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To Students and Parents:
Welcome to school year 2008–2009! Education is a team effort, and we know that students, parents, teachers, and other staff members all working together can make this a wonderfully successful year for our students.
The TSBVI Parent and Student Handbook is designed to provide a resource for some of the basic information that you and your child will need during the school year. In an effort to make it easier to use, the handbook is divided into two sections:
Section I—REQUIRED NOTICES AND INFORMATION FOR PARENTS—with notices that TSBVI must provide to all parents, as well as other information to assist you in responding to school-related issues. We encourage you to take some time to closely review this section of the handbook; and
Section II—INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS—organized alphabetically by topic for quick access when searching for information on a specific issue.
Please be aware that the term “the student’s parent” is used to refer to the parent, legal guardian, or any other person who has agreed to assume school-related responsibility for a student.
Both students and parents should become familiar with the TSBVI Student Code of Conduct, which is a document adopted by the board and intended to promote school safety and an atmosphere for learning. The Student Code of Conduct may be found immediately following the Parent and Student Handbook and is available in the Principal’s Office.
The Parent and Student Handbook is designed to be in harmony with board policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Please be aware that the handbook is updated yearly, while policy adoption and revision may occur throughout the year. Changes in policy or other rules that affect Parent and Student Handbook provisions will be made available to students and parents through newsletters and other communications.
In case of conflict between board policy or the Student Code of Conduct and any provisions of the Parent and Student Handbook, the provisions of board policy or the Student Code of Conduct that were most recently adopted by the board are to be followed.
After reading through the entire handbook with your child, keep it as a reference during this school year. If you or your child has questions about any of the material in this handbook, please contact the Miles Fain, Principal, 512-206-9251.
A copy of the TSBVI policy manual is available for review in the Superintendent’s Office or online at www.tsbvi.edu/policy.
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
1100 West 45th Street, Austin, TX 78756
(512) 454-8631
www.tsbvi.edu
Bill Daugherty, Superintendent .......................................................................................................... 206-9133
Miles Fain, Principal .................................................................................................... 206-9251
Susan Hauser, Assistant Principal............................................................................... 206-9273
Linda Locke, Assistant Principal .................................................................................. 206-9265
Pat Stephenson, Assistant Principal............................................................................ 206-9261
Shelly Allen, Residential Director ................................................................................ 206-9179
Garner Vogt, Residential Director................................................................................ 206-9115
Ken Miller, Director of School and Student Services................................................... 206-9185
Michael Clinkscales, Counselor .................................................................................. 206-9280
Marcela Contreras, Counselor..................................................................................... 206-9194
Roy Martz, Counselor .................................................................................................. 206-9316
Elsa Wirsching-Guimbarda, Counselor ....................................................................... 206-9172
Marnee Loftin, School Psychologist ............................................................................ 206-9199
Valerie Perwein, School Psychologist.......................................................................... 206-9281
Business Office Cashier............................................................................................... 206-9215
Health Center .............................................................................................................. 206-9136
Jesus Bautista................................................................................................................. El Paso
Gene Brooks...................................................................................................................... Austin
Donna Clopton......................................................................................................... Weatherford
Caroline Daley, Secretary............................................................................................ Kingwood
Michelle Goodwin, Vice-President................................................................................ Ft. Worth
Deborah Louder, President....................................................................................... San Angelo
Frankie Swift.......................................................................................................... Nacogdoches
Jamie Wheeler.............................................................................................................. Watauga
TSBVI will be a leading center of educational expertise for students with visual impairments in Texas. TSBVI will provide opportunities for children and youth who are visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities, to develop the skills necessary to lead vocationally, personally, and socially satisfying and productive lives.
1st Period 7:50-8:40
2nd Period 8:45-9:35
3rd Period 9:40-10:30
4th Period 10:35-11:25
5th Period 11:25-12:10
6th Period 12:15-1:05
7th Period 1:10-2:00
8th Period 2:05-2:55
This section of the TSBVI Parent and Student Handbook includes several notices that TSBVI is required to provide to you, as well as other information on topics of particular interest to you as a parent.
In its efforts to promote nondiscrimination, the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sex, or disability in providing education services, activities, and programs, including vocational programs, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972; and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
The staff member designated to coordinate compliance with these legal requirements is:
Kenneth Miller
Director of School and Student Services
512-206-9185
Please see the Superintendent for all other concerns regarding discrimination:
William Daugherty
Superintendent
512-206-9133
A child's education succeeds best when there is good communication and a strong partnership between home and school.
The School will:
Your involvement in this partnership may include:
Your child will not be required to participate without parental consent in any survey, analysis, or evaluation—funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Department of Education—that concerns:
You will be able to inspect the survey or other instrument and any instructional materials used in connection with such a survey, analysis, or evaluation.
As a parent, you have a right to receive notice of and deny permission for your child’s participation in:
As a parent, you have a right to provide consent before the School can display your child’s artwork, special projects, photographs taken by your child, and the like on the School’s Web site, in printed material, by video, or by any other method of mass communication.
You may request information regarding the professional qualifications of your child’s teachers, including whether a teacher has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction; whether the teacher has an emergency permit or other provisional status for which state requirements have been waived; and undergraduate and graduate degree majors, graduate certifications, and the field of study of the certification or degree. You also have the right to request information about the qualifications of any paraprofessional who may provide services to your child.
As a parent, you have a right to review teaching materials, textbooks, and other teaching aids and instructional materials used in the curriculum, and to examine tests that have been administered to your child.
As a parent, you may inspect a survey created by a third party before the survey is administered or distributed to your child.
You may review your child’s student records. These records include:
As a parent, you may grant or deny any written request from the School to make a video or voice recording of your child. State law, however, permits the school to make a video or voice recording without parental permission for the following circumstances:
You may remove your child temporarily from the classroom if an instructional activity in which your child is scheduled to participate conflicts with your religious or moral beliefs. The removal cannot be for the purpose of avoiding a test and may not extend for an entire semester. Further, your child must satisfy grade-level and graduation requirements as determined by the school and by the Texas Education Agency.
As a parent, you may request that your child be excused from participation in the daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag and the Pledge of Allegiance to the Texas flag. The request must be in writing. State law does not allow your child to be excused from participation in the required minute of silence or silent activity that follows.
You may request that your child be excused from recitation of a portion of the Declaration of Independence. State law requires students in social studies classes in grades 3–12 to recite a portion of the text of the Declaration of Independence during Celebrate Freedom Week unless (1) you provide a written statement requesting that your child be excused, (2) the School determines that your child has a conscientious objection to the recitation, or (3) you are a representative of a foreign government to whom the United States government extends diplomatic immunity.
A noncustodial parent may request in writing that he or she be provided, for the remainder of the school year, a copy of any written notice usually provided to a parent related to your child’s misconduct that may involve placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) or expulsion.
As a parent, you have a right to request the transfer of your child to another classroom if your child has been determined by the Superintendent to have been a victim of bullying as the term is defined by Education Code 25.034.
The School accepts Title I federal grant funds for improving basic programs to enable all students to meet Texas academic achievement standards according to the expectations set by each student’s Admission, Review and Dismissal (ARD) Committee. The funds, authorized by Public Law 107-110, support the school in implementing a school-wide program of services that are included in TSBVI’s annual School Improvement Plan and may be consolidated with funds from other federal, state and local sources. All parents will be mailed a copy of the School’s Annual Report and will be invited by mail to the annual meeting of the Instructional Planning Council when School Improvement Plan progress is reviewed and plans for improvement are made.
The Parent Involvement Coordinator, who works with parents of students participating in Title I programs is Miles Fain, Principal, 512-206-9251.
Both federal and state laws safeguard student records from unauthorized inspection or use and provide parents and eligible students certain rights. For purposes of student records, an “eligible” student is one who is 18 or older OR who is attending an institution of postsecondary education.
Virtually all information pertaining to student performance, including grades, test results, and disciplinary records, is considered confidential educational records. Release is restricted to:
Release to any other person or agency—such as a prospective employer or for a scholarship application—will occur only with parental or student permission as appropriate.
Director of School and Student Services, Ken Miller, is custodian of all records for currently enrolled students at the assigned school and for students who have withdrawn or graduated.
Records may be inspected by a parent or eligible student during regular school hours. If circumstances prevent inspection during these hours, the School will either provide a copy of the records requested or make other arrangements for the parent or student to review these records. The records custodian or designee will respond to reasonable requests for explanation and interpretation of the records.
A parent (or eligible student) may inspect the student’s records and request a correction if the records are considered inaccurate or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights. A request to correct a student’s record should be submitted to the Director of School and Student Services. The request must clearly identify the part of the record that should be corrected and include an explanation of how the information in the record is inaccurate. If the School denies the request to amend the records, the parent or eligible student has the right to request a hearing. If the records are not amended as a result of the hearing, the parent or eligible student has 30 school days to exercise the right to place a statement commenting on the information in the student’s record. Although improperly recorded grades may be challenged, contesting a student’s grade in a course is handled through the general complaint process found in TSBVI Board Policy FNG.
Copies of student records are available at a cost of ten cents per page, payable in advance. If the student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches and the parents are unable to view the records during regular school hours, one copy of the record will be provided at no charge upon written request of the parent.
The School’s policy regarding student records, Board Policy FL, is available from the office of the Director of School and Student Services or on the School’s Web site at www.tsbvi.edu.
The parent’s or eligible student’s right of access to and copies of student records do not extend to all records. Materials that are not considered educational records—such as a teacher’s personal notes about a student that are shared only with a substitute teacher—do not have to be made available to the parents or student.
Please note:
Parents or eligible students have the right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if they believe the School is not in compliance with federal law regarding student records. The complaint may be mailed to:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U. S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-5901
At TSBVI students work primarily in one of following curricular approaches, but may participate in other approaches when necessary. These curricular approaches are:
Academics: for students who are functioning within two years of their grade level. Instruction is in the regular, public school curriculum and includes the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)
Elementary Concepts: for students 6-12 years of age who may have additional impairments. This approach is for students who are at the readiness level for academic learning, but are not yet reading, writing or doing math on a first grade level.
Practical Academics: for students 12 years of age and older who are functioning more than two years below their chronological age, with at least Kindergarten equivalent reading, writing and math skills. Students are taught to use their academic skills in a variety of meaningful, functional tasks.
Basic Skills: for students ages 6-22 who have visual impairment combined with other disabilities, who have difficulty generalizing skills to new situations, and who learn best with the support of consistent routines and meaningful, functional activities.
EXIT (Experiences in Transition): for Practical Academic students ages 18-22 who need programming that focuses on transitioning young adults from school to adulthood, in an environment that more closely replicates the adult environment in which they will be living.
Post Secondary: for students who have a State Board of Education high school diploma and are in need of remedial academic, independent living and work-related skills. They will cultivate the skills necessary to meet the demands of competitive employment and adult living.
Each curricular approach will have Performance Indicator Assessments/Evaluations that will reflect our definition of quality programming. Every student will be assessed in all of the Core and Expanded Core Curricular areas that have been identified as a need by the ARD committee.
The Core Curricular areas assessed include:
The Expanded Core Curricular areas assessed include:
The school's accreditation standard is:
65% of the students attending Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired will score 2.0 or higher (moderate to substantial progress) in every Core Curricular area in which they are receiving programming as determined by the ARD committee.
Determination of Progress:
1 - none to minimal progress:
less than 10% increase in Competency in skills
less than 10% increase in Generalized skills
2 - moderate progress:
10%-19% increase in Competency in skills
10%-19% increase in Generalized skills
3 - substantial progress:
20% or greater increase in Competency in skills
20% or greater increase in Generalized skills
For additional information about curriculum or assessments, please contact Debra Sewell, Curriculum Coordinator, at 512-206-9183.
The law permits the School to designate certain personal information about students as “directory information.” This “directory information” will be released to anyone who follows procedures for requesting it.
However, release of a student’s directory information may be prevented by the parent or an eligible student. This objection must be made in writing to the Principal within ten school days of your child’s first day of instruction for this school year.
The School is required by federal law to comply with a request by a military recruiter or an institution of higher education for students’ names, addresses, and telephone listings, unless parents have advised the School not to release their child’s information without prior written consent. A form has been sent to you to complete if you do not want the School to provide this information to military recruiters or institutions of higher education.
State law specifically requires the School to provide the following information:
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of serious bacterial infection with the potential for serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease, but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.
Someone with meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms.
Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness or joint pains, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots. These can occur anywhere on the body.
The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a combination of symptoms and laboratory results.
If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, the majority of people make a complete recovery. In some cases it can be fatal or a person may be left with a permanent disability.
Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing, sharing drinking containers, utensils, or cigarettes).
The germ does not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the germ for days, weeks, or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body’s immune system and cause meningitis or another serious illness.
Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all communicable diseases. You may also call your local health department or Regional Department of State Health Services office to ask about a meningococcal vaccine. Additional information may also be found at the Web sites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov, and the Department of State Health Services, http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/.
Topics in this section of the handbook contain important information on academics, school activities, and school operations and requirements. Take a moment with your child to become familiar with the various issues addressed in this section. It is conveniently organized in alphabetical order to serve as a quick-reference when you or your child has a question about a specific school-related issue. Should you be unable to find the information on a particular topic, please contact Miles Fain, Principal at 512-206-9251.
Regular school attendance is essential for a student to make the most of his or her education—to benefit from teacher-led and school activities, to build each day’s learning on the previous day’s, and to grow as an individual. Absences from class may result in serious disruption of a student’s mastery of the instructional materials; therefore, the student and parent should make every effort to avoid unnecessary absences. Two state laws, one dealing with compulsory attendance, the other with attendance for course credit, are of special interest to students and parents. They are discussed below:
State law requires that a student between the ages of six and 18 attend school unless the student is otherwise excused from attendance or legally exempt.
State law requires attendance in an accelerated reading instruction program when kindergarten, first grade, or second grade students are assigned to such a program. Parents will be notified in writing if their child is assigned to an accelerated reading instruction program as a result of the reading diagnosis test.
School employees must investigate and report violations of the state compulsory attendance law. A student absent without permission from school; from any class; from required special programs, such as additional special instruction (termed “accelerated instruction” by the state) assigned by a grade placement committee and basic skills for ninth graders; or from required tutorials will be considered in violation of the compulsory attendance law and subject to disciplinary action.
A court of law may also impose penalties against both the student and his or her parents if a school-aged student is deliberately not attending school. A complaint against the parent may be filed in court if the student:
To receive credit in a class, a student must attend at least 90 percent of the days the class is offered. A student who attends at least 75 percent but fewer than 90 percent of the days the class is offered may receive credit for the class if he or she completes a plan, approved by the Principal, that allows the student to fulfill the instructional requirements for the class. If a student is involved in a criminal or juvenile court proceeding, the approval of the judge presiding over the case will also be required before the student receives credit for the class.
If a student attends less than 75 percent of the days a class is offered or has not completed a plan approved by the Principal, then the student will be referred to the attendance review committee to determine whether there are extenuating circumstances for the absences and how the student can regain credit, if appropriate.
In determining whether there were extenuating circumstances for the absences, the attendance committee will use the following guidelines:
All absences will be considered in determining whether a student has attended the required percentage of days. If makeup work is completed, absences for religious holy days and documented health-care appointments will be considered days of attendance for this purpose.
A transfer or migrant student begins to accumulate absences only after he or she has enrolled in the School. For a student transferring into the School after school begins, including a migrant student, only those absences after enrollment will be considered.
In reaching a decision about a student’s absences, the committee will attempt to ensure that it is in the best interest of the student.
The committee will consider the acceptability and authenticity of documented reasons for the student’s absences.
The committee will consider whether the absences were for reasons over which the student or the student’s parent could exercise any control.
The committee will consider the extent to which the student has completed all assignments, mastered the essential knowledge and skills, and maintained passing grades in the course or subject.
The student or parent will be given an opportunity to present any information to the committee about the absences and to talk about ways to earn or regain credit.
The student or parent may appeal the committee’s decision to the board of trustees by filing a written request with the Superintendent in accordance with TSBVI Board Policy FNG.
The actual number of days a student must be in attendance in order to receive credit will depend on whether the class is for a full semester or for a full year.
When a student must be absent from school, the student—upon returning to school—must bring a note, signed by the parent that describes the reason for the absence. A note signed by the student, even with the parent’s permission, will not be accepted unless the student is 18 or older.
Upon return to school, a student absent for more than five consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the student’s extended absence from school.
The school counselor provides students and parents information regarding academic programs to prepare for higher education and career choices.
A parent wishing to purchase low-cost accident insurance that would help meet medical expenses in the event of injury to their child may contact TSBVI Director of School and Student Services Ken Miller, 512-206-9185.
Large personal pets, such as dogs and cats, will not be maintained in the dormitories or classrooms. Small contained animals, such as fish or hamsters, may be allowed in the classrooms or dormitories only with prior approval, respectively, from the Residential Director or the Principal.
Students 16 years and older who have been approved by a dog guide school for training or who already have a dog guide must, upon referral for admission, obtain approval from the Principal for maintaining the dog on campus. The Principal will approve the maintenance of a dog guide on campus if the student is able to demonstrate an ability to manage and care for the dog independently.
Students with dog guides are responsible for adhering to any procedure governing the maintenance of dog guides on campus and for costs associated with the maintenance of the dog. Failure to follow the procedure may result in loss of permission to maintain the dog guide on campus.
Students who meet the minimum criteria for nomination (on an academic graduation plan; possess a cumulative GPA of 85 or above; sophomore class rank or above; at TSBVI at least one semester) will be invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form with will be used to consider them for admission to the National Honor Society. A faculty council selects students based upon the minimum criteria and information regarding character, leadership, and service, gathered from teachers and residential instructors. Members should understand fully that they are subject to dismissal if they do not maintain the standards of scholarship, leadership, service, and character that were used as a basis for their selection. The Principal appoints the faculty council and shall be a part of any appeal process for non-selection or dismissal.
The purpose of the awards assembly is to recognize students who have displayed significant achievement in academic and extracurricular activities. The following major awards are given:
1. Kopecky-Meyers Achievement Award
These awards are given to a deserving young man and woman in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade (non-graduating) who have progressed significantly, relative to their own potential, after overcoming major and difficult obstacles.
The award winners should also have demonstrated:
2. Clarence A. Jaecks Citizenship and Most Improved Citizenship Awards
The recipient of the Citizenship Award must:
The recipient of the Most Improved Citizenship Award must have shown considerable improvement in the above areas.
3. The Annie Gerke Technology Award
The Annie Gerke Technology Award is given to a deserving young woman or young man who is classified as a graduation senior. The award winner should have demonstrated:
4. Music Department Awards
The Lucille Guilmynott Award is presented to a student in instrumental or vocal music who has made consistent progress while surmounting special handicaps and who has not yet reached the proficiency required for the Spring Concert. The Louis Armstrong and the John Phillips Sousa Jazz/Band Award is presented to the outstanding jazz musician and band instrumentalist respectively.
5. Extracurricular Awards
Awards are presented by the sponsors and coaches in athletics, drama, yearbook staff, and other student activities.
Students who may need staff assistance when bathing, dressing and/or toileting will be accorded respect in determining whether a staff person of the same gender, or opposite gender, will provide that assistance. Sensitivity to the student's age, development, maturity and individual comfort levels of the student and staff person will be considered prior to staff assignments.
Students may ride bikes off campus with a staff member on tandem bikes only. An activity proposal must be completed and submitted for route and destination approval by the Residential Director before the activity may occur. Special permission must be obtained from the Residential Director if a student desires to ride an individual bike off campus.
Bullying occurs when a student or group of students directs written or verbal expressions or physical conduct against another student and the behavior results in harm to the student or the student’s property, places a student in fear of harm to himself or his property, or is so severe that it creates an intimidating, threatening or abusive educational environment.
The board has established policies and procedures to prohibit bullying and to respond to reports of bullying.
Students for whom it has been determined by an orientation and mobility instructor that they should use a cane should carry a cane at all times for traveling on or off campus. Students should travel on the right hand side of hallways and passageways for the safety of all students.
Parents who would like their children to attend church services while enrolled at TSBVI need to contact the child’s Residential Director.
Members of the Junior and Senior classes have the privilege of participation in class sponsored events and activities. To take advantage of these privileges, class members must take an active role in the class by accepting certain responsibilities. Responsibilities include 1) attending all class meetings unless the student gets an excused absence in advance from the class sponsor; 2) paying class dues by the designated deadline; and 3) participating in class fund raising projects.
Each year, the junior/senior class activities will be determined by the classes.
In the junior year, the student may purchase class rings. In the senior year, the students may order commencement announcements and may have their senior portraits taken.
The Principal may exclude or excuse any student from any of the class sponsored activities.
The students from among those taking only State Board of Education (SBOE) core academic classes who compile the highest and second highest grade point averages of the graduating seniors, who pass all components of statewide assessment testing, and who meet the minimum criteria for membership in the National Honor Society may be selected as Valedictorian and Salutatorian. These students also have demonstrated exemplary citizenship. Under certain circumstances, the Principal may restrict students' participation as Valedictorian or Salutatorian as a result of poor citizenship.
For two school years following his or her graduation, a TSBVI student who graduates in the top ten percent of his or her class is eligible for automatic admission into four-year public universities and colleges in Texas if the student:
Students in grades 9–12 may earn college credit from Austin Community College. Please contact the Principal for further information.
Usually student or parent complaints or concerns can be addressed by a phone call or a conference with the teacher or residential instructor. For those complaints and concerns that cannot be handled so easily, the School has adopted a standard complaint policy at FNG in the School’s policy manual. A copy of this policy may be obtained in the Principal’s or Superintendent’s office or on the School’s Web site at www.tsbvi.edu.
In general, the student or parent should submit a written complaint and request a conference with the Principal. If the complaint is not resolved, a written complaint and a request for a conference should be sent to the Superintendent. If still unresolved, the School provides for the complaint to be presented to the board of trustees.
To prepare students for an increasingly technological society, the School has made an investment in computer technology for instructional purposes. Use of these computer resources is restricted to students working under a teacher’s supervision and for approved purposes only. Students and parents will be asked to sign a user agreement (separate from this handbook) regarding use of these resources; violations of this agreement may result in withdrawal of privileges and other disciplinary action.
Students and their parents should be aware that e-mail using School computers is not private and will be monitored by School staff.
As required by law, the board has adopted a Student Code of Conduct that prohibits certain behaviors and defines standards of acceptable behavior—both on and off campus—and consequences for violation of these standards. The School has disciplinary authority over a student in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Students and parents should be familiar with the standards set out in the Student Code of Conduct, as well as campus and classroom rules.
To achieve the best possible learning environment for all students, the Student Code of Conduct and other campus rules will apply whenever the interest of the School is involved, whether on or off school grounds, in conjunction with classes and school-sponsored activities.
Corporal punishment of any kind is not permitted at the School.
As identified by law, disruptions include the following:
Students may possess and use items such as tape recorders, radios, CD players, cameras, or other electronic devices at times that do not interfere with instruction and are approved by the student's teacher or residential instructor. The Principal may determine that a student may not possess such items when they interfere with instruction or when they are disruptive.
The use of cell phones during the school day, during instructional times in the residential setting, after “lights- out” time on dorms, or at school events is not allowed. Students may possess cell phones that are turned off but may not use cell phones during these prohibited times.
If a student uses a cell phone during a time that is not allowed, a staff member will ask for the student’s phone and turn it in to the Principal. If the student refuses to hand the staff member the phone, the staff member will complete a student incident report. When confiscated, the student must schedule an appointment with the Principal to receive the cell phone.
Any disciplinary action will be in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct and may include confiscation of the device.
School rules apply to all school social events. Guests attending these events are expected to observe the same rules as students, and a student inviting a guest will share responsibility for the conduct of his or her guest.
To protect other students from contagious illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while contagious. If a parent suspects that his or her child has a contagious disease, the parent should contact the school nurse or Principal so that other students who might have been exposed to the disease can be alerted.
The school nurse or the Principal’s office can provide information from the Department of State Health Services regarding these diseases.
The School permits high school students to take correspondence courses—by mail or via the Internet—for credit toward high school graduation. These students should see the Principal.
Students and their parents are encouraged to talk with a school counselor, teacher, or Principal to learn more about course offerings, graduation requirements, and early graduation procedures. Each spring, students in grades 7 through 12 will be provided information on anticipated course offerings for the next school year and other information that will help them make the most of academic and vocational opportunities.
To plan for the future, each student should work closely with the counselor in order to enroll in the high school courses that best prepare him or her for attendance at a college, university, or training school, or for pursuit of some other type of advanced education. The counselor can also provide information about entrance exams and application deadlines, as well as information about automatic admission to state colleges and universities, financial aid, housing, and scholarships.
The school counselor is available to assist students with a wide range of personal concerns, including such areas as social, family, or emotional issues, or substance abuse. The counselor may also make available information about community resources to address these concerns.
The school will not conduct a psychological examination, test, or treatment without first obtaining the parent’s written consent. Parental consent is not necessary when a psychological examination, test, or treatment is required by state or federal law for special education purposes or by the Texas Education Agency for child abuse investigations and reports.
A student who has previously taken a course or subject—but did not receive credit for it—may, in circumstances determined by the teacher, counselor, Principal, or attendance committee, be permitted to earn credit by passing an exam on the essential knowledge and skills defined for the course or subject. Prior instruction may include, for example, incomplete coursework due to a failed course for excessive absences, home schooling, correspondence courses, or independent study supervised by a teacher.
The Principal will determine if a student may take an exam for this purpose. If approval is granted, the student must score at least 70 on the exam to receive credit for the course or subject.
The attendance review committee may also offer a student with excessive absences an opportunity to receive credit for a course by passing an exam. A student may not use this exam, however, to regain eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities.
In all instances, the Principal will determine whether any opportunity for credit by exam will be offered.
A student will be permitted to take an exam to earn credit for an academic course for which the student has no prior instruction. The passing score required to earn credit on an exam is 90.
If a student wants to take an exam, the student (or parent) should contact the Principal who will arrange for the student to take the exam. The parent will be responsible for purchasing the test from a university approved by the State Board of Education.
The School believes that all students learn best in an environment free from dating violence, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation and that their welfare is best served when they are free from this prohibited conduct while attending school. Students are expected to treat other students and School employees with courtesy and respect; to avoid behaviors known to be offensive; and to stop those behaviors when asked or told to stop. School employees are expected to treat students with courtesy and respect.
The board has established policies and procedures to prohibit and promptly respond to inappropriate and offensive behaviors that are based on a person’s race, color, religion, , gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.
Dating violence occurs when a person in a current or past dating relationship uses physical, sexual, verbal, or emotional abuse to harm, threaten, intimidate, or control the other person in the relationship. This type of conduct is considered harassment if the conduct is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or activity; creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or offensive educational environment; or substantially interferes with the student’s academic performance.
Examples of dating violence against a student may include, but are not limited to, physical or sexual assaults, name-calling, put-downs, threats to hurt the student or the student’s family members or members of the student’s household, destroying property belonging to the student, threats to commit suicide or homicide if the student ends the relationship, attempts to isolate the student from friends and family, stalking, or encouraging others to engage in these behaviors.
Discrimination is defined as any conduct directed at a student on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or any other basis prohibited by law, that it negatively affects the student.
Harassment, in general terms, is conduct so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it affects the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from an educational program or activity; creates an intimidating, threatening, hostile, or offensive educational environment; or substantially interferes with the student’s academic performance. A copy of the School’s policy is available in the Principal’s office and in the Superintendent’s office or on the School’s Web site.
Examples of harassment may include, but are not limited to, offensive or derogatory language directed at a person’s religious beliefs or practices, accent, skin color, or need for accommodation; threatening or intimidating conduct; offensive jokes, name-calling, slurs, or rumors; physical aggression or assault; graffiti or printed material promoting racial, ethnic, or other negative stereotypes; or other kinds of aggressive conduct such as theft or damage to property.
Sexual harassment of a student by an employee or volunteer does not include necessary or permissible physical contact not reasonably construed as sexual in nature. However, romantic and other inappropriate social relationships, as well as all sexual relationships, between students and School employees are prohibited, even if consensual.
Examples of prohibited sexual harassment may include, but not be limited to, touching private body parts or coercing physical contact that is sexual in nature; sexual advances; jokes or conversations of a sexual nature; and other sexually motivated conduct, communications, or contact.
Retaliation of a student occurs when a student receives threats from another student or an employee or when an employee imposes an unjustified punishment or unwarranted grade reduction. Retaliation does not include petty slights and annoyances from other students or negative comments from a teacher that are justified by a student’s poor academic performance in the classroom.
Retaliation against a person who makes a good faith report of discrimination or harassment, including dating violence, is prohibited. A person who makes a false claim or offers false statements or refuses to cooperate with a School investigation, however, may be subject to appropriate discipline. Retaliation against a person who is participating in an investigation of alleged discrimination or harassment is also prohibited.
Any student who believes that he or she has experienced dating violence, discrimination, harassment, or retaliation should immediately report the problem to a counselor or Principal. The report may be made by the student’s parent.
To the extent possible, the School will respect the privacy of the student; however, limited disclosures may be necessary to conduct a thorough investigation and to comply with law. Allegations of prohibited conduct, which includes dating violence, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, will be promptly investigated. The School will notify the parents of any student alleged to have experienced prohibited conduct by an adult associated with the School.
In the event prohibited conduct involves another student, the School will notify the parents of the student alleged to have experienced the prohibited conduct when the allegations, if proven, would constitute a violation as defined by policy.
If the School’s investigation indicates that prohibited conduct occurred, appropriate disciplinary or corrective action will be taken to address the conduct. The School may take disciplinary action even if the conduct that is the subject of the complaint was not unlawful.
A student or parent who is dissatisfied with the outcome of the investigation may appeal in accordance with TSBVI Board Policy FNG.
Public interactions between students should reflect a respect for others' body space. However, when both students agree, examples of appropriate displays of affection in stylepublic may be holding hands and walking or sitting with arms around shoulders. Student’s head may not rest on other person. (Public areas are school buildings, campus grounds, fieldtrips into the community, etc.) Examples of appropriate displays of affection stylein private may be hugs or kisses that are not prolonged or excessive. (Private areas of campus are inside of the Recreation Building, inside of main living areas in residential buildings, and front porches of dormitories.) "Making out," sitting on another student's lap, or any other close physical contact that appears sexually suggestive will not be permitted. Sexual contact, touching of any sexual private body parts, of other students is not allowed.
Publications prepared by and for the school may be posted or distributed, with the prior approval of the Principal, sponsor, or teacher. Such items may include school posters, brochures, flyers, etc.
The school yearbook is available to students. All school publications are under the supervision of a teacher, sponsor, and the Principal.
Students must obtain prior approval from the Principal before posting, circulating, or distributing written materials, handbills, photographs, pictures, petitions, films, tapes, posters, or other visual or auditory materials that were not developed under the oversight of the school. To be considered, any nonschool material must include the name of the sponsoring person or organization. The decision regarding approval will be made in two school days.
A student may appeal a Principal’s decision in accordance with TSBVI Board Policy FNG. Any student who posts nonschool material without prior approval will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conductstyle. Materials displayed without the Principal’s approval will be removed.
Written or printed materials, handbills, photographs, pictures, films, tapes, or other visual or auditory materials not sponsored by the School or by a School-affiliated school-support organization will not be sold, circulated, distributed, or posted on any School premises by any School employee or by persons or groups not associated with the School, except as permitted by policies at GKDA. To be considered for distribution, any nonschool material must meet the limitations on content established in the policy, include the name of the sponsoring person or organization, and be submitted to the Principal for prior review. The Principal will approve or reject the materials within two school days of the time the materials are received. The requestor may appeal a rejection in accordance with the appropriate School complaint policy. [See policies at DGBA, FNG, or GF.]
Prior review will not be required for:
The School's dress code is established to teach grooming and hygiene, instill discipline, prevent disruption, avoid safety hazards, and teach respect for oneself.
Staff will assist students who have questions regarding what clothing choices are appropriate and inappropriate. Individuality in clothing selection will be respected, assuming that the clothing is clean, maintained, not in poor taste, or inappropriate. Students may be excused to the dormitory to change clothing deemed inappropriate.
From time to time, students, teachers, and other School employees will participate in drills of emergency procedures. When the alarm is sounded, students should follow the direction of teachers or others in charge quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner.
Only students who have permission from the Assistant Principal or Principal may ride the elevator.
If a student has a medical emergency at school or a school-related activity when the parent cannot be reached, the school would need to have written parental consent to obtain emergency medical treatment, and information about allergies to medications, foods, insect bites, etc. Therefore, parents are asked each year to complete an emergency care consent form. Parents should keep emergency care information up-to-date (name of doctor, emergency phone numbers, allergies, etc.). Please contact the admissions coordinator (512-206-9182) to update any information.
Participation in school activities is an excellent way for a student to develop talents, receive individual recognition, and build strong friendships with other students; participation, however, is a privilege, not a right.
Eligibility for participation in many of these activities is governed by state law and the rules of the University Interscholastic League (UIL)—a statewide association overseeing interdistrict competition. The following requirements apply to all extracurricular activities:
A student who receives at the end of a grading period a grade below 70 in any academic class, other than a class identified as honors or advanced by either the State Board of Education or by the TSBVI Board of Trustees, may not participate in extracurricular activities for at least three school weeks.
A student who fails to meet the standards in the individualized education program (IEP) may not participate for at least three school weeks.
An ineligible student may practice or rehearse.
A student is allowed in a school year up to ten absences not related to post-school competition, a maximum of five absences for post-school competition prior to state, and a maximum of two absences for state competition. All extracurricular activities and public performances, whether UIL activities or other activities approved by the Board, are subject to these restrictions.
A student who misses a class because of participation in an activity that has not been approved will receive an unexcused absence.
Please note: Sponsors of student clubs and performing groups such as the choir, the drama club and athletic teams may establish standards of behavior—including consequences for misbehavior—that are stricter than those for students in general. If a violation is also a violation of school rules, the consequences specified by the Student Code of Conduct or TSBVI policy will apply in addition to any consequences specified by the organization’s standards of behavior.
Student government, in the form of a Student Council, affords students the opportunity to participate in the formation of general school policies, to discuss matters of student concern, and to provide students with experience in participating in the democratic process. The Student Council is under the supervision of a faculty sponsor and the Principal.
Materials that are part of the basic educational program are provided with state and local funds at no charge to a student. A student, however, may be expected to provide:
No food or drinks should be purchased or brought into the school building without permission. Students may not access vending machines during school hours without teacher permission.
Student groups or classes and/or parent groups may be permitted to conduct fund-raising drives for approved school purposes. An application for permission must be made to the Principal.
After the ninth grade, students are classified according to the number of credits earned toward graduation.
Credits Earned |
Classification |
5 |
Grade 10 (Sophomore) |
10 |
Grade 11 (Junior) |
15 |
Grade 12 (Senior) |
For students in grades 7 through 12, the following percentage grades will be used for reporting progress on report cards for all courses:
100 – 90 = A
89 ‑ 80 = B
79 ‑ 70 = C
<70 = F (not passing)
(For all students, teachers report Individual Education Program goal progress at the end of each quarter. See section below, REPORT CARDS / PROGRESS REPORTS AND CONFERENCES.)
Students in grades 9 through 12 receive .5 credit for each semester of successful work. Middle school students in grades 6 through 8 receive report card grades but no credits for successful work.
TSBVI has two types of graduation plans; a student completing either plan may participate in the graduation ceremony and will receive the TSBVI graduation diploma:
A student may graduate under the provisions of the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) when the student’s admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committee has determined that:
The student has successfully completed his/her individualized education program (IEP) and has maintained full-time employment, based on the student’s abilities and local employment opportunities, in addition to sufficient self-help skills to enable the student to maintain the employment without direct and ongoing educational support of the local school district.2
The student has successfully completed his/her individualized education program (IEP) and has demonstrated mastery of specific employability and self-help skills that do not require direct ongoing educational support of the local school district.2
The student has successfully completed his/her individualized education program (IEP) and has access to services that are not within the legal responsibility of public education, or employment or other educational options for which the student has been prepared by the academic program.2
The student has successfully completed the state’s or TSBVI’s (whichever is greater) minimum credit requirements for students without disabilities and minimum curriculum requirements to the extent possible with modifications/substitutions only when it is determined necessary by the ARD committee for the student to receive an appropriate education.
The student no longer meets age eligibility requirements and has completed the requirements specified in the IEP.
A student may graduate under the State Board of Education Rules when the student successfully completes the number of credits required by the State Board of Education and passes a statewide exit-level examination.
| Course | Units |
|---|---|
English Language Arts English I, II, III, [for recent immigrants English as a Second Language (ESL) I and II may substitute for English I and II]. The fourth credit may be English IV, English IV (Academic), Research/Technical Writing, Creative/Imaginative Writing, Practical Writing Skills, Literary Genres, Business Communication, Journalism, concurrent enrollment in college English course, College Board Advanced Placement Literature and Composition or International Baccalaureate English IV. A maximum of 2 of the 4 credits of English required for graduation may be English as a second language (ESL). All credit earned in ESL that is not counted toward the graduation requirement in English may be counted as electives in meeting state graduation requirements. |
4 |
Mathematics Must include Algebra I |
3 |
Science Must include one credit from Biology I, Chemistry I, or Physics I |
2 |
Social Studies World History Studies or World Geography Studies (1 credit), United States History (1 credit), and United States Government (.5 credit) |
2.5 |
Academic Elective World History Studies, World Geography Studies, or any science course approved by the State Board of Education |
1 |
Economics with emphasis on free enterprise system and its benefits |
.5 |
*Physical Education Must include Foundations of Personal Fitness (.5 credit) Students may earn no more than 2 credits toward state graduation requirements in physical education. |
1.5 |
Health Education |
.5 |
Speech Introduction to Speech Communication, Public Speaking, Debate, or Oral Interpretation. |
.5 |
Technology Applications Business Computer Applications I or II, Business Computer Programming I or II, Computer Applications, Computer Science I or II, Microcomputer Applications, Business Information Processing, Computer Mathematics, or Industrial Technology Computer Applications. |
1 |
Electives (Total) A maximum of three credits of Reading I, II, and III, may be offered by local policy to identified students and applied to the required credits of electives. The TSBVI Board of Trustees requires that 1.5 units of elective credits include 1 unit of Personal and Family Development and l5 units of an appropriate career education course as determined by the ARD committee. |
5.5
22.0 |
See the counselor for more information regarding the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program or for other information about graduation.
A student’s IEP will be used as the student’s personal graduation plan and will identify the student’s educational goals and include consideration of the parent’s educational expectations for the student.
The ARD Committee of students in grade 11 will determine whether a student will be required to take the exit-level test in English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies and requires knowledge of Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, Integrated Chemistry and Physics, English III, Early American and United States History, World History, and World Geography. A student who is required to take, but does not pass, the exit-level assessment will have additional opportunities to take the test.
All ninth grade students will be required to enroll in the Recommended or Distinguished Achievement Program. Permission to complete the Minimum Program will be granted only if an agreement is reached among: the student, student's parent, and counselor or appropriate administrator (ARD Committee).
Beginning with the 2007-2008 school year, a student entering the ninth grade will be affected by new state graduation requirements for the Recommended Program and the Distinguished Achievement (Advanced) Program. To graduate under either of these programs, an incoming ninth grade student will have to earn an additional credit in math and an additional credit in science. Permission