Section I
CRITICAL
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
This section of the Paradise Junior and Senior High
School Student Handbook is intended to give information on procedures of
particular interest to you as a parent.
It includes information about working with the school in guiding your
child’s education, such as:
·
Your child’s
grades and progress reports
·
Records
pertaining to your child
·
Conferences with
your child’s teacher
·
The District’s
procedure to follow if you have a concern that isn’t resolved by a conference,
and
School events and school-related groups that would
welcome your attendance or participation.
We strongly recommend that you review the entire
handbook with your child and keep it as a reference during this school
year. If you or your child have questions
about any of the material in this handbook, please contact a teacher, the
counselor, or the principal. Also,
please complete and return the acknowledgement form, so that we have a record
of your choices listed there.
Parental Involvement
A child’s education succeeds best when there is a
strong partnership between home and school, a partnership that thrives on
communication. Your involvement in this
partnership may include:
·
Encouraging your
child to put a high priority on education and working with your child on a
daily basis to make the most of the educational opportunities the school
provides. Ensure that your child completes all homework assignments and special
projects.
·
Becoming familiar
with all of your child’s school activities and with the academic programs,
including special programs, offered in the District. Discuss with the counselor or principal any
questions you may have about the options and opportunities available to your
child. Monitor your child’s academic
progress and contact teachers as needed.
If your child is entering the ninth grade, review the requirements of
the graduation programs with your child.
(See Academic Counseling)
·
Attending
scheduled conferences and requesting additional conferences as needed. To schedule a telephone conference with a
teacher, counselor, or principal, please call the High School office at 940-969-5010
or the Junior High School office at 940-969-5028 for an appointment. A teacher will usually return your call or
meet with you during his or her conference period or at a mutually convenient
time before or after school. See Report Cards, Progress Reports and
Conferences.
·
Exercising your
right to review teaching materials, textbooks, and other aids, and to examine
tests that have been administered to your child.
·
Offering to serve
on the School Health Advisory Council, assisting the District in ensuring local
community values are reflected in health education instruction.
Obtaining
Information and Protecting Student Rights
Your child will not be required to participate without
parental consent in any survey, analysis, or evaluation – funded in whole or in
part by the
§
Political
affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent.
§
Mental and
psychological problems of the student or the student’s family
§
Sexual behavior
and attitudes
§
Illegal,
antisocial, self-incriminating, and demeaning behavior
§
Criticism of
other individuals with whom the student or the student’s family has a close
family relationship
§
Relationships
privileged under law, such as relationships with lawyers, physicians, and
ministers.
§
Religious
practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents.
§
Income, except
when the information will be used to determine the student’s eligibility to
participate in a special program or to receive financial assistance under such
a program.
You will be able to inspect any teaching materials
used in connection with such a survey, analysis or evaluation. For further information, see policy EF.
Opting Out
of Surveys and Activities
As
a parent, you also have a right to receive notice and opt your child out of
participating in:
·
Any survey concerning the private information listed above, regardless
of funding.
·
School activities involving the collection, disclosure, or use of
personal information collected from your child for the purpose of marketing or
selling that information.
·
Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening
required as a condition of attendance, administered and scheduled by the school
in advance and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of the
student. Exceptions are hearing, vision,
or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or
required under state law. See policies
EF and FFAA.
As
a parent, you also have a right:
·
To request information regarding the professional qualifications
of your child's teachers, including whether the teacher has met state
qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in
which the teacher provides instruction; whether the teacher has an emergency
permit or other provisional status for which state requirements have been
waived; and undergraduate and graduate degree majors, graduate certifications,
and the field of study of the certification or degree. You also have the right to request
information about the qualifications of any paraprofessional who may provide
services to your child.
·
To review teaching materials, textbooks, and other teaching aids
and instructional materials used in the curriculum, and to examine tests that
have been administered to your child.
·
To inspect a survey created by a third party before the survey is
administered or distributed to your child.
·
Reviewing your
child’s student records when needed. You
may review
·
attendance
records,
·
test scores,
·
grades,
·
disciplinary records,
·
counseling records,
·
psychological records
·
applications for admissions,
·
health and immunization records,
·
other medical records,
·
teacher and counselor evaluations,
·
report of
behavioral patterns
·
state assessment
instruments that have been administered to your child (See Student Records)
·
Granting or
denying any written request from the District to make a videotape or voice
recording of your child. State law,
however, permits the school to make a videotape or voice recording without
parental permission for the following circumstances:
§
When it is to be
used for school safety
§
When it relates
to classroom instruction or a co-curricular or extracurricular activity; or
§
When it relates
to media coverage of the school.
·
Remove your child
temporarily from the classroom, if an instructional activity in which your
child is scheduled to participate conflicts with your religious or moral
beliefs. The removal cannot be for the
purpose of avoiding a test and may not extend for an entire semester. Further, your child must satisfy grade-level
and graduation requirements as determined by the school and by the Texas
Education Agency.
·
To request that your child be excused from
participation in the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United
States flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the state flag. The request must be in writing. State law does not allow your child to be
excused from participation in the required moment of silence or silent activity
that follows.
·
To request that your child be excused from reciting a portion of
the text of the Declaration of Independence during Celebrate Freedom Week. The request must be in writing. State law requires the recitation as part of
social studies classes in grades 3-12 unless (1) you provide a written
statement requesting that your child be excused, (2) the District determines
that your child has a conscientious objection to the recitation, or (3) you are
a representative of a foreign government to whom the
·
Becoming a school
volunteer. For further information, see
policy GKKG and contact the campus principal.
Why have
volunteers in
Paradise ISD school board, administration, and faculty
are committed to parent and community involvement as a means to improve
How do I get
involved with VIP?
Each school office has brochures with sign-up sheets
if you are interested in being involved in the Volunteers in Paradise Schools
program. Just fill out the volunteer
forms, send them to school with your child, mail them in, or bring them by a
school office. Somebody from the school
will contact you on how you can get involved and get you started.
You are encouraged to participate in these parent
organizations:
·
Parent Teacher
Organization
·
Athletic Booster
Club
·
Band Booster Club
·
Offering to serve
as a parent representative on the District-level or campus-level planning
committees assisting in the development of educational goals and plans to
improve student achievement. For further
information, see policies BQA and BQB, and contact the campus principal.
·
Attending Board
meetings to learn more about District operations, including the procedure for
addressing the Board when appropriate.
See policies BE and BED for more information.
Corporal
punishment—spanking or paddling the student—may be used as a discipline
management technique in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and policy
FO(LOCAL) in the District’s policy manual.
Corporal punishment will be governed by the following conditions:
·
The student will
be told the reason for the corporal punishment.
·
The punishment
may be administered only by the principal, assistant principal, or a teacher.
·
The instrument to
be used will be approved by the principal.
·
The punishment
will be administered in the presence of one other District professional
employee and out of view of other students.
A
record will be maintained of each instance of corporal punishment.
Each
portion of a student’s activities is important.
The
grading policy for 7th – 12th grades will be as follows:
daily grades 40%; tests 40%; and the six weeks test 20% of each six weeks.
At
the Junior High level, reading grades will be counted as follows: daily grades
40%; test grades 30%; AR grades 20%; and
six weeks tests grades 10%.
When
law enforcement officers or other lawful authorities wish to question or
interview a student at school:
·
The principal
will verify and record the identity of the officer or other authority and ask
for an explanation of the need to question or interview the student.
·
The principal
ordinarily will make reasonable efforts to notify parents unless the
interviewer raises what the principal considers to be a valid objection.
·
The principal
ordinarily will be present unless the interviewer raises what the principal
considers to be a valid objection.
·
If the event is
part of a child abuse investigation, the principal will cooperate fully
regarding the conditions of the interview.
State
law requires the District to permit a student to be taken into legal custody:
·
To comply with an
order of the juvenile court.
·
To comply with
the laws of arrest.
·
By a law
enforcement officer if there is probable cause to believe the student has
engaged in delinquent conduct or conduct in need of supervision.
·
By a probation
officer if there is probable cause to believe the student has violated a
condition of probation imposed by the juvenile court.
·
To comply with a
properly issued directive to take a student into custody.
·
By an authorized
representative of Child Protective Services, Texas Department of Family and
Protective Services, a law enforcement officer, or a juvenile probation
officer, without a court order, under the conditions set out in the Family Code
relating to the student's physical health or safety.
Before
a student is delivered to a law enforcement officer or other legally authorized
person, the principal will verify the officer's identity and, to the best of
his or her ability, will verify the official's authority to take custody of the
student. The principal will immediately notify the Superintendent and will
ordinarily attempt to notify the parent unless the officer or other authorized
person raises what the principal considers to be a valid objection to notifying
the parents. Since the principal does
not have the authority to prevent or delay a custody action, notification will
most likely be after the fact.
The
District is also required by state law to notify:
·
All instructional
and support personnel who have responsibility for supervising a student who has
been arrested or referred to the juvenile court for any felony offense or for
certain misdemeanors.
·
All instructional
and support personnel who have regular contact with a student who has been
convicted, received deferred prosecution, received deferred adjudication, or
adjudicated of delinquent conduct for any felony offense or certain
misdemeanors.
If a Child is experiencing
learning difficulties, the parent may contact the person listed below to learn
about the district’s overall general education referral or screening system for
support services. This system links
students to a variety of support options, including referral for a special
education evaluation. Students having
difficulty in the regular classroom should be considered for tutorial,
compensatory, and other support services that are available to all students.
At anytime, a parent is
entitled to request an evaluation for special education services. Within a reasonable amount of time, the
district must decide if the evaluation is needed. If evaluation is needed, the parent will be
notified and asked to provide consent for the evaluation. The district must complete the evaluation and
the report within 60 calendar days of the date of the district receives the
written consent. The district must give
a copy of the report to the parent.
If the district determines
that the evaluation is not needed, the district will provide the parent with a
written notice that explains why the child will not be evaluated. This written notice will include a statement
that informs the parent of their rights if they disagree with the
district. Additionally, the notice must
inform the parent how to obtain a copy of the Notice of Procedural Safeguards –
Rights of Parents of Students with Disabilities.
The designated person to
contact regarding options for a child experiencing learning difficulties or a
referral for evaluation for special education is:
Keri Barnett, Counselor
(940) 969-2501
A Personal Graduation Plan
(PGP) will be prepared for any student in a middle school or beyond who did not
perform satisfactorily on a state-mandated assessment test or is determined by
the District as not likely to earn a high school diploma before the fifth
school year following enrollment in grade 9.
The PGP will be designed and implemented by a guidance counselor, teacher,
or other staff member designated by the principal. The plan will identify the student’s
educational goals and include consideration of the parent’s educational expectations
for the student. [For additional
information, see the counselor.]
A
student may be promoted only on the basis of academic achievement or
demonstrated proficiency of the subject matter of the course or grade
level. To earn credit in a course, a
student must receive a grade of 70 based on course-level or grade-level
standards.
High School credit courses:
Credit will be earned by a
student who fails one semester, but passes the other semester and has an
average of 70 or greater by combining both semester grades.
Credit for an individual
semester shall be earned by a student who earns a passing grade for one
semester, but whose combined grade for the two semesters is lower than 70. In this circumstance, the student shall be
required to retake only the semester in which the failing grade was earned.
Please
be aware that, effective in the school years set out below, a student’s
satisfactory performance on state exams, called the Texas Assessment of
Knowledge and Skills (TAKS), will be required for promotion. This requirement will be effective for the
following students:
·
Third graders in
the 2002-2003 school year
·
Fifth graders in
the 2004-2005 school year, and
·
Eighth graders in
the 2007-2008 school year
A student who does not
perform satisfactorily will participate in special instructional programs
designed to help improve performance and will also have additional
opportunities to take the test. If the
student fails a second time, a grade placement committee, consisting of the
principal or designee, the teacher, and the student’s parent, will determine
the additional special instruction the student will receive. After a third failed attempt, the student
will be retained; the parent can appeal this decision, however, to the grade
placement committee. Whether the student
is retained or promoted, an educational plan for the student will be designed
for the next school year to enable the student to perform at grade level.
For further information,
see policies EHBC, EI AND EIE.
Written
reports of absences and student grades or performance in each class or subject
are issued to parents at least once every three
weeks.
At
the end of the first three weeks of a grading
period, parents are notified if the student's grade average is near or below
70, or below the expected level of performance.
If a student receives a grade of less than 70 in any class or subject
during a grading period, the parents will be requested to schedule a conference
with the teacher of that class or subject.
The report card or unsatisfactory progress report will state whether
tutorials are required for a student who receives a grade below 70 in a class
or subject.
Unsatisfactory
report cards and progress reports must be signed by the parent and returned to
the school.
Remember
that under Education Code 29.084, if the District offers tutorials, students
whose grades fall below 70 in a grade-reporting period must attend.
Students in high school may be exempt from semester exams provided they meet the following criteria:
· Students with an average of 90 – 100 may have no more than 3 excused absences.
· Students with an average of 80-90 may have no more than 2 excused absences.
· Students with an average of 79 or below will not be allowed to exempt from the semester exam.
· Students with more than 3 cumulative tardies in the semester may not be exempt from the semester exam.
· Students with an unexcused absence in ANY class during the semester will not be exempt from any semester exam.
· Students may not be exempt from semester exams if they have served any ISS or AEP in that semester.
· Students must meet the standards in all areas of the TAKS test.
· Freshman, sophomores, and juniors will be allowed to exempt half of their finals each semester. The same course may not be exempted twice in the same school year. Students will decide which classes to exempt in the fall semester.
· Seniors can exempt all classes if the requirements for exemption are met.
· Documented college days and extracurricular absences will not count against exemption status.
Materials
that are part of the basic educational program are provided with state and
local funds and are at no charge to a student.
A student, however, is expected to provide his or her own pencils,
paper, erasers, and notebooks and may be required to pay certain other fees or
deposits, including:
·
Costs for
materials for a class project that the student will keep.
·
Membership dues
in voluntary clubs or student organizations and admission fees to
extracurricular activities.
·
Security
deposits.
·
Personal physical
education and athletic equipment and apparel.
·
Voluntarily
purchased pictures, publications, class rings, yearbooks, graduation
announcements, etc.
·
A fee not to
exceed $50 for costs of providing an educational program outside of regular
school hours for a student who has lost credit due to absences and whose parent
chooses the program in order for the student to meet the 90 percent attendance
requirement. The fee will be charged
only if the parent or guardian signs a District-provided request form.
·
Voluntarily
purchased student accident insurance.
·
Musical
instrument rental and uniform maintenance, when uniforms are provided by the
District.
·
Personal apparel
used in extracurricular activities that becomes the property of the student.
·
Parking fees and
student identification cards.
·
Fees for lost,
damaged, or overdue library books.
·
Fees for lost or
damaged textbooks.
·
Fees for driver
training courses, if offered.
·
Fees for optional
courses offered for credit that require use of facilities not available on
District premises.
·
Summer school
courses that are offered tuition-free during the regular school year.
·
A reasonable fee
for providing transportation to a student who lives within two miles of the
school.
Any required fee or deposit may be waived if the
student and parent are unable to pay.
Application for such a waiver may be made to the Superintendent.
Usually
student or parent complaints or concerns can be addressed simply—by a phone
call or a conference with the teacher.
For those complaints and concerns that cannot be handled so easily, the
District has adopted a standard complaint policy at policy code FNG. In general, a parent or student should first
discuss the complaint with the campus principal. If unresolved, a written complaint and a
request for a conference should be sent to the Superintendent. If still unresolved, the District provides
for the complaint to be presented to the Board of Trustees.
Some
complaints require different procedures.
Any campus office or the Superintendent's office can provide information
regarding specific processes for the following complaints. Additional information can also be found in
the designated Board policy, available in the principal's and Superintendent's
offices.
·
Identification,
evaluation, or educational placement of a student with a disability: policies
EHBA and FB. See Special Programs.
·
Loss of credit
because of non-attendance: policy FDD.
·
Removal of a
student by a teacher for disciplinary reasons:
policy FOAA and the Student Code of Conduct.
·
Removal of a
student to a disciplinary alternative education program: policy FOAB and the Student Code of Conduct.
·
Expulsion of a
student: policy OD and Student Code of Conduct.
·
Discrimination on
the basis of sex: policy FB.
·
Harassment of a
student on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or disability:
policy FNCL and the Student code of Conduct.
See Harassment of the Basis of
Race, Color, Religion, National Origin, or Disability.
·
Sexual abuse or
sexual harassment of a student; policy FNCJ and Student Code of Conduct. See Sexual
Harassment/Sexual Abuse.
·
Instructional
materials: policy EFA.
·
On-campus
distribution of non-school materials to students: policy FMA.
A
student's school records are confidential and are protected from unauthorized
inspection or use. A cumulative record
is maintained for each student from the time the student enters the District
until the time the student withdraws or graduates. This record moves with the student from
school to school.
By law,
both parents, whether married, separated, or divorced, have access to the
records of a student who is under 18 or a dependent for tax purposes. A parent whose rights have been legally
terminated will be denied access to the records if the school is given a copy
of the court order terminating these rights.
The
principal is custodian of all records for currently enrolled students at the
assigned school. The Superintendent is
the custodian of all records for students who have withdrawn or graduated.
Records may be reviewed during regular school hours upon completion of the
written request form. The records
custodian or designee will respond to reasonable requests for explanation and
interpretation of the records. If
circumstances prevent a parent or eligible student from inspecting the records,
the District will either provide a copy of the requested records, or make other
arrangements for the parent or student to review the requested records.
Parents
of a minor or of a student who is a dependent for tax purposes, the student (if
18 or older), and school officials with legitimate educational interests are
the only persons who have general access to a student's records. "School officials with legitimate
educational interests" include any employees, agents, or Trustees of the
District; cooperatives of which the District is a member; or facilities with
which the District contracts for the placement of students with disabilities,
as well as their attorneys and consultants, who are:
·
Working with the
student;
·
Considering
disciplinary or academic actions, the student's case, an Individual Education
Plan (IEP) for a student with disabilities under IDEA, or an individually
designed program for a student with disabilities under Section 504;
·
Compiling
statistical data; or
·
Investigating or
evaluating programs.
The
parent's or student's right of access to, and copies of, student records does
not extend to all records. Materials
that are not considered educational records, such as teachers' personal notes
on a student that are shared only with a substitute teacher, records pertaining
to former students after they are no longer students in the District, and
records maintained by school law enforcement officials for purposes other than
school discipline do not have to be made available to the parents or student.
Certain
officials from various governmental agencies may have limited access to the
records. The District forwards a
student's records on request and without prior parental consent to a school in
which a student seeks or intends to enroll.
Records are also released in accordance with court order or lawfully
issued subpoena. Unless the subpoena is
issued for law enforcement purposes and the subpoena orders that its contents,
existence, or the information sought not be disclosed, the District will make a
reasonable effort to notify the parent or eligible student in advance of
compliance. Parental consent is required
to release the records to anyone else.
When the student reaches 18 years of age, only the student has the right
to consent to release of records.
Students
over 18, and parents of minor students may inspect the student's records and
request a correction if the records are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in
violation of the student's privacy or other rights. If the District refuses the request to amend
the records, the requestor has the right to ask for a hearing. If the records are not amended as a result of
the hearing, the requestor has 30 school days to exercise the right to place a
statement commenting on the information in the student's record. Although improperly recorded grades may be
challenged, parents and the student are not allowed to contest a student's
grade in a course through this process.
[See FNG(LOCAL) for the complaint procedure.] Parents or the student have the right to file
a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they believe the District
is not in compliance with the law regarding student records.
Copies
of student records are available at a cost of $1 per page, payable in
advance. Parents may be denied copies of
a student's records (1) after the student reaches age 18 and is no longer a
dependent for tax purposes; (2) when the student is attending an institution of
post-secondary education; (3) if the parent fails to follow proper procedures
and pay the copying charge; or (4) when the District is given a copy of a court
order terminating the parental rights. If the student qualifies for free or
reduced-price meals and the parents are unable to view the records during
regular school hours, upon written request of the parent, one copy of the
record will be provided at no charge.
Certain
information about District students is considered directory information and
will be released to anyone who follows procedures for requesting it, unless the
parent objects to the release of any or all directory information about the
child. The opportunity to exercise such
an objection was provided on the form signed by the parent to acknowledge receipt
of this handbook. Should circumstances
change, the parent can contact the principal to indicate his or her desire to
change the original request. Directory
information includes: a student's name, address, telephone number, date and
place of birth, participation in officially recognized activities and sports,
weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, awards
received in school, and most recent previous school attended.
SPECIAL EDUCATION RECORDS
Parent
of a student with disabilities who has been provided special education services
by the District will be notified when any information that specifically
identifies the student is no longer needed.
If the parent requests destruction of the information and the time
established by law for retention has expired, the records will be
destroyed. However, if the retention
period established by law has not expired, the material will be deleted from
the records but the records will be maintained until the time has expired.
TESTING
In
order for students to do their best on any test, they must be comfortable and
alert. Parents are encouraged to be
aware of their child’s schedule and to assure that the child comes to school
every day—but especially on test days—after:
·
A good night’s
sleep;
·
A good breakfast;
and
·
Dressing for the
weather or for the temperature inside the testing center.
State Assessment
In addition to routine
testing and other measures of achievement, students at certain grade levels
will take state assessment tests in the following subjects:
·
Mathematics,
annually in grades 3-7 without the aid of technology and in grades 8-11 with
the aid of technology on any assessment test that includes algebra
·
·
Writing,
including spelling and grammar, in grades 4 and 7
·
English language
arts in grade 10 and 11
·
Social studies in
grades 8,10 and 11
·
Science in grades
5, 10 and 11
To receive a high school
diploma, students must successfully pass exit-level tests. (See Graduation
for information regarding new exit-level tests required by state law).
Test results will be
reported to students and parents; parents may review any assessment test that
has been given to their child.
WITHDRAWING FROM SCHOOL
A student may be withdrawn
from school only by a parent. The school
requests notice from the parent in advance so that records and documents may be
prepared. A withdrawal form may be
obtained by the parent from the principal’s office. On the student’s last day, the withdrawal
form must be presented to each teacher for current grade averages and book
clearance; to the librarian to assure a clear library record; to the office for
the last report card and course clearance; and finally, to the principal. A copy of the withdrawal form will be given
to the student and a copy placed in the student’s permanent record.
A student who is 18 or
older, who is married, or who has been declared by a court to be an emancipated
minor, may withdraw without parental signature.
SECTION II
CURRICULUM-RELATED INFORMATION
This section of the
Handbook contains pertinent requirement for academics and activities. Much of this information will also be of
interest to your parents and should be reviewed with them – especially if you
are entering 9th grade or are a transfer student. This section includes information on:
·
graduation programs
and requirements
·
options for
earning course credit
·
extracurricular
activities and other school-related organizations
·
awards, honors,
and scholarships.
CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAMS