MACOMB SCHOOL DISTRICT #185
PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES

PHILOSOPHY - AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The philosophy of the school system, obtained from the written policies of the Board of Education, is as follows:
1. Provide for the education of all children of all the people in District l85 with a broad general program of education throughout the elementary and

secondary schools.

2. Provide a solid foundation of academic and vocational knowledge and skills for each student.

3. Recognize that instructional differentiations must occur in order to encourage and challenge the typical student with his or her individual differences.

4. Realize children should be stimulated to grow in their ability to think clearly, logically and independently and have an adequate appreciation of the forces and

ideals, which have made America great.

5. Provide the services needed by the citizens of this community, which result in the best opportunities for individual growth and development.
6. Be receptive to a free exchange of ideas of the people in determining desirable changes in education to meet the changing needs of society.

The specific objectives of District l85 are encompassed in the following statements, which determine an educational program providing for the maximum development of the individual in:

1. Self-realization of objectives and goals.

2. Good human relationship with others.

3. Economic efficiency through the development of abilities, skills, and talents so the individual will be a productive member of society.

4. Civic responsibility so the individual will understand his relationship to the family, the community and the society as a whole.

MACOMB SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY AND OBJECTIVES
ADOPTED SUMMER, 1990

PHILOSOPHY

The purpose of Macomb Senior High School is to provide opportunities, which encourage learning to the maximum potential of each student. All students are accepted with the realization that their instructional needs differ. A structured environment shall be established which fosters effective interaction between students and staff, encouraging students to become informed decision makers, able to pursue academic, professional, and personal goals.

Learning is enhanced when students, teachers, support staff, administrators, school board members, parents and the community are all engaged in the educational process. The most valuable lesson we teach - by work and by deed - is that learning is a lifelong endeavor in a changing society.

OBJECTIVES

1. Macomb Senior High School will strive to assess, and then develop, the potential of each student.

2. Macomb Senior High School will offer a curriculum, which enables the students to meet graduation requirements.

3. Macomb Senior High School will strive to offer a curriculum and provide assistance, which enables the students to meet career goals.

4. Macomb Senior High School will provide services, which assist individuals with special needs.

5. Macomb Senior High School will promote the physical, emotional, and social growth of students.

6. Macomb Senior High School will strive to maintain effective communication with parents.

7. Macomb Senior High School will strive to increase community awareness of student achievement.

8. Macomb Senior High School will seek community support in maintaining a full range of curricular and extracurricular programs.

9. Macomb Senior High School and the community will work together towards solving mutual problems.

MACOMB SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT

Macomb Senior High School will provide a safe and caring environment for all students to acquire knowledge and develop communication, critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to become responsible members of a culturally diverse society.

WELCOME

As a student at Macomb Jr/Sr High School, you should find this handbook useful in planning your course of study. The sooner you give serious thought to what your post-high school goals are, the sooner you can pursue a direction of study that will enable you to complete a maximum number of courses of value to you. You should have at least one of the following goals in mind:

1. To prepare to enter either a two- or four-year college or university.

2. To prepare to enter a trade or technical school.

3. To enter the military.

4. To prepare to enter the world of work directly out of high school. Your course selection is as important for this goal as for the other three.

If you plan to enter a college or university after high school, you must be sure to complete any high school courses the college or university might require for admission. To learn of these requirements, consult your counselor and the college catalogs of interest. You should complete courses relative to what you will choose after high school.

Whatever your goals, you should study this handbook thoroughly and review it periodically. Plan the courses you will complete during the remainder of your high school career.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Beginning with the 2002-2003 school year, some low enrollment courses were scheduled to be offered on an every other year basis. This involves only a very limited number of courses. All other courses listed in this booklet are available when there is sufficient student enrollment. On some occasions enrollment in certain electives is very low. It is sometimes difficult or impossible to offer these very small classes. During the 2006-2007 school year, we will offer these small classes only when teaching staff is available. Courses may also be dropped for budgetary reasons.

Every effort is made to sustain the enrollment in these small classes. This is particularly true when the small classes are the culminating experience for a three- or four-year plan, such as French III and AP French or the fourth year of study in some other curricular area.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES

Drop/Add Procedures

The following procedures are in place for the 2006-2007 school year:

Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 classes (5 plus PE or 6 if PE waived) at all times. Drops will be allowed, in accordance with the guidelines listed below, only if 6 classes can be maintained.

1st Week of the 1st quarter/1st semester, a student may drop a class for a study hall only, without drop notation on transcript.

2nd thru the 9th week of the 1st quarter/1st semester, a student may drop a class with a W/P or W/F showing on the transcript.

Within 2 days after 1st quarter report cards are issued to students, drops may be made (W/P or W/F). After that time, no drops may be made until after the semester has ended.

Procedure starts over at the beginning of the 3rd quarter/2nd semester.

A student who struggles in a class and is determined to be inappropriately placed may be moved to a lower level class.

A student who provides documentation that he/she needs a particular class as an entrance requirement to a college, university, or technical school may make a class change, at an appropriate time, during the course of the school year.

The registration process for the 2006-2007 school year is expected to be complete as of February 10, 2006.

As part of this process, all students will be required to return a signed course request form from their parent/guardian. Upon completion of the registration process, the master schedule for the following year will be developed. Classes may then be changed, provided space is available, until the designated cut-off date (Aug. 4, 2006 for next year). After that time, changes will be allowed only in accordance with the guidelines stated above.

Retaking A Course

Students who have taken a course and earned a grade lower than a C- may have the option of retaking the course to improve their grade and increase their knowledge. If a student agrees to retake the course for an improved grade, the following conditions will apply:

1. The original grade and the new grade will both be used in calculating the G.P.A.

2. Students will not receive double credit for the course. Students will receive credit as if they had taken the course only once.

Driver Education

Macomb Jr/Sr High School recognizes that operating a motor vehicle correctly is a major responsibility which should not be taken lightly. In light of the maturity and wisdom required to safely operate a motor vehicle and in light of the fact that the state mandates a high rate of attendance when a student is enrolled in Driver Education classes (30 clock hours in classroom instruction-normally completed in one quarter), Macomb Jr/Sr High School will adhere to the guidelines below when assigning its students into Driver Education classes:

WHEN A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT MEETS THE LEGAL AGE REQUIREMENTS AS IDENTIFIED IN THE ILLINOIS SCHOOL CODE 27-24.2, HE/SHE WILL BE SCHEDULED INTO DRIVER EDUCATION BY AGE (OLDEST FIRST) IF:

1. THE STUDENT HAS PASSED FOUR CLASSES (EXCLUDING P.E.) FOR THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO DRIVER EDUCATION.

2. THE STUDENT HAS MET STATE REQUIREMENTS AS SPECIFIED BY HB418 (State of Illinois).

3. THE STUDENT HAS NOT BEEN TRUANT MORE THAN ONE TIME FOR THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO DRIVER EDUCATION.

4. THE STUDENT HAS NOT BEEN DISCIPLINED FOR MORE THAN A TOTAL OF TWO LEVEL I & II INFRACTIONS FOR THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO DRIVER EDUCATION

5. THE STUDENT HAS NOT BEEN DISCIPLINED FOR ANY LEVEL III INFRACTION FOR THE SEMESTER PRIOR TO DRIVER EDUCATION.

Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by an Administrative Team consisting of the student's counselor, assistant principal, and the Driver Education Department/Division Chairperson.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Unless otherwise exempted, each student must successfully accomplish the following in order to graduate from high school:

1. Complete all District graduation requirements that are in addition to the State requirements. District graduation requirements are as follows: A student must have a minimum of 24 credits during grades 9 through 12 to graduate. These 24 credits must include: English, 4 credits, (including 1 semester of literature and 1 semester of writing during junior and senior years): science, 2 credits; mathematics, 3 credits; social science 2 credits (including 1 credit in U.S. History): health education, .5 credit; Computer Technology/driver education, .5 credit; physical education, 3.5 credits (unless waived): fine arts .5 credit (as part of 1.0 fine arts/foreign language/vocational education credit); practical arts, 1 credit (Consumer Education and Computer Applications.) A student must be enrolled in the Driver Education course for a minimum of thirty clock hours of classroom instruction and six clock hours of practice (or after three clock hours of practice driving may take a proficiency test at the discretion of the driver education instructor). All classes receive full credit. Students must be enrolled in at least five academic subjects in addition to physical education (exemptions must be approved by the high school principal.) A student must complete all required course work and tests before participating in commencement exercises and receiving a Macomb High School diploma. A student will not be given an unsigned diploma.

2. Complete all courses as provided in The School Code, 105 ILCS 5/27-22, according to the year in which a student entered the 9^th grade.

3. Complete all minimum requirements for graduation as specified by Illinois State Board of Education rule, 23 Ill. Admin.Code § 1.440.

4. Pass an examination on patriotism and principles of representative government, proper use of the flag, methods of voting, and the Pledge of Allegiance.

5. Take the Prairie State Achievement Examination, unless the student is exempt according to 105 ILCS 5/23.64

ADVANCEMENT

Beginning with the 2006-2007 school year, a new procedure will be in effect to determine a student’s official grade level at Macomb Senior High School. This procedure, approved by the Macomb C.U.S.D. # 185 Board of Education, will allow us to assign students to various tests and responsibilities, as well as privileges, based upon the number of credits the have earned and years of attendance at Macomb Senior High School or another accredited high school. Previously, students could earn very few credits and advance to the next grade level simply by being enrolled. That is no long the case. Advancement must be earned, as with every other school on the district. The scale for advancement is as follows:

Freshman: 0 to 5.49 credits earned

Sophomore: 5.5 to 10.99 credits earned plus one full year of attendance

Juniors: 11.0 to 15.99 credits earned plus two full years of attendance

Seniors: 16.0 to above credits earned plus three years of full years of attendance

UNIVERSITY COURSES

Senior students at Macomb Jr/Sr High School may be permitted to take courses at Western Illinois University or Spoon River Community College, provided they meet the university/college admission policy, have been accepted by the university, the student’s average daily attendance at Macomb Jr/Sr High School is 300 minutes, and the Macomb Jr/Sr High School principal approves the request. Students considering either school should check with their counselors for additional details.

A student must be in at least four academic classes at Macomb High School to qualify for honor roll. Courses taken at Spoon River, WIU, or correspondence will not count as one of the four.

College credit may be earned by juniors in the summer between their junior and senior years.

Check the Western Illinois University and Spoon River catalogs or the Guidance Office for tuition fee costs and admission requirements.

DUAL CREDIT

In conjunction with Spoon River College, and as part of our daily curriculum, MHS will be offering 5 dual credit courses, provided minimum enrollment numbers met, for seniors only beginning with the 2006-2007 school year. Students should first sign up for these classes as part of our regular course registration process, and then complete all Spoon River College requirements for admission and tuition. Grading and other administrative procedures for both Macomb Senior High School and Spoon River College will be enforced. Dual credit course offerings for 2006-2007 are listed below.

Statistics (SRC MAT 132, 3 semester hours)

Composition I (SRC ENG 101, 3 semester hours)

Composition II (SRC END 102, 3 semester hours)

Business I (SRC BUS 151, 3 semester hours)

Business II (SRC BUS 152, 3 semester hours)

GIFTED PROGRAM

The gifted program at Macomb Jr/Sr High School includes all honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classes. The program is open to all Macomb High School students provided that prerequisites have been met. When computing the students’ GPA, bonus points will be awarded for all honors and AP courses.

PHYSICAL EXAMS

State Board of Education policy requires that every student in the public schools have a physical examination at least every four years. All freshmen and transfer students must have a physical examination before entering high school. Examination forms must be on file in the nurse’s office at the high school.

PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, TECHNICAL SCHOOL, OR WORK

High school gives you a chance, perhaps for the first time in your life, to choose many of the subjects you study. Which subjects should you take?

Answering this important question is hard, but the Illinois Board of Higher Education would like to help you by offering the following advice:

The subjects you take in high school either will increase your chances for education and jobs after high school—or they will reduce those chances. That is why your choices now are very important. At this time in your life you can’t be sure what your future career will be. The American economy is changing. New kinds of jobs are created every day. Some jobs are disappearing. Some jobs will require more and more education.

What is the best way to prepare for this changing future? Take subjects, which will give you as many future choices as possible. Don’t cut yourself short. Take subjects, which will keep increasing your communication and computational skills. Take subjects, which will broaden your technical skills.

Do you think you might like to go to college or technical school? Here’s more advice:

1. Community colleges basically have an open-door policy, which means that they will accept almost any students regardless of class rank or test scores. The community colleges have both college transfer programs and vocational-technical programs. Macomb Unit is a member of the Spoon River College

District, so students planning to attend a community college should attend Spoon River if Spoon River offers the program desired (or be willing to pay out-of-district tuition at another community college).

2. If you are not interested in gaining a four-year degree, but do desire to obtain more technical skills, attending a vocational/trade school may be right for you. There is a variety of technical training available today, with programs ranging from six months to two years. Check with your counselor to find information on a particular program or school.

3. There are over 180 colleges and universities in Illinois alone. Each decides for itself how it will select high school graduates for admission. Admission requirements vary from one college to another. You must contact each one to find out what its specific requirements are.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education is requiring that all public universities adopt the following minimum requirements for prospective college freshmen.

4 years English emphasizing written and oral communications and literature.

3 years Social Studies emphasizing history and government.

3 years Mathematics including introductory through advanced algebra, geometry, trigonometry or fundamentals of computer programming.

3 years Laboratory Science.

2 years other. Usually a foreign language, music or art.

________

15 units

Please remember that these are minimum requirements. Some colleges and universities may require additional courses. It is the responsibility of the student to determine admission requirements at a specific college or university. Your counselor can help you learn how to find this information.

Finally, ask for help and advice from your teachers, your counselor, your principal, and your parents. These are the people who know the most about you and can help you with individual advice based upon your abilities and interests.

TENTATIVE TESTING SCHEDULE FOR 2006-2007 SCHOOL YEAR

September	American College Test (ACT)	Seniors	Voluntary
October	American College Test (ACT) National Merit Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)	Seniors Juniors Seniors	Voluntary Voluntary Voluntary
November	PLAN (Achievement, Interest & Study Skills Assessment) Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)	Sophomores Seniors	Voluntary Required
December	American College Test (ACT) College Level Exam Program Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)	Seniors (Early Grads) Seniors Seniors	Voluntary Voluntary Voluntary
February	American College Test (ACT)	Juniors and Seniors	Voluntary
March	National Math Contest Exam	Seniors	Voluntary
April	American College Test (ACT) College Level Exam Program Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE)	Juniors & Seniors (May Grads) Seniors Juniors	Voluntary Voluntary Required
May	Advanced Placement (AP) Tests	Juniors and Seniors	Voluntary
June	American College Test (ACT)	Juniors and Seniors	Voluntary

The American College Test (ACT) is one of the college entrance exams required by all Illinois public colleges and universities, as well as by many of the private schools. Some private schools require the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). All Juniors take the ACT in April as a part of the PSAE. The test is also given in June, October, and December. Seniors who will need the SAT may take it in July, October, November or December.

Registration forms for the ACT and SAT are available in the guidance office. The ACT and SAT are given at Western Illinois University.

CLEP is the College-Level Examination Program, sponsored by the College Entrance Examination Board. It is a national program of credit-by-examination that offers students the opportunity to obtain recognition for college-level achievement. Each institution determines which CLEP tests it will accept for credit and the amount of credit it will award. Check with your counselor for further information.

Advanced Placement (AP) tests are taken by students enrolled in AP courses usually in the spring they are enrolled in the class.

FOUR YEAR PLAN

Freshman Sophomore

1 English 9 ______________ 1 English 10 _______________

2 Math ______________ 2 Math _______________

3 Biology ______________ 3 Science _______________

4 PE. ______________ 4 P.E./Health _______________

5 Social Studies ______________ 5 _______________

6 ______________ 6 _______________

7 ______________ 7 Driver Ed./Computer Tech. ____________

Junior Senior

1 English ______________ 1 English _______________

2 P.E. ______________ 2 P.E. _______________

3 U.S. History ______________ 3 Math _______________

4 Math ______________ 4 Science _______________

5 ______________ 5 _______________

6 ______________ 6 _______________

7 ______________ 7 _______________

8 ______________ 8 _______________

Macomb Senior High School graduation requirements:

English 4 credits Comp. Tech 1/4 credit

Math 3 credits Comp. App. 1/2 credit

Science 2 credits (to include Biology) Driver Ed. 1/4 credit

Social Sciences 2 credits (to include U.S. History) Cons Ed 1/2 credit

Fine Arts 1 credit P.E. 3 1/2 credits

Plus electives to equal a total of 24 credits (starting with the class of 2008)

It must be noted that course selection (beyond high school graduation requirements) depends on the student’s interests and abilities, along with their college/career choice, which is very much the individual’s choice and responsibility.

College and university admission requirements are found on page 7 of the Registration Handbook.

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This page was last updated December 10, 2006.
Page design by Nancy Bell.
Copyright 2000. Macomb High School