Value of an Education

Forms

Weekly Assignment Sheet
Progress Report Sheet
School Success Plan
Grade Improvement Plan
Classmate Information Sheet
Tutoring Availability Form
Monthly Calendar

Daily/Weekly Assignment Sheet - Download

This is a place to keep track of your homework similar to a binder reminder that many students purchase and use to write down their homework. However, the Daily/Weekly Assignment Sheet, when used correctly and in conjunction with a monthly calendar can be the most effective tool to not only write down the assignments each day but also to see that they are completed.

How to use the weekly assignment sheet

Keep it in a sheet protector in the front of your binder so that it will be safe but easily available each period of each day.
Write down every assignment in every class every day. No playing games. If you have homework, you write it down. If you have none, you write none. This way if it is blank you will know that you don't know whether or not you have homework in that class and can then do what you need to do to find out the assignment.
Once each assignment is completed, highlight that assignment on your Daily/Weekly Assignment Sheet.

I have a binder reminder to keep track of my assignments why is this better?

Many students who use a binder reminder often are not sure if there was homework in a class. The reason for this is that when a binder reminder is left blank students can't tell the difference as to whether or not there was homework. Many students assume there is no homework only to find out the next day that there was an assignment.
At a quick glance you can see for each day and for each week what the homework was and whether or not it has been completed.

The Daily/Weekly Assignment Sheet when used correctly and in conjunction with the Monthly Calendar can be a highly effective tool to not only know the assignments and see that they have been completed, but to also plan for big assignments, projects, and tests.

Progress Report - Download

How do you know if you are headed to meet the goals you have set in your school success plan or if you are headed in the wrong direction? Most schools give you a progress report/report card every 5 weeks in a 20 week semester. For many students this is not enough feedback or accountability to ensure academic success as by the time you really discover there is a problem, there is often not enough time to fix the problem. Therefore, I recommend that you look for ways to receive more regular feedback on your performance, or if you are the student's parent more regular feedback on your child's performance.

One way to do that is by keeping your own record of each grade earned in every class. In some classes this is easier than others depending on the structure of the class.

Many schools now have grades online and students and parents can keep track of performance by checking the website for grades. This is a very useful tool which I highly recommend you all utilize. However, for some students it may not be enough as they need greater support and accountability.

Using a progress report weekly like the one provided will give you feedback on academic performance as well as behavior in the classroom. This will allow you sufficient time to address any issues academically or behaviorally that are getting in the way and veering you off course and in the wrong direction.

I recommend that any student who is far from reaching their goals or who is earning any D's or F's use this form on a weekly basis until they are earning all A's or A's and B's.

Student Tips

Get the form filled out by every teacher in every class at the end of every week.
Give it to the teacher before class and get it back during or after class. Forgetting to do so is simply not acceptable and not an option.
Keep the completed forms as a record of your progress throughout the semester.

Parent Tips

Enroll the teachers in their completing the form by sending an email or by a phone call requesting their assistance. By law, they only have to give out progress reports every 5 weeks and while it shouldn't take long to complete the form they do have almost 200 students, so if each student requested and needed this it would be overwhelming to say the least.
It must be the student's responsibility to politely ask the teacher to complete the form not the teacher's responsibility to ask for it. The teacher has many students and many responsibilities.
Set up some rewards and consequences each weekend based on getting the form completed and on what it says each Friday. The worst thing which must come with the most severe consequence is not getting the form fully completed. Otherwise any time the information is bad the student will likely not ask for it. A little better is if it is fully completed but not entirely positive. The best is if it is fully completed and showing improvement.
You must check this every Friday. If you do your job as the parent, your child will be more likely to do their job as the student.

School Success Plan - Download

Have you heard the saying “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

How about this one “if you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else”

What are they referring to? Making a plan or setting a goal.

I often ask kids how many of you would like to be a better student in some way now than you were before. They almost all raise their hands. When I ask them, how many of you have a specific goal in place so that you can know whether you achieved this goal or not? Few raise their hands. Out of the ones that do say they have a goal in mind when you talk to them further their goals are not specific but rather filled with generalities.

I suggest that every student use the School Success Plan which will include very specific and measureable goals. When the time comes you can see if you have reached the goals you have set for yourself, or not. You can also look at your grades along the way and see if you are headed in the right direction. If changes need to be made consider using the Weekly Progress Report and the Grade Improvement Plan if you are not already doing so.

Grade Improvement Plan - Download

So, you have decided to improve your grade, that's great!

What's your plan?

Use the Grade Improvement Plan as a guide to help you improve your grade in a class or classes. This can be completed each week if necessary until the grade is what you want or need it to be..

Classmate Information Sheet - Download

You were absent and need the notes from class.

You were in class but you don't understand the homework.

You want to get some help but can't pay for a tutor.

Who you gonna call?

Chances are Ghostbusters can't tell you what the English homework is or give you notes that include the steps needed to do your Math but your classmates can!

Use the Classmate Information Sheet to get three names, phone numbers and emails of classmates. Preferably, get the top students in your class who also seem nice and willing to lend a helping hand. You can usually figure out who these students are because they are the ones who sit in the front, are always prepared, ask the best questions, take great notes, and get the highest grades on the tests. If you are really not sure who this might be ask the teacher, they can probably point you in the right direction.

Tutoring Availability Form - Download

Tutoring is not just for students who are struggling. Most students can benefit from getting some extra help. Don't wait until it becomes a problem. Get help from teachers, peers, or if necessary and possible a private tutor.

Private tutors can cost anywhere from 20-60 dollars an hour. Before even considering making that kind of financial commitment I would make sure I took advantage of any and all free tutoring first. Who better to get help from than your teacher or your classmates, after all they surely know what is expected of you in the class.

Use the Tutoring Availability Form to make a list of what tutoring is available when and where so you are prepared to get the help you need to be successful.

Tips

Complete this form whether or not you need help now or you think you are going to need help later. This way whenever you do need help you are already prepared and know what, when, and who is available.
Start with your teacher but also add any other school-sponsored tutoring such as after-school intervention, open library, and peer-tutoring.

Monthly Calendar

This is a place to keep track of your big assignments or projects, as well as any tests, midterms or final exams. The Monthly Calendar when used correctly and in conjunction with the Daily/Weekly Assignment Sheet can be a highly effective tool , not only to plan for assignments and tests but also to see that they are completed successfully.

How to use the Monthly Calendar

Keep it in a sheet protector in the front of your binder so it will be safe but easily available each period of each day.
Write down every big assignment or project, as well as any tests, midterms or final exams.
Break the big assignments or projects, as well as any tests, midterms or final exams into smaller and more manageable chunks and write down milestones you want to accomplish by certain dates. This will keep you on track for success.

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