• General Policies
• Textbook Policies
• Tutoring Policies
• Computer Lab Policies

Policies

General Policies

Instruction and Break Times

Each hour is a 50 minute class period; therefore, a 2-hour class requires 100 minutes of instruction and a 3-hour class requires 150 minutes of instruction. It is expected that instructors will follow sound educational practices and provide appropriate break times for students.

Course Syllabus

Every instructor must prepare a copy of the course syllabus and hand it out to the students during the first week of class. The course syllabus should contain the following components: course objectives, exit criteria, the attendance policy, homework and test requirements and the American Disability Act. A sample course syllabus is in the Appendix.

Admission to Class

Students are admitted to class upon presentation of a yellow registration worksheet. Students without a yellow slip should be referred to the office.

No Shows

Students who are pre-registered for class and have not attended the first 2 days of class will not be permitted to enter class the third day unless the student has notified the instructor or the office. Students should be sent to the office with their yellow slips to be put on the waiting list. If the student has made prior arrangements, s/he may be admitted; however, those absences will be counted. Absences for new students who are late arrivals should be counted from the day they enter class. Instructors should remind students of the 2-day limit at the end of each quarter and point out that information to them on the yellow slips.

Misplaced Students

At the beginning of each quarter, some students may seem misplaced. If the student is new, check the placement test on file to determine why the student was placed at this level. Remember that students with uneven skills are usually placed at the lower level. If the student is returning, check with the office before moving the student. When a change of level is necessary, check with the potential instructor to see if there is an opening. This should be done within the first 2 weeks of class.

Changing Classes

Some students find it necessary to change class schedule within the same program. If, after checking with the potential instructor, there are no immediate openings, a waiting list card should be made. Please write the level, time, PRIORITY/date and teacher's initials at the bottom of the card. The card will be placed at the front of the waiting list. The exception is the student who, during the first quarter of the program, asks to change schedule. The waiting list card should be given to the office assistant who will research the student's application date and place him/her back on the waiting list according to that date. This is to ensure that students do not jump over others who have been waiting longer. When a student is moved from one class to another (with approval of both instructors) an Add/Drop form must be filled out if registration has already been completed. Note: For students coming from other programs, see "Changing Programs".

Students who do not complete the quarter and are put on the waiting list receive the grade of NC.

Changing Programs

All students entering the State Funded ESL Program (SFESL) from other SCCD programs (ABE, SVI, SSCC, NSCC, or the ORIA-funded ESL program for ESL refugees, etc.) must take the Seattle Central Basic Studies placement test. These students will be placed at the order of the dates that they initially signed up for intake testing.

Drops

Students who leave the program during or at the end of the quarter should be put on the waiting list if they wish to return. This includes students who inform the teacher of their reasons for dropping and those who exceed absences for unknown reasons. All students who have reached the maximum number of absences during a quarter (see below) will be asked to stop class at the time of their next absence. Fill out a waiting list card, write level, time, DROP/date of the final day of the quarter and teacher's initials. If a student specifies a certain quarter for returning, write RETURN/quarter, year at the bottom. These cards will be placed at the end of the waiting list. Students may opt not to attend summer quarter. This is not a drop.

Students who do not complete the quarter receive the grade of NC.

Maximum Number of Absences

Fall, winter and spring quarters: Day: 10, Evening: 6; summer quarter: Day: 8, Evening: 4

Tardiness

There is no department tardy policy. Individual instructors may implement their own if desired.

Advancing to the Next Level

A student must complete an average 80% mastery in order to move up. A minimum of 65% mastery must be attained in each skill area. The curriculum is divided so that each level can be covered in one quarter. Instructors should maintain clear and firm standards for class work and homework, as well as offer support to students who have difficulty with the work. Instructors should keep records of assignments completed and advise students who are not keeping up with the work. Students should be informed of expectations for the class when they begin. (See also, "Course Syllabus".)

Students moving to the next level are given the grade S.

Repeating the Course

Some students may not be able to complete 80% mastery of the competencies in one quarter and may need more time. If these students are doing the assignments and making progress, the instructor may recommend that the student repeat the course. The appropriate grade for students repeating a course is Y.

A few students may not be able to complete 80% of the competencies after 2 quarters. If these students are doing the assignments and making progress, the instructor may recommend that the student continue at the same level for a third quarter. During the third quarter at the same level, continuation at that level will be considered only after a conference with the student, instructor and division counselor. (Do not count summer quarter as one of the three quarters.) At this meeting possible options will be discussed including (but not limited to):

• Continuing in this program
• Resting out
• Studying in the lab
• Getting a tutor
• Being referred to other programs and/or exiting the SFESL Program
• Students at the literacy level may continue at that level as long as they are making progress
• The appropriate grade for students repeating a course is Y

However, since our program was required to report its student progress to the state Office of Adult Literacy (OAL) in 1999, we had discarded the practice of maintaining student assessment cards that recorded students' history of assessments. The effect of the discarding of the cards has created difficulties for faculty to trace students' progress because faculty members do not have authorized access to student records. Only the divisional counselor and the MIS person have access to these records. This has made the implementation of the repeat policy much more difficult and cumbersome.

Resting Out

For those students who need to rest out, the teacher should verify that they are interested in returning to class. A waiting list card indicating class level and time preference is made at the end of the quarter. At the bottom, write REST OUT/date (last day of quarter) and teacher's initials. The card will be put at the back of the waiting list. Even if there is no waiting list, the card will be held for one quarter. If there is a waiting list, the student may have to wait more than one quarter. These students may study in the lab or with a tutor if they qualify according to the respective priority lists. (See "Lab Policies" and "Tutoring Policies" for more information.)

The appropriate grade for these students is NC.

Not Progressing

Any student who is not making progress because s/he is not doing the work will be asked to rest out, even if it is his/her first quarter at that level. These students should be counseled by the teacher during the quarter and warned in advance of this possibility.

Any student who is attempting to do the work but is not making progress may be asked to meet with the instructor and the division counselor at the point when progress is no longer being made. If it is determined that the student can no longer benefit from our program, options including reexamination of student's goals and/or referral to other agencies will be considered. If it is determined by the instructor and the counselor that the student will no longer benefit from our program, the student will be exited, not rested out.

Students who are not progressing are given the grade NC.

Exit Criteria

All students exit a level after mastering 80% of the competencies. At level 6, a student who has reached 80% of the competencies and whose stated goal is academic and who has not met the entry requirements for college preparatory classes may continue at this level in accordance with program policy under section "Continuing at the Same Level". Students who have passed both SLEP and Writing Sample may not continue in basic program.

Summer Quarter

Because summer quarter is shorter than others, it is not considered comparable to fall, winter and spring quarters. The curriculum for the level will not be completed. However, students may move on to the next level if they have mastered 80% of the competencies.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION - Special Needs Classes

Reading/Writing 2-5
Reading/Writing classes are designed for those students whose oral skills are at least two levels higher than their written skills. Students are referred by instructors or identified during intake testing. They are mainstreamed back into "regular" classes when their writing skills approximate their level of speaking. If, at this point, the student is still not successful in the program, the instructor should follow the policy "Not Progressing" as stated in the Policy Manual. Please Note: Students who cannot read are not appropriate for Reading/Writing classes. They should be sent to level-1 or another class where beginning reading is taught.

Speaking/Listening 2-5
Speaking/Listening classes are designed for those students whose writing and reading skills are at least two levels higher than their speaking/listening skills. Students are referred by instructors or identified during intake testing. They are mainstreamed back into "regular" classes when their oral skills approximate their reading/writing skills. If, at this point, the student is still not successful in the program, the instructor should follow the policy of "Not Progressing" as stated in the Policy Manual.

STUDENT PROFILE - Special Needs Classes

Students are referred to the Special needs classes when the lack of skills in one or two areas is holding them back from moving to the next level.

Reading/Writing Classes: There are 4 levels of reading and writing, in two dual level classes, (lev.2-3) and (lev. 4-5). Students enrolled in levels 1 or 6 are not referred to these classes. Students in these reading/writing classes typically have strong listening/speaking skills, at least two sub-levels higher than their reading/writing skills.

Speaking/Listening Classes: There are also 4 levels of listening, in two dual level classes, (lev.2-3) and (lev. 4-5). Students in these listening/speaking classes typically have reading/writing skills at least two sub-levels than their listening/speaking skills.

CURRICULUM

R/W 2/3: This class covers reading, writing and grammar points from the curricula of levels 2A through 3B.

R/W 4/5: This class covers the reading, writing, and grammar points from the curricula of levels 4A through 5.

S/L 2/3: Speaking/Listening class provides focused attention and extensive practice with pronunciation, intonation, rhythm and stress. It also provides developmental practice in understanding English in connected speech at a nearly normal pace. Lessons are developed in the context of the structures and communicative competencies students encounter at 2A through 3B levels. The course emphasizes content in the speaking and listening competencies from the curriculum.

S/L 4/5: This level focuses on the pronunciation, intonation and aural comprehension needs of students from 4A through 5. The class emphasizes strategies for understanding normal-to-rapid spoken English when the content or vocabulary is unfamiliar.

REFERRALS

Referrals to Special Needs Levels 1 and 2 depend on the student's skill level, not on the level they are currently in. Even when the student is very fluent, R/W 2 may be appropriate if the writing skills are at the level described above. However, the following may be used as a general guide:

R/W 2/3: Students from levels 2A through 3B who are having difficulty with material in their curricula should be referred.

R/W 4/5: Students should be referred from levels 4A through 5.

S/L 2/3: Students from 2A through 3B whose speaking/listening skills are significantly weaker than their reading/writing should be referred.

S/L 4/5: Students from 4A or higher whose speaking/listening competencies are much lower than reading/writing competencies should be referred.

REPEATING THE CLASS

Students may repeat the class in accordance with the policy (See "Repeating the Course") in the Policy Manual. Once the student has completed the Reading/Writing class, s/he may not be referred again to the same Reading/Writing level.

Textbook Policies

Guiding Principles of Book Policy:

1. Quality books carefully selected to match the SFESL curriculum at successive levels will provide a needed coherence for students as they move through our program.
2. Books are chosen in the best interests of students.

Committee Composition

A standing committee of 3-5 SFESL faculty members recommends and drafts book policy and implements its various procedures. If possible, the committee should include one member who has served on the committee the previous year. Also it should, if possible, include a representative of the evening faculty and the part-time faculty.

Responsibilities of the SFESL Book Committee

The committee will manage or oversee all textbook-related activities of the state funded ESL faculty in Basic Studies. Those activities may include the following:

• Overseeing the annual textbook evaluation process each Fall Quarter via meetings of all instructors by sublevel. (Day and evening faculty may meet separately)
• Compiling book orders for SFESL faculty by the Bookstore deadline each quarter
• Arranging a process for textbook-coordinated audiocassettes and teacher's manuals to be checked in and out by instructors as needed
• Providing informational support for any ad hoc committee that forms to provide an annual bookfair

Recommended Purchase of Books by Students

State regulations prohibit ABE and ESL providers from requiring students to purchase books. However, faculty can recommend that students purchase the textbooks selected for their course level. Students also share books during the class, and in order for students to complete homework assignments, they may use the books that are on reserve in the SCCC Library.

Faculty need to be consistent in recommending the textbooks assigned for their course. If not, the bookstore is often saddled with unsold inventory of textbooks that the book committee has ordered. This can cause fiscal problems to the division when certain unsold texts cannot be returned to their publishers. In addition, faculty should not substitute the textbooks chosen for a given level with photocopies of alternate texts; this may violate copyright.

Opting not to use the Reader

If a Level 2 or 3 teacher prefers not to ask the students purchase the assigned reader, the teacher must provide a substantial number and variety of other supplemental readings with levelappropriate activities to strengthen students' reading skills. The teacher must not meet this requirement by violating fair use copyright law.

Universal Use of the Core Text

Each SFESL instructor is expected to use a core text that has been assigned at that sublevel.

Desk Copies

Individual instructors are responsible for obtaining their textbook desk copies. As soon as faculty members receive their teaching assignments, they should contact the publisher of the textbooks for their level. A list of textbooks, publishers, and contact numbers is posted in the faculty work area. The director of the Basic Skills lab should be contacted regarding tapes of software needs.

Desk copies cannot be sold for profit or personal gain.

Criteria for Selecting ESL Texts:

• match the curriculum
• provide activities that help to develop competencies outlined in the curriculum and are effective tools for stimulating active, student-centered learning.
• are appropriate for the students' primary purpose for learning English
• integrate multiple skills (e.g., not just grammar or listening)
• not be prohibitive in price

Changing the Assigned Text(s)

If the instructors at a sublevel (e.g. 2B) have voted to replace the assigned text(s) for their level, they may do so by selecting a replacement text that matches the curriculum and notifying the SFESL Book Committee in writing before the 7th week of any quarter. The change will go into effect at the beginning of the following quarter.

If textbooks have accompanying software that needs to be installed on the ESL network, advanced notification should be given to the Basic Skills lab director, who in turn will notify IT services. This must be done well in advance. It should occur at least six to seven weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter in which the software will be used.

Annual Book Evaluation

Instructors will conduct a careful evaluation of their texts in sublevel meetings before the 7th week of Fall Quarter to determine whether to retain or replace the assigned books. Those meetings will be scheduled to include the current instructors, the instructors who have taught that level the previous academic year, and all others who are interested. Separate meetings will be held for day and evening faculty.

Consistency between Day and Evening Textbooks

While it may seem theoretically attractive to adopt the same books for the day and evening program, that may not be practical or even beneficial. The day faculty at a given level should carefully consider the evening faculty's choice of text(s)and vice versa but either faculty group may, in a consensus decision, select a different text.

INSTRUCTOR /BOOK COMMITTEE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• keep teachers informed about book deadline
• order student books at bookstore
• post 1-800 numbers for publishers
• post books and tapes available for each level
• keep policies up-to-date, make changes as needed and post any policy revisions
• put reference copies of texts in library
• organize book fair when needed

• attend level meetings, discuss and make book choices
• get orders to committee by deadline
• order examination copies for themselves
• request tapes from the Basic Skills lab and return them
• be aware of book policies in policy manual and follow them
• make students aware that books are available in library
• assist with and attend book fair

Tutoring Policies

(See Office for tutoring forms)

Tutoring is a special service offered to students of the Basic and Transitional Studies Division. It supplements classroom instruction in order to increase students' chances of success. Tutoring services are provided by volunteers, work-study students, and tutor for credit students and are coordinated by staff. Volunteer trainings are offered on-site in formal twelve-hour sessions and are conducted by certified training agencies. Some are also conducted in local libraries. Volunteers may be placed in classrooms, lab, Talk-Time or may tutor one-on-one or in small groups. The tutoring schedule follows the quarterly schedule of the college. Hours of tutoring are from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday. All tutoring takes place in Room 3122. Talk Time may be held off campus.

Premise and Priority

Students must be currently enrolled in Basic Studies classes to be eligible for tutoring. (Exception is made for Talk Time participants. At this time, anyone interested may attend).

However, rest-out students may be eligible on a case-by-case basis. These are students who have the potential to continue their education at Seattle Central and would benefit from a combination of tutoring and lab work. The rest-out student's most recent teacher must complete an ABE Student Intake Form or an ESL Student Intake Form and select the appropriate priority number. If necessary, the instructor, counselor and tutor coordinator will meet to discuss the rest-out student's needs. In most cases, tutors will work one-on-one with the rest-out student in the area that is delaying progress with the goal of increasing achievement, building self esteem and subsequently getting the student up to speed so that s/he can return to and be successful in the classroom.

Students who have been exited from the program are not eligible for tutoring.

Both students and instructors need to understand that receiving a tutor is a privilege and not a right. Students are not guaranteed tutors, but every effort will be made to meet their needs.

Instructors should give highest priority to students with special needs that cannot be met in a classroom situation. This would include those who are unable to keep pace with the rest of the class in spite of regular attendance, high motivation and diligence. Please DO NOT recommend those who lack motivation or demonstrate poor attendance and attitude.

Students whose needs cannot be met by Seattle Central are referred, through the Basic and Transitional Studies office, tutoring office or counselor, to outside literacy agencies.