OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

							                      OPEN LETTER TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS

I am glad to have your son/daughter enrolled in Advanced Placement United States History.
This course attempts to develop higher-level critical thinking skills by emphasizing analysis and
evaluation. As a parent you may need to take into account that this course will differ from
previous traditional or honors courses in the following ways:

     Forty percent of the grade will be based on formal tests and essay grades. Successful
      achievement on the AP exam depends on the rigor and quality of these assessments and
      essays.
     Individual exams will cover a significantly larger amount of material than students may
      be accustomed and therefore require much more study time.
     Homework consists primarily of reading and writing assignments of which the student is
      responsible for mastery of factual material and overall themes.
     There will be frequent quizzes each quarter which increases the need for adequate
      preparation for each quiz.
     Responsibility for mastery of material, missed assignments or exams rests with the
      student. This is a college level course, which requires a student’s acceptance of course
      responsibility.
     Students will be required to maintain academic integrity on assignments, quizzes, and
      exam. Violations as plagiarism, cheating or dishonesty will result in parents being
      notified, guidance being notified and the grade of zero will be given for that assignment.
      Membership status in the National Honor Society may also be affected.
     Students are required to work individually outside of class and do their homework
      themselves. Neither other students nor parents are permitted to collaborate on class work
      unless specifically designated by me on the assignment.

This course of AP United States History is designed and taught at the college level using a
college-level textbook, The American Pageant, 13th edition. It is a difficult and demanding read
for many high school students. The amount of reading and writing required of AP students is far
above those taking the regular courses. Successful students will have to manage their time and
resources wisely in order to avoid being overwhelmed. Students who successfully complete this
course stand a good chance of making a level 3 or higher on the AP Exam. It is my opinion that the
efforts of these students will be rewarded in one or more of the following areas: 1. college credit; 2.
increased scholarship opportunities; 3. better chances at acceptance to the university of their choice;
and 4. a much more thorough understanding of the subject and the skills necessary to succeed in their
post secondary education. Students are expected to behave in a respectful manner toward everyone in
the class. Cheating will not be tolerated. It will impact a student’s grade and I will not write a letter
of recommendation or refer a guilty party for a scholarship if such behavior takes place. Please
discuss the long term implications of such actions with your child. Lastly, Early Enrollment college
credit through Rhode Island College is available and transferable to most colleges. It represents a
jump start in college credits and also significant financial savings.

Please take time to review the course syllabus. Feel free to contact me about your child’s
progress. My email is smallg@lincolnps.org. I am looking forward to meeting you at Open
House on September 19, and to a successful year!

Sincerely,                                                      ____________________________
Gracieta S. Small
Social Studies teacher                                           Parent Signature
Lincoln High School