ABC Adult School

• Complete and turn in a syllabus to the program administrator or TOSA. There is an easy template available to use. The syllabus should reflect weekly topics. Make copies of the syllabus to have on hand for your students. Make sure that the syllabus lists current refund policies.

• Class should begin no later than 5 minutes after class start time. Do not leave students outside of a locked door, unsure of where they should be.

• Have the syllabus, any books/and or handouts, and needed class samples prepared for the students before the class begins.

• Be sure to have a current course outline and syllabus available.

• For the first few weeks of the semester, keep track of all enrolled students. Make sure that their name shows up on the attendance roster. If not, send them to the office.

• Always print out the sign-in sheets and have students sign in and out. Remind students periodically to sign in and out. There is a good sign-in sheet on the regular ASAP attendance page.

• We are required to have 20 students in attendance at all times. If the class numbers drop off, the class may be canceled.

• At the first class meeting, go over the ABC Adult School refund policies and the emergency procedures with the students.

• For the classes that require it, have the waiver forms and the student-acceptable use forms for students to sign. It is critical that we keep track of these forms and that every student sign one, annually. Turn these forms into the program secretary as soon as possible.

• Complete a TOPSpro report for each student with one (1) or more hours of attendance, if required for your program.

• Turn in all skills reports or student grades, as required for your program.

• Complete all Attendance reports. Print and sign them, and turn them into the program secretary.

• Turn in your time card.

• Empty your mailbox and delete and purge unwanted email items from the Gmail mailbox.

• Clean up the classroom to make it ready for the next session. Take home personal items.

• If it is the end of the school year, turn in keys to Deana Colvin at Cuesta. They can be checked out again when needed.

• If it is the end of the school year, turn in laptops to John Agagas or Luisa Villanueva, and any school-owned equipment to the appropriate person.

• Please call the office immediately if you are unable to attend your class. You must call one of the secretaries and leave a message with a live person. Always leave a message on the program administrator’s phone, also.

• Reflect the absence on your time card and fill out a Certificate of Absence form, available in the office. Turn this form in as soon as you return to work.

• If your class is held off-site, also call the site, so that they can let the students know as soon as possible.

• If a teacher is more than 15 minutes late, without calling in, the class will be canceled.

• Teachers should have substitute lesson plans or emergency lesson plans on file in the office.

• Teachers MUST be present during the assigned instructional hours. If a teacher needs to close the class early, they must first get permission from the administrator on duty. The loss of time must be reflected on the teacher’s time card.

• If a teacher is not present for the entire scheduled class time, they may be subject to disciplinary action.

• Teachers are allowed to ask all students to leave the classroom and can lock the classroom doors during breaks.

• Only mark a student present if they were actually in attendance.

• A student can be marked present for an hour as long as they attended for any part of that hour.

• The attendance forms must be turned in on time. Print them out, sign each form, and turn them in at the end of each month to the program secretary.

• When a sub covers your class, make sure to record it on the ASAP attendance sheet.

• Input attendance daily. Do not wait until the end of the month to input.

• Always use sign-in or check-in sheets in your class and let all of the students know that they are expected to sign in regularly. There is a sign-in sheet available on the regular ASAP attendance page. Keep these forms on file for one year.

• Ask all students for their registration receipt at the beginning of each new session. If there is any question about a student’s enrollment status, send them to the office.

• Always call the administrator on duty immediately to inform them of the status of the class if you do not have enough students at the beginning of the session. The teacher cannot close the class on his or her own authority.

• At the first class meeting, teachers should let students know that their regular attendance is vitally important to the school. Emphasize that if they do not attend regularly, the class could be closed. We cannot afford to run classes with very low attendance.

• Let students know from the first class that numbers do count. It is very important for our classes to maintain a minimum number of students attending, or they may be canceled.

• A person cannot attend class if they are not enrolled in that class. Visitors are required to acquire a visitor’s pass from the office. They can attend for 30 minutes only, but not participate in the instruction. Ask them to sign out when they leave.

• No children under 18 can attend, or even visit class. This is an insurance issue.

No children are allowed in the classrooms; they are permitted on campus only while a parent is registering for classes.

• All adult school classes are required to have a minimum of 20 students, per contract, enrolled and present at all times.

• If a class has 16-19 students enrolled, it can meet for one hour on the first class meeting. It can then be held the next week, to try to build up the student numbers, but if fewer than 20 students are enrolled and present, it may be canceled.

• Let students know that their attendance is important. Classes that drop below 20 students can be canceled up to halfway through the term.

• General class rules are posted in each classroom. Read them to the students on the first day of class.

• Teachers can set individual classroom rules, also.

• Students wanting high school credit must have a notification from the Secondary School Dean. Students must complete all work and attend all classes (absences excused at the discretion of the instructor).

• A grade may be given, or you may use Pass/Fail.

• Students can earn up to 5 credits during the day classes.

• Students will receive up to 2.5 credits for a nine-week evening class.

• Students in keyboarding will receive 5 credits if they earn a certificate, not for seat time.

• It is required by law that each teacher has an updated course outline on file in the office. The teacher needs to have a copy readily available, in case they are asked to present it. The course outline must also include information on skills assessment and the school-wide Student Learning Outcomes (SLO).

• Course outlines must be updated every two years to keep current.

• Fee-based courses are also required to have a course outline on file.

• If it is required for the program, have students complete the course evaluation during the last class session.

• Instructors may want to create an evaluation form to give to students. The results can help to improve class content and instruction.

Teachers are responsible for copying their own handouts. This is not a job for the secretaries.

• Items can be sent to the graphics department for duplication and this can be more cost effective to the school. Contact the program secretary for the form.

• Teachers should try to limit handouts as much as possible, to save money on paper and copy machine fees. Copy on both sides of the paper, if possible.

• Use the risograph copier whenever 20 or more copies are needed, it is more cost-effective.

• Status teachers will be evaluated every two years under the Stull Bill.

• Non-status instructors will be evaluated at the discretion of the administrator, on an as-needed basis.

• All school-related field trips of any kind must have prior permission from the administrator. This can become an insurance liability problem for the school and for the teacher without proper forms and permission.

• Field Trip request forms should be turned in at least two weeks in advance. Field trips will depend on funding and transportation availability.

Guest speaker forms should be turned in at least two weeks in advance, and must have administrator approval.

• Children under 18 cannot attend classes at any time. This is an insurance issue.

• We cannot allow unregistered visitors to our classes, also an insurance issue. If you have a visitor, send them to the office to fill out a registration form. This will be held while they attend class for ½ hour only. They can then return to the office to pay the class fee or to tear up the registration form.

• Students can only attend the class period that they enrolled for. If they want to come at a different time, they must go to the office to enroll in the new class.

• Let the administrator on duty know IMMEDIATELY if there is a problem involving students, the school site, or your ability to be in class.

• There is always an administrator on duty. Call the Cuesta office or the Cabrillo Lane office in case of problems or questions.

• In case of an accident the teacher needs to contact the administrator on duty immediately. Fill out an accident/incident report form.

• Check your mailbox regularly, at least once a week. Important information is put into them.

• Check your Gmail email regularly, daily if possible. Most important information is now sent electronically.

NO refund without a receipt. There is a $10 processing fee for all refunds. There is a $5 transfer/change fee. No transfers after the third week of a new session.

• Community-based Education: No REFUNDS or CREDITS 1 week prior to class starting.

• All other classes: Students may drop a class and request a refund during the pre-registration period (a $10 processing fee per class applies). Students may drop a class before the second class meeting and request a credit (a $10 processing fee per class applies). No compensation will be given after the start of the second meeting. If the class is canceled by the administrators, students have up to 30 days from the date of the cancellation to receive the refund (receipt is required).

Students earning high school credit receive a grade card at the last class meeting of a structured class, or upon completion of the required work in an open-entry class. If the student does not complete the class, an incomplete must be given.

• Encourage students to register online. Let them know the dates and times that registration will be open. Online registration is offered earlier than walk-in registration and saves secretarial hours, which saves money for the school.

• Teachers are encouraged to demonstrate online registration in class if it will help the students to understand the process.

• Pre-registration online is vital to keep our classes going. Inform the students that a class with very low pre-registration numbers is at risk of cancellation before it begins.

• Community Education classes will be canceled one week before class start time if the pre- registration numbers are very low. Students will receive a full refund.

• Prepare a syllabus for each class session. Include weekly topics. The section number and teacher contact information should be included.

• A template is available from the program administrator or TOSA.

• Turn in the syllabus to the program TOSA and have copies available to hand out to students on the first day of class.

• The current school refund policies are required on each syllabus.

• Time card due dates vary each month. See the Pay Schedule for pay periods and due dates. The due date is the date your time card is due to the program secretary. It is the instructor’s responsibility to turn time cards in on time.

• Late time cards equal late pay.

• The school is charged a fine for each late paycheck disbursed.

• Status teachers are paid on the first of the month. Hourly teachers are paid on the 10th.

• Do not put your Social Security number on the time card. Use the employee identification number provided by the District. It can be found on your paycheck.

• Every student must have a TOPSpro form filled out online for each session. It is the instructor’s responsibility to see that they are completed correctly. If a student attends one or more hours, they MUST have a TOPSpro form completed. Only no-shows with zero hours can be skipped.

• Each student form must be filled out individually. Do not use the Master Tops Update. Make sure to coordinate the inputted student goals with the updated report.

• TOPSpro is our report card to the state.

• Follow the timeline for completion. Ask your program TOSA if you need help.

• Prepare returning students to welcome new students for the next session. Remind them that they were once new and unsure and that the class could potentially be discontinued if it never receives any new students. Any adult willing to pay the fee and follow school policy is allowed to attend our classes.

• If anything in the classroom needs to be repaired, fill out a work order form and turn it into the program secretary.

• For technical items, such as Interactive TVs, Smart Boards, etc. Send an email to support@abcadultschool.com and copy the program TOSA and program administrator.

• Try to attend all staff meetings. Critical information is given out each time.

• Teachers may be able to adjust class times so that the class is open when the majority of the students attend. This must be done with the permission of the administrator.

• A teacher may never cancel a class or change a class schedule, in any way, without consent from the administrator. This is grounds for dismissal.

• Teachers should frequently remind students that they are very important and very much needed. Students should be encouraged to attend class as often as possible and stay for the entire class period.

• Teachers who arrive late or who close their class/es early may jeopardize their teaching assignment.

• Stress that this is a public school and there are no saved seats or spaces, everyone is welcome. It is sometimes a good idea to guide a new, unsure student as to where to sit or work.

• Teachers MUST be on time for each class.

• All classes MUST be held for the entire scheduled time period. A teacher can NEVER change the hours of a class without administrator approval.

• All students and teachers must leave campus by 9:30 p.m. This is for the safety of teachers and students and to allow the custodial staff to do their work.

• If a teacher is more than 15 minutes late, without calling the office, the class will be canceled and will result in unhappy students.

• Empty mailboxes regularly and READ the items in them. Some of the information is vitally important.

• Keep attendance sheets up to date. Turn them in at the end of each month and make sure that they are signed and accurate.

• Turn in time cards on time.

• Have any handouts ready, including a syllabus, so that students will be prepared for each class.

• Have samples and ideas for students to see if your class is project-based.

• Get classroom keys ahead of time from Deana Colvin at Cuesta, so as to be prepared.

• Have extra copies of the current school brochure available to show to students, to answer questions about the school, other classes and programs.

• Name tags can be helpful for the first couple of weeks to help everyone learn names.

• Students should never be told to buy classroom supplies from a specific vendor. Teachers should give students several sources for supplies.

• Teachers who sell kits and supplies to students need to keep complete records of expenditures, time spent buying supplies, mileage, etc. The teacher can add a small amount to the cost of the items to compensate them, but it is against state law for teachers to make a profit by selling to students.

• Communicate the learning objective for the day’s lesson to students. The learning objective identifies what the students are learning and why they are learning it.

• Lecture short periods of time, introducing only one or two concepts at a time. Do not “bird walk” or go on tangents.

• Hands-on demonstration works the best. In computer-based courses, you can choose to have the students turn off their monitors while you demonstrate or have the entire class go through the steps with you. Draw students’ attention to specific items.

• Help students to learn a concept by using what they already know.

• Try to elicit responses from the class with questions that will help you to determine if they understand. Adjust curriculum appropriately.

• Provide the opportunity for problem-solving as a group. Provide questions that will encourage a variety of possible answers.

• Listen to yourself speaking. Watch your class. If the students seem confused, adjust your lesson. Encourage the class to ask questions if they do not understand.

• A short review will help the class recall the objectives of the previous lesson. Review at the end of each session the main points covered.

• Assignments must be relevant to the concept being taught. Instructions should be clear. Additional assignments should be available for students who finish ahead of the others.

• Include in your curriculum “real world” exercises that they must complete on their own (i.e., without the book or your help).

• Use student evaluations completed at the end of each session to adjust curriculum if necessary.