Welcome to a new mathematics initiative at DMHS! After incredible success at other schools across the country,
DMHS has purchased ALEKS for each of you. ALEKS stands for Assessment and Learning in Knowledge
Spaces and is a web-based assessment and learning system. ALEKS targets gaps in student skills and enables immediate success in learning new material.
Your success is important to the school and me. Your decision to attend DMHS shows me that your success and learning is also important to you! Each period will be dedicated to ALEKS and leads to at least 4 hours per week
(research shows that at least 8 hours per week is ideal). A notebook is required at the beginning of the year and will used during every class and at home. For each topic, notes with examples should be written in the notebook by general topic. Homework will consist of 4 hours of ALEKS use per week and a specified number of topics each week.
ALEKS Software program. With your student log-in you can access ALEKS 24 hrs/day!
Pencil and eraser
Bound notebook.
If you are late to class, file in QUIETLY, DISCREETLY, and don’t interrupt the flow of your classmates work!
Tardies are reported to the dean. For ALL absences, you are expected to make up the time in ALEKS on your own either at school or at home.
PERSEVERANCE
OWNERSHIP for your learning and understanding
COURTESY for class time. AVOID being a distraction to yourself and others!
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Come to class on time
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No bathroom breaks permitted, take advantage of the passing periods
 ANY cell phone distraction will result in immediate phone confiscation to the dean’s office
RESPECT for YOURSELF AND OTHERS
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Speak with respect TO everybody
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Speak with respect ABOUT everybody
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Take care of the computers and the classroom – they are for you!
You’re in this class with the opportunity to better yourself with hard work and determination. There is no reason to short changing yourself by letting others or using web-based apps answer the questions for you. The short-term gain will not help you when it comes time to take the assessments and prove that you really know the content. The assessments will place you at the appropriate percentage that you can demonstrate either way, so learn to do it right the first time instead of trying to take shortcuts.
Initial Assessment, given the first time the student logs on to the program, determines the student's level.
Progress Assessments are given after a student has studied a number of topics and show the student's progress in terms of topics mastered

Log in Time Assessments are given every 2 weeks in class to validate the progress students have made.
Teachers may request Progress Assessments, Cumulative Assessments, and Quizzes on specific standards. A
Cumulative Assessment will be requested before grades are due for the 10-week and 15-week report cards are due. All students must reach 60% mastery for 1 st Semester Credit or 95% mastery for 2 nd Semester Credit and pass a Final Exam.
CLASSWORK: 10% ASSESSMENTS: 60% PARTICIPATION/HOMEWORK: 30%
Classwork includes:
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Notes with examples
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ALEKS generated worksheets
For every 20 topics you master in
ALEKS, an assessment will be generated.
Your assessment grade will be a combination of your performance and your improvement.
This grade will be based on the number of productive hours logged into ALEKS and topics completed.
You are expected to be logged into
ALEKS at least 8 hours per week and 40 hours every 5 weeks.
You can make-up hours outside of class time.
First Progress Report: Students having done at least 32 hours on the program receive a "/" which means they are passing with a "C" or better; and students with less than 32 hours on the program receive a "F" with a notice that they are "in danger of failing."
10-Week Report Card: To earn a "C", students are expected to have mastered 40% of the topics they need to master to pass their class. Their individual goals are computed by subtracting their Initial Mastery from the goal for passage (60% of topics for the A part of a course and 95% of topics for the B part of a course) and taking 40% of the difference.
15-Week Report Card: To earn a "C", students are expected to have mastered 80% of the topics they need to master to pass their class. Their individual goals are computed by subtracting their Initial Mastery from the goal for passage (60% of topics for the A part of a course and 95% of topics for the B part of a course) and taking 80% of the difference.
Final Grade: To pass the class, students need to REACH THEIR GOAL for their respective course AND PASS
THE FINAL EXAM to receive at least a "C" for the appropriate course. As soon as students reach their goal, they will be given a Final Examination. The Participation, Classwork, and Homework will determine those who get a "B" or an "A." The grading scale for the Final Examination varies with the course.