Fundamentals of Algebra 2 Syllabus Mr. Douglas Harrington dharrington@troy.k12.mi.

us Course Description: This course is specifically designed to help students meet the state requirement of Algebra 2 by providing more time for practice, feedback, and instruction. We will reverse the trend of failure in the mathematics classroom by linking ideas to student interests increasing problem-solving skills, understanding of mathematical concepts, and communication with others. Resources: 1. Textbooks: Algebra 2 McDougal Littell, Algebra 2 CME Project/Pearson, Core-Plus Mathematics Glencoe/McGraw-Hill * Although students will not be assigned a textbook, I will draw on multiple texts. 2. Classroom website: www.mrhfunalg2.weebly.com will contain all assignments and additional resources to help with homework completion. 3. Student Notes due to lack of a textbook, these will be extremely important for studying. 4. Graphing Calculator (recommended, but not required) 5. Notebook/Binder for organizing and taking notes in class. Expectations and Rules: 1. 2. 3. 4. Hear what is being said. Respect everyone. No slackers. Clean it up. Fall Semester 2012 Room 1200

* Cell phones and music devices cannot be used in the classroom if it is seen or heard, it is gone. Absence Policy: If a student is absent, it is his or her responsibility to approach the teacher for any missed work. All assignments will be available on the classroom website. Students will have the same number of days missed on absence to complete the missed work. Quizzes and tests must be completed before or after school. Assignments: Homework These assignments will be graded on a weighted-system of completion and correction. Students can expect homework after every instructional period to practice the skills from class. Each homework assignment will be worth a maximum of 3 points; missing or incomplete work will receive less. (May also contain previously skills from previous sections or chapters.) Late work will be accepted for 60% of the total score the day after the assignment is due, otherwise the student will receive a zero. Students may reach an agreement with the teacher to turn in late work if adequate reasoning is provided. Tasks Assignments which are designed to link concepts from class with real-world scenarios. Many of these assignments will be completed by groups (less than 5 students) during the class period; however, some may occur on a larger scale. Scores will be part of the formative and engagement grades.

Quizzes Evaluation designed to highlight student thinking about current topics and provide feedback for growth. Scores will be used to direct instruction. These assessments can usually be retaken (completely new quiz), in terms agreed upon by teacher and student, to increase scores. There will be summative and formative quizzes! Tests Measuring understanding on a single unit/chapter to quantify student achievement. Small portions may include previously learned skills as preparation for mid-term examination. Grading: Quarter grades will be computed using the following weighted-system on a traditional scale: Assignment Type Summative (Tests, Quizzes) Formative (Quizzes, Tasks, Homework) Engagement Weight 65% 25% 10% Grading Scale (%) A+: 96-100 C+: 77-79 A: 92-95 C: 73-76 A-: 89-91 C-: 70-72 B+: 87-88 B: 83-86 B-: 80-83 D+: 67-69 D: 63-66 D-: 60-62

E: Anything below 59

Semester grades will be calculated using the following: Quarter A: 40% Quarter B: 40% Mid-Term Exam: 20% Semester Outline (Approximately): Equations and Inequalities (5 weeks) Functions and Linear Equations (5 weeks) Linear Systems (5 weeks) Sequences and Series (3 weeks) A Note on Grading Engagement: Since I am a new teacher, I reserve the right to change grading standards, but not without prior notice and explanation to both students and parents (in written form and/or on the website). At this time, every student will start with 80 out of 100 points. Effort, achievement growth, and participation can gain students points up to a maximum of 110 points. Choosing to disregard classroom expectations which have been clearly stated will result in point deductions. A loss of more than 10 points will result in the parents being contacted. Parental Acknowledgement: As an instructor, I understand the importance of informing both students and parents/guardians about the classroom. I want to keep you up to date and so I ask you to provide your e-mail as well as your signature acknowledging you saw this syllabus. Parent/Guardian Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Signature: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ E-Mail: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________