Syllabus 2019 – 2020

Mr. Bjorn Thornton

Wheeler High School
bjorn.thornton@cobbk12.org
http://mrthorntonsclasses.weebly.com/avid-iiialg-ii.html
COURSE SUMMARY:
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is an academic elective course that prepares students for college
and career success. This year long elective class is scheduled during the regular school day. Each week, students
receive instruction utilizing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum provided by AVID Center, tutor‐facilitated study
groups, motivational activities and academic success skills. In AVID, students participate in activities that incorporate
strategies focused on writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading to support their academic growth.

Students will learn to effectively set goals, focusing on their work as part of a college preparatory path. Students will
continue to refine their writing, both as a communication tool and a strategy to learn and understand new ideas.
Students will transition from active learners to leaders. Other areas of focus include increasing the use of technology
and building upon their test preparation and test‐taking knowledge. They will broaden their experiences with
analyzing text and utilizing appropriate reading strategies in various settings. Students will become more involved in
the presentations of guest speakers and field trips, particularly as they relate to preparation and prior knowledge.

CLASSROOM MATERIALS:
In order to be prepared DAILY, each student should have:
 Any assignments that are due
 AVID Binder (including all materials and all notebooks from core academic classes)
 Agenda
 Please see final page of syllabus for supplies

GRADING AND REPORTING:

Numerical grades will be issued to indicate academic performance. Class averages will be determined using the
following weighted averages for content to be covered.

 Tutorials (40%) – Tutorials will be held twice a week. During this time, students work collaboratively to answer
the difficult questions from their academic classes. All students must complete the Tutorial Request Form (TRF)
prior to the tutorial session. This pre-work is a part of the tutorial grade (40% of the tutorial grade).
 Formative assessments (30%) – Active daily participation
 AVID Binder (20%) – AVID students are required to keep one 3-inch or larger binder for all of their classes. This
binder will be graded weekly for organization, planning (agenda), and Cornell-notes.
 Final Exam (10%)

TECHNOLOGY
AVID students will use a variety of technology tools throughout the course of the year. Students will need access to
StudentVue.

MAKE-UP WORK POLICY

A student will be given the same number of days absent to complete his/her make-up work. Regardless of reason for
absences, it is the student’s responsibility to make up missed work, and to make arrangements with the teacher to
complete missed assignments. If a student wishes to turn in a late assignment for any reason other than being
absent, a late penalty will apply. Students should see their teacher on the day they return to obtain any missed
assignments. It is the student’s responsibility to request work missed during an absence.
CONDUCT
Students will adhere to the school-wide behavior policy. In addition, students are expected to abide by ALL classroom
procedures and expectations as set forth in our class social contract. Conduct will be considered in determining
eligibility for all college field trips.

AVID Supply List

Required Items
 1 3-inch (or larger), 3-ring binder to be used for all classes (not just AVID)
 A divider for each class (at least 7)
 Zipper pouch to store supplies (some zip-up binders include this)
 2 or more pens (include a second color other than blue or black)
 Pencils
 Highlighters (at least 2 colors)
 Plain notebook paper (not in a spiral notebook)
Suggested Items
 Sheet protectors
 Copies of Cornell-note paper (provided)
 Small pencil sharpener (or extra lead if using mechanical pencils)

(Optional: students bring in a pack of color copy paper, hand sanitizer, paper towels, dry-erase markers or a box of
tissues for classroom use)

*This plan can be changed to reflect the needs of the students.