pinnacle '09-'10 student handbook

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2009-2010

Pinnacle Education High School Student Handbook

Pinnacle Education High School Student Handbook 1

Introduction 3Attendance 3

Make up Time 3Absences 3Tardy Policy 4

Behavior Expectations & Standards of Conduct 4Zero Tolerance Behavior 5

Prohibited Items 5Searches by School Personnel 6Policy for Use of Technology Resources in Instruction - Appropriate use of Electronic Information Services (EIS) 6

Privacy on Student Computers 6Liability for Service Interruptions & Information 6Internet Usage Guidelines 6Additional Guidelines 7Accuracy of Information 7Enforcement of the EIS 7

Parking 8Telephone Calls 8Academic Requirements 8

No Show, Withdraw and F 8Grading 9Academic Dishonesty 9Sanctions for Academic Dishonesty 9

Graduation Requirements 10Transfer Students 11Enrollment 11

Acceptance of Transfer Credits (NCA & CITA) 11NCAA Eligibility Center 12Dual Enrollment – Community College or University 12Withdrawal & Transfer from School 12Student Records 12

Table of Contents

Pinnacle Education High School Student Handbook2

Supplemental Programs 13Child Find 13Personal & Career Exploration 13World of Work 13Service Learning 13

State-Mandated Testing - AIMS/Stanford 10 14


IntroductionStudents at Pinnacle Education High School are expected to maintain the highest standards of attendance, conduct and academic performance. The policies and procedures employed by the staff promote the values of RESPECT for self, RESPECT for others, RESPECT for our school community and RESPECT for the legitimate authority of our instructional staff. Part of the mission of our program is to teach respect and responsibility while maintaining a safe, drug-free and academically challenging school environment.

Our Mission Statement is:

Engaging students through the creation of a customized learning plan

Supporting student academic and personal growth

Delivering high quality instructional experiences

Attendance Consistent attendance at school is a signifi cant factor contributing to school success. Poor attendance causes loss of retention of material learned, inhibits academic performance; and, in some cases, violates the state truancy law. It is the responsibility of parents, as well as the student, to ensure that every student attends school regularly and works toward the goal of completing courses and graduating from high school. As required by law, Pinnacle Educa-tion High School operates 180 school days per year.

The academic year is subdivided into two 90-day cycles. Due to the fact that Pinnacle Education High School operates in open-entry format, students begin their cycle on the fi rst day of attendance and are required to be in attendance a minimum of 90% for the remainder of the semester.

Since attendance is taken each hour, students who accumulate 4 hours of absence shall be considered absent for one day, regardless of their class time or the method in which the hours were acquired.

Make up TimeDuring the school year, students at Pinnacle Education High School will be required to schedule make up time as each hour of absence is incurred. Students are expected to make efforts, in accordance with the site make up plan, to schedule make up time with the lab instructor for any and all absences, maintaining a 90% attendance rate. All absences must be made up within the week that they occurred.

AbsencesOn the student’s sixteenth (16th) hour of unresolved absences, the student and parent will be required to meet with the Principal and/or Lab Manager to address the student’s attendance issues and review the make up procedures. A student that acquires a twenty-fourth (24th) hour of unresolved absence within a semester, will be withdrawn from the school site for excessive absences and failure to maintain a 90% attendance rate.

Absences - 4 Hrs / 8 Hrs Lab Manager will discuss absences with the student individually and may contact the parent/guardian to inform them of the absences and the requirement of the student to make up the absences, as well as maintain a 90% attendance rate.

Absence - 12 Hrs Lab Manager will discuss absences with the student individually and contact the parent/guardian to inform them of the absences. An attendance letter will be sent to the parent/guardian. Time will be scheduled by student and staff for make up of missed school time due to absences.


Absence - 16 Hrs Lab Manager will discuss absences with the student individually, and will contact the parent/guardian to inform them of the absences. Principal will meet with the student and parent to discuss student’s attendance. Students absent 20 or more hours, and failing to maintain a 90% attendance rate, shall be considered excessively absent. Excessively absent students shall be offered the opportunity to make up absences within the week of the most recent absence. In addition to make up time, the principal may use any of the following interventions to attempt to resolve the attendance problem:

Behavior contract • On-going Lab Manager intervention • Require additional absence make up time • Conference with the student and parent • Short-term suspension (1-5 days) •

Absence - 24 Hrs Any student who is absent 24 hours or more will be considered excessively ab-sent. Excessively absent students may be withdrawn from school for attendance issues.

Tardy Policy Consistent, timely arrival at school is critical to academic success. It also eliminates distractions to the learning environment caused by frequent interruptions in the classroom. Pinnacle Education High School shall enforce the following tardy policy:

A student shall be considered tardy if he/she is not physically present in the assigned lab or classroom 1. at the scheduled start of the instructional block. Students are expected to make up their tardy time the day it is incurred.

After the start of the instructional block, and up to 30 minutes late, the student shall be marked as 2. tardy.

If the student is more than 30 minutes late for the start of the instructional block, the student shall be 3. marked absent for that block.

Behavior Expectations & Standards of Conduct Students at Pinnacle Education High School are expected to uphold the highest standards of respect, responsibility, and integrity at all times while on campus. Appropriate conduct and behavior from students, staff, and visitors is an integral portion of a successful academic environment. All individuals of the Pinnacle community must display the behavioral expectations listed below:

Students are expected to go directly to their assigned classroom and be in the classroom at their designated start time.Smoking is prohibited anywhere on school property. This includes both the inside of the school and outside on the surrounding school property, and all other areas as designated by the principal, regardless of the age of the student.Students are NOT allowed to take outside breaks during school time. Once inside the school building, students will NOT be allowed to leave until school is over or they have permission from their teacher, parent or guardian.Students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is courteous and respectful of school personnel, as well as other students and visitors to our school. Students are responsible for their behavior and will face the logical consequences for behaviors that are disrespectful or violate the rights of others.


Pinnacle Education High School grants the sole discretion and authority to administrative and instructional staff to have a parent or legal guardian retrieve a student from school when the staff member deems the student’s behavior is beyond acceptable limits. When the student is required to leave school for inappropriate behavior, that student may not be permitted to attend school until a conference with the principal, student and the parent/guardian is held.Students may not wear clothing that causes annoyance, disrupts, agitates, interrupts, or interferes with others who are on the school premises for the lawful purpose of pursuing or providing a public school education.Students are expected to dress modestly and appropriately for school. Therefore, none of the following items are allowed: “sexually provacative” attire, bare feet, attire advertising alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.Any attire deemed by the staff to be disruptive to the educational process will NOT be tolerated.

Students are not allowed to wear certain types of head coverings. This includes, but is not limited to: beanies, bandanas, wave caps, doo-rags, skull caps, hoodies, etc.

Zero Tolerance Behavior Participation in any of the following behaviors may result in immediate suspension from Pinnacle Education High School for up to one calendar year and possible criminal prosecution:

Possession of a weapon, or the use of any object as a weapon, while in school or at a school-related activityPossession, use, sale or distribution of drugs or alcohol while in school or a school related activity, including non-prescription drugsComing to school or to a school-related activity under the infl uence of drugs, alcohol or any other substance (prescription or over-the-counter) that has caused the student to be impairedVerbal abuse, physical abuse, threatening, intimidating or harassment of a Pinnacle Education High School staff member, student, or visitor Vandalism, destruction or defacing school property or the property of other students and staff. This includes unauthorized use of computer passwords, computer software, or in any way tampering with computers and/or the computer system.Participation in, or promotion of, gang activities and/or secret societies while in school or during a school-related activity. This includes hand signs, tagging, wearing of “colors” or gang clothing and other behaviors attributed to gangs, secret societies or satanic cult involvement.Violation of the Electronic Users Agreement

Prohibited Items Students at Pinnacle Education High School are prohibited from bringing the items listed below to school. In the event that a student is in possession of a prohibited item, he/she will be asked to present the item to the teacher, who will keep it until a parent comes to the site to claim the item.

Failure to surrender a prohibited item to the staff member shall be deemed an act of insubordination and may result in suspension from school. The classroom teacher has the discretion to prohibit any item that is disruptive to the instructional environment.

Prohibited items include, but are not limited to, the following:

Backpacks

Large purses, bags, and totes

iPods and all portable listening devices

Video games


Laser pointers

The following items shall not be used on campus:

Cellular phones

Other communication devices

CDs or CD carrying cases

Thumb Drives

Any of these items may be taken from a student and held for a parent/guardian to retrieve if a staff member deems necessary, regardless of the age of the student. Confi scation of any of the above items, or any items deemed dis-ruptive to the educational environment, may result in a search of those items.

Searches by School Personnel School employees shall conduct searches when a law or school rule has been violated or when the health, safety or welfare of students or staff may be in danger. Pinnacle Education High School reserves the right to search any items that are brought onto Pinnacle Education High School grounds.

Policy for Use of Technology Resources in Instruction - Appropriate use of Electronic Information Services (EIS) Pinnacle Education High School may provide Electronic Information Services (EIS) to qualifi ed students, teachers and other personnel who attend, or who are employed by, the school. Electronic Information Services include net-works (Internet), databases and any other computer accessible sources of information, whether from hard drives, tapes, compact disks (CDs), fl oppy disks or other electronic sources.

The use of these services shall be in support of education, research and the educational goals of Pinnacle Educa-tion High School. To assure that the EIS is used in an appropriate manner and for the educational purpose intend-ed, Pinnacle Education High School will require anyone who uses the EIS to follow its guidelines and procedures for appropriate use.

Privacy on Student Computers Students at Pinnacle Education High School can expect NO right to privacy when using the computer information systems. This includes, but is not limited to, computers, fl oppy disks, Internet history, and CDs. Pinnacle Education High School may log the use of all systems and monitor all system utilization.

Liability for Service Interruptions & Information Pinnacle Education High School is NOT responsible for any service interruptions, changes or consequences. Pin-nacle Education High School does NOT assume liability for information retrieved via EIS, nor does it assume any liability for any information lost, damaged or unavailable due to technical or other diffi culties. Accounts may be closed and fi les deleted at any time.

Internet Usage Guidelines Acceptable use of the Electronic Information Services (EIS) requires that the use of the resources be in accordance


with the following guidelines and support the education, research and educational goals of Pinnacle Education High School. Users of the information system agree not to enter any site that:

Is not related to the academic curriculum

Contains nudity or pornography

Contains inappropriate or profane language

Promotes violent or disruptive behavior or contains violent content

Promotes the use of illicit or illegal drugs

Promotes the use of alcohol or tobacco products

Offers pirated copyrighted content/downloads

Promotes or offers details or software related to computer hacking

Promotes cultural, religious, sexual, or racial discrimination

Promotes gang-related activities

Contains chat rooms

Please note that Pinnacle Education High School reserves the right to inspect any communication that comes through Pinnacle computers.

Additional Guidelines All users of the EIS agree to the following:

Agree not to submit, publish, display or retrieve any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, 1. sexually oriented, threatening, racially offensive or illegal materialAgree not to reveal home addresses or personal phone numbers2. Abide by all federal copyright regulations and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) guidelines3. Understand that electronic mail and fi les are NOT private and are subject to periodic review by 4. instructional staff without prior noticeUnderstand that no fl oppy disks, USB drives, or any other removable computer media may be brought 5. into the schoolAgree not to download and/or install any software or non-instructional material on Pinnacle Education 6. High School computersAcknowledge the right of Pinnacle Education High School’s staff to institute new Electronic Information 7. System usage guidelines that are consistent with the spirit of this policy, as new and emerging technologies appear that are not expressly mentioned in this document

Accuracy of Information Pinnacle Education High School specifi cally denies any responsibility for the accuracy of information obtained using the Electronic Information System. While Pinnacle Education High School will make an effort to ensure access to proper materials, the user has the ultimate responsibility for how the Electronic Information System (EIS) is used and bears the risk of reliance on the information obtained.

Enforcement of the EIS Pinnacle Education High School reserves the right to establish rules and regulations as necessary for the effi cient operation of the Electronic Information Services. The principal of each school is responsible for enforcing the Pin-nacle Education High School Electronic Information Services guidelines and procedures for appropriate use. Any-one who misuses, abuses, or chooses not to follow the EIS guidelines and procedures will be subject to disciplinary actions up to and including long-term suspension.


Parking Parking at the school sites is the sole responsibility of the individual student. Pinnacle Education High School as-sumes no responsibility for citations issued to students or charges associated with the towing of student vehicles. Pinnacle Education High School also assumes no responsibility for vehicles vandalized or items stolen from student vehicles.

Telephone Calls School telephones are to be used for school business or emergency calls only; this includes student breaks and the time between classes. Students will be called out of class for emergencies only. There are a limited number of phone lines, which need to be reserved for business use. Students need to arrange rides, check work schedules, etc., before coming to school. If a student has an emergency situation, the teacher may take the information and place the call for the student. If a family member needs to contact the student during school hours, they should call the front offi ce, which will then transfer the call to the student’s teacher. The students may not receive personal calls during school hours and will not be allowed to text message.

Academic Requirements Students enrolled at Pinnacle Education High School should complete a minimum of two classes per 42 calendar days. Students who perform at the minimum standard of two classes per 42-calendar-day cycle could earn four credits during the academic year. Students will receive the grade of “F” for all coursework not completed within 42 calendar days.

While enrolled at Pinnacle Education High School, students shall agree to participate in non-instructional activi-ties conducted during the school day. This includes opening activities, closing activities, guest speakers, testing, career-oriented activities and/or other activities prescribed by the staff in accordance with the educational plan for the student.

No Show, Withdraw and F All students entering Pinnacle Education High School will be required to attend a designated orientation class. At the end of the orientation class, academic classes will be issued. Below are the criteria for issuing a no show, withdraw or F:

Students will access their course on the fi rst day it is issued.1. Students have 42 days to complete the class.2. A withdrawal will be issued for students leaving Pinnacle Education High School through the formal 3. withdrawal process (WD) .Students who do not withdraw through the formal withdrawal process will receive a grade of F for any 4. course that is not completed, or in which the work does not merit a passing grade.A no show will be issued for a student that never attended school for their orientation.5. If a student fails to meet the academic standards of the class after the midterm, and there are not enough 6. points in the remaining three weeks of the class to attain a passing grade, a student will be removed from the course and a failing grade will be issued.Principals will meet with the student prior to another course being issued.7. Students must complete all written assignments with a score of 60% or higher. If a score of less than 60% 8. is achieved, it is the student’s responsibility to read the instructor’s comments and correct the areas of the written assignment as directed.


Grading Pinnacle Education High School has a grading process to ensure a common, consistent reporting system for each campus. All subjects given letter grades are evaluated by the scale below:

Percentage Grade

90-100 A – Outstanding

80-89 B – Very Good

70-79 C – Average

60-69 D – Passing

0-59 F – Not Passing

Academic Dishonesty Cheating – the failure to observe the expressed procedures of an academic exercise:

Unauthorized acquiring of knowledge of an examination or part of an examination

Allowing another person to take a quiz, exam, or similar evaluation for you

Using unauthorized materials, information, or study aids in any academic exercise

Unauthorized collaboration in providing or requesting assistance, such as sharing information on an academic exercise

Plagiarism – “the unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the rep-resentation of them as one's own original work” (dictionary.com):

Submitting, as your own, through purchase or otherwise, part of or an entire work produced verbatim by someone elseParaphrasing ideas, data, or writing without properly acknowledging the source

Unauthorized transfer and use of someone else’s computer fi le as your own

Facilitating Academic Dishonesty – Participating in any action that compromises the integrity of the academic standards of the school, or is assisting another to commit an act of academic dishonesty:

Taking a quiz, exam, or similar evaluation in place of another person

Allowing another student to copy from you

Providing material or other information to another student with the knowledge that such assistance could be used in any of the violations stated above

Sanctions for Academic DishonestyAny student found by a staff member to have committed academic dishonesty is subject to one or all of the following sanctions:

Warning - A written or verbal notice to the student that he/she has violated the academic code

Discretionary Sanctions - additional academic assignments determined by the Principal

Course Failure - Failure of a student from a course where academic dishonesty occurs

Suspension - Suspension from school pending a parent conference


Cycle Withdrawal - Student will be removed from the current academic cycle and must re-enroll after the next academic cycle begins. Student will be subject to any/all waiting lists to re-enroll

Class Forfeiture - Student will be required to retake the course where academic dishonesty occurred

Graduation Requirements A Pinnacle Education High School diploma is issued to students who have completed a minimum of twenty (20) high school credits in the specifi c subject areas described below and meets standards on all state mandated AIMS TEST requirements. Students are permitted to exceed the minimum graduation requirements by taking additional coursework toward university entrance. The minimum graduation requirements for receiving a Pinnacle Education High School diploma are:

Current RequirementsEnglish 4 creditsMath 2 creditsScience 2 creditsSocial Studies 3 creditsElectives 9 creditsTotal Credits 20 credits

Class of 2012 RequirementsEnglish 4 creditsMath (1) 3 creditsScience 2 creditsSocial Studies (2) 3 creditsCTE/Fine Art 1 creditElectives 7 creditsTotal Credits 20 credits

(1) Math courses shall consist of Algebra I, Geometry and an additional course with substantial math content as determined by districts or charter schools.(2) Social Studies shall consist of one credit of American History, one credit of World History/Geography, one-half credit of government and one-half credit of economics.

Class of 2013 RequirementsEnglish 4 creditsMath (1) 4 creditsScience (2) 3 creditsSocial Studies 3 creditsCTE/Fine Art 1 creditElectives 7 creditsTotal Credits 22 credits

(1) Math courses shall consist of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II (or its equivalent) and an additional course with substantial Math content as determined by districts or charter schools.(2) Science courses shall prepare students for the high school AIMS test (life science).


Transfer Students In the event that a student transfers to Pinnacle Education High School from another institution, Pinnacle Education High School reserves the right to apply an appropriate and fair methodology for credit acceptance, based on Ari-zona State Law. Under existing Arizona State Law, students may be required to take an end-of-course assessment to determine whether or not the transfer credit will be applied as meeting a core academic requirement, or as an elective course. In the event that a transfer student enters with credits indicating completion of a core requirement, and fails the end-of-course assessment, all such credits shall be applied as meeting the elective requirement and the student shall retake the course.

In those instances whereby a student enters Pinnacle Education High School with less than two (2) credits required to graduate, the student shall be permitted to enroll and complete the defi cient courses. However, in order to re-ceive a Pinnacle Education High School diploma, the transfer student must take a minimum of one (1) full credit at Pinnacle Education High School. In the event that the student does not wish to complete the one (1) credit require-ment, Pinnacle Education High School shall transfer the credit(s) earned back to the school of origin for issuance of a diploma.

Credit earned through home schooling will not be accepted by Pinnacle Education High School. In the event that a student who has been home schooled transfers to Pinnacle Education High School, Pinnacle Education High School reserves the right to administer an end-of-course assessment exam for each course the student is attempt-ing to apply toward earning a Pinnacle Education High School diploma. Grades earned on the end-of-course as-sessment exam will be recorded as the earned grade for the related course.

Enrollment

Acceptance of Transfer Credits (NCA & CITA)Pinnacle Education High School is accredited by the North Central Association of Sec-ondary Schools and Colleges and will accept credit from other schools accredited by the North Central Association. These transfer credits must be received as an offi cial transcript. The purpose of school accreditation is to assure quality and excellence in education by allowing an outside agency to monitor the school’s curriculum, teaching methods and performance. Pinnacle Education High School will also accept credit from schools outside of Arizona that are accredited by the nationally recognized accrediting agency for that state.

There are many private and charter schools in Arizona that are not accredited. This does not mean that they are not quality schools; but, without the benefi t of an outside agency to monitor the school’s standards, we will be unable to accept credit from these schools without evaluating each class. Credit earned through home schooling will NOT be accepted by Pinnacle Education High School. Courses taken outside of the United States will be accepted if an offi cial transcript has an approved government seal.

If a student’s previous school is not accredited, and a student wishes to appeal for acceptance of their credits, it is the student’s and parent/guardian’s responsibility to contact their previous school and request the following:

A scope and sequence of each course for which the student is requesting credit1.

A copy of the school’s grading and attendance policies2.

A letter from the school’s principal or director verifying that all staff members at the school are Arizona 3.


certifi ed teachers. If the course is instructor led (lecture rather than computer based), the verifi cation letter should also indicate that the teachers are currently certifi ed in the subject area in which they are teaching.

NCAA Eligibility Center Pinnacle Education High School is an active member of the NCAA Eligibility Center. Pinnacle has an approved list of core courses accepted by the Eligibility Center for prospective student athletes who are looking to participate in intercollegiate athletics at an NCAA Division I or Division II institution in the future. Pinnacle Education High School’s school code is 030666.

Dual Enrollment – Community College or UniversityPinnacle Education High School encourages eligible students to pursue educational options at post-secondary institutions through a program of Dual Enrollment. Students wishing to take a dual-enrollment course may do so under the following conditions:

During the semester in which the course is to be taken, the student must be actively enrolled and attending Pinnacle Education High. Withdrawal from Pinnacle Education High or removal for disciplinary reasons makes the dual-enrollment agreement invalid. A Dual Enrollment form from the post-secondary institution, including the following information, must be submitted and approved by a Pinnacle Education High School principal:

Name of the institution at which the course will be taken •

Semester in which the course will be taken •

Course Title, including Course Number and Course Description from the course catalog •

Principal signature and parent signature•

All tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student/parent.

To be eligible for approval, the course to be taken must be at least a 100-level course.

A three (3) credit college course or four (4) credit lab course shall be counted as one-half (.5) high school credit.It is the responsibility of the student to request that a transcript be sent to the high school once the course has been completed.Grades issued at the post-secondary institution shall be posted to the student’s high school transcript. Grades from a post-secondary institution are not weighted.

Withdrawal & Transfer from School When a student leaves Pinnacle Education High School, the student or parent must obtain a withdrawal form from the offi ce. The parent and administrative assistant or Principal must sign the withdrawal slip prior to any records being released. Withdrawals should be completed in person at the school offi ce. Students should complete a transcript request form and submit the form to the administrative assistant in the front offi ce at the time of withdrawal. An unoffi cial transcript will be faxed to the school designated by the parent.

Student Records The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age (eligible students) certain rights with respect to the student’s educational records. Non-custodial and divorced parents have equal rights relating to student records unless the school has been provided a court order to the contrary. FERPA rights to student records are as follows:


The right to inspect and review the student’s educational records within 45 days of the day the school receives a request for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the school principal a written request that identifi es the record(s) they wish to inspect. The principal will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.The right to request the amendment of the student’s educational records that the parent or eligible student believes are inaccurate or misleading. They should write to the school principal, clearly identifying the part of the inaccurate or misleading record. If Pinnacle Education High School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent or eligible student, Pinnacle Education High School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the parent or eligible student when notifi ed of the right to a hearing. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifi able information contained in the student’s educational records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception that permits disclosure without consent is disclosure to school offi cials with legitimate educational interests. A school offi cial is a person employed by Pinnacle Education High School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor or support staff member (including health or medical staff and law enforcement personnel). A school offi cial also includes a person serving on the school board or a person or company with whom the school has contracted to perform a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant or therapist).The right to fi le a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the school to comply with the requirements of FERPA.

Supplemental Programs

Child Find Pinnacle Education High School ensures that all children with disabilities, including those attending private schools that are in need of special education and related services shall be identifi ed, located and evaluated. A practical method shall be developed and implemented to determine which children are currently receiving needed special education and related services. This policy applies to highly mobile children with disabilities and children that are suspected of being a child with a disability and in need of special education, even though they are advancing from grade to grade. A copy of the Procedural Safeguards will be provided upon request.

Personal & Career Exploration Personal and Career Exploration is a social issues class, specifi cally designed to explore issues that are relevant to teens. The class includes information and discussion on subjects such as: career choices, workplace situations, violence, sobriety, diversity, health issues, etc. A variety of guest speakers will also share their knowledge and ex-periences. Students receive elective credit for the class.

World of Work Pinnacle Education High School’s World of Work program combines classroom theory with supervised work experi-ence. Students have the opportunity to earn high school elective credits for planned growth in a job that is related to their career goals. The course is available to students in their junior/senior year(s). Students must satisfy specifi c requirements in order to enroll in the program, and a joint agreement is set up among the employer, the school, and the student to facilitate this process. More specifi cally, a student desiring to enroll in World of Work must have completed all but 1.0 credit (two classes) of his/her core classes.

Service Learning Pinnacle Education High School’s Service Learning program is designed to give students an opportunity to earn


elective credit while donating time in their community. The course is available to students who meet the require-ment. A joint agreement is signed among the student, the school, and the community agency. Students receive .5 (one class) elective credit upon documented completion of 60 clock hours.

State-Mandated Testing - AIMS/Stanford 10The Arizona Department of Education’s testing calendar 2009-2010 is as follows:

October 2009

27• th – AIMS Writing make-up from spring 2009 for 11th and 12th grades

28• th – AIMS Reading make-up from spring 2009 for 11th and 12th grades

29• th – AIMS Math make-up from spring 2009 for 11th and 12th grades

February 2010

23• rd – AIMS Writing – Make-up for 11th and 12th grades from fall 2009 and mandatory for all 10th graders

24• th – AIMS Reading - Make-up for 11th and 12th grades from fall 2009 and mandatory for all 10th graders

March 2010

2• nd – AIMS Writing make-up

3• rd – AIMS Reading make-up

April 2010

7• th – AIMS Math - Make-up for 11th and 12th grades from fall 2009 and mandatory for all 10th graders

8• th – AIMS Science (no make-up available)

8• th – Stanford 10 – all 9th graders

13• th – AIMS Math make-up for 11th and 12th grades from fall 2009 and mandatory for all 10th graders

AIMS and Stanford 10 testing is mandatory and applies only to full-time Pinnacle Education High School students. Students who enroll concurrently, as a partner or fee-based student, do not have to participate in testing unless they are planning on graduating from Pinnacle Education High School. Testing for those students will be completed at their home school.

1. Which students take AIMS and/or Stanford 10?Students in Grades 2 and 9 take the Stanford 10.

Students in Grade 10 take the AIMS HS (High School) and continue to test twice annually in Grades 11-12 until they have met or exceeded the standard in each area tested.

AIMSAIMSStanford 10Stanford 10


2. What is the Stanford 10?The Stanford 10 is a national norm-referenced assessment created by Pearson covering eight content areas. It is administered to Arizona public school students in Grades 2 and 9. Students do not have to pass the Stanford 10 in order to graduate and earn a diploma from an Arizona high school.

3. What is the AIMS DPA?The AIMS DPA (Dual Purpose Assessment) is a combination of AIMS criterion-referenced assessment questions developed by Arizona educators and based on the Arizona Academic Standards, and questions from the Stanford 10. The test is administered to Arizona public school students in Grades 3-8 and covers Writing, Reading, and Mathematics.

4. What is the AIMS HS?The AIMS HS (High School) is a criterion-referenced test with questions developed by Arizona educators and based on the Arizona Academic Standards. It is an assessment of four content areas: Writing, Reading, Science and Math-ematics. It is administered annually in the spring to all students in Grade 10. It is again administered in the fall and spring of each year to students in Grades 11 and 12 who have not yet met or exceeded the standard (passed) in one or more content areas.

5. Does my child have to test?The law requires every public school district and charter to test each enrolled child. Failure to participate in AIMS testing may result in the student being withdrawn.

6. Does a high school student have to pass the AIMS HS in order to graduate?Yes. Students graduating (receiving a diploma) on or after January 1, 2006, must pass each area of the AIMS HS (Writing, Reading, and Mathematics) by achieving a score, at the minimum, in the “meets” range in order to graduate from a public high school in Arizona. AIMS Science will be required for any student graduating in 2013. Augmentation may be used to reach that passing score. There are exceptions to this requirement for students with disabilities, ELL students, and students transferring to Arizona from out of state.

7. How does Augmentation work? AIMS Augmentation is a process by which students who have completed all of their required coursework, have participated in tutoring opportunities, and have taken the AIMS HS each time it was offered, may apply points from eligible courses (A, B, or C grades only) to their highest AIMS Writing, Reading, and Math scores in order to improve their score. If a student’s augmented score is above the passing score on that portion of the AIMS HS, the student has met the graduation requirement for that content area. Students must also participate in testing each time it is offered when enrolled in a public Arizona high school.

The Arizona State Legislature must approve Augmentation for school districts to apply it towards graduation. This is generally done in the spring semester.

8. Do students with an IEP or 504 Plan have to pass the AIMS HS in order to graduate? Must partici-pate…??According to current Arizona law, students with an IEP or 504 Plan must comply with the requirements of their IEP or 504 Plan. If an IEP or 504 Plan does not specifi cally require a student to “meet the standard” on a particular por-tion of the AIMS HS, then passing that portion would not be a current requirement for graduation for that student. Parents should discuss the content of their student’s IEP or 504 Plan with the child’s teacher.

9. Do ELL students have to pass the AIMS HS in order to graduate?At this present time, by federal court order, Arizona ELL students are not required to pass the AIMS HS in order to graduate. ELL students should make every effort to pass the AIMS HS and should participate in tutoring programs provided by their schools and districts to assist them in passing the AIMS HS.

10. Does Arizona have reciprocity with other states?Arizona law allows for passing scores from other states’ high school standards-based exams that are equivalent to the Arizona AIMS HS test to be used in place of the AIMS. Students/parents must provide offi cial documentation to


the school of the child’s score(s) from the other state. High school counselors and registrars have a list available of specifi c exams and states which are eligible for Arizona reciprocity.

11. Do students in Grades 3-8 have to pass the AIMS DPA in order to be promoted to the next grade level?Arizona law does not require students to pass the AIMS DPA test in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Parents concerned about their student’s promotion should discuss these matters with the child’s teacher as local school district’s/charter school’s have specifi c policies related to promotion.

12. If my student “exceeds” on every area of the AIMS HS is he/she eligible for the state school “Tuition Waiver”?While “exceeding” in every area of the AIMS HS is one requirement of the “Tuition Waiver” it is not the only re-quirement. Please review additional information at www.ade.az.gov/asd/tuitionwaiver/.

13. How do I register for the Summer AIMS test?High school seniors who have met all graduation requirements with the exception of a passing score on one or more areas of the AIMS HS may be eligible to participate in the ADE Summer AIMS HS test administration. Students de-siring to participate in this opportunity must contact their school guidance counselor or administrator for registration for the summer test. Summer testing is based upon the Arizona Department of Education’s budget each year.


Last Updated:July 22, 2009

Pinnacle Education, Inc2224 W. Southern Ave., Suite 1

Tempe, AZ 85282

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