August 15, 2014
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Your child is enrolled in math class this year with me. Though not all students will earn an A, I do expect that all students will be challenged and work to the best of their ability. My job is to help all students reach their goals, and I ask for your help in encouraging them to keep reaching for that goal. This may include asking them about their homework (Can they explain what we are studying to you?), providing them a quiet place to study without distractions, making sure they get enough rest to be alert and ready to learn, and ensuring your child has the needed supplies for class (paper, pencils, student companion) . This course is very interactive and relies heavily on technology. Access to a computer and the internet, though not required, is highly recommended.
Since the nature of mathematics is concepts building on one another, students will receive homework most every night. This homework will take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete, depending on the topic.
Homework is designed to give them practice on the learning standard we are studying, and prepare them for future topics. Homework is the place where I want students to try all of the problems and practice what we learned in class. Even though homework is not graded, it is absolutely critical to learning. If students do not practice, they do not learn the concepts well. I realize that things come up and that on some nights, life will interfere with homework, but if they are consistently not completing their homework, their grade will suffer.
Grades are designed to reflect what a student knows, and the areas that they need to work on. To this end, we will be doing things a bit differently.
Students will be tested every Wednesday. Tests will be 25 questions, approximately 7 of which will be on material from the current week. The other 18 will be review of previously covered material. We will have approximately 8 tests per quarter. Tests will be broken down by learning standard. Students will earn a grade on their understanding of EACH learning standard, so students earn multiple grades per test. Because of the nature of tests, they cannot be made up, but they can be taken early.

Students will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery of each learning standard. Standards will be on the test a minimum of two weeks, and up to four weeks, Standards will be on the test until 80% of students master the standard.
Grades will be earned for each standard, and their understanding of it.
This will be based on a 4 point scale, and the grade will be based on your most recent attempts at the topic, not an average. The grades in the gradebook will be recorded as a number out of 4. At the end of the quarter, the grades will be converted to percentages on our usual scale using the table on the Grading Rubric for Mastery of Learning Standards handout. Students have multiple chances to demonstrate mastery. I am looking for a pattern of achievement. Students have to demonstrate repeated mastery of a learning standard, based on the descriptors on the
Grading Rubric for Mastery of Learning Standards handout. On the test, students will earn a maximum of 3.5 points. The other 0.5 points will come from application problems. Students will pick those up on Wednesday and will turn them in on Friday. The application problems are designed as extensions of the learning standards we are studying. They have students take the information we studied in class, and give them practical uses.
I understand that grading this way is different and can be hard to understand at first. Research shows that grading by learning standards is a more accurate reflection of student understanding. It also allows me to give more focused feedback to students to tell them their strengths and weaknesses.
If you have further questions, or would like to discuss your child’s progress at any point, please contact me at 260-5205 or e-mail me at lorimcdowell@anderson5.net
I would encourage e-mail if at all possible, since I have easier access to e-mail than an outside phone line. I look forward to working with you and your child to make this a positive and productive school year!
Sincerely,
Lori McDowell