The mission of Sheridan AllPrep Academy is to empower families by creating an online learning community that offers academic and social support while preparing students for a successful transition to post-secondary education and the world of work.

Vision Statement

The vision of Sheridan AllPrep Academy is to provide a learning environment in which students are empowered to direct their education, take responsibility for their own learning, and take pride in their work. Our staff is committed to developing lifelong learners and teaching students to think critically about their education, their lives, and the world around them.

Guiding Principles

Every student receives a personalized education through multiple learning experiences and a meaningful relationship with a teacher.
Every student will receive challenging, stimulating, and relevant learning experiences.
Learning is personalized.
All students can be successful.
Students have the flexibility to work through a schedule that is beneficial for them and enables them to progress effectively.

Staff

At-Will Employment

This Handbook does not create a contract of employment between Sheridan AllPrep Academy and its employees. Sheridan AllPrep Academy is an at-will employer for all its employees, meaning that either you or Sheridan AllPrep Academy remains free to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice. Our employment relationship remains at-will notwithstanding any provision in this Handbook. No supervisor, manager, or representative of Sheridan AllPrep Academy has authority to enter into any agreement with you regarding the terms of your employment that deviates from the provisions in this Handbook, unless either Sheridan AllPrep Academy’s Board of Directors or the Executive Director approves the change and documents that decision in writing.

Staff Qualifications

Teachers for Sheridan AllPrep Academy must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Meet the licensure requirements for the state of Oregon.
Be highly qualified in the content areas in which they teach.

Classified employees for Sheridan AllPrep Academy must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Hold at least a high school diploma from an accredited school.
Meet any certification or licensure requirements for the state of Oregon.

Administrators for Sheridan AllPrep Academy must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Hold at least a Master's Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
Meet the administrator licensure requirements for the state of Oregon.

Professional Development

Sheridan AllPrep Academy provides initial training and ongoing professional development for teachers and support staff. Professional development topics may include:

Best practices in the online classroom
Implementation of content
Sheridan AllPrep Academy policies
Teacher role in student support
The teacher evaluation process
Communication and tracking
Classroom management and student support strategies
New and emerging technologies
Other topics deemed relevant by Sheridan AllPrep Academy administration

Sheridan AllPrep Academy may assist full time employees in obtaining and paying for professional development and education necessary to make them more effective employees. While each request for training or education will be handled on an individual basis, the following general guidelines will apply.

The professional development must be job related
The employee must seek approval from the principal before professional development commences.
When possible, professional development should take place on the employee's own time; not during normal work hours.
The employee must seek out the most cost-effective programs available.
For all professional development, the employee must pay for the program. Reimbursement of program fees will be contingent upon satisfactory completion of the program. Official transcripts must be submitted with reimbursement requests.
Employees who received reimbursement for formal education and leave Sheridan AllPrep Academy within six months of program completion will be billed for all of the costs paid by Sheridan AllPrep Academy.
All professional development is based on available funds.

Mentors for New Staff

To facilitate timely feedback and support for new staff members, all new staff members will be assigned to a mentor for a minimum of one semester. Mentors must have completed at least one year of successful work experience with Sheridan AllPrep Academy. Mentors will be available to and have regular communication with assigned new staff members by email or phone.

Department Heads

The department head provides instructional leadership and enhances articulation regarding curriculum alignment with standards, the development and implementation of common assessments, and the use of effective instructional strategies that will most appropriately meet the needs of students. The duties of the department head are critical to the overall educational program of the school and require effective and ongoing communication and collaboration with staff and administration.

One teacher or administrator will be appointed as the head of each subject area and/or grade level department. The department head will make decisions about modifying courses, determine if standards are being met, and make decisions about prescriptive testing (see the section about Edgenuity).

Teacher Monitoring

The Sheridan AllPrep Academy administrator team monitors and collects data on each teacher’s student count, inbox load, and the dates of uncorrected assignments. This data is used to inform decisions about student management. Teachers who have uncorrected assignments that are more than three days old will be contacted by the team to resolve the issue.

Minimum Expectations for Part-Time Teachers

.25 FTE (10 hours a week)

Check email daily M-F
Grading in Edgenuity/Canvas at least 2x a week
At least one synchronous Zoom session each week
Weekly email to students
Monthly two-hour staff meeting - Second Monday of each month from 10am-12pm
Two full days of professional development in August

.5 FTE (20 hours a week)

Check email daily M-F
Grading in Edgenuity/Canvas at least 3x a week
At least two synchronous Zoom sessions each week
Weekly email to students
Monthly two-hour staff meeting - Second Monday of each month from 10am-12pm
Two full days of professional development in August

.75 FTE (30 hours a week)

Check email daily M-F
Grading in Edgenuity/Canvas at least 4x a week
At least two synchronous Zoom sessions each week
Weekly email to students
Monthly two-hour staff meeting - Second Monday of each month from 10am-12pm
Two full days of professional development in August

Absenteeism and Tardiness

Employees are expected to be at their workplace prepared to work at the scheduled time. Absenteeism and tardiness are subject to disciplinary action. Absenteeism is defined as failure to report for work without prior approval of the supervisor or the director. Tardiness is defined as arriving late for work or returning late from breaks/meals, or early departure from work.

Step One: At the first instance of unscheduled absence or tardiness, the employee receives a written warning informing them that any additional occurrences will result in further disciplinary action.
Step Two: A second occurrence may result in a one day suspension without pay.
Step Three: A third occurrence may result in termination.

Steps one through three may be bypassed in instances of direct insubordination and can result in immediate termination. Unexcused absences of more than two days will be considered voluntary resignation.

In some circumstances, flex time of up to one day can be pre-approved by a supervisor.

Staff Reviews and Evaluations

Clear, consistent, open, and timely performance feedback is critical to improving the quality of the program and improving student outcomes and parent/student satisfaction. Therefore, Sheridan AllPrep Academy staff will participate with the supervising administrator in a regular review of their performance.

Performance reviews and summative evaluations will be conducted for all staff annually. Summative evaluations for classified staff will include: 1. a written self-evaluation, 2. a written evaluation by the director, and 3. a discussion between the staff member and the director.

Teachers will be provided with the teacher evaluation handbook at the beginning of each school year and will follow the directions within the handbook.

The supervising administrator may provide formative feedback at any time based on student success data or anecdotal feedback.

Salary Placement

Salary placement for all staff will be based on the published salary/wage schedules.

For initial placement on the teacher salary schedule, credits and experience will be based on official transcripts and prior K-12 teaching experience as submitted to and verified by the Director. For initial placement on all other salary/wage schedules, experience calculations will be based on verified experience in the same role as that for which the employee applied. Years of experience do not transfer from one position to another for salary placement.

In order to have educational credits apply for salary schedule advancement, the employee must submit to the Director or Human Resources Director official transcripts from an accredited college, university, or vocational school by June 30th. At the Director’s discretion, salary schedule advancement may be made mid-year. Employees must send a written request for mid-year salary schedule advancement. The director will respond to all requests within 30 days.

Employees with National Board Certification will receive a $1,500 annual bonus. Payment will be made in a lump sum upon request of the employee.

Employees with a Ph.D. or Ed.D. will receive a $2,000 annual bonus. Payment will be made in a lump sum upon request of the employee.

Salary Payment Method

All employees will be paid in twelve (12) monthly installments, no later than the last day of each month. Each check will contain one-twelfth (1/12th) of the contracted salaries. Payment for work during summer school will be made at the end of the month in which work was completed.

All compensation owed to a certificated employee who is leaving Sheridan AllPrep Academy through resignation for the remainder of the contract year will be paid according to state law.

If an employee is terminated, or if an employee resigns prior to the end of the contract period, all Benefits/PERS/Section 125 will be covered through the termination month. Company contributions and/or employee deductions will be made in the final paycheck if applicable. Employees who work through the end of their contract period will be responsible for any employee deductions for Section 125 products to finish up the contract period and/ or Plan benefit year, if applicable. This deduction will be taken in the final paycheck.

Payment Method for Hourly Employees

All employees will be paid in monthly installments, no later than the last day of each month. Each check will contain payment based on actual hours worked. All hourly employees will keep electronic timesheets, which are due by 4:00 pm on the last day of the month.

Benefits

Sheridan AllPrep Academy offers several different Medical/Dental/Vision plans through the Oregon Educators Benefit Board. Employees working more than 25 hours a week are eligible for benefits. Employees with temporary employment contracts will not receive benefits. Health costs and plan offerings are approved annually by the school board and will begin on September 1st. For employees who are hired mid-year, benefits will begin on the first day of the month after employment begins. Section 125 benefits will begin on October 1st for all new employees hired prior to the beginning of the school year. Employees hired after October 1st will be eligible for section 125 benefits on the 1st day of the second month of employment.

Section 125 Benefits

All employees with 10 hours of service or more each week may participate in the Section 125 plan as an employee deduction. Other options for employee deductions towards annuities may be available as approved by the School Board.

Requesting Leave

All leave must be taken in half-day or full-day increments.

Employees who need to be absent due to illness or another valid reason must follow the procedures below:

Call or email the administrator about the absence.
Fill out the absence form.
Set up the email auto-responder.

Substitute teachers will only be used for long-term absences (more than one week).

If a teacher is unable to respond to students during a regular workday due to location or circumstance, they must inform the students via email; they must also notify the administrator.

For long-term absences, the administrator is responsible for finding a temporary replacement for the teacher. If, however, a teacher wishes to “exchange” time with another teacher, they may do so upon approval from the administrator.

The original teacher’s compensation may be prorated based on their ability to perform their duties. If a teacher is unable to fulfill their responsibilities for more than four weeks, a replacement teacher may be found and the original contract terminated.

Definition of Family

Immediate family is defined as spouse, domestic partner, children, parents, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, cousin, grandparents, grandchildren, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, and/or any legal custodial relationship. All family members include adoptive, biological, foster, or step family members from any marriage or domestic partnership.

Sick Leave

Contract employees who work 30 hours a week or more will receive 10 days of sick leave each year (one day per month from September to June) which will be front-loaded at the beginning of each employment contract. Full-time hourly employees will receive 8 hours (1 day) of sick leave each month. Employees who use front loaded sick leave and terminate their contract prior to the end of the contract term may be required to reimburse Sheridan AllPrep Academy for the front loaded days used. Part time contract employees will receive a prorated amount of sick leave based on FTE. Any unused sick leave will roll over from year to year for continuous employees. If an employee is sick for 5 continuous days he/she must notify an administrator and provide such verification by a licensed physician of the illness.

An employee's sick leave may be used for an employee's family member with a health condition requiring treatment or supervision.

Upon resignation or termination from Sheridan AllPrep Academy, accumulated sick leave will not be cashed out or built into retirement.

Sick Time

Sick time will run concurrently with sick leave and will follow policy GCBDD/GDBDD.

Parental Leave

Full time employees will receive five days of paid leave to care for a newborn or newly adopted child. Part time employees will receive a prorated amount of parental leave. Paternity, childbirth and recovery from childbirth, immediately following said birth, will be considered approved uses for sick leave. In addition, full time employees may take up to six months of unpaid leave.

Personal Leave

Full time employees with six months of continuous employment will receive two days of paid personal leave each year. Personal leave may be prorated. Personal leave can be carried over to consecutive school years and can be accumulated up to six days. No more than six personal leave days can be used in any school year. Personal leave cannot be cashed out.

Personal leave must be requested at least five work days before the beginning of the work day being taken. Personal leave cannot be used on the first or last day of a semester. Personal leave may not be used for required, in-person meetings. Personal leave may or may not be approved during the last contracted week or during grading days.

Bereavement Leave

In the event of a death in the immediate family of an employee, five days of bereavement leave may be used per occurrence. If circumstances require travel, two additional days may be used. Bereavement leave may also be available at the discretion of the director so that the employee may attend a funeral for a student or for a member of a student's family. Bereavement leave will expire 90-days after the initial occurrence.

Jury Duty Leave/Subpoena Leave

Leaves of absence with pay are to be provided for jury duty. The employee will immediately inform the director upon receiving notification to serve on jury duty. An employee who is lawfully served a subpoena that requires absence from work will be granted leave to comply with the subpoena if the basis for it is directly related to the employee's work as an employee of Sheridan AllPrep Academy.

Employees who receive compensation for jury duty will not be required to reimburse those funds to the school. They are allowed to keep all funds received from serving on jury duty along with regular salary payments.

Substitute Teachers

Sheridan AllPrep Academy teachers who are willing to substitute for other teachers should inform the administrator of their intent. When a substitute is needed, the director will contact the teacher whose certification is most closely aligned to the subject area. Compensation for teachers who substitute for other teachers will be at the rate of $37.50 an hour for the duration of two hours each day ($75/day total). This time will be used to connect with students and to monitor student progress.

Inclement Weather

In the event of hazardous weather conditions, staff members will not travel into, out of, or through a school district that has been closed due to inclement weather; if it's not safe for their staff members, it's not safe for ours. A late start in a school district may also cancel a home visit and field trip, depending on the circumstances. Additionally, our pods will be closed.

If the Sheridan School District is closed, then our office and Sheridan pod will be closed for the day. You can check for Sheridan School District closures by clicking on this link.

Because Sheridan AllPrep is an online school, we do not have snow days that will be made up later in the school year. Regardless of weather conditions, students are expected to complete their daily work from home.

Professional Travel

Mileage reimbursement for employees working from a home office will be provided according to school policy. All miles will be calculated from the home office location. Employees working at a different location such as a business office, district office, or classroom will not be provided mileage reimbursement for traveling to their primary work location. Mileage reimbursement may be provided to any employee for other professional travel and must be approved by the director. Mileage will not be reimbursed to any employee who works further than 350 miles from the main office.

Mileage reimbursement will be calculated from the current IRS Standard Mileage Rate. Employees must maintain a record of all miles and have them approved by the school administrator. Mileage should be updated regularly and completed every three months for the business manager. Mileage will be paid quarterly.

Conferences/Workshops

Sheridan AllPrep Academy encourages staff members to attend professional conferences and workshops. The following guidelines will be used in relation to expenses incurred at such events.

Employees who are unable to attend conferences or workshops, which involve prepaid registration, will do one of the following:

Give notification in time to cancel registration;
Find someone to replace them; or
Reimburse Sheridan AllPrep Academy for the cost of the pre-registration. The executive director will review any extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Professional Travel Expenses

Accountable Plan

The following guidelines shall be used for reimbursement of expenses of staff members while on school business:

All reimbursements other than mileage must be pre-approved by the director and business manager. Such approval shall be within the budgetary limitations of the current fiscal year and within the limits of these guidelines.
Expenses will be substantiated using the Employee Professional Travel Expense Voucher.
For per diem expenses over $100, event attendance will be verified with a hotel receipt.
Per diem amounts may be combined or divided to best suit the needs of each employee for the duration of the event.
All reimbursement requests must be made within 30 days of the final day of the event.
Individuals traveling on business, or incurring reasonable expenses related to business, shall exercise the same care in incurring expenses that a discreet person would exercise in incurring personal expenses.
Any remaining, unused monies at the conclusion of the event will be reimbursed to the school.
Allowable Expenses:

Travel - Methods of transportation shall include the use of public transportation and personal autos.

If authorized personnel, for their own convenience, travel by indirect route or interrupted travel by direct route, the extra expense shall be borne by that person.
Staff members shall carpool whenever possible for full reimbursement of mileage.
If a staff member chooses to drive to a professional event when flying may be more cost effective, actual mileage and the cost of the flight will both be calculated. The staff member will be reimbursed the lesser of the two amounts.
If a staff member chooses to commute to a multiple day conference when staying in a hotel may be more cost effective, actual mileage and the cost of the hotel will both be calculated. The staff member will be reimbursed the lesser of the two amounts.

Meals/Lodging - Expenses for meals and lodging shall be paid subject to the following restrictions:

Per diem for meals shall be set according to current federal rates.
Reimbursement will only be made for meals that are not already provided by the hotel or conference/workshop.
Per diem for lodging shall be set according to current federal rates.
If a staff member does not show up to the hotel without proper cancellation, the employee will be required to reimburse the school for any costs incurred.
Employees shall be encouraged to share housing (double occupancy) for all events whenever possible.
School funds may not be used to purchase alcohol.

Mileage - Mileage for approved public charter school business travel in a private vehicle will be reimbursed at the current rate per mile established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), as applicable.

Any claim for mileage reimbursement only must be submitted by the following dates of incurring the expense:

First distribution: all receipts & mileage due Oct 4, 2024

Paid by Oct 30, 2024

Second distribution: all receipts & mileage due Dec 20, 2024

Paid by Dec 30, 2024

Third distribution: all receipts & mileage due Mar 21, 2025

Paid by Mar 28, 2025

Fourth distribution: all receipts & mileage due Jun 18, 2025

Paid by Jun 27, 2025

Personal Travel Combined with Public Charter School Business Travel

If an individual traveling on approved public charter school business engages in both business and personal activities, travel expenses incurred will be reimbursed only for expenses that are ordinary and necessary in the conduct of public charter school business. Expenses incurred as a part of personal business are the sole responsibility of the traveler.

When personal travel is combined with approved public charter school business travel and the individual is traveling by less than the most expeditious and cost-effective manner, any additional costs must be paid by the traveler.

Time away from work caused by traveling by less than the most expeditious means available for personal purposes must be charged to vacation or other appropriate leave.

Vacation or other personal leave may be taken in conjunction with approved public charter school travel subject to the following:

Time delays related to approved public charter school business are charged as working time even if no work is performed;
If the employee travels by less than the most cost-effective manner, as determined by the public charter school, for approved public charter school business or for personal travel combined with travel for public charter school business purposes, he/she must pay the additional cost (e.g., increased fare, meals, lodging expenses, etc.) incurred as a result of the personal travel;
All subsistence and local transportation (i.e., taxi, vehicle fare, etc.) while on vacation status or other appropriate leave must be paid by the employee;
The traveler will not be required to pay any of the basic transportation costs incurred as a part of the approved public charter school business, even though he/she spends a substantial part of the total time away from home on vacation or other personal leave, provided the employee was traveling on approved public charter school business;
A traveler who decides on his/her own to conduct public charter school business without prior approval, while on vacation or other personal leave, cannot then use this as a justification to have the public charter school pay his/her basic transportation cost from the public charter school to the location visited, or submit a request for other expense reimbursement.

Tuition and Certification Reimbursement

Sheridan AllPrep Academy Full Time employees may be granted up to $1,200 a year to be used for pre-approved college courses, degrees, and programs, and for TSPC endorsement and certification costs. Part time employees will be eligible to receive a prorated dollar amount equal to the percentage of FTE stated in their contract. Reimbursements cannot be made for purchases prior to employment. All reimbursements must be pre-approved by the director and will be based on the annual budget.

Professional development must be connected with professional, system, or school goals. Upon completion of courses an official transcript must be provided to your supervisor. Reimbursement will not be granted if the course is failed. Reimbursement will be granted for certification costs when the certificate is issued. Receipts must be submitted for all reimbursements.

Reimbursement for each school year should be requested by May 15th. Staff members who complete courses during the summer will be reimbursed and counted toward the following school year.

Reporting Technical Issues

Teachers must have reliable access to a telephone, a computer, and a high speed internet connection at their home office. Teachers who are unable to access their courses because of technical issues, (e.g., interruption to internet service) for more than one school day should report the issue to the director of technology via telephone no later than the morning of the second day.

Staff Discipline

The Administrator will use due process and comply with all relevant portions of state and/or federal law, as applicable, when disciplining and/or dismissing employees.

Administrative Leave

The Administrator may use, at his or her discretion, paid administrative leave to conduct an investigation into employee conduct. An investigation will include review of applicable documents and a meeting with the employee. Paid administrative leave is not considered disciplinary. At the conclusion of an investigation, the Administrator may move forward with Discipline, Dismissal, or take no action.

Discipline

Discipline may be in the form of verbal reprimand, written reprimand or suspension depending on the circumstances of each case. Staff members will be disciplined, when in the sole discretion of the Administrator or designee, such action is warranted. The level of any discipline issued shall also be at the sole discretion of the Administrator or designee and will be based on the severity and frequency of the conduct at issue.

1. “Verbal Reprimand”: The Administrator will hold a conference with the employee. He/She will outline the nature of the problem and consider any comments from the employee. The Administrator will indicate compliance with specified procedures or cessation of certain conduct is required and future consequences if the employee fails to follow the directives given as expected. A notation of the date of the conference, the individual(s) present and the points discussed at such conference shall be maintained in the Director’s working files.

2. “Written Reprimand”: The Administrator will hold a conference with the employee. The Administrator will outline the nature of the problem and consider any comments from the employee. If after considering the comments presented by the employee, the Administrator determines a written reprimand is appropriate, he/she will outline in a written “letter of reprimand” in compliance with specified procedures and/or notate that cessation of certain conduct is required and/or the future consequences if the employee fails to follow any directives given as expected. The “letter of reprimand” issued shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file. The employee may choose to submit a letter of rebuttal regarding the “letter of reprimand” received; and if submitted, such rebuttal shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

3. “Suspension with Pay”: Employees may be suspended with pay in order to maintain the health and/or safety of other employees and/or students and pending the outcome of any related investigation. Employees may also be suspended with pay pending the outcome of an investigation of complaints regarding their job performance or conduct. Any such investigation shall be conducted promptly.

4. “Suspension without Pay”: As a result of disciplinary actions against an employee, an employee may be suspended without pay. In any such instance, the Administrator will hold a conference with the employee. The employee shall be given advance notice of the conference, the level of discipline being considered and the reason(s) such discipline is being considered.

If so requested by the employee, the employee may have a representative present of his/her choice.

The Administrator will outline the specific reason(s) for the conference including any findings reached during the school’s related investigation. Comments from the employee concerning the information presented must be considered. A second meeting with the employee may be required so that in the interim, the Administrator can properly consider the employee’s comments and any new information presented.

If after considering the comments presented by the employee the Administrator determines an unpaid suspension is appropriate, he/she will outline in a written “letter of reprimand/suspension,” compliance with specified procedures and/or notate that cessation of certain conduct is required and/or the future consequences if the employee fails to follow any directives given as expected. The “letter of reprimand/suspension” issued shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file. The employee may choose to submit a letter of rebuttal regarding the “letter of reprimand/suspension” received, and if submitted, such rebuttal shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

Dismissal

In the event dismissal is being considered, the Administrator will notify the employee. The employee shall be given written notification which includes the level of discipline being considered and the reason(s) such discipline is being considered. Dismissal shall be at the sole discretion of the Administrator or designee and will be based on the severity and frequency of the conduct at issue.

The Administrator will outline any findings reached during the school’s related investigation and any previous related discipline issued. Comments from the employee concerning the information presented must be considered. A second meeting with the employee may be held so that in the interim, the Administrator can properly consider the employee’s comments and any new information presented.

If, after considering the comments presented by the employee, it is determined that dismissal is appropriate, the Administrator will notify the employee in writing of such determination. This “letter of dismissal” will outline the specific reasons for the determination reached; include any supporting information considered; and any related discipline issued to the employee in the past. This letter shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file. The employee may choose to submit a letter of rebuttal regarding the “letter of dismissal” received, and if submitted, such rebuttal shall be placed in the employee’s personnel file.

The employee may appeal a Dismissal through the school board. The appeal must be sent to the School board president within 10 days of Dismissal.

Illness/Other Circumstances

Illness and/or other circumstances which prevent an employee from performing the essential functions of his/her position as expected must be considered by the school prior to disciplining or dismissing the employee. Depending on the specific situation in question, state and/or federal law may require additional procedures and/or considerations and may limit the school’s ability to discipline and/or dismiss an employee.

Wages

Whenever an employee is dismissed, or where such employment is terminated by mutual agreement, all wages earned and unpaid at the time of discharge or termination shall be payable no later than the end of the first business day after discharge or termination.

Academic Operations

Academic Calendar

Students will have access to their courses every day as long as they are enrolled in the Sheridan AllPrep Academy. However, administrators, teachers, and student services personnel will be unavailable on weekends and federal holidays, including:

Labor Day
Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day
Veterans’ Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas Day

New Year’s Day
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Presidents’ Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day

In addition to these federal holidays, administrators, teachers, and student services personnel may not be available during regularly scheduled breaks as indicated on the Sheridan AllPrep Academy calendar.

Sheridan AllPrep Academy personnel respect the religious beliefs and practices of the administrative and instructional staff. Instructional and administrative staff will be granted leave for religious holidays. Teachers will give the director and students at least one week’s notice of their unavailability during those holidays.

Summer School

Online summer school is available to all students in the state of Oregon. Tuition for summer school will be determined each spring and posted on the school web page along with the registration form. The registration deadline will be determined each year. All students are required to pay tuition for summer school unless tuition is subsidized by the school. Students will receive an official transcript of all credits earned at the conclusion of summer school.

Non-Enrolled Part Time Students

Non enrolled part time students are students who are currently enrolled in a school other than Sheridan AllPrep Academy, but who are taking online courses for credit at Sheridan AllPrep Academy through a tuition based process. A written agreement will be made between the cooperating district and Sheridan AllPrep Academy and tuition for each student will be prepaid by the district in which the student is enrolled. Tuition costs are $350 per credit and no refunds will be given. Students can take a maximum of two credits at a time. Students will have a six week period in which to complete their credits.

Sheridan AllPrep Academy will limit the number of non-enrolled part time students to five (5) at any given time.

Assigning Courses/Grading Policy

All courses should be assigned to students within the first two weeks of enrollment. Changes made during the third and fourth week of enrollment must be approved by the principal. No changes will be made to courses after the first four weeks of enrollment. It is critical that students be assigned the correct courses as it can affect full-time/part-time status.

All high school students are expected to be registered for and complete six full credit classes each year or six half credit classes each semester. Students may also exceed the number of required credits each year for a maximum of eight classes at any one time. The high school transcript will reflect progress for a minimum of six courses. Students who are in grade 12 and need less than six credits to graduate will only be required to take the number of courses needed for graduation.

Grades and credits for high school students will be recorded at the end of each semester. Students who have completed less than 100% of the required work for a half credit course or 50% of the required work for a full credit course will receive an F. However, if they complete additional coursework by the end of the second week of the second semester, the additional credit will be awarded in the first semester. Credits attempted in each semester will only be awarded in that semester. Credits will not be split to prevent a student from receiving an F on the transcript. Students who are working toward a modified diploma, who have an IEP, or who have a 504 plan may have different credit requirements.

In order to receive full credit for a course, students must complete all of the assignments in the course and take a final exam. At the teacher’s discretion, students may be excused from completing an assignment.

Alternately, students may receive credit by completing Project Based Learning or Credit for Work Experience. Students must apply for credit using the appropriate application.

Edgenuity

All Edgenuity courses are split into half-credit, one semester sections. Students must complete 100% of the section to earn .5 credit.

A student may demonstrate proficiency and earn a full credit by scoring 70% or higher on the Prescriptive Test, when available. Students who earn less than 70% may continue lessons in the course to earn credit. The students must complete at least 10% of lessons to earn credit. No credit will be given to students who only take the prescriptive exam and earn less than 70%. If a student earns less than 70% on the Prescriptive Test and does not complete additional assignments worth 10% of the course, the student will earn an INC in the course. Students who take the Prescriptive Test will have the Pretesting feature turned off for that course.

Edgenuity courses will only be modified and customized by the department head for each subject area.

Prescriptive Testing in Edgenuity

The purpose of prescriptive testing is for students to challenge a course they have previously taken, but not completed, and to find the appropriate starting point for entry to a course so they do not repeat lessons they have already completed. Additionally, students with extensive experience in a subject area may challenge a course. Students will not be allowed to take prescriptive tests in all of their courses, except in rare cases, nor should prescriptive tests be given to all students in all circumstances. All prescriptive tests must be approved by the school counselor. Prescriptive testing should be completed within the first two weeks of enrollment.

Student Packets

Students may earn credit by completing a packet of work (developed by the Florida Department of Education). To earn credit, the entire packet must be complete and the student must pass a proctored end of course exam in Canvas with a score of 60% or higher. The score on the final exam will be the grade for the course. Students may not earn partial credit using packets.

Project Based Learning

Project Based Learning can be used for students to earn elective credit. Students must apply for Project Based Learning prior to the experience. Application for credit after the experience (in the case of work done during the summer) may be approved by the director on a case by case basis. The deadline for PBL applications is the first week of each semester. Students who do not submit their PBL applications by this deadline will not be able to earn PBL credit for the semester. Final grades and credits will be determined by the teacher and director.

Students must be on track to graduate and not be credit deficient to apply for Project Based Learning. Students may earn only one credit each year through Project Based Learning.

Credit for Work Experience

Students may earn credit for work experience through volunteer work or regular employment. Students who are enrolled in Credit for Work Experience must submit to their teacher a weekly log of time worked for attendance purposes. To be eligible to earn credit, the student must complete all required paperwork and have completed at least 130 hours of work experience. Work experience and paperwork must be submitted one week prior to the end of the semester for the student to earn credit.

Students must be on track and making regular, adequate progress toward completing six credits for the school year to apply for Credit for Work Experience. Students may only earn one credit each year through work experience.

Early High School Credit

With teacher approval, eighth grade students may work toward earning high school credit prior to the freshman year within the following guidelines:

Credits are limited to those courses available in Edgenuity or Canvas.
Eighth grade students are limited to no more than two high school credits.
Credits will not be awarded until the end of the first semester of the freshman year unless a student transfers to a different school.

Grading Scale

A+: 100%-97% (4.0 GPA)
A: 96%-93% (4.0 GPA)
A-: 92%-90% (3.67 GPA)
B+: 89%-87% (3.33 GPA)
B: 86%-83% (3.0 GPA)
B-: 82%-80% (2.67 GPA)
C+: 79%-77% (2.33 GPA)
C: 76%-73% (2.0 GPA)
C-: 72%-70% (1.67 GPA)
D+: 69%-67% (1.33 GPA)
D: 66%-63% (1.0 GPA)
D-: 62%-60% (0.67 GPA)
F: 59% and below (0.0 GPA)

Grading Process

Both mentor teachers and content area teachers are responsible for grading according to the procedures outlined below.

K-5 mentor teachers

Reviewing standards-based report card with families one month prior to the end of the semester
Collect final grades from families at the end of the semester
Record final grades for registrar

6-8 mentor teachers

Complete all grading
Record final grades for registrar

High school mentor teachers

Record grades for enrichment classes and any course taken outside of school

High school content area teachers

Record grades for core classes
Archive courses

All grades are due three working days after the end of the semester by 5:00 pm.

Appeals Process

Students wishing to appeal a final grade in the course must follow the appeals process, including:

Submit a written request for a detailed copy of the student’s grade book from the course teacher.
Identify in writing any assignments that he/she would like reevaluated.
Explain in writing why the student believes the grade on each of the identified assignments should be revised.
Submit identifications and explanations to the course teacher.

Teachers will respond to the student’s questions in writing. The teacher reserves the right to assign a grade that is either higher or lower than the original grade. If the student is not satisfied, he/she may request an evaluation of the identified assignments by the director. The student must submit all of the documentation from the process described above. The director’s decision will be final.

Academic Freedom

Education is fostered and promoted in an atmosphere in which academic freedom for staff is encouraged and promoted, with due consideration to the rights of the student and community. Academic Freedom includes studying, investigating, presenting or interpreting facts, information and ideas, and controversial issues. Teachers are entitled to academic freedom subject to accepted standards of professional responsibility within the framework of Sheridan AllPrep Academy policies and administrative procedures and the laws and rules of the State of Oregon. The responsibilities include a commitment to democratic tradition; a concern for the rights, welfare, growth and development of children; objective scholarship and recognition of the maturity level of students.

Teachers are encouraged to provide for the free and orderly flow and examination of ideas in order for students to gain the skills necessary to gather and arrange facts, discriminate between facts and opinion, discuss differing viewpoints, analyze problems and draw their own conclusions.

School Operations

Building Hours

The Sheridan AllPrep Academy office will be open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Staff Identification

All staff members will be required to wear an identification badge while conducting school business. An identification badge will be provided to the employee by the school.

Staff Conduct

Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying

Sheridan AllPrep Academy has a zero tolerance policy towards intimidation, harassment, bullying, and/or fighting. Intimidation, harassment, bullying, fighting and racial and/or sexual harassment are violent acts against others.

The director will promptly and thoroughly investigate reports of harassment and bullying. If it is determined that either has occurred, the director will act appropriately within the discipline codes of the school.

Harassment

No one should be subjected to harassment at school for any reason. Therefore, it is the policy of Sheridan AllPrep Academy that all staff and students will deal with all persons in ways which convey respect and dignity. Harassment in the form of name-calling, taunting, gestures, intimidation, conduct, jokes, pictures, slurs, or ridicules are prohibited. Such conduct referencing or directed at an individual or group that demeans that person/group on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, creed, age, disability or other extraneous factors is prohibited and shall be grounds for disciplinary action.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment includes all unwanted, uninvited, and non-reciprocal sexual attention as well as the creation of an intimidating, hostile, or offensive school or work environment. This can include:

sexual jokes, pictures, or teasing
pressure for dates or sex
sexually demeaning comments
threats, demands or suggestions that favors will be granted in exchange for sex or tolerance of sexual advances

Student Discipline

Discipline Philosophy

Discipline should be thought of as a learning experience with behavior modification as its objective. Unwanted behaviors are modified most easily when the school and parents work together as a team. In addition, any consequences that are used to modify unwanted behaviors should be supported at home, imposed immediately, be firm, fair, consistent, and progressive.

Discipline Process

The most effective discipline is taught and dealt with before problems arise. It is a learning process that should be teacher-directed. This being said, when applicable, internal interventions will be utilized prior to referring students to the director.

If a warning is ignored and the behavior continues, the student will be referred to the director and excluded from the online classroom. The teacher will email the director a referral which states the nature of the problem.

Within one school day of receipt of the referral, the student will write out an explanation of what caused him/her to be excluded from the online classroom and will develop a three-step plan to resolve the problem.

If the student is a minor, the administration will contact the student’s parent by the parent’s preferred method of contact (phone or email). If the parent receives contact by email, he or she must reply to the email acknowledging receipt of the email.

If the student has been blocked from course access, access will not be restored until the teacher has read and agreed to the student’s plan.

If the student doesn’t follow through with the agreed-upon plan he/she will be referred to the director again.

With each additional referral, the student will be assigned a consequence or a disciplinary step to be determined based on the student’s behavior.

It should be noted that there are instances where this process may be altered. Behaviors such as: violence to others, bullying, harassment, intimidation, disrespect to teachers, non-compliance, and other behaviors that a staff member deems as disruptive to an orderly learning environment may result in an automatic referral to the director.

Academic Honesty

The staff at Sheridan AllPrep Academy believes in teaching students about academic honesty. This academic honesty policy reflects two ideas. 1. Students may need explicit instruction about academic honesty. 2. Procedures for addressing academic dishonesty should be focused on student learning, not used as a punitive measure.

Academic dishonesty includes the following:

Cheating: the practice of gaining or sharing information dishonestly.

Googling answers
Using Chat GPT or other AI sources to copy and paste
Giving or receiving answers to assignments, quizzes, and tests
Copying and pasting someone else’s comment, discussion, or idea

Plagiarism: the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own

Cutting and pasting from websites, even if the website was part of an assignment, without citing the source
Typing answers word for word from another source
Improper paraphrasing or quoting
Copying a writing prompt and pasting it as an answer

The following procedures will be used to address academic dishonesty:

Level 1

Course instructor notifies the student, parent/guardian, and mentor teacher in writing that they have identified an instance in which the work’s authorship is in question and requests that the student respond as directed by the teacher.
Teacher provides evidence to support the allegation, including screenshots.
Evidence can include links to websites that have been plagiarized, references to “collaboration catchers” embedded in quizzes/exams, time and date stamps on assignments, inconsistency in quality of work, comprehension of concepts, verbal print, etc.
The teacher can include videos in the initial email instructing students how not to plagiarize.
Students are placed on internal academic watch. Incidents are reported on the Plagiarism Tracking Form. Student’s work is routinely checked for plagiarism by spot-checking paragraphs using search engines like Google.

Level 2

Student will participate in a required Zoom meeting about how to avoid cheating/plagiarism
Adults in attendance should include the school counselor, mentor teacher, parents, and any other relevant adult. Include as many adults as possible.

Level 3

Write a student contract and have a weekly meeting with the student.
Contract must be student-centered/driven.
Meeting should include all adults in Level 2.

Level 4

With repeated infractions of academic honesty the director may be brought in to help.
Additional disciplinary action may be taken as deemed necessary and/or appropriate by the principal.

Technology Acceptable Use Guidelines for Staff

Sheridan AllPrep Academy views the use of electronic resources as central to the delivery of its educational program, and as such maintains the expectation that staff will use electronic resources as an essential part of their learning experiences. It is the policy of Sheridan AllPrep Academy to maintain an environment that promotes ethical and responsible conduct in all electronic resource activities.

Internet and Device Use

The following guidelines are for staff internet use. These guidelines include the use of both wired and wireless devices, software, peripheral equipment, computers, tablets, phones, handhelds, files, storage, email, and internet content. Sheridan AllPrep Academy reserves the right to prioritize the use of, and access to, the wired and wireless resources.

Use of school resources must support education and research and be consistent with the mission of the school.

Acceptable Use by Staff Includes:

Creating files, projects, videos, web pages, and podcasts using school resources in support of educational goals;
Participating in blogs, wikis, bulletin boards, social media sites, web groups and the creation of podcasts, email and web pages that support educational goals;
Connection of personal electronic devices (wired or wireless) including portable devices with network capabilities to the school internet. Connection of any personal electronic device is subject to all procedures in this document.

Unacceptable Use by Staff Includes, but is not limited to:

Using school resources for personal gain, commercial solicitation and compensation of any kind, including using or knowingly allowing another user to use any computer, computer network, computer system, program, or software to devise or execute a scheme to defraud or to obtain money, property, services, or other things of value by false pretenses, promises, or representations.
Creating liability or cost to the school.
Downloading, installation, and use of games, audio files, video files or other applications (including software or freeware) without permission or approval of the administrator.
Supporting or opposing ballot measures, candidates, and any other political activity.
Distributing of unsolicited advertising, hacking, cracking, vandalizing, the introduction and or propagation of computer viruses, works, Trojan horses, time bombs and changes to hardware, software, and monitoring tools, distributing quantities of information that overwhelm a system (including "chain letters," network games, or broadcasting messages.)
Using school resources to make unauthorized access to other school computers, networks, or information systems, or any other resource via the school resources.
Attempting to harm, destroy, or interfere with the proper operation of computing hardware, operating systems, applications software of data.
Invading the privacy of individuals or entities (e.g. use of someone else's account) or misrepresenting other users on the network.
Cyber bullying, hate mail, defamation, illegal, harassing, inappropriate, or obscene purposes in support of such activities, including discriminatory jokes, remarks, posts, files, or comments on social media sites. This is determined solely by the school.
Submitting, publishing, displaying, searching for or forwarding any defamatory, inaccurate, racially offensive, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, or threatening materials or messages.
Seeking to gain or gaining unauthorized access to information resources, obtaining copies of, or modifying files or other data, or gaining and communicating passwords belonging to other users.
Posting information sent or stored online that could endanger others.
Accessing, uploading, downloading, storage, and distribution of obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit material, as determined at the school's sole discretion.

The school reserves the right, subject to applicable law, to disconnect and check any electronic device of involvement in a violation of school policy. The school also reserves the right to remove any user generated content from sites it owns at any time.

Safety and Security

Staff shall treat their personally identifiable information and that of others in network communications as confidential. Personally identifiable information is defined as complete names, addresses, telephone numbers, and identifiable photos. This includes posting on social media sites, web sites, blogs, podcasts, videos, wikis, and email or as content on any other electronic medium.

Personal Devices

By connecting a mobile device to the Sheridan AllPrep Academy internet and email system, you acknowledge and agree that Sheridan AllPrep Academy reserves the right to enforce any security measures deemed necessary. This includes, but is not limited to:

Remotely deleting the contents of your mobile device. This may include school and personal contacts, pictures, etc.
Enforce the use of a password/pin to access the mobile device.
Restrict the use of applications deemed a security risk.

In addition, you must understand that documents or records, including electronic communications of a public agency, are public records under Oregon state law. Using any personal device or computer for school business can result in a requirement that you submit your personal device for examination or search if a public records request is received concerning information that may be stored on your personal device.

Copyright

Use of the school resources must be in compliance with all copyright law.

Violation of such matters as institutional or third-party copyright, license agreements, or other contracts is prohibited. The unauthorized use of and/or copying of software is illegal and prohibited. The unauthorized installation, storage, or distribution of copyrighted software or material is prohibited.

Downloading, copying, duplicating and distributing software, music, sound files, movies, images or other copyrighted materials without specific written permission of the copyright owner is generally prohibited. The duplication and distribution of materials for educational purposes are permitted when such duplication and distribution fall within the Fair Use Doctrine of the United States Copyright Law (Title 17, USC) and cited appropriately.

Security

Passwords are the first level of security for a user account. System logins and accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account, for authorized school purposes. Staff are responsible for all activity on their account and must not share their account password.

No Expectation of Privacy

The school provides technology resources as a tool for education and research in support of the school's mission. All content belongs to the school.

No user should have any expectation of privacy when using the school's resources. The school reserves the right to monitor, intercept, retrieve, and otherwise use and disclose all access, use transmissions, communications and information ever in or passing through school resources, with or without the consent of the user. The school reserves the right to disclose to law enforcement officials or third parties as appropriate.

All files are subject to the public records disclosure laws of the State of Oregon.

Sanctions for Violations

Any activity that violates this policy should be reported to the school administrator. Disciplinary action, if any, shall be consistent with the school's standard policies and procedures. Violations of the User Agreement can constitute cause for revocation of access privileges, suspension of access to resources, and other appropriate legal or criminal action including restitution, if appropriate.

Student Support Operations

Special Education

Referral Process

Identification

The teacher will identify students who might qualify for special education services. The teacher will meet with the parents and provide examples of the student’s work and/or anecdotal classroom notes regarding the student’s needs. Any information gathered from the parents should be documented for the special education department.

Pre-Referral

Pre-referral intervention is to identify, develop, and implement alternative education strategies for students who have recognized problems in the classroom before the student is referred to special education. Pre-referral intervention is typically conducted by a team that consists of the teacher, the parents/guardians, an administrator, nurse, school counselor, or any other adult involved in the education of the student.

Referral

If, after interventions, the student continues to experience difficulty, school personnel may refer the child for a special education evaluation. Referrals for determination of eligibility for special education services may be initiated by:

School personnel (including general education teachers, special education teachers, counselors, administrators, etc.);
Child’s parent(s) or legal guardian(s);
Any other person involved in the education or care of the child.

The official referral begins the formal process of determining eligibility for special education services. Referrals should be sent to the director of special education for the Sheridan School District.

Evaluation

IDEA requires that students referred for special education services receive a nondiscriminatory multi-factored evaluation. The school district is required to complete the evaluation within 60 days of the referral date. The evaluation is to be conducted by a multidisciplinary team that will consist of individuals who can bring different perspectives and expertise to the evaluation.

Eligibility

Within 30 days of the completion of the evaluation, the individuals that took part in the process thus far will meet to determine eligibility. In simple terms, a student is considered eligible for special education services if (1) the child has a disability as defined by IDEA which negatively impacts his/her educational performance, and (2) the child needs special education services in order to benefit from education.

IEP

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legal contract between the parents and the school district that describes the special education services to be provided by the local education agency which is the local school district.

Once the IEP is developed and signed by members of the IEP team, it is the responsibility of the entire IEP team to ensure that the IEP is implemented. The IEP team may meet as frequently as needed to discuss the implementation of the IEP. School personnel are required to provide documentation of the mastery of benchmarks and annual goals. The IEP document is a “living” document and can be altered during the school term if needed. The IEP goals and benchmarks provide the objectives for the education of the student and prescribe what services will be provided by the local school district and school campus to achieve those objectives. However, it must be understood that school agencies are not required to meet all the goals within the school term, but they must provide evidence of a “good faith effort” toward achieving the goals.

Reevaluation

Each year, the IEP team is required to meet for the dual purpose of evaluating the implementation of the current IEP and to develop the next annual IEP. During these annual meetings, the IEP team should discuss the positive and negative elements of the special education services provided and determine, based on any new assessment data, what services should be provided in the upcoming school year.

English Language Learners

Identification

The teacher will identify students who might qualify for ELL services.

ELL Program

The Sheridan AllPrep Academy utilizes the following program models in working with English learners (ELs). The ultimate goal of implementing these models is closing the achievement gap for our EL students.

English Language Development

All English learners receive instruction in English Language Development (ELD) with focused attention on their proficiency level. Instruction during this time is based on Oregon’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) standards. ELs will receive ELD instruction within a selected content-area by their classroom teacher. An ESL endorsed teacher will consult and collaborate with the content-area teacher to ensure the ELP standards are being implemented and assessed.

Sheltered Instruction

This instructional approach is used to make academic instruction in English comprehensible to English learners. Because the majority of an English learners’ day is spent in the online classroom, it is vital that their language learning continue during content instruction. In a classroom that utilizes sheltered strategies, teachers build background on content lessons, use visual aids, comprehensible input, interaction, intentional vocabulary support and assessment to develop concepts in reading, mathematics, science, social studies and other subjects.

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Employee Handbook

I acknowledge that I have the responsibility to be familiar with and follow the procedures set forth in this Handbook. I understand that this Handbook does not contain all policies or practices of Sheridan AllPrep Academy. I understand that if I have questions about the policies and practices of Sheridan AllPrep Academy or anything contained in this Handbook, I may ask my supervisor.
I understand this Handbook supersedes all prior Handbooks, rules, and understandings on these subjects, and that this handbook is not an employment contract or guarantee of specific treatment in specific situations; nor does it give me any express or implied right of continued employment.
I understand that unless otherwise stated in a written employment contract, Sheridan AllPrep Academy has the right to change (modify, add to, substitute, or eliminate), interpret and apply, in its sole discretion, the rules and benefits described in this Handbook. I also understand that additional information, policies, and benefits may be described elsewhere.

By signing below, I represent that I have read and have acknowledged each of these statements.

________________________________________

Name (print)

________________________________________ _________________

Signature Date