Heritage Mission and Vision

MissionHeritage College-Ready Academy Charter High School is an independent start-up charter school researched and developed by Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization. The mission of Heritage College-Ready Academy Charter High School is to operate a small high performance school to prepare each student to enter and succeed in college. The primary strength of Heritage College-Ready Academy Charter High School is the highly accountable educational model guided by our five Alliance core values, which include:

1. High expectations for all students2. Small personalized schools and classrooms3. Increased instructional time4. Highly qualified principals and teachers a5. Parents as partners

VisionHeritage College-Ready Academy High School will be known as a public charter school that serves as a highly accountable model of innovation with highly qualified teachers guided by core principles based on what research has shown to be the best educational practices. Heritage College-Ready Academy High School students will consistently demonstrate readiness for success in college with a high success rate in student proficiency on state academic standards, 100 percent success rate on passing high school exit exams, dramatically reducing dropout rates to less than 10 percent, and achieving a 100 percent success rate of students, in attendance for two years, who will graduate ready to successfully enter college. Heritage College-Ready Academy High School will provide parents the option of sending their children to an excellent school with a high success rate as opposed to local overcrowded, low-performing schools.

A Day in the Life of a Heritage Teacher

7:00am You arrive in time to find suitable parking! As you enter the building, you pass by the main office to sign in, check your mailbox, say “Good Morning!” and then it’s off to the classroom to prepare for the day’s lessons.

7:40am The bell rings for students to head to class. You stand at the door and greet students as they come into the room. Some students must tuck their shirts in first! One student is out of compliance, and you send him/her to the office to call home.

7:45am The tardy bell rings and you swing your door closed. Any student entering class now is officially tardy and must face the consequences- “THE TARDY TANK”! As you walk through your classroom to the computer to take attendance, all students are busy working on their “Do Now” assignment, which they got started on as soon as they sat down.

9:45am Whew! A two-hour block is so full of dynamic instructional activities that the time has just flown by! After checking to make sure students have returned all materials and cleaned up their area, you dismiss them to nutrition. A few students linger with questions, and you make sure they are supervised as they walk into the hallway and out to their break. Now it’s your turn! You run to the restroom, chat with your colleagues for a few moments, and return to your class to have a snack before starting all over again.

10:05am The bell rings for students to head to the next class. You stand at the door and greet students as they come into the room. Some students must tuck their shirts in first! The shirt of one student is coming untucked in the back, so you give him/her a quick reminder and they take care of it immediately before entering the room.

10:10am Again, after standing at your doorway to greet students as they entered the room, you swing the door closed to find your class working diligently on their “Do Now” assignment. You head to your laptop to take attendance, using Pinnacle, before checking each desk for completed homework. You are already thinking about how you will tweak this period’s lesson based on how it went with your last group of students.

12:10pm So much to do and so little time! The lesson went more smoothly the second time around. Although several students will spend the entire lunchtime in your class if you let them, you shoo them out for some much needed break time. You head to your colleague’s classroom where a few teachers tend to meet to discuss students and

instructional strategies. The talk is invigorating as you compare notes and share success stories.

12:40pm The bell rings for students to head to class. You stand at the door and greet students as they come into the room. Some students must tuck their shirts in first! One student wants to quickly go the restroom, but you remind him/her that the bell will ring shortly and he/she will be marked tardy if not in the class by then.

12:45pm Students are once again entering your room. It’s time for advisory. Today’s lesson is character-based, and students will be participating in a group activity aimed at getting them to see someone else’s point of view. It’s a great opportunity for you to get to know some students in a different way. It gets a little difficult, but you don’t give up. In the end, it was worth the effort. Students seem to be more understanding of one another after this.

1:25pm The bell rings to signal the end of advisory – but students don’t stand to go until you dismiss them. You’ve taught them this procedure well! You head to the doorway to once again greet students at they enter your class for the final period of the day.

1:30pm One student tries to zip into the class with his/her untucked, but you Just have to speak his/her name and the student does what it needed. The rest of the students are already working on their “Do Now” assignment. You head to your laptop to take attendance, using Pinnacle, before diving into the third execution of the your lesson.

2:55pm It is the third time today doing this particular lesson, and although things are going well, you are completely exhausted! According to the clock, you are almost at the home stretch. You gear up to finish the class with as much enthusiasm as you started with in the morning.

3:30pm The final bell rings and you feel a wave a relief, which you see reflected in the faces of your students, who are waiting patiently for you to dismiss them. After reminding them of their homework, due at the next class meeting, you send them off with a wave of your hand and a “Have a Nice Day!” Luckily, you have planned ahead, so while there are a few teachers fighting for the use of the copy machine for tomorrow’s lesson, you are merely double checking to make sure everything is where you need it to be.

3:45pm Fifteen students arrive for tutorial. The time flies by as you work with students one-on-one and in small groups.

Meeting NormsIn order to create and sustain a safe and effective environment, we have agreed upon the following norms to govern all professional meetings and interactions:

Be Punctual

Time limits on agenda items and questions

Keep an open mind

No side conversations

Professional and Respectful

Cell phones on silent and computers too

Staff / Faculty RosterLocation Administration Title

Main Office 106 Robert Pambello PrincipalMain Office 102 Davida Fountain Assistant PrincipalMain Office 103 Director of Instruction

Counseling Center 113 Bryan Ines College CounselorCounseling Center 114 Rene Regalado College Counselor

Room # Teacher Subject109 Jeanne Loh English 10110 Elsa Hernandez Spanish I115 Travis Haynes Algebra Support116 Javier Rubio Algebra I117 Dorothy Morris English 9118 Y. Peter Kim Biology127 Robert Landrum Physical Education131 Edgar Hermosillo World / AP European History201 Alan Hobbs Chemistry202 Karina Romero Spanish II203 Sharin Friedman English 12 / AP English Literature204 Valerie Felix Am. Government / AP Government / Economics205 Megan Marsh Psychology206 Allison Byerly Art207 Efrain Diaz Latin American Studies208 Vanessa Penaflor English 11 / AP English Language210 Michael Colby U. S. / AP United States History

211 David Vaezazizi Pre-Calculus / Geometry212 Robert Saucedo Spanish II / AP Spanish Language213 Cliff Gerstman Physics221 Miguel Moreno Algebra II / AP Calculus AB222 Talar Samuelian CAHSEE Prep223 Alfred Pangilinan Algebra II / Statistics

Office 104 Marty Taix ResourceOffice 104 Jearena Calix Resource Instructional AssistantOffice 104 Jason Lennox EL Instructional Assistant

Location Staff Member PositionMain Office 106 Manuela Blanco Office ManagerMain Office 103 Antonio Perez Office ClerkMain Office 102 Sandra Guerrero Attendance Clerk

Counseling Center 112 Daisy Gutierrez Counseling ClerkStudent Center 209 Samuel Savala Information Technician

Student Center 209 A Cindy Lizarraga After School CoordinatorMain Office 105 Dawn Davidson Atlantic Recovery CounselorRoof Top Loft Juan Garcia Sr. Plant ManagerRoof Top Loft Juan Garcia Jr. Custodian

Heritage College Ready Academy Website

Logonhttp://admin.heritagecollegeready.orgUsername: first initial+last namePassword: first initial+last name@alliance

*make sure you always hit SAVE when you are finished*

My AccountChange My Password: enter a new password that you will not forgetUpdate My Profile: enter in any missing information

My PagesHome page: Bio, upload picture & documents (syllabus) Photo Album: upload picturesCreate New Pages

My ClassesAdd Class: Create your class/es

Name of your class, Section(A for semester 1, B for semester 2), Term, Location (room number), Text(description of class)

Add Homework: post homework and handouts (create pdf files on www.doc2pdf.net)Click on the calendar for the date the assignment is due (make sure it is for the class you want to assign)Describe the assignmentCreate any linksAttach any files

Academic Depts/Clubs and ActivitiesYou need to have access for any Depts/Clubs you are heading

Technical Support: email and they will respond within a couple of days

Student Access http://www.heritagecollegeready.orgStudents click on “Classes/Homework” under “Quick Links”Either click on number link under “homework” or click on the Class Name and then click on “See Homework”. (Must click on “All Homework” to view all homework assignments/handouts)

School Policies and Procedures Professional Attire – All teachers are expected to report to work in appropriate attire.

Business casual dress is recommended. Clothing should not be revealing, ill-fitting, or in poor taste. As a rule, jeans should not be worn except for “Dress Down Friday,” when teachers may wear jeans with a college shirt or any other HCRA spirit shirt.

Sign-In – Teachers must arrive by 7:30 am to begin the day. You must initial the sign-in sheets upon arrival. Anyone who arrives after 7:30am will be considered late. Notify the office staff if you need to leave during the workday and will not be on campus during your prep period. This will help us know where you are in case your colleagues or parents are trying to get in contact with you or your status in case of an emergency. Teachers must also sign out at the end of the day, no sooner than 3:45pm, which is the end of your contractual day.

Absences – Teachers have illness days for the school year. Up to two illness days may be used for personal necessity (unanticipated urgent matters not related to illness). A doctor’s note is required after three consecutive days of absence due to illness or at the principal’s discretion. Teachers are also entitled to bereavement leave in the case of the death of an immediate family member or a relative/friend living in the same household as employee. Please see your Alliance contract for more specific information.

Mailbox – Check your mailbox each day. We recommend that you do not send students to retrieve your mail because it may contain confidential information.

E-mail – Check your email at least three times a day. Most school communication will be via e-mail, including updates and emergency information. You must use your LA Alliance account for all school business.

Staff Bulletins – Scorpion Tracks will be emailed each Thursday. All staff members are responsible for information in these bulletins, which will be emailed by administrators and other staff members. In an effort to reduce paper and copying costs, most bulletins and communications will come to you electronically.

Communication Response Time – It is very important that we honor our communication with colleagues and parents. Please adhere to the following guidelines when responding to communications initiated by faculty, staff or parents:o To faculty and staff members – within 24 hours with a note, email, phone call or in

person.o To parents – within 24 hours (sooner if possible) with an email or phone call. Keep a

communication log of contacts with parents as documentation of when contacts are made or attempted.

Standing at your door- Teachers must be at their doors during the beginning and end of every period, greeting and welcoming their students. This is an opportunity to build relationships with your students.

Uniform Policy– Teachers are expected to enforce the uniform policy and will be held accountable for doing so.

Attendance Procedures – Accurate attendance must be entered into Pinnacle the within the first fifteen minutes of each class.

Tardy Students – Students, tardy between passing periods and after breaks, must be admitted to class. Record the tardy in Pinnacle. Repeat offenders should face both classroom and school consequences. As a rule, three accumulated morning tardies will equal one absence.

Empty Desks- Each morning when your students enter the room please assign someone to place the chairs on the ground for desks without students. In the event of an earthquake, leaving a chair on top of a desk can become a safety hazard.

Agenda Books- The school is providing all students with an agenda book, which should be checked by each teacher every period on a daily basis. Students without an agenda are to be assigned a nutrition detention by that teacher. Students are required to fill out their homework prior to starting their “Do Now” activity.

Hall Passes – Hall passes are integrated with the student agenda. The priority at all times is for students to be in a classroom. It is recommended that teachers limit the number of passes issued to students each semester. If it becomes necessary for the student to leave, they must have their agenda with them. No more than one student should be out of class at any given time. Do not issue passes during the first and last 30 minutes of the period.

Hallway Passport- Teachers are to check that each student has their own agenda book. Student needs to fill out their portion of the hallway passport. The teacher is to sign the passport in ink and include the actual time the student leaves.

Restroom Use – Student restroom use should be restricted to extreme emergencies during class time. Please follow the 30/30 rule when sending students to the restroom. Students should not be allowed out of class for the first 30 and last 30 minutes of the 2-hour block. If a faculty member has an extreme emergency, please make arrangements for a certificated adult to be in your classroom while you use the restroom.

Leaving the Classroom – Under no circumstances should students be left unattended inside a classroom, without a certificated adult. If there is an emergency, please contact the office so that someone can watch your class.

Hand Signal-We will be using a school wide hand signal to get the attention of the group. The facilitator will raise their hand. The audience will then complete their final sentence and raise their hand. This will give the signal that it is time to pay attention to the facilitator.

Course syllabus – Each semester, teachers should provide administrators with a syllabus for each class that they teach. The syllabus should include course objectives and overview, standards to be addressed, classroom expectations, grading procedures and other information that you feel students and parents need to know about your course.

Stop Drop and Read - All students should have a novel to read with them at any given time. When the signal is given, students and all staff members will pull a book and read for fifteen minutes.

Stop Drop and Write - Students will be provided with a short writing prompt. When the signal is given, students will stop what they are doing, and complete the writing prompt within the fifteen-minute period allocated. This will also be placed on the master calendar.

Blended Curriculum: Teachers will deliver educational content through the use of technology and live instruction. This will allow teachers to personalize instruction, allow thoughtful reflection, and differentiate instruction for all learners.

Classroom Learning Centers - To optimally meet your students’ unique individual needs and provide students with opportunities for self-directed differentiated learning classroom learning centers should be implemented. Developing classroom learning centers that engage students’ interest, will allow you to quickly and easily assess students’ needs, and enable you to target and remediate specific learning difficulties and skill deficits.

Multimedia Instruction: Teachers will use media and content that uses a combination of different content forms to match to a variety of learning styles. This will include text, audio, still images, animation, video, smart boards, LCD technology, computers and interactive content forms students and teachers can access on demand.

E-books: 9th Teachers will be using an electronic version of a traditional print book that can be read using a personal computer. (ie: California’s Free Digital Textbook Initiative and Project Gutenberg, over 30,000 titles)

Heading on paper-Student Name Juana GarciaDate 10/20/10Grade 9Subject EnglishPeriod 4Type of paper Personal ExperienceWhere excellence is not a skill but an attitude!

Grading Procedures – All teachers will be using standards-based grading procedures. This means that student grades are based solely on whether or not they can meet the standard. Homework will not be part of the grade given unless it is part of a standards-based assignment.

Student Progress Reports - Post student grades on a bi-weekly basis to insure that all parents have up to date information on their student’s academic progress. Update Pinnacle grades and assignments every two weeks to insure parents and Advisory teachers have up-to-date info.

Whiteboard Configuration Model – Must be posted on the whiteboard at the beginning of each period.

Bulletin Boards – Classroom bulletin boards should showcase standards-based student work and support student learning (i.e. with rubrics, criteria charts, and important notes). Ideally, items placed on the wall are meaningful to students and focus on instruction. Some ideas:

o Dedicate a space to post (or write) due dates for short and long term assignmentsand special projects

o Dedicate a space for posting announcements and information that is important to students

o Dedicate a space for rubrics and models of student work.Hallway bulletin boards will be assigned to teachers on a monthly basis, and a rotation schedule will be designed so that all classrooms have the opportunity to showcase quality standards-based work.

Getting Homework Right: Creating a new paradigm for homework- 1. As a College-Ready Public School it is our responsibility to prepare our students for

the rigor of College by requiring each teacher to assign 45 minutes per night of homework per subject.

2. To reach our long-term goals as well as to meet short-term academic purposes, it is necessary to create a new homework paradigm that focuses on academic success for all students. Creating such a paradigm requires a comprehensive list of practices that can improve academic success when implemented as a package.

3. The practices are as follows…-Designing quality homework tasks (We must consider the purpose of the homework task and how it relates to what is learned in the classroom. What type of learning is desired?)

-Differentiating homework tasks (Homework is to be completed independently and created in a way that will be considered motivating and/or stimulating by students. As with classroom instruction, homework must be differentiated based on the students readiness, interests, learning style, organizational skills and emotional factors such as motivation and persistence.)

-Moving from grading to checking (All homework can be used to check for understanding if we can convince students not to be threatened by grades. The purpose of homework should be o provide feedback to the teacher and the student about how learning is progressing.

-Decriminalizing the grading of homework (If the purpose of homework is to enhance learning and provide feedback about learning, then the goal is for the homework to be completed-better late than never. This is not about teacher control or compliance of the homework but about learning.)

-Establishing homework support programs- We need to have our students focus on the character value of responsibility. Primarily, we need them to practice responsibility when it comes to homework. In order to best fulfill this need we will need to provide students an opportunity to complete homework here at school. This can take place before school, during nutrition or lunch and after school, but not to be

integrated during classroom instructional time. Homework support programs allow us to save our students from themselves, by making it difficult for them to fail.

Classroom Visits – Expect classroom visits often. In addition to formal classroom observations conducted for evaluation purposes, administrators will be doing informal visits throughout the school year. Please have your communication log ready for these visits. Also, let us know if you are doing something of particular interest that you think we would enjoy observing.

Classroom Greeters- Each classroom is required to have a greeter and a backup greeter when a visitor enters your classroom. The greeter will walk over to the visitor and say, Hello, my name is ____________. I am in the __________grade and my goal is to attend __(name of college/university)__. Welcome to (subject)_ class. We are studying __(curriculum daily topic)___. Are there any questions that I can answer?

Classroom Walk-ThroughDuring the school year, all faculty members will participate in Classroom Walk-Through. This process will allow them to:

o Engage in a collaborative process for the timely collection and analysis of student learning data

o Observe students in the classrooms using a specific protocol and a focused question

o Identify patterns and trends in students data that suggest areas or professional inquiry

Peer to Peer Observations - Teachers that have a common planning period will conduct peer observations. Observations will be conducted a minimum of one time per quarter. Teachers will observe one another teaching in order to open the dialog about effective teaching.

School Pulse Check- Each semester we will be providing the staff with an opportunity to conduct a school pulse check. We will be conducting school wide walk through observations centered around a focus question. Teachers that have a common planning period will conduct a focused walk through of each classroom in the school. After the walk through is complete, a group discussion will be held to debrief the observations centered around the focus question. We will be looking for commonalities and then create a strategic plan.

Professional Development Time – PD time for collaboration is scheduled on Wednesdays from 2:00pm – 3:30pm. All faculty members are expected to attend and bring their “Interactive Binder”.

Copy machine / paper – There is a copy machine available for teachers to use in the teacher’s lounge. It is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If and when the copy machine malfunctions, beyond your ability to solve the problem, be sure to notify the Sam Savala, Tech, for assistance. Teachers will only receive 3 reams of paper per month. Please plan ahead! It would be wise to plan to have copies made a few days in advance.

Ordering Supplies – Please fill out a supply request form in the main office and return to Ms. Blanco. Teachers will be provided with a $100 allowance to purchase necessary supplies for their classroom.

Disputes and Disagreements – Please attempt to handle all disputes and disagreements with a personal, face-to-face conversation. If any mediation is required, ask an objective party to help.

Timeliness – All staff members are expected to arrive at or before the scheduled time to all events and meetings.

Food in the Refrigerator- When you place food in the refrigerator in the teachers’ lounge area and do not consume all of it, please assume the responsibility of discarding it. The refrigerator will be cleaned on Friday and all questionable items will be disposed of.

Courtesy Fund- A Courtesy Fund has been established for the purpose of remembering fellow team and family members and their immediate families at times of bereavement, illness, or special occasions such as weddings and births. Each member contributes an amount to this fund as the need arises. Faculty/Administration contributions are $25.00. Non-Instructional staff will contribute $15.00.

Keys- You are responsible for each key that you are issued. If your key is lost or stolen you will be charged $35.00 per key.

Naviance- Teachers will correspond to students electronically. Students will upload assignments for teachers to grade them. This is in effort to have students use systems that will prepare them for in college.

Data Director- Teachers will utilize data director for the historical grade history of our students in addition creating and simulating CST type assessments.

Character Counts- As a school of character each and every staff member will be expected to utilize the six pillars of character in what they do, day in and day out. We need to live, breath, eat and sleep the six pillars. A visitor coming into our school needs to see, feel and believe that we are a school of character.

S.T.A.R. Students Thinking and Acting Responsibly- This is a weekly recognition for students by teachers. Each teacher by Wednesday of each week needs to submit at least one STAR Student Recognition form to the principal. The principal will pull five students per week to be recognized. Each student that name is drawn will receive free dress on the following day.

Thank you for your cooperation in adhering to these professional expectations for faculty!

Classroom Instruction

Alliance Instructional Guides & Benchmark Assessments All classroom instruction must be aligned to the focus standards identified in

the Alliance Instructional Guide.

Year-Long Pacing Plan Teachers must create a year-long pacing plan that shows which standards

they cover when.o Pacing should be based on benchmark assessment dates and should

follow the outline laid out in the Alliance Instructional Guide.

Unit Plans Unit plans will be submitted at the beginning of each unit.

o A sample format for unit plans will be distributed at our regularly scheduled professional development meetings.

o Unit plans will follow a “backwards design” format and will include essential questions, focus standards, a comprehensive culminating task, and activities that lead the students to success.

Lesson Plans The Whiteboard Configuration model may serve as your daily lesson plan

when an observer enters the room.o NOTE: Any teacher evidencing difficulty with lesson plan format and

instruction may be asked to create daily written lesson plans that must be submitted to an administrator beforehand.

Differentiating Instruction Teachers are expected to use a variety of instructional strategies to address

the needs of various types of learners in their classrooms.o This can include, among other things:

Strategies that scaffold and support instruction for struggling readers and language learners

Modifications for students with IEPs Inquiry-based learning activities Connecting to prior knowledge

Bell to Bell TeachingThe use of instructional time is key to helping our students achieve at record levels. Literally, no minute should be wasted. At Heritage, we are committed to “Bell to Bell Teaching,” which means:

o We must maximize use of instructional time.

o Students must be on task, focused, and engaged throughout the entire period

Students should not sleep in class under any circumstances.

If students are not paying attention, then something is lacking in the presentation.

o It is important to over plan in case students finish early or a lesson or activity doesn’t go as expected.

Prepare activities to have on-hand for just such a situation.

o Follow a consistent schedule and maintain your daily routines and procedures.

Students do well with structure.

o Prepare all materials in advance Copies and materials should be ready to go before class

begins.

o Maintain momentum within and across lessons

o Limit disruptions and interruptions No food or drink including gum is allowed in the

classroom. No bathroom breaks unless there is an emergency. Curb discussions and/or disagreements that do not

pertain to the day’s lesson

Whiteboard Configuration Model Will be implemented school-wide Encourages Bell to Bell Teaching Clearly defines what information should be listed on the board in regards to Daily Classroom

Academic Expectations Visible during classroom visitations

Purpose Gets students to settled down, be on task, and ready to learn Allows students to know what the overall objectives are each for each lesson Is a visual illustration of the teacher’s commitment to instruction Assist students and teachers in staying organized and focused

Whiteboard Configuration Model Elements Do Now Activity Objectives Standards Agenda Homework

Do Now Activity Class begins with a 5-15 minute exercise Should be an activity that requires independent seatwork. Involves no talking and no movement (pen to paper activity) Used to set up lesson by reviewing previous day assignment or newly related objective Should be related to the focus of the lesson

Objective/Standards Teacher may go over the Do Now Activity & Homework prior to stating the objective Teacher gives a clear explanation of what students will learn during that lesson This is an excellent format for practicing skill Is also a process for summarization & review

Agenda Teacher lists the day’s activities in sequential order

Homework Review of previous day homework assignment The homework assigned must be specific and quantifiable

What are the expected outcomes? Helps in improving the school tone Strengthens teachers’ skill in planning and pacing Standardizes students’ expectations school-wide Provides students with an example of how to plan and organize

Professional Expectations

Develop, implement and document a rigorous student centered curriculum aligned to state standards as well as school objectives.

Accommodate, differentiate or modify your curriculum as appropriate to meet student needs.

Be resourceful, e.g., research program and curriculum resource, anticipate and order equipment, schedule guest speakers, design a field trip, develop partners in the community, research and write grants, utilize a variety of instructional strategies, attend conferences to improve instruction.

Support students to succeed through alternative and fair approaches to assessment and discipline, accommodations to curriculum, and alternative instructional strategies.

Implement school-wide strategies and programs (i.e. Advisory, Portfolio)

Foster a small learning community by participating in school activities and objectives outside of the teaching requirements (e.g. tutoring, managing a club, attending extracurricular activities, parent communication)

Participate in staff meetings to carry out grade level and discipline specific business, align and deepen curriculum, improve pedagogy, and establish and nurture collegial relationships.

Work with supervisors and staff to continuously improve practice, student learning and community functioning.

Complete course outline, unit plans and lesson plans prior to the first day of school.

Communicate with parents, and other stakeholders to improve student learning.

Additional Commitments

In addition to fulfilling the Job Description attached, teachers will be expected to complete the following obligations outside of the hours listed in the teacher job description.

1. To prepare for and attend no more than 10 evening events including Report Card Nights, Open House, Exhibition Days, etc.

2. To make a major contribution to the organization and execution of at least one major student event.

3. Serve actively on at least one school-established action committee throughout the school year.

4. Attend all faculty/professional development meetings on time, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. Failure to attend these events should only be for the most critical of personal reasons and will result in a deduction of the appropriate amount of sick time.

5. Attend up to one monthly school business meeting, which will be scheduled to take place after the instructional day.

Evaluation of Professional Performance

Teachers will be required to create and maintain a professional portfolio. Training, templates, and a proposed timeline will be provided during the professional development days in August. Support and at least ten hours of work time will be provided during professional development meeting time to assist teachers in completing the portfolio. The portfolio will be presented to the Supervisor in early April. The portfolio will be one of the factors affecting the Principal’s decision whether to offer an AGREEMENT for the following year.

The portfolio will contain, but is not limited to:

1. A full year pacing plan or syllabus aligned to state standards and Alliance Interim Assessments (Benchmarks), submitted by August 26, 2010, to be revised throughout the year as needed.

2. Lesson plans that meet Alliance expectations. These plans should be submitted weekly to the administrator until deemed unnecessary.

3. A minimum of ONE formal observation per semester (observation, written feedback and performance conference) conducted by the Administrative Supervisor focusing on meeting standards set forth in SAMPLE Evaluation of Certificated Instructional Personnel. The first observation period will be prior to December. The second observation period will take place early April.

4. Teacher Annual Goals that include a Needs Assessment Refection Form. Initial meetings with administrator will be held in September. Mid-year goals progress meetings will be held in January. Final goals presentations will be held in May.

5. Evidence of at least three public contributions to the school community learning environment such as: conducting school sponsored academic academy workshop for parents; making a presentation on instructional practices at school professional development; serving as a mentor “buddy” for a new teacher; leading a professional development session.

CA Standards for the Teaching ProfessionThe California Standards for the Teaching Profession provide a common language and a vision of the scope and complexity of teaching by which all teachers can define and develop their practice. The Standards are to be used by teachers to prompt reflection about teaching and learning; develop professional goals; and guide, monitor, and assess the progress of teachers’ practice toward professional goals. The Standards address the diversity of the student population in California schools today and reflect a holistic, developmental view of teaching.

Standard for creating and maintaining effective environments for student learningTeachers create physical environments that engage ALL students in purposeful learning activities, and encourage constructive interactions among students. Teachers maintain safe learning environments in which all students are treated fairly and respectfully as they assume responsibility for themselves and one another. Teachers encourage all students to participate in making decisions and in working independently and collaboratively. Expectations for student behavior are established early, clearly understood, and consistently maintained. Teachers make effective us of instructional time as they implement class procedures and routines.

Standard for engaging and supporting all students in learningTeachers build on students’ prior knowledge, life experience, and interests to achieve learning goals for all students. Teachers use a variety of instructional strategies and resources that respond to students’ diverse needs. Teachers facilitate challenging learning experiences for all students in environments that promote autonomy, interaction, and choice. Teachers actively engage ALL students in problem solving and critical thinking within and across subject matter areas. Concepts and skills are taught in ways that encourage students to apply them in real-life contexts that make subject matter meaningful. Teachers assist all students to become self-directed learners who are able to demonstrate, articulate, and evaluate what they learn.

Standard for developing as a professional educatorTeachers reflect on their teaching practice and actively engage in planning their professional development. Teachers establish professional learning goals, pursue opportunities to develop professional knowledge and skill, and participate in the extended professional community. Teachers learn about and work with local communities to improve their professional practice. Teachers communicate effectively with families and involve them in student learning and the school community. Teachers contribute to school activities, promote common school goals and improve professional practice by working collegially with all school staff. Teachers balance professional responsibilities and maintain motivation and commitment to all students.

Standard for assessing student learningTeachers establish and clearly communicate learning goals for all students. Teachers collect information about student performance from a variety of sources. Teachers involve all students in assessing their own learning. Teachers use information from a variety of ongoing assessments to plan and adjust learning opportunities that promote academic achievement and personal growth for ALL students. Teachers exchange information about student learning with students, families, and support personnel in ways that improve understanding and encourage academic progress.

Standard for understanding and organizing subject matter for student learningTeachers exhibit strong working knowledge of subject matter and student development. Teachers organize curriculum to facilitate students’ understanding of the central themes, concepts, and skills in the subject area. Teachers interrelate ideas and information within and across curricular areas to extend students’ understanding. Teachers use their knowledge of student development, subject matter, instructional resources and teaching strategies to make subject matter accessible to all students.

Standard for planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all studentsTeachers plan instruction that draws on and values students’ backgrounds, prior knowledge, and interests. Teachers establish challenging learning goals for all students based on student experience, language, development, and home and school expectations. Teachers sequence curriculum and design long-term and short-range plans that incorporate subject matter knowledge, reflect grade level curriculum expectations, and include a repertoire of instructional strategies. Teachers sequence curriculum and use instructional activities that promote learning goals and connect with student experiences and interests. Teachers modify and adjust instructional plans according to student engagement and achievement.