Ms. Raney’s Pre-AP English II
Classroom Guidelines / Expectations
My Conference Period: 1st Period
Tutorial Times: 8:00am – 8:40am, afternoons by appointment
Welcome! Our primary goal will be to help you develop the reading and writing skills
needed in order to be successful in future AP English classes, college, and in your future
careers. The measures we will use to gauge our success will be your ability to excel on the
AP English exams, the EOC Exam, and the PSAT, SAT, and ACT college entrance exams.
To be successful in this course, you will be expected to use higher-level thinking skills and
do more individual projects, research, and devote more time outside of class to learn skills
and complete assignments.
Since most of you will be involved in other advanced classes and extracurricular activities,
you will have to plan your time wisely. The primary approach we will use to accomplish
our objectives is the study of literature. Everything we read may not be your first choice,
but I assure you that there is a reason for everything we study.
AP Exams
One of the goals of the Pre-AP curriculum is to begin preparing students to take the AP
English Language and Composition and AP English Literature Exams to earn college credit.
Although these exams are usually taken during a student’s junior and senior year, we have
found that some of the English II Pre-AP students are ready to take the AP English
Literature Exam AT THE END OF THEIR SOPHOMORE YEAR. We may encourage
students who appear to be doing especially well in class to take the exam (although it is
certainly not required). Other students may want to take it as a practice, which is also a
good idea.
Pre-AP and AP General Policies
Please be aware of these two policies for the Pre-AP and AP English Programs.
A. If students request a schedule change from an AP class to Regular level, a
parent/teacher conference must occur prior to consideration by the
administration.
B. Students in an AP class are expected to take the AP Exam in May.
Daily Routines
As you enter the class, check the long table next to the entrance of the room for any
handouts, take your seat and consult the board for your list of instructions for the day’s
activities. When the bell rings, you will be quiet and ready for us to begin.
Because this is a class in which we read and write almost every day, it is disruptive when
students leave the room during class. For that reason, bathroom stops and other errands
should be taken care of before coming to class (as much as humanly possible).
All assignments MUST include the following: Your Name, Title of Assignment, Class
Period, and Today’s Date.
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Supplies
1. 3-ring binder with lots of white, ruled paper (see detailed instructions in “English
Binder Organization” below)
2. Copy of novels and/or plays we are studying (for example, Jane Eyre and 1984,
currently)
3. #2 Pencil for scantrons
4. Some kind of writing utensil every day
5. Something to read (see #2 above, if you are out of ideas)
In addition to these materials, you may be required to bring additional folders, post-it
notes, poster boards, map pencils, index cards and other items for special assignments
as the year progresses. You will be advised of these as they are needed. Because a lack
of materials interferes with your learning and those that you try to borrow from,
please plan accordingly!
**English II Pre-AP curriculum focuses heavily on close reading strategies. Making notes
in the margin, highlighting portions of the text, and color-coding for certain patterns of
analysis are all suggested and encouraged by the College Board. Obviously, students may
NOT write in any texts belonging to the school, so we highly recommend that students
purchase their own copies of novels and plays to annotate and keep in preparation for
the AP exams their junior and senior years.
Here is this year’s reading list of major works. (Note: Although I do not anticipate
making any changes, some modification may be necessary in the event of unforeseen
circumstances.)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (summer reading)
1984 by George Orwell (summer reading)
Oedipus Rex by Sophocles (copy provided by teacher)
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (copy provided by teacher)
Othello by William Shakespeare (Folger’s Edition is best, if you can find it)
In addition, you will be selecting another Shakespeare play later in the year)
Reading
All reading must be completed independently, typically outside of class. Class time will be
spent discussing the works, analyzing the works, and learning and practicing important
skills. Keeping up with reading schedules is essential in order to be successful in this class.
English Binder Organization
It is recommended to have a SEPARATE 2-inch, 3-ring binder just for this class. Because
this is a Pre-AP class, and we do not have a specialized textbook for this course, you will be
receiving a number of handouts that you must bring to class every day (if you have a
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method that works better for you, please feel free to organize yourself accordingly). In this
binder, you will have:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
all notes from lectures / class discussion
all informational handouts
completed assignments that have been returned
This Guidelines / Expectations sheet
AP section that will include handouts and info that you will need to keep for the next
3 years of English, if you intend to take the AP tests
From time-to-time, I may check your binder to be sure you have all of the materials in them.
If you do not have your binder or the materials that should be in it, you will receive a “0” for
that daily grade.
Compositions and Exams
Graded compositions and exams will be returned to you in class so that you may make
notes of areas where improvement is needed. However, they will then be collected and
kept on file. Exams and quizzes will NOT leave the classroom in order to prevent the
confidentiality of both the student grades and the integrity of the assignment from
being breached.
Our Pre-AP pace and curriculum are so intensive that a class review of every quiz and
exam is not possible, nor necessary for most students, so class time will not always be
available for those activities. If you wish to review your exam, you may come to
tutorials within one week of the assignment to do so. If parents wish to see graded
compositions or exams during the year, they may do so by scheduling an appointment.
My conference time is 1st Period. Parents may also email me at any time at school at
rraney@dpisd.org. Email is the best way to reach me for conferences or other
concerns.
Assignment Grade Clarification Procedure
If you are unclear about a grade you have received on a returned assignment, you should
first carefully reread the requirements of the assignment, then refer to any written comments
and rubric, and finally listen in class to a global discussion of areas to improve when I return
the assignments to the class. If you are still unclear about the grade you received, you may
make an appointment after class to attend a tutorial at which time I will review the concepts
and assessment of this assignment so you will better understand why you earned the grade
you did.
Make-up Work
We will be using an independent make-up work system in this class. You will not interrupt
class for assignments you have missed because you will take care of your business BEFORE
SCHOOL BEGINS. When you return from an absence, you will:
1. consult my website (which I will try to keep as updated as possible) or a classmate
for assignments you missed
2. collect any handouts you missed
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3. collect any returned assignments
4. arrange to copy any lecture notes from a classmate
5. make an appointment with me to attend tutorials for any missed quizzes, timed
writings, essays or exams.
Just as I am responsible for teaching this class every day, you are responsible for
completing your work every day, whether you are present in class or not. If any of this
is problematic, you are of course welcome to come see me during tutorials or e-mail me
for further explanation.
You will have one week from the day you were absent to complete your make-up work. IT
IS NOT MY REPSONBILITY TO REMIND YOU ABOUT THIS. Make-up exams will
be given during tutorials. While make-up exams will evaluate the same material and skills
covered on regularly scheduled exams, their format may be different (for obvious reasons).
You will have one week from the day you return to take the make-up exam. It is your
responsibility to keep track of your own absences and make-up work. If you are absent only
one day before an exam, you will still take the exam on the designated day with the class
(assuming we are on schedule and no new material has been introduced). If you fail to
make up an exam, you will receive a “0.”
Excessive Absences
Due to the accelerated coursework, the extensive class discussion and notes, and large
amount of writing in Pre-AP English, excessive absences can dramatically impact your
grades. Please strive to be here, on time, and to be prepared every day.
Re-takes
According to DPISD policy re-takes of an exam may only be offered when a student makes
a 69 or below on a major assignment or test. In order to be eligible to take a retest, you must
first attend a tutorial, and also plan to take the retest within one week of the return of the
assignment. The highest grade a student may earn on a retest is a 70. In addition, no more
than 2 major assignments or tests may be retaken during the 6-weeks grading period. If you
need additional clarification regarding this policy, please contact me or come see me during
tutorials.
Long-term Assignments
Long-term projects are due on the due date whether you are present or not and are subject to
a reduction in the grade for EVERY DAY YOU FAIL TO TURN THEM IN ON TIME. If
you are absent on a group presentation day, you will still be responsible for an alternate
assignment and your group will present their portion of the assignment without you and will
not be penalized for your absence. Printer and computer problems, as unfortunate as they
may be, will not excuse you from the due date, or the penalty.
Grading Scale
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
Below 69 = F
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*Grades are determined by quizzes, tests and major papers, daily performance
(participation, timed writing, reading), projects and semester exams. An additional grade
point will be added to your grade in this class due to its rigor and depth. ***** All semester
grades of 70 or above receive the extra grade point. Expect the coursework to be rigorous
and challenging and, therefore, expect that rigor and challenge to be reflected in the grade
calculation and assessment of academic progress.
Vocabulary Quizzes
A list will be given to you in an attempt to better prepare you for the type of vocabulary you
will see not only on the PSAT and SAT tests, but also in your continued academic
coursework. You should expect quizzes almost every week.
Homework
The majority of homework will consist of reading and completing study guides. Your
homework assignments will be preparing you for quizzes, class discussion, and timed
writings. If you fail to do your homework, you will not be prepared for our classroom
activities. You will have two major compositions and several projects that you also will
complete at home. On rare nights, when you have no assigned homework for this class, you
should read your independent reading book and review and study your notes and concepts
taught in class that day. Reviewing daily, rather than the night before a major test is a good
idea.
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