PREFACE

To Students and Parents:

Welcome to school year 2004–2005! For this new year to be successful for your child, we must all work together: students, parents, teachers, and other school staff members.

The Holland ISD Student Handbook is designed to provide a resource for some of the basic information that you and your child will need during the school year. In an effort to make it easier to use, the handbook is divided into three sections:

Section I—IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS—with information all parents will need about assisting their child and responding to school-related issues;

Section II—CURRICULUM-RELATED INFORMATION—providing information to students and their parents about graduation programs, required courses, class rank, and extracurricular and other activities; and

Section III—GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS—describing school operations and requirements such as safety procedures, the dress code, and fees that may be charged.

Each section has a Quick Reference component to serve as a guide for day-to-day questions that may arise.

Please be aware that the term “the student’s parent” is used to refer to the parent, legal guardian, or other person who has agreed to assume school-related responsibility for a student.

Both students and parents must be familiar with the Holland ISD Student Code of Conduct, required by state law and intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning. That document may be found as a separate document sent home to parents and available in the principal’s office.

The student handbook is designed to be in harmony with Board policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Please be aware that the handbook is updated yearly, while policy adoption and revision may occur throughout the year. Changes in policy that affect student handbook provisions will be made available to students and parents through newsletters and other communications.

In case of conflict between Board policy or the Student Code of Conduct and any provisions of student handbooks, the provisions of Board policy or the Student Code of Conduct that were most recently adopted by the Board are to be followed.

We strongly recommend that parents review the entire handbook with their children and keep it as a reference during this school year. If you or your child has questions about any of the material in this handbook, please contact a teacher, the counselor, or the principal. Also, please complete and return the parental acknowledgment and consent/opt-out forms so that we have a record of your choices. [See Obtaining Information and Protecting Student Rights on page 10.]

Please note that references to alphabetical policy codes are included so that parents can refer to current policy. A copy of the District’s policy manual is available in the HISD administrative offices

Nondiscrimination

Holland ISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, or disability in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.

The following District staff members have been designated to coordinate compliance with these requirements:

· Title IX Coordinator, for concerns regarding discrimination on the basis of sex: Cindy Gunn – HISD Superintendent

· Section 504 Coordinator, for concerns regarding discrimination on the basis of disability: Karen Roasa – HISD Counselor

Services for the Homeless and for Title I Participants

Other designated staff you may need to contact include:

· Liaison for Homeless Children and Youths, who coordinates services for homeless students: Cindy Gunn – 254-657-0175

· Parent Involvement Coordinator, who works with parents of students participating in Title I programs: Monica Ansley – 254-657-2525

Services for Students with Disabilities

Parents of students with learning difficulties or who may need special education services may request an evaluation for special education at any time. For more information, see page 33 and contact the appropriate campus principal or counselor at any of our three campus offices.

Vision

All students will be successful learners.

Philosophy

Educated people are our most valuable resource
All students can be successful learners
Every person has equal value and worth
People succeed best in an open, inviting climate of continuous courtesy and mutual respect
All children deserve a secure and nurturing learning environment
Parents-community-school partnerships maximize the potential for student success
Each person is accountable for his/her own actions

MISSION

Holland Independent School District, in partnership with parents and community, will provide a quality education for all students, empowering them to pursue productive and fulfilling lives in an ever-changing, interdependent world.

Student Exit Outcomes

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

Demonstrate self-esteem as a learner and person.
Demonstrate use of extended thinking skills.
Demonstrate problem-solving, decision-making, and group process skills.
Demonstrate effective communication skills.
Show respect and concern for self and others.
Demonstrate social, civic, economic, and environmental responsibility
Be a self-directed, life-long learner.
Accept responsibility for his/her own physical and mental well-being.
Have academic skills essential to success in global economy and social order.

Alma Mater

Holland Hornets, Holland Hornets,

We stand back of you.

Holland Hornets, we are loyal to our colors true.

We’ll support you and defend you,

We will never fail.

We’ll win this game for Holland High

We’ll fight for you.

Holland School Motto

Holland Independent School District is a place where everybody is somebody.

SECTION I
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS

This section of the Holland ISD Student Handbook includes information on topics of particular interest to you as a parent.

QUICK REFERENCE:

Where to look when you need information about …

· Parental involvement page 9

· Grading guidelines page 12

· Report cards/progress reports and conferences page 12

· State-mandated assessment testing page 13

· Promotion and retention page 14

· Other standardized testing: College Requirements page 15

· Medicine at school page 15

· Psychotropic drugs page 15

· Student records page 16

· Student or parent complaints and concerns page 17

· Release of students from school page 18

PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT

Working Together

Both experience and research tell us that 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. Be sure your child comes to school each day prepared, rested, and ready to learn.

· 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. If your child is entering ninth grade, review the requirements of the graduation programs with your child. Monitor your child’s academic progress and contact teachers as needed. [See Academic Counseling on page 21 and Academic Programs on page 20.]

· Attending scheduled conferences and requesting additional conferences as needed. To schedule a telephone or in-person conference with a teacher, counselor, or principal, please call the school office at 254-657-2525 (Elementary), 254-657-2224 (Middle School), or 254-657-2523 (High School) for an appointment. A teacher will usually return your call or meet with you during his or her conference period or before or after school. [See Report Cards/Progress Reports and Conferences on page 12.]

· Becoming a school volunteer. For further information, see policy GKG and contact any campus principal for at the contact numbers provided at the end of this document.

· Participating in campus parent organizations. Parent organizations include: Holland PTO, and Project Celebration (after prom chemical-free party (Jr’s and Sr’s only) organizations) and Early Admission Scholarship Program.

· 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 at BQA and BQB, and contact the superintendent or any campus principal.

· Offering to serve on the School Health Advisory Council, assisting the District in ensuring local community values are reflected in health education instruction. [See policies BDF and EHAA and School Health Advisory Council on page 40.]

· Attending Board meetings to learn more about District operations. [See policies BE and BED for more information.]

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 U.S. Department of Education—that concerns:

· Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parent.

· Mental or psychological problems of the student or the student’s family.

· Sexual behavior or attitudes.

· Illegal, antisocial, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior.

· Critical appraisals of individuals with whom the student 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 is required by law and 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 the survey or other instrument and any instructional 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 nonemergency, 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.

· To review your child’s student records when needed. These records include:

· Attendance records,

· Test scores,

· Grades,

· Disciplinary records,

· Counseling records,

· Psychological records,

· Applications for admission,

· Health and immunization information,

· Other medical records,

· Teacher and counselor evaluations,

· Reports of behavioral patterns, and

· State assessment instruments that have been administered to your child.

[See Student Records on page 16.]

· To grant or deny 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 cocurricular or extracurricular activity; or

· When it relates to media coverage of the school.

· To 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 Texas 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. [See Pledges of Allegiance and a Minute of Silence on page 47 and policy EC.]

· To request that your child be excused from recitation of a portion of the Declaration of Independence. State law requires students in social studies classes in grades 3-12 to recite a portion of the text of the Declaration of Independence during Celebrate Freedom Week 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 United States government extends diplomatic immunity. [See policy EHBK]

· To request in writing, if you are a noncustodial parent, that you be provided for the remainder of the school year a copy of any written notice usually provided to a parent related to misconduct that may involve placement in a disciplinary alternative education program (DAEP) or expulsion. See policies FL(LEGAL) and (LOCAL), FO(LEGAL) and the Student Code of Conduct.

GRADING GUIDELINES

In grades Pre-K–12, achievement is reported to parents as:

REPORT CARDS / PROGRESS REPORTS AND CONFERENCES

Report cards with each student’s grades or performance and absences in each class or subject are issued to parents at least once every six weeks.

At the end of the first three weeks of a grading period, parents will be given a written unsatisfactory progress report if their child’s performance in any course is near or below 70, or is below the expected level of performance.

Teachers follow grading guidelines approved by the Superintendent/principal that have been designed to reflect each student’s academic achievement for the grading period, semester, or course. State law provides that a test or course grade issued by a teacher cannot be changed unless the Board determines that the grade was arbitrary or contains an error, or that the teacher did not follow the District’s grading policy. [See policy EIA.]

Questions about grade calculation should first be discussed with the teacher; if the question is not resolved, the student or parent may request a conference with the principal in accordance with FNG(LOCAL).

The report card or unsatisfactory progress report will state whether tutorials are required for a student who receives a grade lower than 70 in a class or subject.

Report cards and unsatisfactory progress reports must be signed by the parent and should be returned to the school within 5 days.

Grading System

A 90-100 Excellent Work

B 80-89 Above Average Work

C 75-79 Average Work

D 10-14 Below Average Work

F 69-below Failing work – does not meet minimum requirements.

STATE-MANDATED ASSESSMENT TESTS

Students at certain grade levels will take state assessment tests (such as TAKS) in the following subjects, as well as routine testing and other measures of achievement:

· 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

· Reading, annually in grades 3–9

· Writing, including spelling and grammar, in grades 4 and 7

· English language arts in grade 10

· Social studies in grades 8 and 10

· Science in grades 5, 10 and 11

· Any other subject and grade required by federal law.

· Stanford Achievement Test

· OLSAT (Gd.2-7)

· ELL Protocol assessment

· RPTE

· SDAA

PROMOTION AND RETENTION

A student will be promoted only on the basis of academic achievement or demonstrated proficiency in the subject matter of the course or grade level. To earn credit in a course, a student must receive a grade of at least 70 based on course-level or grade-level standards. In addition, students at certain grade levels will be required to pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) as a further requirement for promotion:

· In order to be promoted to grade 4, students must have performed satisfactorily on the Reading section of the grade 3 assessment test in English or Spanish.

· In order to be promoted to grade 6, students enrolled in grade 5 in the 2004–2005 school year must perform satisfactorily on the Mathematics and Reading sections of the grade 5 assessment test in English or Spanish.

· In order to be promoted to grade 9, students enrolled in grade 8 in the 2007–2008 school year must perform satisfactorily on the Mathematics and Reading sections of the grade 8 assessment test in English.

In addition, students in grades 3, 5, and 8 must meet promotion standards established by the District in order to be promoted.

Parents of students in grades 1-8 who do not perform satisfactorily on their exams will be notified that their child will participate in special instructional programs designed to improve performance. These students will also have two 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; however, the parent can appeal this decision to the committee. In order for the student to be promoted, based on standards previously established by the District, the decision of the committee must be unanimous. Whether the student is retained or promoted, an educational plan for the student will be designed to enable the student to perform at grade level by the end of the next school year. [See policy EIE.]

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 or principal and policy EIF.]

Students in grade 11 must pass the secondary exit-level assessment in English language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science in order to receive a diploma. A student who does not pass the exit-level assessment will have additional opportunities to take the test. [See Graduation on page 24 for information regarding exit-level tests required by state law.]

Certain students—some with disabilities and some with limited English proficiency—may be eligible for exemptions, accommodations, or deferred testing. For more information, see the principal, counselor, or special education director.

OTHER STANDARDIZED TESTING: COLLEGE REQUIREMENTS

Most colleges require either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) for admission. Students are encouraged to talk with the counselor during their junior year to determine the appropriate exam to take; entrance exams are usually taken at the end of the junior year. (Prior to enrollment in a Texas public college or university, most students must take an assessment test, such as the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test [formerly the TASP test].)

MEDICINE AT SCHOOL

District employees will not give a student prescription medication, nonprescription medication, herbal substances, anabolic steroids, or dietary supplements, with the following exceptions:

· Authorized employees, in accordance with policy FFAC, may administer:

· Prescription medication provided by the parent, along with a written request, and in the original, properly labeled container.

· Medication from a properly labeled unit dosage container filled by a registered nurse or another qualified District employee from the original, properly labeled container.

· Nonprescription medication provided by the parent along with a written request, and in the original, properly labeled container. Parents should complete a health survey form at the time of enrollment to allow health center staff to administer non-prescription medication.

· Herbal or dietary supplements provided by the parent if required by the student’s individualized education program (IEP) or Section 504 plan for a student with disabilities.

· In certain emergency situations, the District will maintain and administer to a student nonprescription medication, but only:

· In accordance with the guidelines developed with the District’s medical advisor and

· When the parent has previously provided written consent to emergency treatment on the District’s form.

A student with asthma who has written authorization from his or her parent and physician or other licensed health-care provider may be permitted to possess and use prescribed asthma medication at school or school-related events. The student and parents should see the school nurse or principal if the student has been prescribed asthma medication for use during the school day.

PSYCHOTROPIC DRUGS

Teachers and other District employees may discuss a student’s academic progress or behavior with the student’s parents or another employee as appropriate. In addition, a District employee who is a registered nurse, an advanced nurse practitioner, a physician, or a certified or credentialed mental health professional can recommend that a student be evaluated by an appropriate medical practitioner, if appropriate.

“Psychotropic drug” means a substance used in the diagnosis, treatment, or prevention of a disease or as a component of a medication and intended to have an altering effect on perception, emotion, or behavior. It is commonly described as a mood- or behavior-altering substance.

[For further information, see policies at FFAC.]

STUDENT RECORDS

Both federal and state law safeguard student records from unauthorized inspection or use and provide parents and “eligible” students certain rights. For purposes of student records, an “eligible” student is one who is 18 or old