that no written student agreement shall be valid for any period longer than one semester.

A statement of the number of course credits or, for the elementary grades, other measures of academic accomplishment appropriate to the agreement, to be earned by the pupil upon completion.

The inclusion of a statement in each written student agreement that attendance at this charter school is an optional educational alternative in which no pupil may be required to participate.

Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.

H.  The Charter School will not provide any funds or other things of value to the pupil or his or her parent or guardian that a school district could not legally provide to a similarly situated pupil of the school district, or to his or her parents or guardian. 

I.   Charter School may only receive funding for the provision of independent study to pupils who are residents of Sutter County or who are residents of a county contiguous to Sutter County.

J.   Charter School must comply with Education Code Section 51745.6 and California Code of Regulations Section 11704 regarding teacher to ADA limits.Each enrolled student will be assigned to a credentialed teacher. Student participates with the credentialed teacher and parents in the design of an individualized learning plan that incorporates all aspects of his or her educational program and that serves as the student’s learning contract with SSCS.

K.  On a regular basis, consistent with the written student agreement, the assigned credentialed teacher and the parent shall evaluate the education program of the student and modify as necessary to maximize student success.  The assigned credentialed teacher will have the final authority with regard to the education program of the student, and outcomes with the exception of students who qualify for special education services whose services and outcomes will be determined by an Individual Education plan (“IEP”) team pursuant to law.

L.   It is understood that no student who qualifies for special education services under the  Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (“IDEA”) shall participate in independent study unless it is specifically authorized in his or her IEP. Identified special education students are expected to attend scheduled tutorials to assist him/her in meeting the identified goals and objectives in their Individual Educational Plan (IEP).  Three unexcused absences or missing more than 50% of a student’s special education services in a month will result in the student being truant.  Parents will be invited to an IEP meeting to review their student’s educational progress, and to insure that this charter school remains the least restrictive environment in which to promote educational benefit. A second truancy in the current academic year will result in immediate dismissal from the charter school.

M.  Acceptance into this charter School:

Acceptance of students into the charter school requires the following:

Parents who enroll their children in SSCS shall, through specific enrollment and curriculum contracts, accept responsibility for their children’s education. SSCS will support its students and parents both with appropriate educational materials, and with a team of NCLB

certified California teacher credentialed Education Specialists, ES Advisors, and school administrators. SSCS Education Specialists and ES Advisors shall advise and assist parents and students in all aspects of student education pursuant to relevant contracts.

Any parent or legally responsible entity may legally designate an alternate party to act in place of the parents. SSCS adult students do not require parental participation in educational or admission contracts, or performance evaluations.


N.   Independent Study Roles

The credentialed teacher will:

Ensure that independent study occurs in accordance with state law and charter policy and regulations.

Facilitate the completion of written student agreements.

Supervise and assess approved coursework.

Assign all grades and credits earned and report the information for inclusion in student’s permanent record.

Establish, complete, and maintain necessary reports and records, including, but not limited to, learning records and attendance record.

Personally judge the time value of student assignments or work products before ADA is earned.

Assess the student’s level of education, modifying the curriculum as necessary to meet charter guidelines.

Administer school and state mandated tests as required.

Select and save representative samples of the student’s completed and evaluated assignments.

The parents will:

Understand that attendance at this charter school is entirely voluntary on the part of the students who enroll.

Participate with the credentialed teacher in the development of the student’s educational plan.

Meet face to face with their Education Specialists at least once every 20 school days to review and document attendance and the learning that occurs in that learning period.

Transport their student to each school or state mandated assessment location.

Under the direction of the credentialed teacher, the parent will assume responsibility for supplied school owned books, materials, supplies, and equipment and will reimburse the school for lost or willfully damaged items.

The student will:

Be responsible to fulfilling the written student agreement components.

No Child Left Behind Highly Qualified Teacher Policy
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Policy

According to the Federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) regulations, all our students must be taught by NCLB certified “Highly Qualified Teachers” as “teacher of record” beginning in the 2008 school year.  Each local educational agency (LEA) must develop a plan to ensure that all elementary, middle and high school teachers who are assigned to teach core academic subjects meet the NCLB requirements to ensure they are highly qualified. For IEM schools this means that the assigned ES must either be NCLB certified in each particular subject each of their students are taking, or the student must have another “teacher of record” who is NCLB certified serving the student for that course, or the student is taking that course at a community college, or the course is taken from one of our school approved online vendors.  All ESs must be NCLB-compliant in at least one subject area.

The Collaborative Teaching Model

IEM schools will be utilizing a model called the Collaborative Teaching Model to meet the Federal NCLB requirements. 

Under this model, each student continues to be served by one ES who is their “supervising teacher” for all subjects.

The assigned ES is also the “teacher of record” for all courses their students are taking that they are NCLB certified to teach (See examples below). 

For any NCLB subject areas in which the assigned ES is not NCLB-certified, the ES must see that each of their students are being served in another approved way for those courses.

All ESs are encouraged to obtain as many NCLB certifications as possible, so that they might be better able to serve all assigned students.

ESs with Single Subject credentials only may only serve high school students until they are certified in “multi-subjects”.

NCLB Core Academic Subjects for K-8^th grades

For IEM schools, K-8^th graders can be served in all subjects by a teacher certified in multi-subjects, as 7th and 8^th grades have been designated to be a part of our elementary school program. An exception to this would be a junior high student who is taking a high school course for high school credit. Also Algebra 1 has been designated a high school level course for NCLB purposes (even though it is expected to be taken in 7^th or 8^th grade) that must be overseen by a NCLB math certified HQT.

NCLB Core Academic Subjects for 9^th to 12^th grades

The core academic subjects for California High Schools are:

English (which includes Drama and Theater for NCLB purposes),

Reading/Language Arts (CLAD certification meets the NCLB requirements),

Mathematics,

Science,

Social Sciences (which include Civics, Government, Economics, History, and Geography),

Foreign language,

Arts.

As of now, PE and dance courses do not requires a NCLB certified teacher, along with all other electives not in subject areas named above.

Ways that a student can be served by an HQT in a subject area in which their ES is not currently certified

Any of the following are recognized ways to meet the NCLB HQT requirements for your students:

Take courses through a school approved online vendor

Take courses at a community college

Enroll in a modified CP course taught by one of our HQT Subject Matter experts (SME) who becomes “teacher of record” for that course. This option is required if one of the other options is not being utilized.

CP HQT Subject Matter Experts (SME)

"Subject Matter Experts" (SME) will be identified in each of the following core areas for each charter school:

English

Reading for EL students

Math

Science

Social Science

Arts

Foreign Language

These SMEs (fully credentialed teachers with a single subject credential in their certified area) will each be available as a resource and support in their field of study. 

Process

On the high school report card layout, the ES must indicate how each high school subject area is being covered by a NCLB HQT.  The CP SME must also sign the Student Written Agreement each semester as well as the supervising teacher (ES).  The CP SME will be available for questions and support from the ESs and students enrolled in their CP course during the semester, as all students must have access to a HQT in each of their subject areas.  The ES and SME will collaborate on the course of study, the educational materials being used, the grading system for the course, and the SME will make the final determination of the grades and credits earned for each student in their CP course.

Student Admission and Enrollment

Student Enrollment
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Student Application:

A Student Enrollment Application completely filled out and signed by the parent must be submitted prior to a student being considered for enrollment in an IEM Charter School. It is important that all information requested on the application is completed including the signature of the parent, guardian, or caregiver, and date the application is signed. Submission of the application does not constitute enrollment in the school, but only requests an enrollment visit with one of our Education Specialists, when we have an open student space in our geographic area. Immunization records, dental health records (K & 1^st grade), Health forms (K & 1^st grade), verification of birth certificate, and other requested enrollment paperwork are required before enrollment can begin. The student records office will automatically request a cume file from the student's previous school, but an unofficial transcript will be helpful for high school students, as cume files may take several months to arrive.

Enrollment Requirements:

Students age five (by December 2) and older as verified by a birth certificate may be enrolled in this Charter School. Any child turning 5 after December 2 will have to wait until the following school year to enroll in the charter school. Due to a state law that became effective July 1, 2004, we may only serve continuing or new adult students if they have been continuously enrolled in any high school from a date prior to their 19th birthday, making regular progress (our school defines regulare progress to be 25 credits).

To be considered for enrollment, students must reside in the county of the charter school’s granting school district or in counties that are contiguous to the granting district (Sutter, Butte, Colusa, Placer, Sacramento, Yolo, and Yuba counties). According to charter law, students may not be enrolled in a private school while enrolled in a public school. A student may be enrolled in only one public school at a time. An inter/intra-district transfer is not necessary.

Before the student can be enrolled in this Charter School, specific documentation needs to be signed at an enrollment meeting with your assigned Education Specialist. These documents include the Student Agreement, the school's charter summary, and a “First Meeting Information Sheet”. It is the responsibility of the Education Specialist to fully explain the contents of the documents being signed.

Special Education Students:

Special Education students need to send a copy of their past and current IEPs with their enrollment application.  These IEPs will be reviewed by our Special Ed department for legal compliance prior to being approved for enrollment. No student should disenroll from their current school until they have cleared the Special Ed department, been assigned to an ES, and have met face to face with that teacher to complete enrollment paperwork.

When the School is Full:

Student enrollment may be delayed if the school is "full". By state charter school regulations, a credentialed teacher may serve no more than 25 students maximum on any one school day. If we do not have an ES with an available space in your geographic area, the student will be put on our waiting list. No guarantees of enrollment can be made at any time. We do hire and train teachers continually to prepare for growth when we are full in a geographic area.

Enrollment Exclusions:

Students who have been expelled from other public schools are not eligible for enrollment in this charter school.  Students who have been previously enrolled in this charter school and were dropped for truancy are not eligible for re-enrollment in this charter school.

Closed Enrollment:

Each school year enrollment is closed in late winter (date determined each year). To be enrolled for that school year, the student must start on or before the last date announced for that school year. At that point, students can choose to remain on our school prospective waiting list to be enrolled for the following school year. We begin placing those students with ESs in early April. Students who enroll for the Fall semester may choose to begin with our school for Summer School, if they qualify for summer school enrollment.

Student Agreement  
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A current written student agreement for each independent study pupil shall be maintained on file for each participating student for each semester of enrollment.  Each written student agreement shall be signed and in effect prior to the start of reporting attendance (ADA) pursuant to that agreement.  Students must meet all elements of the written student agreement in order for continued enrollment in this charter school. By California law, each agreement shall include the following:

The manner, time, frequency, and place for submitting a pupil’s assignments and for reporting his or her progress.

The objectives and methods of study for the pupil’s work, and the methods utilized to evaluate that work.

The specific resources, including materials and personnel that will be made available to the pupil.

A statement of the policies adopted regarding the maximum length of time allowed between the assignment and the completion of a pupil’s assigned work, and the number of missed assignments allowed prior to an evaluation of whether or not the pupil should be allowed to continue in independent study.

The duration of the written student agreement, recognizing that no written student agreement shall be valid for any period longer than one semester.

A statement of the number of course credits or, for the elementary grades, other measures of academic accomplishment appropriate to the agreement, to be earned by the pupil upon completion.

The inclusion of a statement in each written student agreement that attendance at this charter school is an optional educational alternative in which no pupil may be required to participate.

Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.

Each written student agreement shall be signed, prior to the commencement of independent study, by the pupil, the pupil’s parent, legal guardian, or caregiver, if the pupil is less than 18 years of age, the certificated employee who has been designated as having responsibility for the general supervision of independent study, and all persons who have direct responsibility for providing assistance to the pupil.

Learning Records and Attendance Documentation  
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Learning Records:

The Learning Record is the ES’s documentation and evaluation of the attempted assignments and learning for that Learning Period. Only new learning that occurs during the Learning Period will be recorded in the Learning Record.  The ES will also indicate in the Learning Record the state standards that correspond to the evaluated work product. It is the responsibility of the ES to prepare the Learning Records.  The assigned ES is required to observe and document student learning at each Learning Record Meeting as it is an important part of the ES job.  Samples collected should reflect what is documented in the student’s Learning Record, and show progress towards their "checked" standards.  ESs must collect "actual work samples”. Parents are not required to keep lesson plans, take notes, or write learning records.  Parents may choose to keep notes or a journal if they wish.  Parent notes can be written by hand or sent to the ES electronically via e-mail.  If the parent does document their observations of the child’s learning, that documentation can be used as the basis of the learning record along with the ES’s own observations.  Even with parent documentation, the ES is still required to meet face-to-face with the parent/student in order to assess the work product.  During the meeting, parents may ask for suggestions about activities and resources to supplement their child’s educational plan, or discuss challenges you are having with your child or your school day schedule.
         
In order to remain enrolled in this charter school, the student must demonstrate progress towards the student standards.  High school students must be attempting at least 25 credits a semester.  Students receiving Additional ES Services (AESS) must meet with their ES weekly or bi-weekly, depending upon their contract.  The Learning Records are auditable, legal school document that becomes the course of study description for that course. They may be looked at by other schools or school related agencies and it becomes a part of the cume file if a student transfers.
Copies of Learning Records may be given to parents upon request as long as the students are enrolled in the school.  BUT, after a student has dropped, the request for any school information needs to go to Student Records for processing.

Attendance Documentation:

Attendance is filled out by the parent and ES. A hard copy of the attendance roll sheet is given to the parent prior to each meeting. The roll sheet stays with the parent who marks daily on the roll sheet as learning occurs.  The roll sheet must have original (not copied) signatures as it is a legal document. The ES completes and collects attendance rollsheet for that Learning Period when gathering Learning Record information. The ES generally request two completed rollsheets in case of postal error. The ES is the teacher of record who is ultimately responsible to validate attendance.

Truancy Policy  
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Truancy Definition:

The definition of "truancy" for this charter School is defined in the policy below as a missed appointment/attendance period. This is not the same definition of "truancy" as defined by California Education Code, nor are the practices and procedure below defined by California Education Code, but by this charter school.

Truancy Policy:

Charter School students who are truant for two school attendance periods (length of time between meetings with an ES, but no more than 20 days maximum) or have 2 missed appointments within the same school year, will be dropped from the school and will not be permitted to re-enroll in the school at a later date. Please note that the truant attendance periods within one school year do not have to be consecutive. Truancy is documented on the Attendance Roll Sheet as 50% or less attendance during any consecutive school days on the student's calendar track (example: 10 truant school days over a 20 day period).

A missed appointment can be a mandatory assessment date missed or any other school required meeting missed. Full attendance is based on work in 5 growth area goals for a K-8 student or a high school student attempting a minimum of 25 credits. The ES must obtain approval from their Advisor for allowable exceptions. Be sure to let your ES know immediately if you encounter an emergency situation that will require you to miss an appointment.

Special Education Students Truancy Procedure:

If the truant student is an identified Special Education student, the ES will contact the Special Education Department with their documented attempts to contact the student/parent.  If the ES receives approval from the Special Education Department, they will create and mail the 2^nd truancy letter and submit the drop form which will drop the student from the school.

Suspension and Expulsion Process  
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Suspension/Expulsion Definition:

Students may be suspended or expelled from this charter school for non-compliance with the terms of the parent-student contract, or any material violation of any of the conditions, standards or procedures set forth in the charter school charter, the school handbook or of the school’s policies and procedures. The Special Education Director will be involved in the suspension/expulsion process for all identified pupils with disabilities. Students, who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate progress toward the student standards, as determined by the professional judgment of the certificated Education Specialist assigned to that student, will be subject to expulsion.

This charter school will suspend a student from participation in any school events outside of the student’s home if the student is found to have committed any act listed in CA Education Code 48900 that occurs during, or while going to or coming from, a school sponsored class, a school site, an assessment session, or  any other school activity. If the student violates their written requirement to be at home during school hours and not at any location where the school is holding educational events, the student is subject to expulsion from the school.

CA Education Code 48900:

“(a) (1) Caused, attempted to cause, or threatened to cause physical injury to another person. (2) Willfully used force or violence upon the person of another, except in self-defense.

(b) Possessed, sold, or otherwise furnished any firearm, knife, explosive, or other dangerous object, unless, in the case of possession of any object of this type, the pupil had obtained written permission to possess the item from a certificated school employee, which is concurred in by the principal or the designee of the principal.

(c) Unlawfully possessed, used, sold, or otherwise furnished, or been under the influence of, any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind.

(d) Unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any controlled substance listed in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 11053) of Division 10 of the Health and Safety Code, an alcoholic beverage, or an intoxicant of any kind, and either sold, delivered, or otherwise furnished to any person another liquid, substance, or material and represented the liquid, substance, or material as a controlled substance, alcoholic beverage, or intoxicant.

(e) Committed or attempted to commit robbery or extortion.

(f) Caused or attempted to cause damage to school property or private property.

(g) Stolen or attempted to steal school property or private property.

(h) Possessed or used tobacco, or any products containing tobacco or nicotine products, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, miniature cigars, clove cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, snuff, chew packets, and betel.  However, this section does not prohibit use or possession by a pupil of his or her own prescription products.

(i) Committed an obscene act or engaged in habitual profanity or vulgarity.

(j) Unlawfully possessed or unlawfully offered, arranged, or negotiated to sell any drug paraphernalia, as defined in Section 11014.5 of the Health and Safety Code.

(k) Disrupted school activities or otherwise willfully defied the valid authority of supervisors, teachers, administrators, school officials, or other school personnel engaged in the performance of their duties.

(l) Knowingly received stolen school property or private property.

(m) Possessed an imitation firearm.  As used in this section, "imitation firearm" means a replica of a firearm that is so substantially similar in physical properties to an existing firearm as to lead a reasonable person to conclude that the replica is a firearm.

(n) Committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault as defined in Section 261, 266c, 286, 288, 288a, or 289 of the Penal Code or committed a sexual battery as defined in Section 243.4 of the Penal Code.

(o) Harassed, threatened, or intimidated a pupil who is a complaining witness or a witness in a school disciplinary proceeding for the purpose of either preventing that pupil from being a witness or retaliating against that pupil for being a witness, or both.

(p) Unlawfully offered, arranged to sell, negotiated to sell, or sold the prescription drug Soma.

(q) Engaged in, or attempted to engage in, hazing as defined in Section 32050.”

Expulsion/Suspension Procedure:

Expulsions or suspensions will be made by the Charter School Administration based on information provided by the assigned Education Specialist or course instructor according to school policy. A written notice of the suspension or expulsion will be sent to the parent. As required by Education Code 48902, a school administrator will notify the appropriate law enforcement authorities of the county or city in which the school is situated, of any acts of the pupil that may violate Section 245 of the Penal Code.

Expulsion Hearing:

The parents of a student who has received an expulsion notice from the school Administration may request a hearing where the parent/student shall be given an opportunity to participate and present facts relevant to the issues set forth in the expulsion notice.  In the event of any such request, the school administration shall appoint a Hearing Committee composed of five (5) members of the School Parent Council which shall conduct an expulsion hearing.  An expulsion hearing, if requested, shall be conducted in accordance with the due process requirements established in Education Code 48915-48918. After an expulsion hearing, the Hearing Committee shall send its recommendation to the school Administration for a final decision. The school Administration will make all final decisions concerning suspension, expulsion, or reinstatement of suspended or expelled students.

Expulsion Procedure:

Whenever a pupil is expelled from this charter school, the school shall notify the pupil and the pupil’s parents/guardians in writing of the pupil’s duty to attend the school district in which the residency of either the parent/legal guardian is located. 

The charter school will notify the student’s district of residence of the student’s expulsion.

Education Code 48918: 

 48918.  The governing board of each school district shall establish rules and regulations governing procedures for the expulsion of pupils.  These procedures shall include, but are not necessarily limited to, all of the following:

   (a) The pupil shall be entitled to a hearing to determine whether the pupil should be expelled.  An expulsion hearing shall be held within 30 school days after the date the principal or the superintendent of schools determines that the pupil has committed any of the acts enumerated in Section 48900, unless the pupil requests, in writing, that the hearing be postponed. The adopted rules and regulations shall specify that the pupil is entitled to at least one postponement of an expulsion hearing, for a period of not more than 30 calendar days.  Any additional postponement may be granted at the discretion of the governing board. Within 10 schooldays after the conclusion of the hearing, the governing board shall decide whether to expel the pupil, unless the pupil requests in writing that the decision be postponed.  If the

hearing is held by a hearing officer or an administrative panel, or if the district governing board does not meet on a weekly basis, the governing board shall decide whether to expel the pupil within 40 schooldays after the date of the pupil's removal from his or her school of attendance for the incident for which the recommendation for expulsion is made by the principal or the superintendent, unless the pupil requests in writing that the decision be postponed. If compliance by the governing board with the time requirements for the conducting of an expulsion hearing under this subdivision is impracticable during the regular school year, the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee may, for good cause, extend the time period for the holding of the expulsion hearing for an additional five schooldays.  If compliance by the governing board with the time requirements for the conducting of an expulsion hearing under this subdivision is impractical due to a summer recess of governing board meetings of more than two weeks, the days during the recess period shall not be counted as schooldays in meeting the time requirements.  The days not counted as schooldays in meeting the time requirements for an expulsion hearing because of a summer recess of governing board meetings shall not exceed 20 schooldays, as defined in subdivision (c) of Section 48925, and unless the pupil requests in writing that the expulsion hearing be postponed, the hearing shall be held not later than 20 calendar days prior to the first day of school for the school year.  Reasons for the extension of the time for the hearing shall be included as a part of the record at the time the expulsion hearing is conducted.  Upon the commencement of the hearing, all matters shall be pursued and conducted with reasonable diligence and shall be concluded without any unnecessary delay.

   (b) Written notice of the hearing shall be forwarded to the pupil at least 10 calendar days prior to the date of the hearing.  The notice shall include all of the following:

   (1) The date and place of the hearing.

   (2) A statement of the specific facts and charges upon which the proposed expulsion is based.

   (3) A copy of the disciplinary rules of the district that relate to the alleged violation.

   (4) A notice of the parent, guardian, or pupil's obligation pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 48915.1.

   (5) Notice of the opportunity for the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian to appear in person or to be represented by legal counsel or by a non attorney adviser, to inspect and obtain copies of all documents to be used at the hearing, to confront and question all witnesses who testify at the hearing, to question all other evidence presented, and to present oral and documentary evidence on the pupil's behalf, including witnesses.  In a hearing in which a pupil is alleged to have committed or attempted to commit a sexual assault as specified in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, a complaining witness shall be given five days' notice before being called to testify, and shall be entitled to have up to two adult support persons, including, but not limited to, a parent, guardian, or legal counsel, present during their testimony.  Before a complaining witness testifies, support persons shall be admonished that the hearing is confidential.  Nothing in this subdivision shall preclude the person presiding over an expulsion hearing from removing a support person whom the presiding person finds is disrupting the

hearing.  If one or both of the support persons is also a witness, the provisions of Section 868.5 of the Penal Code shall be followed for the hearing.  This section does not require a pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian to be represented by legal counsel or by a non attorney adviser at the hearing.

   (A) For purposes of this section, "legal counsel" means an attorney or lawyer who is admitted to the practice of law in California and is an active member of the State Bar of California.

   (B) For purposes of this section, "non attorney advisor" means an individual who is not an attorney or lawyer, but who is familiar with the facts of the case, and has been selected by the pupil or pupil's parent or guardian to provide assistance at the hearing.

   (c) Notwithstanding Section 54593 of the Government Code and Section 35145, the governing board shall conduct a hearing to consider the expulsion of a pupil in a session closed to the public, unless the pupil requests, in writing, at least five days before the date of the hearing, that the hearing be conducted at a public meeting.  Regardless of whether the expulsion hearing is conducted in a closed or public session, the governing board may meet in closed session for the purpose of deliberating and determining whether the pupil should be expelled. If the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel appointed under subdivision (d) to conduct the hearing admits any other person to a closed deliberation session, the parent or guardian of the pupil, the pupil, and the counsel of the pupil also shall be allowed to attend the closed deliberations. If the hearing is to be conducted at a public meeting, and there is a charge of committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, a complaining witness shall have the right to have his or her testimony heard in a session closed to the public when testifying at a public meeting would threaten serious psychological harm to the complaining witness and there are no alternative procedures to avoid the threatened harm,

including, but not limited to, videotaped deposition or contemporaneous examination in another place communicated to the hearing room by means of closed-circuit television.

   (d) Instead of conducting an expulsion hearing itself, the governing board may contract with the county hearing officer, or with the Office of Administrative Hearings of the State of California pursuant to Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 27720) of Part 3 of Division 2 of Title 3 of the Government Code and Section 35207, for a hearing officer to conduct the hearing.  The governing board may also appoint an impartial administrative panel of three or more

certificated persons, none of whom is a member of the board or employed on the staff of the school in which the pupil is enrolled. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance with all of the procedures established under this section.

   (e) Within three schooldays after the hearing, the hearing officer or administrative panel shall determine whether to recommend the expulsion of the pupil to the governing board.  If the hearing officer or administrative panel decides not to recommend expulsion, the expulsion proceedings shall be terminated and the pupil immediately shall be reinstated and permitted to return to a classroom instructional program, any other instructional program, a rehabilitation program, or any combination of these programs. Placement in one or more of these programs shall be made by the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee after consultation with school district personnel, including the pupil's

teachers, and the pupil's parent or guardian. The decision not to recommend expulsion shall be final.

   (f) If the hearing officer or administrative panel recommends expulsion, findings of fact in support of the recommendation shall be prepared and submitted to the governing board.  All findings of fact and recommendations shall be based solely on the evidence adduced at the hearing.  If the governing board accepts the recommendation

calling for expulsion, acceptance shall be based either upon a review of the findings of fact and recommendations submitted by the hearing officer or panel or upon the results of any supplementary hearing conducted pursuant to this section that the governing board may order. The decision of the governing board to expel a pupil shall be based upon substantial evidence relevant to the charges adduced at the expulsion hearing or hearings.  Except as provided in this

section, no evidence to expel shall be based solely upon hearsay evidence.  The governing board or the hearing officer or

administrative panel may, upon a finding that good cause exists, determine that the disclosure of either the identity of a witness or the testimony of that witness at the hearing, or both, would subject the witness to an unreasonable risk of psychological or physical harm.  Upon this determination, the testimony of the witness may be presented at the hearing in the form of sworn declarations which shall be examined only by the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel.  Copies of these sworn declarations, edited to delete the name and identity of the witness, shall be made available to the pupil.

   (g) A record of the hearing shall be made.  The record may be maintained by any means, including electronic recording, so long as a reasonably accurate and complete written transcription of the proceedings can be made.

   (h) Technical rules of evidence shall not apply to the hearing, but relevant evidence may be admitted and given probative effect only if it is the kind of evidence upon which reasonable persons are accustomed to rely in the conduct of serious affairs.  A decision of the governing board to expel shall be supported by substantial evidence showing that the pupil committed any of the acts enumerated in Section 48900.

In hearings which include an allegation of committing or attempting to commit a sexual assault as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900 or committing a sexual battery as defined in subdivision (n) of Section 48900, evidence of specific instances, of a complaining witness' prior sexual conduct is to be presumed inadmissible and shall not be heard absent a determination by the person conducting the hearing that extraordinary circumstances exist requiring the evidence be heard.  Before the person conducting the hearing makes the determination on whether extraordinary circumstances exist requiring that specific instances of a complaining witness' prior sexual conduct be heard, the complaining

witness shall be provided notice and an opportunity to present opposition to the introduction of the evidence.  In the hearing on the admissibility of the evidence, the complaining witness shall be entitled to be represented by a parent, guardian, legal counsel, or other support person.  Reputation or opinion evidence regarding the sexual behavior of the complaining witness is not admissible for any purpose.

   (i) (1) Before the hearing has commenced, the governing board may issue subpoenas at the request of either the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil, for the personal appearance of percipient witnesses at the hearing.  After the hearing has commenced, the governing board or the hearing officer or administrative panel may, upon request of either the county superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil, issue subpoenas.  All subpoenas shall be issued in accordance with Sections 1985, 1985.1, and 1985.2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.  Enforcement of subpoenas shall be done in accordance with Section 11455.20 of the Government Code.

   (2) Any objection raised by the superintendent of schools or the superintendent's designee or the pupil to the issuance of subpoenas may be considered by the governing board in closed session, or in open session, if so requested by the pupil before the meeting.  Any decision by the governing board in response to an objection to the issuance of subpoenas shall be final and binding.

   (3) If the governing board, hearing officer, or administrative panel determines, in accordance with subdivision (f), that a percipient witness would be subject to an unreasonable risk of harm by testifying at the hearing, a subpoena shall not be issued to compel the personal attendance of that witness at the hearing. However, that witness may be compelled to testify by means of a sworn declaration as provided for in subdivision (f).

   (4) Service of process shall be extended to all parts of the state and shall be served in accordance with Section 1987 of the Code of Civil Procedure.  All witnesses appearing pursuant to subpoena, other than the parties or officers or employees of the state or any political subdivision thereof, shall receive fees, and all witnesses appearing pursuant to subpoena, except the parties, shall receive mileage in the same amount and under the same circumstances as

prescribed for witnesses in civil actions in a superior court.  Fees and mileage shall be paid by the party at whose request the witness is subpoenaed.

   (j) Whether an expulsion hearing is conducted by the governing board or before a hearing officer or administrative panel, final action to expel a pupil shall be taken only by the governing board in a public session.  Written notice of any decision to expel or to suspend the enforcement of an expulsion order during a period of probation shall be sent by the superintendent of schools or his or her designee to the pupil or the pupil's parent or guardian and shall be accompanied by all of the following:

   (1) Notice of the right to appeal the expulsion to the county board of education.

   (2) Notice of the education alternative placement to be provided to the pupil during the time of expulsion.

   (3) Notice of the obligation of the parent, guardian, or pupil under subdivision (b) of Section 48915.1, upon the pupil's enrollment in a new school district, to inform that district of the pupil's expulsion.

   (k) The governing board shall maintain a record of each expulsion, including the cause therefor.  Records of expulsions shall be a nonprivileged, disclosable public record.

   The expulsion order and the causes therefore shall be recorded in the pupil's mandatory interim record and shall be forwarded to any school in which the pupil subsequently enrolls upon receipt of a request from the admitting school for the pupil's school records.

48918.5.  In expulsion hearings involving allegations brought pursuant to subdivision (n) of Section 48900, the governing board of each school district shall establish rules and regulations governing procedures.  The procedures shall include, but are not limited to, all of the following:

   (a) At the time that the expulsion hearing is recommended, the complaining witness shall be provided with a copy of the applicable disciplinary rules and advised of his or her right to:  (1) receive five days' notice of the complaining witness's scheduled testimony at the hearing, (2) have up to two adult support persons of his or her

choosing, present in the hearing at the time he or she testifies; and (3) to have the hearing closed during the time they testify pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 48918.

   (b) An expulsion hearing may be postponed for one school day in order to accommodate the special physical, mental, or emotional needs of a pupil who is the complaining witness where the allegations arise under subdivision (n) of Section 48900.

   (c) The district shall provide a non threatening environment for a complaining witness in order to better enable them to speak freely and accurately of the experiences that are the subject of the expulsion hearing, and to prevent discouragement of complaints.  Each school district shall provide a room separate from the hearing room

for the use of the complaining witness prior to and during breaks in testimony.  In the discretion of the person conducting the hearing, the complaining witness shall be allowed reasonable periods of relief from examination and cross-examination during which he or she may leave the hearing room.  The person conducting the hearing may

arrange the seating within the hearing room of those present in order to facilitate a less intimidating environment for the complaining witness.  The person conducting the hearing may limit the time for taking the testimony of a complaining witness to the hours he or she is normally in school, if there is no good cause to take the testimony during other hours.  The person conducting the hearing may permit one of the complaining witness's support persons to accompany

him or her to the witness stand.

   (d) Whenever any allegation is made of conduct violative of subdivision (n) of Section 48900, complaining witnesses and accused pupils are to be advised immediately to refrain from personal or telephonic contact with each other during the pendency of any expulsion process.

Curriculum and Educational Resources

Learning Styles
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Each child has a specific mode or combination of modes in which he learns best.

VISUAL LEARNERS: learn best by seeing flash cards, visual images, matching games, pictures and diagrams, puzzles, watching someone do something, printed material, charts, pictures, posters, wall strips, desk tapes, video tapes, computer programs.

AUDITORY LEARNERS: learn best by hearing cassette tapes, lectures, educational songs and rhymes, rhythm instruments, recitation, singing and reading aloud.

KINESTHETIC LEARNERS: learn best by doing and touching long nature walks, model kits, yard work, gardening, textured puzzles and manipulatives, typing instead of writing, drama, dance, lab experiments, building models.

SOCIAL LEARNERS: learn best by interacting with others through one-on-one conversations, discussions, group participation.

One favorite learning style inventory tool used to determine the learning style can be purchased from Performance Learning Systems,  http://www.plsweb.com  (also see approved vendor list).  This learning style inventory tool, The Kaleidoscope Profile, can be purchased as either a hard copy, or completed online.  Students should choose from one of the following two versions:

Student Version, Grades 3-6:    $3.75/each or $2.00/online

Student Version, Grades 7-12:  $3.75/each or $2.00/online

It is also recommended that the parent-teacher complete The Kaleidoscope Profile, Educator Version (for adults to determine their learning style): Educator Version, Adults:   $4.95/each or $2.00/online

The reason for parents to know their learning style is that teachers tend to choose curriculum and materials and to teach in their learning style, and it may very likely be different from the learning style of the student(s) they are teaching. So awareness of both the student’s and teacher’s learning style is helpful, particularly if they are not the same in an independent study learning environment.  

In addition to the above mentioned learning styles, there are many theories about how thinking styles affect a child's learning style.  For more information and resources, books, free learning style inventories, websites, right brain vs. left brain patterns, and multiple intelligences information, go to http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/indexiem.htm.  To learn about multiple intelligences, the book to read is, Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice, by Howard Gardner.

Educational Philosophies  
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By enrolling in South Sutter Charter School, you are choosing an alternative method of educating your children.  Experience has shown that parents are more successful with alternative forms of education if they have a clearly defined philosophy of education.  Your philosophy of education is your unyielding convictions about what you believe to be the role of the parent, child, government, and community in the education of your children. There are going to be times during your children’s educational journey, when the pressures of life will cause you to question the educational decisions and choices you have made.  One main reason for this self-doubt is that there is no perfect educational system--they all have advantages and disadvantages.  By having your educational philosophy written out and by referring to it during the challenging periods in your life, you will be better able to re-evaluate your belief system and goals and to prioritize with more reason than emotion.

Teaching Styles and Methods  
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Once you have determined your educational philosophy, you need to think about which teaching style and methods support your philosophy.  Margie Rouge has summarized and we have listed here some of the more popular teaching styles:

The Schoolroom Method:

This is also referred to as “doing school at home”.  This method of instruction is similar to the classroom with a complete textbook curriculum, grading, testing, and schedules.  Usually a homeschool “curriculum package” is used with the same subject emphasis as that taught in a traditional school.  Each child learns in their grade level independently from the other children who are learning in their grade level.  The family has a schedule with a similar amount of time devoted to a subject from one day to the next.  The instruction is teacher centered rather than student centered.      

Classical Education:

The classical approach to education is based upon the philosophy that the best education

involves teaching children to think, not teaching "subjects". The core of the classical syllabus is what is known as the Trivium. The Trivium consists of three parts: "Grammar", "Dialectic", and "Rhetoric".

The first part, "Grammar", is not the subject of grammar; rather it is the study of the basic facts for different subjects. This stage covers the ages of approximately 6 to 10, the stage when children are the most receptive to, and will readily memorize, information.

The "Dialectic" stage begins at approximately age 10 when children naturally begin to demonstrate independent or abstract thought. During this stage, children begin to build understanding and the ability to respond to the

information acquired during the first phase, while integrating that information into a comprehensive whole.

In the "Rhetoric" stage (which lasts from teen into adulthood), the aim is to produce a student who can use language, both written and spoken, eloquently and persuasively to express what he thinks. Emphasis is placed on the ability to intelligently discuss a wide variety of subjects traditionally taught in the western world, such as Latin, Euclidean Geometry, and the classical authors.  

Theme Unit Studies:

Theme Unit studies are an integrated thematic approach to learning several subjects/concepts through a main topic. Topics or themes can be chosen by the child's interests, experiences in family life, books, events in the news, etc. This method can be used with different grades at one time to incorporate all the children of a family. Unit studies can be made up by the parent, taken from a book of unit studies or from sources online. The teacher uses all sources available:  online, library, community, etc. to bring together studies in various subjects which correlate with the theme. 

            EXAMPLE:  A theme unit study of the California Gold Rush might look like this:

History: Study of events leading up to, and what happened after the Gold Rush, to cover all of CA history.

Science:  Study of plants and animals in California expanded to cover life science standards;

Language Arts:  Read books about the time of the Gold Rush; write reports, letters, and stories about the Gold Rush.

Health:  Study about the health and living conditions at the time of the gold rush compared with today.

Art:  Make craft replicas of items used during the Gold Rush.

Music:  Sing songs sang during the Gold Rush days; put on a musical about the time period.

PE:  Play games played by the pioneer children.

Technology:  Play a computer game, “Oregon Trail;” make a “Gold Rush” website by first researching facts online; use a library database to find books related to the theme; use online sources for pictures & documents.

Interactive Learning (Waldorf and Montessori):

Many teachers, parents, and philosophers throughout the ages have noted that children naturally are inquisitive and will readily try out any manipulative items they are put in contact with.  (In fact, it is often difficult to keep a young child from touching an item of interest!)  With this in mind, several educators have built systems of learning based largely on the practical use of handicrafts and manipulative materials in every subject.  Two of the most famous of these are the Waldorf approach to education and the Montessori Schools.  Although Steiner (who started the Waldorf school) and Montessori do differ in some of their philosophies, there are more similarities in their approaches to learning than differences, so they are listed here together as examples of the “Interactive Learning” approach to education.  Some background about both of these well-known educational systems may be helpful before giving the distinctions of this philosophy.

Rudolf Steiner began his first school in 1919 at the Waldorf factory in Germany. The

Waldorf philosophy is educating the whole child -- head, heart and hands. It is geared to the child's stages of development and incorporates all elements -- intellectual, artistic, spiritual and physical. The goal is to produce individuals who are able, in and of themselves, to impart meaning to their lives.

Meanwhile, Dr. Maria Montessori, a renowned educator, began her first preschool in 1907, which quickly grew to a complete elementary and spread throughout the world as she espoused her philosophy of sensory, tactile education through spontaneous, purposeful activities with the guidance of a trained adult.  Montessori preschools and elementary schools abound in America, with well-trained teachers as facilitators of the active, child-directed education which they are known for. 

Some distinctive features of both Waldorf and Montessori education include the following:

Academics are de-emphasized in the early years of schooling. There is no academic content in the Waldorf kindergarten experience (although there is a good deal of cultivation of pre-academic skills), and minimal academics in first grade. Reading is not taught until second or third grade, though the letters are introduced carefully in first and second.  Montessori encourages reading explorations, but children learn to read when they are ready rather than at a pre-determined age.

During the elementary school years (grades 1-8) the students have a teacher who stays with the same class for (ideally) the entire eight years of elementary school.

Certain activities which are often considered "frills" at mainstream schools are central at Waldorf and Montessori schools: art, music, gardening, and foreign languages, to name a few. In the younger grades, all subjects are introduced through artistic or tactile mediums, because the children respond better to this than to dry workbooks and rote learning. The Montessori Association produces many hands-on educational materials for use in their schools, and these can often be purchased online. Because of this emphasis on activities rather than book learning, I have referred to this method as “Interactive Learning.”

There are no "textbooks" as such in the first through fifth grades. All children have "main lesson books" in the Waldorf system, which are their own workbooks which they fill in during the course of the year. They essentially produce their own "textbooks" which record their experiences and what they've learned. Montessori children use materials from the real world instead of a regular “text.” Upper grades use textbooks to supplement their main lesson work.

Learning in Waldorf and Montessori schools is a noncompetitive activity. There are no grades given at the elementary level; the teacher writes a detailed evaluation of the child at the end of each school year.

The use of electronic media, particularly television, by young children is strongly discouraged in Waldorf schools and replaced by hands-on activities in Montessori schools.

Natural Schooling:

The philosophy here is that education is not separated from living life. Education is imbedded in the process of life. It is not a thing that happens only at certain times and in certain ways. In natural schooling, learning can happen anywhere and at anytime. It is an ongoing and natural endeavor. Therefore, the parent makes the child a part of the family daily activities, and incorporates the entire community into his daily learning. The world is his school and the child follows his own interests in learning. Proponents of natural schooling believe the child is naturally inquisitive and will learn all the basic subjects if given the time and opportunity. All subjects are incorporated into his everyday existence. For instance, math is taught in relation to how it is used in the real world, not as an isolated set of numbers. Children of natural learners often begin "apprenticing" in future careers even before they reach their teens, and are allowed to excel in their own areas of interest and ability.     

Choosing the Right Curriculum  
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Part of the enrollment process is determining on the Student Agreement the amount of responsibility the parent and the ES will have in selecting the curriculum for the student.  Even when the parent has contractually assumed much of that responsibility, one important role of the ES is always to be a support to the parent.  The type of information that can be of help to an ES when discussing the student’s educational plan and determining their curriculum might include the following:  the student’s learning style, previous learning challenges at home and at prior school(s), the student’s maturity level, the student’s ability to “stay on task” and work independently, the motivational level of the student, issues in the family that might affect the student’s ability to learn; accommodations through special education, the student’s likes/dislikes and interests, available student STAR test results; high school transcripts, report cards, alternative assessments, and student diagnostic reading assessments, and math readiness tests. 

The ES will also find the following information about the parent helpful in making recommendations about the student’s curriculum: the parent’s educational philosophy and preferred teaching style, the amount of experience the parent has had with independent study; the amount of time the parent has to spend with any one student during the school day, the amount of time the parent has for educational planning and preparation each week, the parent’s ability to teach necessary courses, and the resources already available in the home.  Taking this information into consideration, the curriculum suggestions and resources necessary to accomplish the student’s educational plan will be identified and implemented within the educational and financial guidelines of the school.  The ES will help secure tutors, set up activities and classes, and place the actual POs necessary for the curriculum.

Curriculum Ordering  
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The school each year allocates instructional funds to be used to facilitate the student’s educational plan through the purchase of educational materials, contract program activities (classes and tutoring), group educational activities (field trips), and additional ES support (AESS). The parent and ES work in cooperation in determining the use of these allocated instructional funds.  Not “one penny” of the instructional fund allocations should be spent on a student without the parent’s knowledge, but should there be a disagreement (and there almost never is) ultimately the ES is responsible for the professional and ethical distribution of this funding and that responsibility is not shared.  The ES should make a reasonable effort to make maximum use of the allocated instructional funds by researching and purchasing from “least expensive” vendors to maximize student learning opportunities and resources.

The ES is responsible to place the purchase orders (POs) for the items needed by the family in a timely manner.  Purchase orders for materials can only be made through school approved vendors, and all purchases must be made in accordance with the school’s purchasing guidelines, must be non-sectarian, and must support the student’s educational plan (meaning the items must be age and subject appropriate), and must be used to meet school and state standards for the student that the materials are being purchased for.  South Sutter Charter School maintains a very comprehensive list of approved vendors in keeping with the school’s philosophy to support parent choice in education while adhering to the California Department of Education’s Codes regarding the purchasing of instructional materials.

Approved Subscriptions:

The charter school maintains a large selection of subscriptions for you to choose from, http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/csuggest/magazine.htm

Criteria for Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds  
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Definition: 

ADA funding is received for the purpose of supporting new learning for a student and some minimal practice of those newly learned skills. Therefore, ADA funding may be spent for basic educational items that support new student learning and that fall into the categories below.

Materials must be used to meet school and state standards for the student that the materials are being purchased for.

The following purchases are acceptable:

• Educational curriculum appropriate for the student’s courses.
• Reading (library type) books that correlate to the student’s English and History curriculum and are to be used   in that study, as long as they are not sectarian, are allowed.  (For example, A reading book with a study guide,  phonics reader set, etc).
• Basic school and office supplies adequate for learning basic course skills (paper, pencils, etc).
• Enough basic raw materials (not top-of-the-line) for learning basic course skills in one learning record documented educational project:  fabric, wood, yarn enough for one project (Exception: no food purchases allowed.)  ESs are responsible for monitoring the quantities of items purchased.)
• Basic equipment (not top-of-the-line) for documented learning as needed by student: sewing machine, VCR, cassette players, manipulatives, cameras, tools (not power tools), musical instruments (basic school models), computers (only from school’s computer options, printers, scanners.
• The following types of items can only be ordered for a high school student (and the grade level must be noted on the PO):  bunsen burners.
• The following types of items can only be ordered in small quantities for a student with the educational usage noted on the PO:  chemicals.

The following types of purchases are unacceptable:

• Generic library books intended for free reading and not a part of the student’s curriculum study.  Please use your local public library.
• Furniture, storage, organizational items (large and small items), picture frames, and other non-educational household items.
• Computer parts, equipment, and software upgrades for non school-owned computers (exceptions made only for printers, scanners, and other external parts needed for courses).
• Ready-made clothes
• Ready-made jewelry
• Toys
• Personal hygiene items
• Personal PE items:  skis, bicycles, tricycles
• Musical instrument rentals or exchanges
• Home and office equipment:  faxes, copiers, phones, dictation equipment, TV’s (we assume that the student’s home is equipped with basic home and office supplies), DVD and VCR players, power tools.
• Kitchen equipment:  popcorn poppers, trays, plates, silverware (we assume that the student’s home is equipped with basic kitchen supplies).
• Yard equipment:  grass watering kits, garden ponds, swimming pools.
• Materials must not be sectarian or denominational:  When ordering from vendors that sell both non-sectarian and sectarian materials, the items must be carefully screened before and through out the ordering and receiving process.  Should an inappropriate item accidentally be ordered and shipped to an ES, that item must not be delivered to the family and must be returned to the vendor by going through the Vendor Relations Department.

• All types of religious materials are unacceptable:  books, DVDs, CD-ROMs, videos, cassette tapes, posters, etc.
• Materials must not expose the ES/student/family to dangerous or serious injury.  Thus the following types of items are listed as unacceptable:        

Poisons

Knives

Bows and arrows

Darts with sharp points

Trampolines

Swimming pools

Rocket engines

Weapons

Power tools

Welding equipment

Large or heavy items must be limited to those items which the ES can transport.

• No materials can be ordered by an ES that violates the school’s Conflict of Interest policies.

Tracking Materials  
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The PO materials are shipped to the address of the ES, where they are “received” internally and marked as being the property of South Sutter Charter School.  The materials are delivered to the parent by the ES and the list of items are signed for by the parent as having been received by the parent who then assumes responsibility for those items.  It is the responsibility of the ES to track items purchased from their ES account.

All instructional items purchased with school funds, including consumable items not used, remain the property of the school and must be in the possession of the school at the time of the student’s disenrollment.  Parents will be charged for lost or missing items, items that were willfully damaged, and items not consumed and not returned to the school at the time of student disenrollment.  Items will not be prorated, but rather school fines will be charged for all lost or missing materials at the full price paid by the charter school to purchase the materials for the student’s use.  The Missing Materials form is completed and sent by the ES to Student Records in a timely manner whereby the student’s cume file, diploma, and trannscript will be held until the school fines are either cleared up or are paid by the parent.  

Approved Vendor List  
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The charter school maintains a list of school approved vendors that the ES can place POs through to draw from their ES instructional fund allocations.  The approved vendor list is comprised of vendors that offer products only, services only, or a combination of product and services.  On the vendor list is the phone number, website address, and a brief description of each vendor’s products and/or services.  Not every item offered by an approved vendor is approved for purchase and it is the responsibility of the ES to research and be aware of as much as is possible the items that are not approved for purchase.  If there is a vendor a parent would like to see added to the approved vendor list, contact your ES who will submit the vendor request paperwork and who receive the response back from school administration.

To view the approved vendor list, go to the South Sutter Charter School’s website home page, click on “School Resources”, then click on “Approved Vendors”, or go to http://www.sscs.cc/search/search_vendors.php. 

Requesting a New Vendor
Vendor Approval Request - Definition
A Vendor Approval Request is when a parent or ES identifies a business which either believes will be beneficial in assisting our student’s educationally by providing educational materials or educational services.  It is the ES’s responsibility to submit the Vendor Approval Request through WEBfiles. (Webex )

Policy

The ES receives a Vendor Approval Request Form from a parent or they may initiate a request. The ES must gather all necessary information because they give the initial approval of the vendor before submitting the request to Vendor Relations.

When considering if this is an appropriate school vendor the ES needs to consider the following:

• Service Vendor: Vendor Instructor Policy; The extra requirements for High Risk vendors, as well as Restricted Activities  School Restricted Additional Requirements
• Theme Park Guideline
• Product Vendor: Criteria of Materials That Can Be Purchased with Instructional Funds

ESs are asked not to contact product vendors once they are on our approved vendor list, but they may call prospective product vendors to let them know that paperwork from IEM will be coming to initiate the vendor approval process.

You may need to initiate a new vendor request to reactivate an inactive vendor that is no longer on our approved vendor list.

Criteria for Educational Vendor Approval 

An Educational Vendor must meet the following criteria before being approved as an IEM vendor:

• Vendor must sell non-denominational or non-sectarian materials and/or provide non-denominational or non-sectarian instruction
• Vendor must sell educational materials or provide educational activities.
• Vendor must complete the school vendor approval process in order to become a vendor for the school.

Procedure

• The ES receives a Vendor Approval Request Form from a parent or he/she initiates a request to provide materials or service to his/her student.
• The ES contacts the prospective vendor and gathers all the necessary information he/she will need in order to approve the vendor. (It is often helpful for the ES to contact the vendor to "pave the way" for the vendor approval paperwork that is going to be sent to them, as well as informing the vendor that someone from our business office will be contacting them.)
• The ES complete the Vendor Approval Checklist form and the Vendor Approval Request form while speaking with the vendor to be sure he/she has gather all the required information. (Keep the completed Vendor Approval Checklist in your files until the end of the school year the vendor became an Approved Vendor.)
• ES logs into ES WEBfiles and creates a Vendor Request through ES WEBfiles.
• Vendor Relations contacts the prospective vendor and after talking with the contact person sends the vendor the vendor packet.
• Our goal is to have the vendor approval process completed within two weeks.
• Once the vendor has completed and returned all required paperwork and it meets the school requirements, the vendor is marked in WEBfiles as an Approved Vendor.
• Vendor Relations notifies the ES the vendor is now an approved vendor and the ES may proceed with submitting a PO.

Addressing the California Standards
Students are to demonstrate adequate and appropriate monthly progress toward the student standards. The school provides much access to the state standards. The subject and course standards and the parent overview standards are linked on the Curriculum Home Page, http://www.sscs.cc/curriculum.html. You can obtain the subject and course standards directly from the California Department of Education website, http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp, linked from both the Curriculum Grades K-5 and Curriculum Grades 6-12 website pages. Each year at your first meeting with your Education Specialist, your Education Specialist (ES) will give you a parent overview brochure of the state standards for the core subjects at your child's grade level, or their individual courses if in high school. For easy access to the parent overview of the state standards, go to, http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/statestandards/paroverviewss.htm.

Computer Options  
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Computer Options:

To view a listing of current student computer options, go to http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/computerrel/stucomputers/GCmain1204.htm. 

You must also add the warranty fee or environmental fees to the cost of the computer option listed.  The computers don’t come with Word or Office unless the web description says it does.  You may order it separately.

Computer Repair/Refresh Process:

Only a school owned computer under warranty can be repaired/refreshed with school funding.  A computer must be “refreshed” by an approved school computer vendor before it can be placed with another family.  All personal information and any software programs that the school does not own must be removed from the computer.   A computer under warranty must be repaired only by the company listed on the warranty paperwork.  For a refresh, a school approved vendor can be used, or the ES may request a new vendor, using the vendor approval process.  Typically the cost of the refresh is paid for with allocated instructional funds by the family “receiving” the computer.  

Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Your Students’ Usage  
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ISP Information:

We are currently using Inreach as our ISP vendor.  The charge for internet access is $13.95 a month, and it is deducted monthly from your ES account for each family with ISP services. Internet services and monthly deductions will continue until the ES notifies the office that services need to be terminated.  Please check the school’s website and with your ES for information about  computer security and virus protection. We are not able to offer high speed internet with school funding at this time.

To Set-Up/Deactivate:

ESs can set up e-mail accounts for families for 1 parent and up to 2 students (maximum).  The ES will provide and have the family fill out the Network/Internet Acceptable Use form and send the form into the school to be kept on file.  Students can purchase the ISP without owning a school-owned computer. The ISP and e-mail accounts will be readied, and activated once a month on the first of the following month if received prior to the 25th of the current month. The actual user names and passwords will be assigned (not selected by the parent/student) by the office, and emailed to the ES for distribution to the family upon account activation.

To deactivate:

To deactivate an account by choice or if a family drops from the school the ES must immediately e-mail the school to deactivate the account and stop the monthly ISP deductions.  ISP accounts will remain active through the summer months for continuing students who the funds and have submitted a Fall Student Agreement (SA).  For activation/deactivation on the 1st of the month, please be sure all paperwork will reach the school by the 25th of the preceding month.  Any notifications reaching the school after the 25th will start/stop services the following month (in 5 weeks). 

ISP For Summer Service:

If continuing students want to have summer internet access, make sure that the family communicates that to their ES early enough in the year so the ES can make sure they maintain enough funding in their current year accounts for the $13.95 X 2 months ($27.90 for June and July).  The family must also sign and have on file Fall Student Agreements (SAs).  If there is enough funding, and the family will not be dropping from the school, they may continue their internet service over the summer months. If they don't have enough funding, or they are dropping from the school, then it must be discontinued.

Newsletter  
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Every fall, winter, and spring the school will generate a school-wide newsletter that will be posted on the school’s website.  The newsletter will have yearly calendar events, testing dates, group activities and class updates, and information from the curriculum and guidance departments and more. You may read the newsletter online or print it out and keep it handy to refer to through out the year.  All newsletters can be viewed by going to the school’s website home page and clicking on “Newsletters”. 

Work Permits  
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All students between the ages of 14 and 18 are required to have a work permit before they begin work, unless they are in the entertainment business, in which case they will still need a work permit, but the age limit is much lower.

Work Permit Packet:

Students should print out a work permit packet from the school website.  The completed packet when ready to submit will include a Work Permit Checklist,  Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit, a copy of the student’s Social Security Card with the same name as the one in which the work permit is requested, copy of the student’s official Birth Certificate, and ES approval form signed by the student’s ES approving this request.

Work Permit Application Instructions:

To ensure prompt processing of your new Work Permit Packet, please follow these instructions carefully:

• Print legibly.
• Fill in ALL areas of the “Request for Work Permit” form completely.
• Under “For Employer to Complete” your employer must provide sufficient detail under “Minor’s Work Duties” i.e. description of job responsibilities, tasks, duties to be performed by the student, etc.  For any unspecified work duty descriptions, the form will be returned to the student so that the employer can supply specific detail.  Failure to provide specific detail will delay the process in obtaining your work permit.
• If you are applying for an additional job, please indicate “2^nd Job” on the upper left hand corner of the “Request for Work Permit” form.
• Date and Signature of Parent or Guardian
• Include copy of Social Security Card
• Copy of certified/official Birth Certificate
• Signed/Dated “Statement of Intent to Employ Minor and Request for Work Permit” form.
• Specific Job Duties Description
• Maximum number of hours that the minor will be working.

For Processing of the Work Permit Paperwork by School:

For South Sutter Charter School, Fax or mail COMPLETED Work Permit Packet to:

IEM ATTN: Work Permits

1166 Broadway, Suite Q

Placerville, CA 95667

(800) 979-4436

Fax: (530) 295-3583

Driver’s Education and Training  
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IEM Charter Schools will allow use of instructional funds to pay for Driver’s Education and Training at licensed driver’s training programs in the State of California.

There are two options for completing Driver’s Education with your students to earn a Certificate of Completion or DMV “Pink Slip”:

NOTE:  Students must have a DMV Certificate of Completion to take the driving test and be issued a driving license or learning permit to drive.  The vendor, NOT the school, issues the pink slip.

1.  Contact with a local approved driving school vendor as a Contract Programs course or as an Educational Activity.  (Pink slips are awarded by the vendor, NOT the school).

2.  Contract with an on-line approved vendor such as driver’sed.com.  (Pink slips are awarded by the vendor, NOT the school).

Credits:

The Driver’s Education course can be taken up for up to 5 credits, although most vendors do not teach a 5 unit course.  The ES will use their professional judgment in awarding units for driver’s education.  Driver’s Training Instruction can be counted for no more than 1 credit.

Approval of Driving Schools:

A list of approved driver’s training schools is available in the curriculum area of the school website.  If an ES wants to use a vendor not presently on the approved vendor list, a vendor request form should be submitted to Vendor Relations.

Process for signing up students for CP Driver’s Education and/or Training:

1.   Parent or ES locates the local driving school offering the best combination of price and service and makes arrangement for the student to be served.

2.   The ES sends in a vendor approval request to have the business added to the IEM Charter Schools’ approved vendor list.

3.   The ES will process a “service” PO using the Educational Activities policy and procedures. Please submit a separate PO for the "in class" portion and the "behind the wheel" portion if the student is participating in both.

4.   The ES should tell the parent that a PO has been submitted, and ask them to call the vendor when they are ready to schedule their classes.

5.   The ES will document skills learned on the student’s learning record under the correct course name.

6.   The ES may assign no more than 5 credits for Driver’s Education and 1 credit for Driver’s Training, using their professional judgment.

School-Wide Writing Assignment  
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Each year the school chooses a “writing genre of that year” to train on and supplies grade level writing prompt assignments in that genre for all students in grades K-12.  The writing prompt assignment is only required for grades 2-11, and for 12th grade students who have not passed the CAHSEE ELA.  The assignment is optional for grades K-1, and for 12th graders who have already passed the CAHSEE ELA, but we encourage all to participate.  The ESs receive training and information to give to each family in September about strategies on how to teach that writing genre along with the student writing prompt assignment for each grade.  The samples are collected in December and graded by the ESs in January using the rubric that is posted on the school’s website.  The ESs will review the student’s writing prompt draft with the parent at their February learning record meeting.  The students’ writing samples will be kept on file with the school to show the school’s writing improvement through the years. 

At the website for the school-wide writing assignment, you will find posted:  the writing assignment by grade levels, writing practice materials, writing instruction specific to the writing assignment that may include graphic organizers or outlines, writing information about the genre, writing checklists and rubrics specific to the writing assignment, and more.  To locate the school-wide writing assignment, go to, http://www.sscs.cc/curriculum.html, then click on the School-Wide Writing Assignment link.  Everything that you will need is posted there.

Website Links Information  
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The school has posted web links that they feel might be helpful to the parent, ES, and student.  When you go to the below link, you will find the links broken down into the following categories: General Information, Links for Parents, Links for Teachers, Links for Students.  These links can be found by going to the school’s homepage, clicking on “Links”.   

http://www.sscs.cc/educational_resource_links.html.

Contract Programs (CPs), Educational Activities (EAs), and Group Educational Activities (GEAs)

Contract Programs Policies and Procedures
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Contract Programs Procedures:

Contract program courses are initiated based on the student’s educational needs and can be held in various locations, however, in some instances the school may request proof of insurance or additional items.  These classes can be set up by your ES or by the school, but no student is officially enrolled in or may attend a course unless Contract Programs has received the ES’s approval and the ES has approved that instructional funds be encumbered to cover the expense of the course(s).  Course instructors must be approved by the ES prior to instruction and will be given a copy of the Instructor Policy and Procedures.  When the vendor relations department gets the contract back from the instructor, they will mark the course “approved” in the status box and change the start date of the class if the start date was before the approval date.  Even if the instructor was an employee of the school before the contract was received, the beginning date of the class can not be before the office gets the contract back from the instructor (the approval date). The ES will then print and forward to the student/parent a course enrollment form that is to be given to the instructor at their first meeting session to verify their enrollment.

The instructor may state the minimum and maximum number of students they will allow in their courses.  The instructor’s contract for each course will be based on a per student rate times the maximum amount of students they will accept.  Contract Programs will only pay the per student rate for each student actually enrolled in that course each calendar month.  An instructor may cancel a class with 5 days written notice to Contract Programs that falls below their stated minimum number of students.  A separate amount may be encumbered in the ES instructional funds account for materials for a course and a course facility fee.  That amount will be charted out evenly over students taking the course and must be stated in the signed contract with the instructor.  These materials and facilities charges will be stated in the e-mail for ES approval, and will then be encumbered from IF upon approval by the ES.  All books and materials remain the property of the school and must be returned to the school at the end of the course.  An ES may not require any of the students on their “class list” to enroll in the CP courses they instruct.  If an ES feels that a student would benefit from one of the above activities, and the parent disagrees, the ES can only require it of them if approved in writing by the ES’s advisor.  (This does not limit a parent’s ability to choose to participate in any of these situations).    

A student is committed to paying for one calendar month’s worth of Contract Programs courses at a time after they have signed up on the web and the ES has given approval.  To drop from a Contract Programs course, the ES must send an e-mail to Contract Programs prior to the start of the next calendar month of the course.  A student may drop from the course, but their instructional funding will be committed to paying for the rest of that calendar month unless the course is officially cancelled.  The ES is responsible to make sure that the CP instructor (an initial phone call is OK) is notified when one of their students drops from a class.      

Courses may be held on Monday through Friday, and make-up classes can be scheduled as needed.  Courses may not be exclusively be scheduled on weekends, holiday, school breaks, prior to the first day of school, or continue after the last day of school, unless approved by IEM. 

Reason for Restricted Courses:

Courses may be restricted because they are high safety risks or high political risks to offer to our students.  The “disallowed” courses are ones our school insurance company will not allow us to offer to our students. The ones with funding caps are “political” risks.  In the past, schools have been “accused of abusing public school funding” by offering some of these courses to their students.  We have been able to continue to allow these courses to be taken by our students, as long as they stay under the stated funding cap, and our students have all of the necessary materials available to them in the core subject areas they are taking first.  The courses currently restricted to 30% of funding are not typically offered in any public school in California, paid for by the school as a class.  We understand the educational value of these courses to our students, so have chosen to allow them, with a funding cap for accountability purposes.  Some other courses have additional requirements paperwork and may take longer approval time. 

Restricted Course Policy:

1.  Students may take a restricted course all year long if the cost of the course does not exceed the cap for that course.

2.  Students may participate in the same course both semesters if the cost of the course does not exceed the cap.

3.  If the cost of the course equals the cap in one semester then the student may not take it again the next semester.

4.  You may take more than one restricted course at the same time.  (Example:  Martial Arts and Skiing may be taken the same semester as long as the ES of the student can approve the funding and the educational value for their student).

Currently restricted courses to 30% of funding:

Golf classes, ski classes, gymnastics classes, tennis classes, horsemanship, and martial arts.

Contract Program Approved Courses:

Contract Program Courses and Group Educational Activities that have been requested are listed on the school’s website.  Check here to find out if your course or any others you are interested in have been approved.  If the course has been approved look to see if there is still room in the course.  If the course has a “0” next to it, you know there is no more room in the course.  You can do a find on the approved courses and activities by course type, city, county, course name, grade level.  Some sections of the “searches” will produce better results than others.  Most of the school’s contract program courses are set up through already established businesses in the area.   

The above and more Contract Program information can be obtained at:

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/cprograms/cppolicy.htm

Educational Activities (EA) Policies and Procedures  
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Definition

1. An Educational Activity is an educational expense, that can be financed with ES Instructional Funding for one or more students in one family, at one school approved service vendor.
2. Educational Activities include but are not limited to: admission fees, material costs, enrichment activities, community involvement activities, and other educational services fees. 

Educational Activity Policy

1. If instructional funding is to be used for an Educational Activity , the Education Specialist (ES), parent, and student must follow all school policies and procedures which includes, adhering to School Restricted Courses/Activities and the High Risk Courses/Activities requirements
2. The Educational Activity must be approved by the ES, the required process must be submitted prior to the event/activity, and the required paperwork must be completed before any students may participate in event/activity.
3. The charter school will not, under any circumstances, reimburse parents or ES’s for any student’s participation in any Educational Activities. 
4. No sectarian or denominational instruction may be given in any course/activity paid for by the school.
5. The vendor must be approved before the school will pay for an Educational Activity, and the vendor must be approved prior to the student’s participation in the activity if instructional funding will be used for the activity/event. 
6. School funding may only be used for students currently enrolled in the school, during the school year.
7. The school does not pay for season passes, memberships, team sport registrations, uniforms, etc. but for specific events, educational services and activities only.
8. Instructional funding cannot be used for the following: out of state activities, gas or mileage, meals, or parking, etc.
9. Allow 2 to 4 weeks for a Pre-Pay; the check or the tickets will be sent by the office to the ES.

Parent/Guardian Educational Activities responsibilities

• Discuss the possible EA with their ES and share relevant EA information (where they are going, what they hope to learn by participating in the EA, as well as the cost, and contact information) and how it fits within the child’s educational goals
• Complete two Educational Activity Permission Slip forms for each student, for each activity and give one original copy to ES prior to EA.
• If during an EA a student will be transported by someone other than their own parent/guardian, the Volunteer/Employee Vehicle UsageTransporting Students form must be completed and mailed to the ES prior to the event.
• If the student is participating in a prepay EA, the parent/guardian agrees to be responsible to collect a receipt from the vendor while their child attends the EA and give it to their ES
• Share the student’s learning with ES as it relates to the EA, as well a provide their ES with the required student learning sample.

Educational Activities Permission Slip:

Parents of students who go on a school funded Educational Activity “field trip”, must fill out an Educational Activity Permission Slip.  This form and all other school forms can be found on the school’s website.  Click on “School Resources”, click on “School Forms”, scroll to Contract Programs and Vendors (see also Parent Information).  This form must be signed by the parent.  One copy stays with the student at the activity, and the other goes to the ES in charge of the activity.   

Volunteer/Employee Vehicle Usages:

This form can be found on the school’s website under “School Forms”.  It must be completed by the anyone driving students to an educational activity that are not their own.  The form must be signed by the person driving and the ES.  The form is to be kept in the parent folder during the activity.

Group Educational Activities (GEAs) Policies and Procedures  
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Group Educational Activities (GEAs) are large, usually school-wide, group activities involving another ESs students rather than just an ESs own students.  For information and policies regarding large group activities go to: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/cprograms/geasetup.htm . Let your ES know early if you wish to attend a GEA, as these events usually fill up fast.
GEA Cancellation Policy
Parents must inform the school Liaison directly within 48 hours of an event if they are unable to attend.
SSCS Liaison: Lisa Voss, ssliaison@ieminc.org
Families that are a "no show" for two GEA's in one school year will not be allowed to enroll in any GEA's for the rest of the school year.
The IF funds can NOT be refunded back to the ES account for a late cancellation (past the sign-up date) or for a no-show.

Parent Support

Parent Support Department  
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The Parent Support Department is one of our newest department additions to the school.  One primary job duty of the Parent Support Coordinator is to maintain the Parent Handbook and update it each year.  The Parent Handbook is also posted on the school’s website.  It is our desire that the parent handbook will improve communication about some of the school’s programs, expectations, and activity offerings.    

Opportunities/Information/Resources for Parents (Quick Links)  
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Approved Vendor List

http://www.sscs.cc/search/search_vendors.php

Curriculum Information

Grades K-5th
Grades 6th-12th

Approved Subscriptions

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/csuggest/magazine.htm

Approved Class/GEA List (Classes and School-Wide Field Trips)

http://www.sscs.cc/search/search_classes.php

Assessment Information

http://www.ieminc.org/Assessment/index.htm

High School Information, Driver’s Education/Training, and Work Permits

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/index.htm

Parent List Serve  
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One of the main venues of communication to our parents is through our parent list-serve.  Parents on the parent list-serve receive time-sensitive communication, parent specific school information, school deadline reminders, and school vendor notifications.  Parents must proactively sign up to be on the parent list-serve by contacting their school's secretary and requesting to be added to the parent list-serve.  If you do not receive a parent list-serve e-mail within a week of signing up, re-contact your school's secretary to verify that you were indeed added.

First Meeting Information Sheet  
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The First Meeting Information Sheet is printed out by your ES from WEBfiles.  It was developed to ensure that all parents are informed about the variety of school services available to them at the beginning of each school year. This sheet verifies that the parent has received a copy of the General Information Sheet, the school calendar, the parent version of the state standards for the grade level of their student for that year, the dates of the standardized testing, etc. The parent and the ES must sign this form at their first meeting, once each school year. The ES marks off each item on the WEBfiles Parent Checklist as it becomes completed, and keeps the sheet in the parent's file. It is a benefit for both the parents and the ESs to have a signed sheet that will indicate the information that was discussed at their first meeting. Take this opportunity to ask all your questions when each item is being discussed.

General Information Sheet  
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The General Information Sheet is to be given to each family by their ES at their first meeting of each school year.  It provides the parent with most of the personal information they may need to use during the year: phone numbers, their student and parent numbers, the important test dates for the year, e-mail addresses, and basic information about the school.

High School Guidance

High School Course Plans  
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There are different high school course plans leading to high school graduation depending upon the student’s goals after completing high school.  To view the three course plan options, go to the following link: 

http://www.sscs.cc/Guidance/TypHSplan/HSSampleSch.pdf . Ask your ES for specific information.

High School Graduation Requirements Checklist for UC/CSU University Bound Students
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This checklist shows the parent and student what requirements need to be met and when for entrance into UC/CSU.  To view the checklist, go to the following link:
http://www.ieminc.org/Guidance/Checklistgrad.htm

A-G Courses and UC/CSU Entrance Requirements  
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http://www.sscs.cc/Guidance/colladmreqmt/a-g&UC%20Admission.htm

Community College Enrollment Information  
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Students will usually take their lab sciences and other classes needed for college admission at the local Community College, as these classes are difficult to achieve for the UC/CSU lab science requirements.  For more information, go to the following link: 

http://www.ieminc.org/Guidance/Comcoll.htm .

Regional Occupational Programs (ROP)

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Regional Occupational Programs (ROP) offer great courses that allow your student to graduate from high school having learned specific technical and career-related job skills.   For a listing of the ROP centers in your area, go to the school website, http://www.sscs.cc/Guidance/ssROP.html .  Also, if you have questions, need enrollment information, or just want someone to talk to about ROP, contact Dennis Fuller, dfuller@ieminc.org , the ROP Coordinator.

Career Exploration

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The school has purchased two great resources, the Bridges Ability Profiler and the Bridges Choices Planner, to help students explore, analyze, and evaluate their post-high school options, then use that information to continue to re-evaluate and modify their personal learning plan.  The Ability Profiler is a program that assesses the student’s aptitude and is seamlessly linked to the Choices Planner.  The Choices Planner contains career information and career-in-action videos about long lists of careers within each career cluster.  Students can learn about various careers, then read about the colleges that offer programs leading to those careers.  The colleges are linked to scholarship and financial information.  The Bridges programs also provide resume creation and job interview training.  To access these school-purchased, free-to-the-student programs, contact your Education Specialist who can give you the username and password.  To visit the Bridges website, go to http://www.bridges.com/us/home.html  

Mandatory Assessments

Scantron Assessments  
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Scantron assessments are given to every 2nd-12th grade student at the beginning of each school year and then as needed from then on.  Graduating 12th graders are also required to take a post-test.  Scantron’s Performance Series is Internet based (requires DSL) and targets the instructional level of each 2nd-12th grade student.  The shorter version of this program, which is what we will be using, is about 20 minutes long to administer, assessing Reading, Math, and Language Arts.  Educators can use this product to evaluate skill mastery, place incoming students using their instructional level, and provide immediate reports to parents and tutors on progress made as the course proceeds. Parents are also able to find out their students Lexile reading score to find books and articles that are within the students reading level, www.lexile.com.  The advantage of Scantron’s Performance Series assessment over traditional assessments is that it measures the actual growth of each student.  ESs can access the add-on program called Skills Connection Online (SCOL).  This program helps the ES easily create remedial activities and assessments for their students which target the skills that they need along the way with a home study guide.  By working with the Performance Series results, the Skills Connection Online program  can generate a test in seconds for students that ties back to the unmet standards suggested by the Performance Series assessment.  The Skills Connection Online is a tool that the teacher can utilize as a pre-and post-test to measure if students have met the learning goals that were identified for them for the year.  The Performance Series assessment allows the ES to quickly identify learning gaps and have an accurate knowledge of which skills have been successfully attained and which are not yet proficient and need to be focused on.  The customized reports allow each student’s instructional level and academic gains to be measured and tracked over time.  This is especially important to students that are working below grade level because this tool enables us to track and show their progress, even though they are still not performing at the proficient level.

Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT)
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The WRAT4 is given to all Kindergarten and 1st grade students.  Also, there are some situations in which students of other grades cannot be given the Scantron assessment.  The student will be given the Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT4) by their ES.  This assessment helps the ES know where the student’s instructional level is in math, reading, and spelling.  It is not tied to the California State Standards, so the test will not identify as specific areas of weaknesses for re-teaching and remediation as the Scantron assessment, but it does give the ES an instructional level for each of the subjects tested and some obvious areas of weaknesses. 

State Mandated Assessments
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State mandated assessments are very important to the life of the charter school.  The state requires schools to have a 95% participation rate to qualify for state funding, and for charter schools to be renewed.  The state has also given charter school growth target percentage increases that we must meet on our school’s test scores. IEM charter schools are dedicated to preserving parents’ rights while trying to work within the system mandated by the state. 

Charter schools are required to administer the state mandated assessments, and students are required to participate in them.  They are as follows: 

• California English Language Development Test (CELDT), 
• Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR), 
• Physical Fitness Test (PFT),
• California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). 

Only students who indicate that they are “other than English” or have “other than English” family members living in their home on their application will be required to take the CELDT test within the first 30 calendar days of enrollment.  

The Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) test is mandatory for students enrolled in the charter school.  In addition to the regular STAR California Subject Tests (CSTs), students in the 4^th and 7^th grades are required to take a writing exam on a separate day from their STAR subject tests. 

The Physical Fitness Test is given for students in the 5^th, 7^th, and 9^th grades.  We administer the PFT test on the afternoon of the STAR test dates for your convenience.

All students in the 10^th grade are required to take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in the early Spring.  This exam consists of two parts: math and the English-language arts.  The state designates the days that these exams will be given and the time of day.  The CAHSEE English-language arts exam includes an essay prompt that the students must write about.  There are many good preparation workbooks that can be purchased for those students that need extra standards preparation for this exam.  The student’s 8^th grade STAR scores are a pretty good indicator as to how well the student will do on the CAHSEE.  If you have an 8^th grader who did not score well in 8^th grade, I would begin CAHSEE preparation in 9^th grade and not wait until the test in 10^th grade.  All students must now pass both parts of the CAHSEE in order to receive a high school diploma in the state of California.  Students who did not pass the CAHSEE in 10^th grade will have multiple test opportunities during their junior and senior years to take and pass the CAHSEE, and once more after their senior graduation.

For an at-a-glance of the state mandated assessments, click on the Assessment link on the school’s homepage, or just go to http://www.ieminc.org/Assessment/index.htm , then click on the “Assessments By Grade Level Chart”.

Special Education

South Sutter Charter School provides special education services for students who qualify.  If you are not sure whether your student should be considered for special education services, contact your ES.