October 27, 2008

Dear Parent,

Your student ________________________________ was failing at the first and/or second progress report in Biology. Because teachers are tracking how well students are doing at mastering science academic standards, the Temecula Valley USD is allowing us to offer a program in which students only need demonstrate mastery of enough standards to meet the minimum expectation for passing Biology. This “credit recovery” program can eliminate the need for your student to retake this course in summer school. As long as (s)he passes the requisite number of standards by the end of the credit recovery program, and does not fail any other progress report period, (s)he will receive a passing grade at the semester. Failure to complete this credit recovery program successfully will require your student to retake this course during summer school.

What this means is ________________ (your student) has the opportunity to come to selected days of our credit recovery program which starts on Tuesday, November 4, 2007. Each week will emphasize the unit, and your student will need to come on Tuesday through Thursday from 2:45 – 4:00 PM. To obtain credit, students must be in attendance all three days, complete all expected work including lecture notes and worksheets as well as passing the test with a 70% or better. During lectures, independent work, and specifically targeted activities, students will be prepared to demonstrate mastery of content via one assessment on Thursday of that particular week. This program is considered a privilege. Acceptable behavior is expected. Removal from the program will result if behavior is not acceptable and will not obtain credit.

The following standards are those included in the first three Biology units.

Unit 1 Standards: Biochemistry, Cells and Cell Transport
	Bio 1b		Students know enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions without altering the reaction equilibrium and the activities of enzymes depend on the temperature, ionic condition and the pH of the surroundings.
	Bio 1h		Students know most macromolecules (polysaccharides, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids) in cells and organisms are synthesized from a small collection of simple precursors.
	Bio 1c			Students know how prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells (including those from plants and animals), and viruses differ in complexity and general structure.
	Bio 1a			Students know cells are enclosed within semipermeable membranes that regular their interaction with their surroundings.
	Bio 1e			Students know the role of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus in the secretion of proteins.
		Unit 2 Standards: Cell Processes (Photosynthesis, Respiration and Cell Reproduction)
	Bio 1f			Students know usable energy is captured from sunlight by chloroplasts and is stored through the synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide.
	Bio 1g			Students know the role of mitochondria in making stored chemical-bond energy available to cells by completing the breakdown of glucose to carbon dioxide.
	Bio 2a			Students know meiosis is an early step in sexual reproduction in which the pairs of chromosomes separate and segregate randomly during cell division to produce gametes containing one chromosome of each type.
				Unit 3 Standards: Genetics (Mendel’s Laws, Protein Synthesis)	Students know enzymes are proteins that catalyze biochemical reactions without altering the reaction equilibrium and the activities of enzymes depend on the temperature, ionic condition and the pH of the surroundings.
	Bio 3a			Students know how to predict the probably outcome of phenotypes in a genetic cross from the genotype of the parents and mode of inheritance.	Students know most macromolecules (polysaccharides, nucleic acids, proteins, lipids) in cells and organisms are synthesized from a small collection of simple precursors.
	Bio 3b			Students know the genetic basis for Mendel’s laws of segregation and independent assortment.	Students know how to predict the probably outcome of phenotypes in a genetic cross from the genotype of the parents and mode of inheritance.
	Bio 4a			Students know the general pathway by which ribosomes synthesize proteins, using tRNAs to translate genetic information in mRNA (from transcription.)

Biology Credit Recovery Calendar 2007

Dates	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
11/4-6	None	Bio 1b / 1h – Bookwork / Lecture	Bio 1b / 1h – Activity/Lab	Bio 1b / 1h – Review and Assessment; Packet Due	None
12/2-4	None	Bio 1c / 1a / 1e – Bookwork / Lecture	Bio 1c / 1a / 1e - Activity/Lab	Bio 1c / 1a / 1e - Review and Assessment; Packet Due	None
1/6 – 1/8	None	Bio 1f / 1g / 2a Bookwork / Lecture	Bio 1f / 1g / 2a Activity/Lab	Bio 1f / 1g / 2a Review and Assessment; Packet Due	None

We need to know if you and _________ (your student) plan to take advantage of this program. Please sign below and have your student return this letter to her/his teacher before the deadline.

Sincerely,

GOHS Biology Teachers Please cut and return the bottom portion

Biology Credit Recovery

_______________________ plans to attend the necessary standards sessions in this program.

Signed, _________________________, parent/guardian. Date: ______________________