Socorro ISD · KEYS Mission Statement KEYS Academy provides students an opportunity to become productive members of society by way of a quality learning environment that promotes

Socorro ISD 2013-14

Campus Faculty and Staff Handbook and Policy Guide

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Updated: Saturday, July 20, 2013 Version: 2013-14.3

Table of Contents: Introduction:

Introduction ......................................................................................2

Mission Statement ............................................................................2

Motto ................................................................................................2

Staff Contact Information ................................................................3

Professional Responsibilities:

Work Day .........................................................................................4

Absences ..........................................................................................4

Non-Duty/Vacation ..........................................................................5

Comp. Time & Overtime .................................................................5

Leaving Campus ..............................................................................5

Parking .............................................................................................5

Requesting Classroom Materials and Supplies ................................5

Department Budgets.........................................................................6

Department Grant.............................................................................6

Staff Development and Training ......................................................6

Faculty and Staff Dress Code Policy ...............................................7

Lesson Plans.....................................................................................8

Classroom Instruction ......................................................................8

Substitute Folder ..............................................................................8

Student Safety/Monitoring ...............................................................8

Field Trips ........................................................................................8

Faculty/Department Meetings ..........................................................8

Employee Appraisal .........................................................................9

Employee Paperwork and Calendar .................................................9

Facilities & Maintenance:

Building and Equipment/Furniture ..................................................9

Building Keys and ID Badges........................................................10

Maintenance and Repairs ...............................................................10

Textbooks .......................................................................................10

Campus Safety:

Visitors ...........................................................................................11

Deliveries .......................................................................................11

Emergency Operations and Safety Committee ..............................11

Instructional Programs and Academic Responsibilities

Media in the Classroom .................................................................11

Student Attendance ........................................................................12

Make-Up Work ..............................................................................12

Student Discipline ..........................................................................13

Serious Student Disruptions/Discipline .........................................13

Student and Adult Confrontations .................................................13

Emergency Student Removal .........................................................13

Student Grading ............................................................................13

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Report Cards ..................................................................................14

Failing Grades ................................................................................14

Homework......................................................................................14

SAC Assignments ..........................................................................14

Student Requests ............................................................................14

Bell Schedule .................................................................................15

Morning Student Pick Up ..............................................................15

Student Lunch ................................................................................16

Student Release ..............................................................................16

Electronics/Equipment Use Policy

Audio/Visual Equipment ...............................................................16

Cell Phones/Telephones ................................................................16

Copiers and Paper ..........................................................................16

Email/Voicemail ............................................................................16

Office Services ...............................................................................16

Mail Services .................................................................................16

Appendices:

Appendix ........................................................................................17

INTRODUCTION

KEYS Academy

(Keep Every Youth in School)

Faculty and staff members of KEYS Academy are the strongest, most-compassionate, hardest-working

employees in SISD! To make it at KEYS Academy it takes “the best of the best” and so congratulations

are in order for you as one of the elite few who are included in this prestigious group known as KEYS

Academy Faculty and Staff.

In order to assist you and make the 2013-14 school year a successful year for you, KEYS Academy

administration is providing this Administrative Regulation manual for you to be used in conjunction

with all SISD policies and procedures. This manual is intended to be as thorough as possible but there

may be situations that require adjustments and/or changes at KEYS Academy. Therefore, this manual is

a “living” document and will be updated as the need arises in order to serve you and your needs better.

KEYS Mission Statement

KEYS Academy provides students an opportunity to become productive members of society by way of a

quality learning environment that promotes excellence and develops interpersonal skills necessary to

resolve academic, family, and social conflict, thereby improving their self-image and control over their

lives.

KEYS Academy Motto

Discovering Excellence

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Administrative Team

Ellen Brewer Principal 937-4007 [email protected]

Ignacio Reyes Assistant Principal 937-4008 [email protected]

Martha Trujillo Counselor 937-4010 [email protected]

Sgt. Joe Castorena SRO 937-4030 [email protected]

Officer Omar Enriquez Head Security 937-4036 [email protected]

Officer Vanessa Gonzalez Security 937-4036 [email protected]

Officer Isaac Alvarado Security 937-4035 [email protected]

SCEI Coaches

Andrew Alarcon Intervention Special 937-4019 [email protected]

Viola Lares Intervention Specialist 937-4050 [email protected]

Office Staff Budget/Secretary 937-4001

Connie Macias Attendance/Registrar 937-4004 [email protected]

Mary Fernandez Scheduling Clerk 937-4029 [email protected]

Ysela Waters Receptionist 937-4000 [email protected]

Cinthya Hernandez CIS 937-4035 [email protected]

Moises Soto Facilities 937-4037 [email protected]

Carmen Mahon Nurse 937-4034 [email protected]

2013-14 School Improvement Team

Ellen Brewer Principal

Ignacio Reyes Assistant Principal

Andrew Alarcon Intervention Coach and Enrichment Team Representative

Viola Lares Intervention Coach

Cinthya Hernandez Communities in Schools

Suzie Villa High School Representative

Monique Garza EPAC Representative

Jesse Ochoa Middle School Representative

Fanny Gallardo Instructional Aide Representative

Mr. Patrick O’Neill Socorro ISD School District

TBD Parent Representative

TBD Community Representative

SIT Committee meetings will take place in accordance with the EPAC calendar. All meetings will be

held in the principal’s conference room.

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mailto:[email protected]











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PROFESSIONAL REPONSIBILITIES

Work Day:

Employees are required to work the full amount each day. If an employee cannot attend work for any

reason it is their responsibility to adhere to attendance policies and report their absence to the Aesop

system. It is not the campus secretary’s responsibility to report employee absences; only in extreme

emergencies will this be allowed. Personal appointments should be schedule at times when students are

not in attendance such as intersession and summer break.

At-Will Employees/Time-Clock Ad Reg (DEA)

Employees such as Instructional Aides and Clerks are required to work 7.5 hours a day. An

instructional aide’s workday is 8:00 am-4:15 pm. Under no circumstances may an employee

work more than the required 7.5 hours. Employees are expected to finish required work within

the 7.5 daily hours. Each employee using the Time-Clock is required to submit a signed Time-

Clock Employee Agreement Form immediately after receiving their initial or yearly update

training. All policies related to Time-Clock usage will be strictly adhered to and employees are

responsible for correctly punching in and out each day. Missing punches are not allowed.

Exempt/Professional Employees

Employees such as administrators, counselors and teachers are considered professional and

“Exempt” employees (employees who do not qualify for the minimum wage and overtime

provisions outlined in the Fair Labor Standards Act or FLSA). The minimum workday for

professional employees at KEYS Academy is 8:00 am – 4:00 pm in accordance with the 187

days on the District’s 187 Teacher Calendar (approved early release days excluded). However,

as professional employees, exempt staff members (teachers, counselors, instructional coaches

and administrators) are expected to work as needed to complete assigned duties and

requirements on time and meet all deadlines. This may require the professional employee to

work longer than the minimum day, especially if student data/ information indicate a need.

Absences:

As stated above, it is the employee’s responsibility to report their absences to the Aesop system by either

calling _________ or visiting the AESOP website before 6:00 a.m. After 6:00 a.m. absences are to be

reported to the campus secretary. A courtesy notification to your supervisor and the principal is greatly

appreciated. Absences of four hours or less are considered half-day absences while absences greater

than four hours are full day absences. All absences are to be reported prior to the absence and employees

requesting “School Business” and “Personal” days must do so by submitting the proper form to their

administrative supervisor at least three (3) days prior to the absence. Please note: discretionary or

personal leave will not be approved on staff-development days, workdays, student testing (State and

Local), days before and after a holiday and at administrative discretion. Illnesses on state-mandated

testing dates, Fridays and days when a personal or non-duty day has been requested and denied will

require a written doctor’s excuse without exception. Absences due to jury-duty or court subpoena

require a copy of written documentation provided by the justice system prior to the absence (AdReg

(DEC)). Please be advised that this documentation is submitted to the SISD Human Resources

Department and SISD reserves the right to verify the information is correct and true.

Unfilled Teacher Absences

If a teacher’s reported absence is unfilled by the substitute system, the office staff will notify the

instructional aide and arrange coverage if possible. The instructional aide will assume

responsibility for the students until a substitute teacher or coverage arrives. TOC

http://www.tasb.org/policy/pol/private/071909/pol.cfm?DisplayPage=DEA(LEGAL).pdf

http://www.sisd.net/cms/lib/TX01001452/Centricity/Domain/108/Teacher%20187.pdf

https://www.aesoponline.com/login2.asp

http://www.sisd.net/225710426103021680/lib/225710426103021680/ADREGS/DECadreg.pdf

http://www.sisd.net/225710426103021680/lib/225710426103021680/ADREGS/DECadreg.pdf

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Non-Duty/Vacation:

Employees working more than 187 may receive non-duty days each year. Employee requests to use non-

duty days must be submitted using a Non-Duty Form at least three days in advance to the campus

principal. If the request is not answered by the time of the desired absence the request is automatically

approved. As with Discretionary or Personal leave, non-duty requests on certain dates are not allowed.

These days are when students are in session, staff development and work days, any State or Local

testing days, the days immediately preceding or following a holiday, and at administrator discretion.

Illnesses occurring on dates that have been requested as non-duty and denied will require a written

doctor’s note/excuse.

Comp Time and Overtime:

Overtime and comp time is not allowed. Only in extremely unique situations or emergencies will

overtime resulting in comp-time or additional pay be approved by the campus principal. Employees are

expected to strictly adhere to Department of Labor Standards and Time-clock Procedures set forth by the

District and KEYS Academy Administration. Anyone accruing unauthorized overtime will be issued an

official reprimand. If an employee needs to submit a Time Clock Correction Form or a Request to

Earn/Use Comp Time, they may access the forms in the appendices of this handbook or with the campus

secretary.

Leaving Campus:

Employees must have administrative approval to leave the campus during the school day. Any faculty

or staff member leaving campus during the planning and preparation period must sign-in/out in the front

office as well as notifying campus administration through the use of sign out form. Any employee

arriving an hour late or leaving an hour early will need to request half day absence to AESOP system. A

lunch sign-in and out form will be available with the receptionist. A maximum of three (3) days in a

semester is allowed for personal reasons. Leaving during preparation and planning for school required

business is unlimited with administrative approval.

Parking:

Employees are required to park in designated parking spots. If a spot is not reserved for an employee

they may use any of the non-designated parking spots. Vehicles parked illegally may be towed. Do not

double-park, park in designated Fire Lanes, Bus Loading Zones or designated Handicapped spots

(unless legally authorized). If you need special temporary parking consideration, contact a campus

administrator ahead of time. Parking licenses will be given by security and require the employee to show

proof of insurance.

Purchase Order Requests:

Requests to buy classroom/office materials and supplies must be submitted using a Purchase Order

Request with the proper documentation. You will need to include the goal and/or strategy from Campus

Improvement Plan (CIP). Additionally, the funds used to pay for the items must be available in the

department budget. Therefore, all department teachers must be in agreement of the purchase and sign-off

on the POR. Please follow these steps when submitting a supplies request form:

Use the campus electronic Purchase Order Request (found in the J drive);

Click the link below to go to the District’s website and the current posted bids. o Awarded Summary Sheets (a.k.a “Bid Tabs)

Choose appropriate bid by going through all pages;

Find what you want and get all vendor information; Contact the vendor and obtain a quote on the

items you’re requesting.

Completely fill out Purchase Order Request and attach a copy of the quote from the vendor; TOC

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Turn in all paperwork to your supervisor with your department teachers signatures or initials next

to yours.

Check back later with the secretary to see if it was approved by administration and submitted (3-

4 days).

The usual process time for correctly submitted forms is one week for local vendors, and ten (10) or more

days for out-of-town vendors. Purchases from non-vendors are possible in some cases; however, the

process is lengthy. In all situations there is no next day service so please plan accordingly. All purchases

must be made using this system. Please note: the administration at KEYS Academy has decided not to

allow reimbursements. Requests for reimbursement will be denied.

Finding bids is not always an easy process. The steps above will assist you but if you’re having

difficulty finding a unique bid please call the Purchasing Department at 937-0163 for assistance. You

can also visit the following link to see the Purchasing Department Handbook.

Sole Source Vendors are companies that carry a product others don’t. If the item you are purchasing

comes from a Sole Source Vendor you will need to obtain a quote from the company by either fax or

email and attach it to P.O. If you aren’t sure whether or not the company is a sole source vendor try a

Google search of the product you’re buying to see if other companies carry the item.

*Reimbursement will not be honored.

Department Budgets:

Campus department budgets must be spent in accordance with the Campus Improvement Plan (CIP) by

January 31, 2014. Purchases must be related to the CIP through goals and objectives and included on the

Purchase Order Request. Additionally, at least eighty-five percent (85%) of the department budget

must be spent on instructional materials that are used by the student. Administration may require

justification from the department how materials will be used before Purchase Order Requests are

approved. Department budgets for the 2013-14 school year are as follows:

Math: $1000 General Fund

Science: $1000 General Fund

ELA: $1000 General Fund

Social Studies: $1000 General Fund

Electives $1000 General Fund

Department Grant:

A $4000.00 department grant will be awarded by the SIT committee in November. Interested

departments will need to submit their complete KEYS Academy 2013-14 Department Grant

Application. The SIT Committee will choose the winning application at the December meeting. The

grant must be spent by March 1, 2014.

Staff Development and Training:

All faculty and staff are required to attend staff-development days/hours in accordance with their

position. Socorro Independent School District’s (SISD) requirements in relation to staff-development

can be found at Policy DMA Legal “Professional Development: Required Staff Development”. Staff

development opportunities will be offered by KEYS Academy (KA) and SISD in order to assist

employees to meet required training. It is the employee’s responsibility to ensure they complete all

required staff-development. Staff members are required to sign-in at all KA and District staff-

development sessions and proof of attendance (certificate) must be submitted to the employee’s TOC

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supervisor within two weeks of the session. The documentation will become a part of the employees

appraisal file.

At KEYS Academy, the School Improvement Team (SIT) will make recommendations to the principal

in relation to employee staff development. Off campus staff development is encouraged, however, due

to recent budget constraints, out-of-town travel and high cost workshops will not be allowed.

Staff members are encouraged to take advantage of any opportunity once their SISD District staff

development requirements are met. Please submit requests using the following process:

Submit a detailed request to your SIT representative via email at least one month before the

training date (plan accordingly).

Attend the next SIT meeting and be prepared to defend your request.

If the request to the SIT and principal is approved, obtain and complete a Trip Request (TR)

Form from the campus secretary.

Submit the TR to the campus secretary at least three weeks before the scheduled event.

Submit proof of attendance campus secretary after the training.

Attend the next SIT Committee meeting to give a brief report on the event.

Be prepared to present what was learned to the faculty and staff at KA.

Teachers are required to relate all staff-development requests to the Teacher Self-Report, Section III, no.

9 that asks the teacher to list three areas of interest for future learning. Additionally, all staff

development requests must be related to the CIP, DIP and TEKS/STAAR Objectives.

If a teacher has registered for training or a conference paid by the school and is unable to attend, it is the

teacher’s responsibility to contact KA administration immediately. This will allow another teacher the

opportunity to attend the workshop or give the campus enough time to cancel. However, if the teacher

does not inform administration and does not attend the training, he/she will be responsible for the

expenses incurred by the school. If the staff development is out-of-town and travel arrangements have

been made that cannot be transferred, the teacher will be responsible for the expenses incurred.

Faculty & Staff Dress Code Policy:

To set the best example possible for our students, faculty and staff members are expected to look and

dress professional and appropriate to the position they fill at all times. It is the expectation that the

manner of dress does not interfere with instruction or is a topic of discussion.

1. Clothing should not be faded, torn or excessively worn-out. Employees are to look professional

and represent the education profession very well.

2. Employees may not wear shorts (PE excluded).

3. Faculty and staff members may wear KEYS Academy shirts (polo or KEYS Academy Bullying

shirts) on Fridays or special occasions with Docker/trouser style pants (jeans are not acceptable

at KEYS Academy unless deemed allowable by administration on incentive days).

4. Head gear such as hats, bandanas, do-rags, visors, etc., are not allowed inside the building.

5. Teachers who teach a performance category such as PE, Art, etc., may wear clothing appropriate

to their lesson (i.e., sweat suits when exercising; regular clothing when teaching a book and/or

paper and pencil assignment).

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6. Personal expressions such as piercings, tattoos, etc., need to remain private and not be seen.

7. Employees attending training off-campus are expected to wear professional dress; jeans, shorts,

warm-ups/sweat suits and casual footwear (beach style flip-flops) are inappropriate to wear when

representing KEYS Academy, even during summer P2E trainings.

The administration at KEYS Academy reserves the right to determine appropriateness of employee

clothing and will address inconsistencies on an individual basis.

Lesson Plans:

Lesson plans may or may not be required of teachers. Lesson plans are to be submitted to the

employee’s supervisor based on the supervisor’s schedule. The lesson plans will be a part of the

employee’s appraisal system if they are required.

Classroom Instruction:

Teachers are required to implement “bell-to-bell” instruction utilizing researched based instructional

methods. Every minute of instructional time is to be effectively utilizied towards academic and character

education. Free time is not allowed.

Substitute Folders:

All teachers are required to prepare and maintain substitute information. All substitute information must

contain: a seating chart, attendance procedures, emergency procedures, evacuation plan, morning duty

schedule, all bell schedules, three (3) days of lesson plans, a discipline plan, and a note to the substitute

that includes special discipline information regarding students (Schaeffer House students’ needs, what to

do in an emergency, etc.). The substitute information can be uploaded into the AESOP system and must

be updated every nine (9) weeks by the first Monday of the nine weeks. This information will also be

used to document proficiency where appropriate in the appraisal instrument.

Student Safety/Monitoring:

Teachers will be responsible for reporting to their assigned morning and afternoon duty stations in

addition to the overall safety of the campus at all times. Administration and the security team will work

in tandem to release the students to the parents/guardians in an efficient manner.

Field Trips:

At this Field Trips are not approved at KEYS Academy.

Faculty/Department Meetings:

Faculty meetings will be held as. Staff will be given advance notice and attendance is mandatory. Sign-

in sheets and agendas will be provided for faculty meetings outside of the regular school day. Signatures

on the sign-in sheets will not be allowed once the meeting is concluded. Evidence of attendance at

department meetings is required and will be used as documentation on the appraisal document as

appropriate. Departments are responsible for maintaining the documentation and submitting copies to

administration.

Faculty and Department Meeting Norms:

Be Professional – Participants are expected to maintain an optimistic attitude, be courteous and

polite, keep cell phones on silent, participate and share information respectfully, and be a team

player.

Stay Focused – Participants are expected to provide and adhere to an agenda, keep discussions

and issues work related, stay on task, maintain consistency and begin and end on time. TOC

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Be Prepared – Participants are expected to bring needed materials and data, stay current on

district and campus policies and be knowledgeable on current educational practices and trends.

Employee Appraisal:

KEYS Administration will be conducting numerous employee walk-throughs and observations

throughout the year and will vary in length. The observations are intended to assist the employee with

improved performance and open communication between the administrator and the employee about

instructional expectations for teachers and instructional aides and performance expectations for all other

employees. All administrators will meet with their staff during the month of August for a pre-

observation meeting in order to review the appraisal document and set up expectations for

performance. It is expected that all teacher appraisal observations will be completed by the end of

September. As per district policy, administration will schedule teacher appraisal observations at a

mutually agreed upon time with the teacher. If the teacher is not present the day of the scheduled

observation, the appraiser will conduct the observation at the agreed upon time on the instructional day

the teacher returns (in accordance with the PDAS observation calendar). Other staff members will

receive their appraisal reports in accordance with SISD practices. Staff members are to check the

Eduphoria system weekly to check for observation/appraisal information.

Employee Paperwork and Calendar:

Certain documentation will be required of teachers throughout the year. Teachers will be given a set of

stickers, cover sheets and a calendar that correspond to the required paperwork. As teachers are

professionals, it is expected all documentation will be submitted on time and in the correct format

without exception and reminder. Teachers may utilize instructional aides to assist them with this

requirement.

FACILITIES AND MAINTENANCE

Building and Equipment/Furniture:

Everyone is responsible for teaching the students a sense of pride and responsibility for the care of the

building and equipment. If you observe any student destroying or damaging any part of the building or

school equipment, you must contact the office immediately and submit a Discipline Referral Form.

You are responsible for the inventory and care of any furniture, supplies and equipment in your

possession and classroom/Office. Lost or stolen equipment must be reported to the front office within

twenty-four (24) hours, and a police report must be filed. All items on your classroom Inventory List

will need to be accounted for at the conclusion of the school year. Try to conduct periodic inventory

checks or at least one per academic quarter in order to make the end of year Fixed Assets Report easier.

Please notify the front office immediately when something is broken or stolen. This applies to copy

machines, the laminating machine, overhead projectors, televisions, DVD/VCRs, and IWBs. If the

equipment is in your classroom, please include in writing the description of the item, serial number, and

location of the equipment. DO NOT MOVE LARGE BROKEN ITEMS; a custodian will assist you.

Moving or trading surplus equipment/furniture is not allowed without administrative approval. If you

wish to move surplus equipment/furniture to another classroom, complete the Maintenance Request

Form and submit it to the front office for administrative approval. All custodians have been directed to

ask for this documentation with administration approval before responding to or completing any

movement request. All furniture and equipment actions must be noted on the Inventory List and initialed

by the parties involved. TOC

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Building Keys and Identification Badges:

KA Faculty and Staff will be issued identification badges. Once issued, employees are required to wear

their ID while on duty at all times.

Keys and badges will be issued by the campus security and assignment records will remain in the

security office. All employees will be required to sign for their badge and any keys they receive. Please

exercise extreme care with these items as it is the responsibility of the person assigned them to see they

are used properly. Under no circumstances are keys or badges to be duplicated or loaned to any adult

or student. Doing so will result in an administrative reprimand. Loss of a key or badge should be

reported immediately or within twenty-four (24) hours. Replacements of both keys and badges will be

cost the employee a $5 fee for each item. Depending on the key lost, the cost could change significantly

as rekeying a door may be necessary. The cost for this process is $25.

Master keys and outside door keys will not be issued under any circumstances. If you need access to the

building before or after hours, see the assistant principal or his/her designee to make arrangements.

All keys and badges will be turned in at the end of the school year to the assistant principal or his/her

designee as a part of the end-of-year check out. Keys for doors and cabinets should be neatly organized

and clearly labeled when turned in to the office.

Maintenance and Repairs:

In the event equipment and/or furniture in your office/classroom needs attention please complete a

Maintenance Repair Request form and turn it into the front office. In order to maintain and preserve the

new KEYS Academy facility it is important that you do not mount items to the wall using glue, tape, or

liquid nails. Use an approved hanger to mount items and request assistance from the

custodial/maintenance staff when necessary.

Any items posted on walls for display in any part of the building and areas that can be observed are to

look organized, uniform, professional and neat at all times.

Notify the front office immediately when you notice graffiti so that it can be removed as quickly as

possible. Submit a Discipline Referral if you observe the student writing the graffiti. If your custodian

forgets to clean a portion of your classroom or you have a special cleaning request, contact Head

Custodian, Moises Soto, to address the situation.

Textbooks: KEYS Academy does not issue individual students a personal textbook. Rather, teachers are to use a

classroom set of books and maintain a Textbook Inventory and Assignment. SISD policy CMD Legal

Equipment and Supplies Management; Instructional Materials Care and Accounting outline the

District’s expectations in relation to textbooks.

At the beginning of the year please check the textbook inventory for your classroom set of books to

make sure it matches the end of year inventory. If you find any discrepancies, see the assistant principal

immediately to resolve the situation as you are fully responsible for these books.

Check each book carefully for damage and record all damage before assigning the book to a student.

Assign a specific book to each student to use in class. Please use the Textbook Inventory and

Assignment to track this information. Please check your classroom set of books for damage every three

weeks. If a book is lost, inform the assistant principal immediately. If a book has been removed from

circulation, indicate on the inventory list REMOVED and turn in removed book to administrator. TOC

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The assistant principal will inventory books at the end of the school year.

Campus Safety:

Visitors:

All visitors to the KEYS Academy campus must check in at the front office and receive a visitor’s pass.

KEYS Academy employees’ friends or family members (including children) are not allowed on the

KEYS Academy campus during the instructional day unless the employee has received prior written

administrative approval. Any unauthorized visitor on campus should be reported to the front office

immediately at 937-4000.

Deliveries:

Employees may not have personal items they have purchased delivered to KEYS Academy. Flowers,

gifts, etc. sent to the employee are acceptable. KA will not accept deliveries of any kind for students.

Emergency Operations and Safety Committee:

Teachers are required to go over Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) with their students at least once

every six (6) weeks. Additionally, teachers are required to train students what to do in the event of an

emergency and the students are somewhere other than the regular classroom and hold small classroom

drills without being directed by administration.

Socorro Independent School District’s Police Department will oversee the emergency planning

throughout the District. The School Resource Officer (SRO) from KEYS Academy will facilitate the

Safety Committee and will be responsible for ensuring the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) is updated

and that all policies and procedures are adhered to. Staff members interested in serving on the campus

Safety Committee should contact the SRO or assistant principal.

Each staff member will be given a copy of the EOP upon completion or once the document is updated.

The EOP will include descriptions of specific events and what the employee should do in the event of a

crisis. Some topics that will be included are:

Active shooter/Lock down;

Fire drills and safety;

Shelter in place;

Severe Flooding/Natural Disasters;

Natural gas leaks;

Inclement Weather;

Please remember to include information relating to the EOP in your substitute folder and display critical

information such as the Code Blue Cheat Sheet appropriately.

Instructional Program and Academic Responsibilities

Media Use in the Classroom:

KEYS Academy administration encourages the uses of different types of media to foster learning in the

classroom. Documentaries, television programming, radio, video, etc., is acceptable as an instructional

tool when used appropriately. Feature Films/Motion Pictures are not allowed at KEYS Academy. The

following guidelines are to be met when using media in the classroom:

Media cannot contain nudity, profanity or sexual situations.

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Media involving drugs and alcohol should be utilized educationally and should be used with

extreme discretion. The message to students must discourage consumption.

Media must be related to the CSCOPE documents, lesson plans, and must have a lesson

associated with it.

Media may be used for instructional purposes only.

Media is never to be used strictly as entertainment value or down time for students.

Student Attendance:

Teachers are responsible for keeping timely and accurate student attendance. The teacher is required to

report and correct attendance errors within 24 hours to the attendance clerk without exception.

The attendance clerk keeps account of all daily student attendance for campus accountability. KEYS

staff (other than a trained PEIMS/attendance clerk) may not handle student absence documentation

received from a parent. If a parent or student tries to give you information regarding an absence, send

the information and the student to the attendance clerk with the instructional aide. Office personnel are

required to sign and date stamp when they received the parent notification, then provide parents a copy

of the received information.

Office personnel are required to keep student sign-in logs that track the date and exact times students are

in the office area.

Excused – Absences due to illness of the student or serious illness or death in the immediate

family, subpoenas for court, and medical and dental appointments are considered excused.

Unexcused – Absences that do not fit the above criteria for excused absence are considered

unexcused.

Truancy - This is a violation of the State Compulsory Attendance Law. Truancy is an absence

without permission of parents and/or school officials for any length of time.

Attendance Codes

A = Unresolved L = Legal

B = School Business M = Teen Parent

C = Court P = Parent Request

D = Doctor/Dental Appt. R = Runaway

E = Excused S = Suspension

F = Funeral T = Tardy

G = Religious Holiday U = Unexcused

J = SAC V = Truant

K = Weather X = School activity

Z = Field Trip

Make Up Work:

Students with an excused absence are required to make up missed work. The student should be given

the same work (if possible) which was required of the other students. Students must be given one day to

make up work for each day missed.

Students with an unexcused absence or truancy are allowed to make up work pending

teacher/administrator approval (case by case basis).

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Student Discipline:

KEYS Academy faculty and staff will develop a core set of classroom rules to be used in every

classroom known as the Campus Behavior Plan (CBP). These rules are mandatory and teachers can

establish additional classroom procedures. It is the expectation that these rules will be supported every

day. It is the teacher’s responsibility to deal with classroom discipline as outlined in the SISD Student

Code of Conduct and KEYS Academy administration will not address any level 1 and some level 2

offenses. Before referring a student to the office, teachers are required to contact the parent or guardian

and notify the parent/guardian the student is being given a discipline referral and the reasons for the

referral. Students displaying consistent misbehavior and earning a second referral are in need of

additional attention. Therefore, teachers are required to schedule and hold a face to face conference

with the parent/guardian of any student they have written up twice.

Serious Discipline Infractions/Discipline

Security and SRO are not responsible for classroom discipline and should not be called to assist teachers

with level one (1) and two (2) offenses. If a teacher requests assistance from a security guard or SRO,

the teacher must have followed all the steps in their classroom management plan and submit a discipline

referral at the time of assistance. It is expected by campus administration that if a teacher needs

assistance by security or SRO the behavior should be severe enough to warrant a citation followed by a

parent conference by the teacher.

* The KEYS Academy administration reserves the right to make final decisions concerning any

discipline issue.

Student/Adult Confrontations:

At no time are adults allowed to engage in confrontations with students. KEYS Academy employees are

expected to remain calm and in control of student situations at all times. If a student is upset, the adult is

expected to deescalate the situation and work with the students until he/she is calm.

Emergency Student Removal:

Students should only be removed from the instructional setting if:

1. The student is a physical threat to themselves or another person;

2. They are in possession or under the influence of drugs or alcohol

3. They are in possession of a weapon.

If you suspect a student is under the influence of drugs/alcohol or in possession of a weapons, stay safe

and have student removed from classroom! Set up a predetermined signal so the student will not be

‘tipped-off’, and call for security and/or an administrator. Keep an eye on the student, without alarming

him/her, until help arrives. Never confront a student of having or being under the influence of

controlled substance.

Student Grading:

All teachers will follow the grading and evaluation procedures according to SISD Policy EIA

Regulation.

Middle School (Grades 6 – 8)

Daily Grades (15 minimum) 60%

Major Grades (unit tests, common assessments, mini-marks, and projects) 30%

9 Week’s Test (Comprehensive and shall include a campus and/or grade level benchmark or

common assessment) 10% TOC

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High School (Grades 9 – 12)

Daily Grades (15 minimum) 50%

Major Grades (unit tests, common assessments, mini-marks, and projects) 30%

9 Week’s Test (Comprehensive and shall include a campus and/or grade level benchmark or

common assessment) 20%

Additionally, as writing has been identified as a major area of need, every formal assessment (quizzes

and tests) at KEYS Academy shall include an essay question that addresses critical thinking at the higher

levels of rigor (levels 3 and 4 on Webb’s DOK and Synthesis and/or Evaluation on Bloom’s

Taxonomy).

Report Cards and Progress Reports: Report cards will be prepared for each student and sent home according to the district calendar.

However, teachers at KEYS Academy are required to post their grades every Thursday by 4:30 p.m.

The grading system affords teachers an opportunity to communicate with parents about their

daughter’s/son’s grades on a regular basis and is required in order to accurately review a student’s

progress. If grades are not posted on time, teachers will receive a Friday Morning IPR Report which

will notify them of the infraction. Additionally, teachers are required to turn in a pass/fail report at the

end of every three (3) weeks in accordance with the campus calendar.

Failing Grades:

Any teacher recording a failing grade for a student on a progress report, report card or pass/fail report

for a student must be able to document parent contact in which the failing grades were discussed. If the

failing grades are due to missing work, the teacher must be able to document how the teacher worked

with the student to make-up the missing work. If the failure is due to a lack of mastery/low grades, the

teacher must document how they have tutored the student outside of regular class time in order for the

student to achieve understanding and master the concept(s) and any intervention referral.

You must be able to substantiate any grade given to a student whether passing or failing.

Homework:

Teachers should utilize homework with students in order to achieve best results. Coordinate with

campus security so they are aware students will be bringing homework in the morning.

SAC Assignments: Students assigned to SAC must receive the lesson for each day they are assigned to SAC . Additionally

general SAC lessons need to be prepared by the teacher and given to the SAC aide for use until a

specific lesson can be prepared and in order to take the place of lecture and other class time the student

can’t observe while in SAC.

Student Requests:

Counselor (Code 4)

The KEYS Academy counselor is available for students from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. In non-emergency

situations, relay a student’s request to see the counselor via email or the universal pass. In an emergency

CRISIS situation, send the student with an instructional aide immediately. The counselor is ALWAYS

available for a student in CRISIS.

Fighting (Code 3)

Use common sense but also call the front office and indicate a code 3.

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Nurse (Code 2)

If a student requests to see the nurse, fulfill the request immediately. If the nurse feels that the student is

taking advantage in order to leave the room, the nurse will notify the administration. Do not make a

medical judgment! Remember: Nurses are the only members of a campus allowed to distribute

medication. Students should not take any medication in class.

Restroom (Code 1)

If a student requests to use the restroom and it is still some time before the scheduled bathroom break,

request assistance through a code 1. Monitors are stationed in the hallways to assist and staff should be

able to see a monitor easily once they look in the hallways. Teachers may also send the instructional

aide to find the monitor for assistance.

Administration

Students requesting to see administration can do so via a teacher and email. As with the counselor, if it

is an emergency, enlist the assistance of a monitor or security guard.

Bell Schedules:

KEYS Academy has several different bell schedules that will be implemented throughout the year. The

most common bell schedule is the daily bell schedule however, depending on the student and campus

calendar, other schedules will be implemented throughout the year. Early release and Reconnections and

Relationships are two different events that will require a different bell schedule. A copy of all bell

schedules can be found in the appendices.

Morning Student Pick-Up: Instructional aides need to report to the cafeteria at 8:00 and be ready to serve students at 8:15 a.m. A

cafeteria seating chart is provided in the appendices. The instructional aide is responsible for the

Breakfast in the Classroom rosters and maintaining communication with the cafeteria staff. Girls and

boys will not sit together.

Student Lunch:

Teachers will not need to escort students to lunch. Teachers will be provided with a list of students who

have detention. Students with detention will be gathered one minute before the lunch bell and escorted

to a classroom setting. Students not in detention will be released to the cafeteria by security and are to be

escorted by the instructional aides. The instructional aides will help monitor the students as assigned. At

the end of the lunch period, teachers will pick up their students in the cafeteria and assist the Security

team with Code 1 bathroom breaks.

The security team will take their lunch from 1:30 – 2:30 and Instructional aides will take their lunches at

11:30 – 12:15.

End of Day Student Release: Students will be released from class by announcement. Instructional aides need to be in the middle of the

hallway moving students to the back door exit. At 3:45 aides will escort remaining students to the

cafeteria and stay with them until 4:15 when the aide clocks out for the day.

ELECTRONICS/EQUIPMENT USE

Audiovisual Equipment:

Every classroom at KEYS Academy is equipped with an Interactive White Board that takes the place of

virtually every piece of audiovisual equipment. Therefore, KEYS Academy has dispensed with all other

forms of AV equipment and there is no longer any of this equipment available for use as of this year.

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Cell Phones/Telephones:

In order to protect the quality of instruction in the classroom, during instructional periods, teachers and

instructional aides may not use their personal cell phones or classroom phones for personal use. The cell

phone does not have to be off but at a minimum must be in silent mode. In the event of an emergency,

KEYS Academy administration will happily work with teachers and instructional aides to accommodate

employee needs.

Copiers and Paper:

Copy machines are available in the teacher’s lounge for teacher use. The office copy machine is for

office use only and may not be used by teachers and aides. If your machine breaks down YOU ARE

OUT OF LUCK! Each teacher will be given their own paper to use in the copier. Teachers will all be

given the same amount of paper (two boxes/ 1 per semester) and additional paper will not be given.

Email and Voicemail: Employees are required to check their email and voicemail daily. These forms of communication have

been provided to employees by SISD as a means of communicating with supervisors, SISD personnel,

parents, students and community members. Teachers are expected to share their email and voicemail

with parent/guardians and respond to inquiries from the community quickly and thoroughly. As

communication is an important part of the school environment, email and voicemail usage will be

documented in the employee appraisal process for all employees.

Office Services:

The front office staff will provide certain office services such as faxing, laminating and shredding for

employees upon request. Please allow at least a week for services that require laminating, copying, etc.

Speak to the receptionist if you need assistance with one of these services. The equipment is brand new

and to be used by trained personnel only. Please plan accordingly and don’t expect rushed delivery.

Mail Services:

Employees all have a mail box in the teacher’s workroom/lounge that daily mail and messages will be

placed in. Large packages and items not fitting in the files will be delivered to the employee or a

message will be given to the employee for instructions for picking up the package. TOC

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2013-14 KEYS Academy Employee Ad RegHandbook Receipt

Name ______________________________________

Department ___________________________

I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of the KEYS Academy Employee Handbook. I agree to read the

handbook and abide by the standards, policies, and procedures defined or referenced in this document.

The information in this handbook is subject to change. I understand that changes in campus policies may

supersede, modify, or render obsolete the information summarized in this book. As the campus provides

updated policy information, I accept responsibility for reading and abiding by the changes.

I understand that no modifications to contractual relationships or alterations of at-will employment

relationships are intended by this handbook.

I understand that I have an obligation to inform my supervisor or department head of any changes in

personal information such as phone number, address, etc. I also accept responsibility for contacting my

supervisor or the ______________ if I have questions or concerns or need further explanation.

________________________________ _________________________

Signature Date

Please print this page, sign it and date this receipt, and forward it to the campus secretary.

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Instructional Aide Homeroom/Breakfast in the Classroom Assignments:

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Documents

Socorro ISD · KEYS Mission Statement KEYS Academy provides students an opportunity to become productive members of society by way of a quality learning environment that promotes