STUDIO ELA SYLLABUS
Studio ELA
Mrs. Hutton, Mrs. Reents-Dickkut, and Mrs. Robinson
Think: Learning Think: Different
Learning Statement: We value learning, differences, effort, and thinking. Each person has a different operating system for learning that makes one unique. Our lessons, writing assignments, collaboration, and practice are designed to help all types of learners find the path to learning. Remember in order to have an engaged learning environment we must all be honest when we don’t understand, and we must all be accepting of each other’s differences. With effort, we can all learn the concepts with hard work even if some of us may get through the learning journey at different times.
Course Description: This class is a general requirement of all eighth grade students. Your school district and your ELA teachers firmly believe that communication arts is a key ingredient into successful learning. Eighth Grade English Language Arts is specifically designed for each student to receive exposure to the fascinating realm of literature, nonfiction, reading comprehension, writing, and grammar. This course will focus on the key learning standards including annotating/active pencil reading strategies among other reading strategies, academic vocabulary, key literature and nonfiction elements, standards based projects, and key writing pieces. When research is required, students will be expected to be strong digital citizens documenting their sources.
Grading:
**Please view our formative and summative assignments and assessments page for clarification on relearning and retesting.
Outline: formative assessments, retesting, relearning assignments, and summative assessments:
The various types of formative assessments and assignments help students and teachers gauge what students know and what students need to work on as they approach summative assessments at the end of units. Summative assessments are designed to accurately gage if students truly understand the content skills and can apply content skills in a variety of ways. Thus, some formative assessments can be retaken, some formative assessments will have relearning assignments, and summative assessments will not be retaken. However, on every unit test there will be continued mastery sections and questions from previous units. Thus, students need to learn the material they missed even on summative assessments. I am available before and after school for tutoring and assistance. Please make an appointment for tutoring and assistance.
Term Quizzes and Key Concept Quizzes
These types of formative quizzes must be retaken if the student scores under an 80%, but the student must complete relearning tasks to retake these types of quizzes. The highest grade will be recorded.
Mini Standards Quizzes, Selection Tests, and MAP Review Quizzes
With these types of quizzes the students have the opportunity to complete a variety of relearning tasks when assigned.
Reading Comprehension Quizzes
These quizzes are designed to test the students’ knowledge of the reading. Thus, with these types of quizzes students will not have the opportunity to retest.
Other Formative Assessments and Assignments
With these types of formative assessments and assignments it will be at teacher discretion based on the assessment and the assignment if students will be given an opportunity to retest, correct, or redo the assignment. If the opportunity is granted it is in the student’s best interest to take advantage of the opportunity. Students should take advantage of this opportunity in the time frame requested.
Major Writing Assignments and Major Projects
On many writing assignments and projects student will have the opportunity to re-write the assignment and re-create the project for an improved grade. The student must prove an increased grasp of the skills to improve his or her grade.
Summative End of the Unit Tests and MAP Practice Tests
Students will not retake these types of tests, but will need to relearn skills and concepts missed in order to be successful on future formative and summative tests. There will be continued mastery questions on other formative and summative.
Please click on the buttons below to see copies of the standards based scale and a sample scoring guide.