Honors Algebra II Course Requirements and Grading System
A. Course Description
Algebra II extends the concepts and skills of algebra first
introduced in Algebra I. The course follows the topics typical of
a second year high school algebra course; these topics can be
reviewed in the table of contents in your text. In addition to
learning intermediate algebra, the course has the following goals:
• to help you further develop your problem solving skills;
• to have you work on projects requiring a variety of math
skills;
• to develop your communication skills by presenting your ideas
orally and in written form;
• to use tools such as graphing calculators and computers to
enhance your study;
• to do quality work and to have you make assessments of your
own work and the work of others.
B. Contacting Me
I encourage you to let me know what I can do to support you. Feel
free to talk with me informally whenever it's appropriate to do
so. If you'd like some privacy, we can schedule an appointment.
Here are some other ways that you, or your parents, can reach me
or can get information on homework:
• E-mail: hillmath@hotmail.com
• Web-site: www.teacherweb.com/CA/CasaGrande/Hill
The homework information on the web site is typically updated in the
early evening of the day the class met. The web site has all assignments
as well as other information.
C. Expectations and Requirements
1. You are expected to do your own work, but you are
encouraged to work with a partner or in small groups
whenever possible. I encourage you to seek teacher and/or
peer help as needed.
2. You are expected to work to achieve the goals noted in Part
A by being an active and cooperative participant in the
class. Points will be deducted for not having required
materials in class, being off-task, being uncooperative,
and for behaviors that distract from the learning
environment.
3. Required Materials
a. Textbook
b. Honors Algebra II Notebook
c. Graphing Calculator
d. Binder paper
e. Graph paper (1/8 or 1/4 in.squares)
f. Pencils and pens
4. The Honors Algebra II Notebook is a way of organizing your
work for the class. A 3-ring binder is recommended, but
the way you organize your work is up to you. For your
notebook grade, you must show me that you have an organized
system for keeping your notes, class work & homework, and
quizzes & tests. Your "system" should allow you to quickly
locate any of your work for the current semester. In
addition, this sheet (Honors Algebra II Course
Requirements) should be in your Notebook as well as your
Classroom Expectations Sheet and your Homework Record
Sheet. The Homework Record should have columns providing
the following information.
Assmt. No. Assmt. Date Assignment Points Earned Total Pts/Pts Pos.
5. You are required to have your Notebook and all other
required materials in class with you each class day.
Notebooks will be graded at random points in the semester
and will be worth 55 points/semester.
D. Procedures
1. Homework
a. I prefer that your homework is done in pencil but the
choice is yours. The requirement is that the work is
neat, legible, and can be easily followed.
b. Problems should be copied and work needs to be shown on
all problems where it is practical to do so. Your
homework sheet is where your work should be shown,
rather than on a separate "scratch sheet". Homework
assignments that have only a set of answers on them will
not be given any credit.
c. Each homework assignment should be labeled with your
name, the date of the assignment, the assignment number,
and the assignment itself.
d. You are responsible for seeing that your homework is
corrected and for seeking help from your classmates or
the teacher for problems that you do not understand.
e. Homework is due when the bell rings at the beginning of
the period.
2. Makeup and Late Work
a. You may turn in 3 assignments per semester one class
period late without penalty. Each late assignment after
that will have 5 points deducted from its score.
b. If you're absent the day that a quiz or test is given,
you should plan on taking it in tutorial the day you
return to school, even if you don't have math class that
day. Tests that are not made up by announced deadlines
will be recorded as zeroes.
c. You have one day to make up homework for each class day
absent. Utilize tutorial as needed when you're absent
so that you can keep your work caught up.
3. Notes
a. Notes and sample problems should be copied whenever
they're given in class.
b. Notes should be labeled with the day's date and the text
section or concepts that they cover.
4. Quizzes and Tests
a. Quizzes will cover short sections of material and may or
may not be announced.
b. Tests usually will cover whole chapters and will be
announced ahead of time.
c. Work for quiz or test problems needs to be shown in a
neat and orderly manner where it can be readily found in
order to receive credit. No work shown, no credit
given.
d. If you know in advance that you are going to miss a quiz
or test because of a school or family activity, talk to
me ahead of time and it may be possible to take the test
early.
E. Grading
1. Grade reports will be issued every 6 weeks. The first two
reports of the semester are basically progress reports to
alert you and your parents as to what your grade in the
class is at that point in the semester. Your semester
grade will be cumulative over the entire semester. The final
semester grade is the only one that will "count" and go on
your permanent transcript.
2. I'll grade your notebook once each semester. Your notebook
should be in class and ready to be graded every class day.
Notebooks that are not available when asked for will be
late and downgraded.
3. Your letter grade for a grading period will be based on
your classwork, homework, quizzes, tests, and other sorts
of assessment. These components of your grade will be
weighted, on a scale of 100% possible, in the following
manner:
a. Six-week Progress Reports
Tests, Quizzes, and Other Assessments 75%
Homework and Classwork 25%
(Test Pct. x .75) + (HW Pct. x .25) = Prog. Report Pct.
b. Semester Grade
At the semester, I will compute a percentage in the same
way as for the 6-week reports, which I'll call your
"Semester Homework and Test Percentage".
Semester Homework and Test Percentage 75%
Semester Final Exam 25%
.75 x [(Test Pct. x .75) + (HW Pct. x .25)]
+ (Final Pct. x .25) = Your Semester Percentage
c. Letter Grades
98-100% = A+ 88-89% = B+ 78-79% = C+ 68-69% = D+
92-97% = A 82-87% = B 72-77% = C 62-67% = D
90-91% = A– 80-81% = B– 70-71% = C– 60-61% = D–
59% or less = F
