Parent and Student Handbook
UCAP Profile
UCAP is an
alternative public school for students who have
had limited success in traditional public
schools. All students at UCAP have repeated at
least one year prior to entering the school. At
UCAP, students are given the opportunity of
accelerated promotion in grade to make up for a
grade they have repeated. UCAP operates as a
middle school and serves students in grades 7,
8, and 9. The enrollment of UCAP is
approximately 140 students from Cranston,
Central Falls, and Providence. Most of these
students are recruited through the guidance
departments at their district schools in the 6th
and 7th grades. Some students apply directly to
UCAP or are referred through organizations in
the community. UCAP is a legally independent
entity that is controlled by a board comprised
of the superintendents of the participating
districts. The school year operation is funded
by tuitions that are paid by the participating
school districts. UCAP also maintains close ties
to organizations that support the school in a
range of other programs beyond the normal school
operation. Top
Location
The school is
located at 75 Carpenter Street in Providence. At
this location, UCAP shares a building with the
Textron Chamber of Commerce Academy. Directions
can be obtained by calling the school or looking
at our website. Top
Mission
The Urban
Collaborative seeks to intervene in the lives of
at-risk young adolescents, to help them attain
the academic and social skills necessary for
success in high school and in life. We strive to
create a challenging curriculum and a supportive
community that motivate students with meaningful
opportunities for achievement. We stress the
importance of taking responsibility, working
hard, setting goals, taking risks, and having
fun. Top
School Day and Calendar
UCAP operates
on the same calendar as the public schools in
the participating cities, with some exceptions.
Each year, parents receive a yearly calendar,
and calendars of upcoming events are mailed each
month. Hours of the regular school day are as
follows:
-
Monday 8:45
a.m. 3:00 p.m.
-
Tuesday
8:45 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
-
Wednesday
8:45 a.m. 3:00 p.m.
-
Thursday
8:45 a.m. 1:45 p.m.
-
Friday 8:45
a.m. 1:45 p.m.
On most days
there are many optional Beyond School enrichment
programs that extend the school day. On school
days, the office is open from 8:00 a.m. 4:30
p.m. During vacations and the summer, the school
is generally open from 9:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. In
most cases, messages that are left on the
answering machine will be returned by the end of
the day. Top
School Cancellations
In the event of
bad weather or other unexpected problems, school
will close when (and only when) the city of
Providence cancels school. For more information
on a specific day, parents should call the
school and listen to the outgoing message if no
one answers. Top
Transportation
Students who
live in Providence and whose homes are more than
1.5 miles from school, will be supplied RIPTA
bus passes and will use public transportation.
Students from Central Falls will be provided
with a regular school bus that will bring
students to and from school on a route and
schedule developed by the school department. For
special events and programs that take place
during non-school hours, students will be
provided RIPTA tokens if parents are unable to
arrange other transportation. Top
Curriculum
The Urban
Collaborative is based upon the practice of
accelerated promotion in grade so that a student
can complete more than one grade in one year.
Students can remain at UCAP for only two years
and are expected to complete three grade levels
of work. Students who attend UCAP for only one
year will be expected to complete two grade
levels in that time. At UCAP, students take four
core academic subjects: English, Math, Science,
and Social Studies. Advanced classes in Biology
and Algebra are also offered after school and
during the summer. The specific curriculum for
the core subjects is outlined in UCAPs
curriculum guide. This curriculum is closely
aligned with Rhode Island grade-level
expectations and the curriculums of the
participating school districts. At all times,
teachers try to employ best practices for
student learning, and teachers work as a group
to ensure that students are presented with clear
messages regarding their achievement in school.
Students can receive extra help after school and
on most Saturday mornings. Students are promoted
in grade in a core subject when they complete
the requirements for that course, and teachers
work hard to see that students understand the
requirements for each subject when they start
school. The class size at UCAP is approximately
17 students and a special education teacher is
available to assist any student needing extra
help during the regular school day. Parents will
be informed of student progress through
quarterly report cards and through progress
reports that are sent at the midpoint of each
quarter. Students who are not making the kind of
progress that is expected by teachers, will be
involved in several programs to assist and
encourage students toward better work.
Ultimately, students who are not performing
according to expectations may be placed on
probation and may be asked to leave the school.
The staff will make all efforts to inform
parents about student progress and to involve
parents and guardians in plans of improvement.
Meetings are available with all teachers upon
request and weekly progress reports, via phone
calls from the school counselor, can usually be
provided at the request of a parent. Top
The Classroom
Students from
grades 7, 8, and 9 are heterogeneously mixed in
each class and students remain with the same
teachers for their entire time at UCAP. Classes
are generally one hour long but can be as long
as two hours. Most classes are divided by
activities in which students are instructed as a
group, and other activities where students work
on their own or in small groups. At UCAP, a
great deal of emphasis is placed on reading and
writing in all subjects. Students are given many
opportunities for silent reading and for
conferencing with a teacher or another student
about things they have read or written. Students
will also spend time in all classes on
strategies related to problem solving. Students
will be expected to understand the ideas and
concepts presented in class and to demonstrate
this understanding in a variety of ways.
Generally, teachers do not make much use of
short objective tests or other traditional
methods of assessment. Instead, students will
take part in projects and will demonstrate their
understanding through such things as poster
boards, oral presentations, research papers,
creative writing, or computer projects. Also,
textbooks are rarely used at UCAP. Instead,
teachers create learning programs and units for
students based upon the schools written
curriculum, student needs and interest, and
world events. Top
Homework
At UCAP,
homework is available to students at all times.
Although teachers may not assign the kind of
traditional homework that students have had in
previous schools, students can always obtain
serious and challenging work that will help them
accelerate in grade. Students at UCAP should
read every night in a place suited for quiet
study and concentration. Parents are encouraged
to participate in their childs reading by
asking questions and talking to them about their
reading. On almost evey day of the year,
students can also get additional work from their
teachers. Students who do homework are those who
will accelerate in grade and succeed at UCAP.
Students who do not do homework generally do not
do well at UCAP. Students can receive help with
homework after school and most Saturday
mornings. Top
Use of Computers
At UCAP,
students have many opportunities to work on
computers. Throughout the school, UCAP has
approximately 50 computers available for student
use. These computers are located in all
classrooms and in two computer labs in the
library. All student computers are connected to
a high-speed internet line. In addition, all
students will be required to take an elective
computer course that will provide them with
instruction on how to use computers in the most
valuable and helpful ways possible. At UCAP,
precautions are taken to make sure students do
not misuse computers to visit inappropriate
websites or to access files that belong to
others. As part of our efforts to ensure safety
of all students and proper use of school
computers, parents will be asked to sign an
agreement regarding the use of technology at
UCAP. Naturally, students who intentionally
misuse computers will face serious consequences.
Students are encouraged to use computers for
reports and school projects, and to use
computers as a tool for research that will help
in their own learning. Top
Counseling and Support
All
adolescents, particularly those who are at-risk,
are faced with many challenges. With this in
mind, UCAP has made the commitment to provide
counseling and support for students. UCAP
utilizes a case management approach under the
direction of the schools full-time, licensed
social worker, and a counselor. Prior to a
students enrollment in UCAP, the school social
worker, school counselor, or a teacher will make
a visit to the students home to conduct an
orientation interview with the student and his
or her parent. During the year, the school
social worker and counselor meet with all the
UCAP students through in-school appointments
and/or home visits. When the need arises,
students and families are referred to medical
and community outreach agencies beyond UCAP. At
UCAP, all students participate in an advisor
group of approximately 10 -15 students and staff
members. Students check in with their advisor
groups each morning at the school community
meeting. Advisor groups meet for at least one
session of 30 minutes each week to talk about
school issues or other topics of concern and
interest to students who attend UCAP. Advisors
try to stay in close contact with each of their
advisees, and often can be helpful to students
and parents when questions arise at school.
Some students
participate throughout the year in group
discussions headed by the school social worker
or a licensed counselor from the community.
These groups are held during the school day and
afford students with the opportunity to voice
concerns and opinions, and to receive support.
After a student
has left UCAP, the school continues to extend
support through a counselor who assists students
in making the transition to other schools. In
addition, the counselor meets with the students
new counselors and teachers to lend whatever
support they can.
Student Behavior
At UCAP, all
students are expected to show courtesy and
respect to everyone in the building. School
rules are built around this main idea and issues
of respect and behavior are discussed in
classrooms, advisor groups, parent meetings, and
school morning meetings. Students are expected
to cooperate with each other and to accept the
many differences that are evident among adults
and children at UCAP. Students will be informed
about how to understand and handle such things
as sexual harassment, intimidation by other
students, or general meanness toward others.
Students will be encouraged to speak to each
other when they have problems and develop
solutions that will allow each student to
succeed in school.
Minor to
moderate infractions of school rules can result
in a range of consequences such as detention,
community service to the school, separation from
other students for a brief period of time, or
loss of some privileges that are extended to
most students. Any staff member can give these
consequences and students will be expected to
fulfill consequences in a prompt manner. When
students refuse to follow consequences, parents
will be contacted for involvement in addressing
the issue at hand and helping develop a suitable
outcome to the problem.
A student
discipline committee may also handle many
infractions of school rules and issues
surrounding relationships of individuals in
school. The committee is comprised of
approximately 10 students and is overseen by a
staff memmber. This committee rotates throughout
the year so that all students serve at least one
time on a discipline committee. This committee
hears cases presented to it by students or staff
and makes decisions about proper consequences or
other actions. Students who receive a
consequence with which they disagree may appeal
the decision to the Director of the school.
The committee
strives to find consequences that are not merely
punitive, but that include some form of
restitution. For example, a student caught
defacing school property might be asked to
perform custodial tasks before school in the
morning. Other common consequences have included
the following: public apologies, in-house
suspension, after-school detention, Saturday
detention, loss of privileges, parent meetings,
and extra assignments. The discipline committee
does not have the power to suspend a student,
but can make a request of the Director to do so.
Suspensions and Removal from
UCAP
Students in
UCAP must realize that their attendance at this
school is a privilege, and that they are here in
order to accelerate in grade. UCAP operates as a
resource and a program of the participating
school departments. All students who participate
in UCAP are at the school at the discretion of
the teachers, director, and the board of
superintendents. Students should demonstrate,
through their actions, that they want to remain
in this school. When students are asked to leave
UCAP, they will return to a school in their
local district, and may be subject to discipline
pursuant to the rules of their local school
district. Generally, there are three reasons why
a student may be asked to leave UCAP: poor
attendance, lack of effort, and poor behavior.
In the cases of
poor attendance and/or lack of effort in school,
the staff of UCAP will make every effort
possible to see that the student corrects these
problems, with the help of that students parent
or guardian. In chronic cases, where a student
has made no progress in correcting these
problems, the student will be placed on
probation for a specific period of time, and the
parent will be notified that the student is on
probation. During the period of probation, the
student will meet on a regular basis with a
staff member who has been assigned to oversee
the probation, and to help the student
successfully meet the requirements of the
probation. If the student has not met the
requirements of his/her probation by the end of
the probationary period, the student may be
asked to leave UCAP, and will return to a school
in his/her district. Students who successfully
meet the requirements of the probation will be
allowed to remain in school, and may or may not
be kept on probation. Top
Suspensions
In cases where
a students behavior requires immediate
attention, and a serious response from UCAP, a
student may be suspended or removed from the
school. Serious behavior problems include such
things as fighting; intimidation of or threats
toward another person in school; possession of
contraband that may be harmful or dangerous to
another person in school; chronic disregard of
school rules and policies; or other actions that
may threaten the safety and security of persons
in the school. Behaviors that may result in
suspension or removal can occur at school or off
school property, or at any event that is school
sponsored or related. This is especially true of
situations in which students from the school
have a problem and engage in a fight off school
property during non-school hours. Such students
can be suspended or removed from the school
because they have not taken advantage of
opportunities at school to resolve the conflict,
and their fight, even if off campus during
non-school hours, is likely to disrupt the
educational process at the school. The decision
about whether to suspend a student will rest
with the director. In his/her absence, this
decision can be made by the person in charge in
the office. Suspensions will last no longer than
ten days. The student shall be notified of the
charges against him/her. Before a student is
suspended, the student will have a chance to
present his/her side of whatever problem has
occurred, unless the students presence
endangers persons or property, in which case the
student shall be removed immediately and given a
hearing shortly thereafter. Whenever a student
is suspended, his/her parent or guardian will be
notified of the reason for the suspension, the
date on which the student will be allowed back
to school, and any other conditions relating to
the students suspension. Top
Removal
In cases where
suspension is not deemed to be an adequate
punishment, or when it is deemed that a student
and/or UCAP will be best served by the departure
of a student, that student will be asked to
leave the Urban Collaborative, and will return
to a school in his/her district. In these cases,
when the director deems that the student must
leave UCAP, the student will be provided with
written notice of the reason for the removal and
notice of the students opportunity to request a
hearing. If such a request is made, the student
will be given a hearing to determine if such an
offense has occurred, and if this offense merits
removal from school. Depending upon the severity
of the incident, the students sending district
may impose its own discipline, including but not
limited to, short or long term suspension. If
this is the case, the sending district will
provide the student with the appropriate due
process rights regarding the suspension and
removal. Top
Hearing and Appeals
In cases where
a student and his/ her parent do not agree with
a decision of the director regarding the removal
of a student from UCAP and back to the students
district, appeals can be made directly to the
director. These appeals should be made in
writing by the parent or guardian not more than
five days after being notified of a decision
regarding the removal of a student from UCAP.
Upon receipt of a written appeal, the director
will schedule a hearing with a hearing officer
who has been duly appointed by the UCAP Board of
Superintendents to hear appeals and to make
decisions about such appeals on behalf of the
Board of Superintendents. The hearing officer
will render a written decision no more than ten
days after the date of the hearing and provide a
copy of the decision to the student. At the
hearing, the parent and student are entitled to
their own legal counsel, if they so wish. They
may cross-examine witnesses and present
evidence. A stenographers record will be kept
of the hearing. Parents or students, who may
require translators or any special services that
will assist the them in communicating their case
to the hearing officer, should make such
requests in the letter of appeal. Upon a
decision by the hearing officer appointed by the
Board of Superintendents, the parent and child
have the right of further appeal to the
Commissioner of Education, in accordance with
the appropriate rules and regulations of the
Rhode Island Department of Education. Top
Parental Role
At UCAP we
believe that students have a much greater chance
of succeeding if the parents and the school
communicate regularly. While the school will
make every effort to inform all parents of
student events and progress through letters,
reports, and notices, the most effective way for
parents and teachers to understand each other is
through conversations and meetings. Parents are
urged to call school at any time for quick
reports of student behavior and academic
progress. Parents are also urged to call school
and set up meetings at their convenience. When
deemed necessary by the school, parents will be
called and asked to come to school for meetings
with appropriate staff. On a more informal
basis, parents will be invited to help out at
dances, field trips, or special events for
parents at the school. Parents are also welcome
to visit school at any time; visits to a
classroom can usually be arranged.
Prior to
applying for UCAP, parents sign an agreement
between themselves and the school. This
agreement is as follows:
As a parent or
guardian, I agree:
-
To work
with our child and see that he/she completes
summer work for UCAP.
-
To make
ourselves available to meet with teachers
when it is necessary or helpful to review
progress at UCAP.
-
To make
sure that our child attends school everyday,
on time, and to call the school if anything
prevents attendance on any given day.
-
To make
every effort to attend special functions
that are held at UCAP.
-
To stay in
touch with the school and do everything
possible to see that our child comes to
school every day.
To support the
consequences given to my child when he/she does
not behave or perform to our expectations.
Finally, the
most important thing parents can do is to make
sure their children are ready for school each
day and focused on the importance of school in
their lives. Parents can make sure that children
are home in the evening at a proper time and
have a quiet place to do homework. Parents can
make sure that students get to bed at a
reasonable hour and are awake and prepared for
school on time each day, with things the student
may need for a good day at school. Parents can
call school when their child tells them
something about school that seems unusual,
confusing, or disturbing. Parents can recognize
that UCAP is a special place that seeks to work
with students who need a second chance to
succeed and that the staff is trying to help
each and every student. Parents can try to
understand that they can be an advocate for
their own child, but that the school must make
decisions that are in the best interest of all
students in the school. Sometimes, the best
interest of an individual student or small group
of students may clash with the best interests of
the larger school community. In the end, UCAP
feels that it can be most successful when it
operates in an atmosphere of mutual trust
between parents and the school. UCAP will do
everything it can to merit and maintain this
trust. Top
Other things at UCAP
Specials: Aside
from core academic subjects, UCAP will offer
students the chance to choose special classes
that take place several days per week. These
classes are offered so that students have a
chance to explore new things and gain knowledge
that will be helpful to them in the future. Some
of these specials will be required of a student
and others will be electives. These specials
include such things as various art courses,
computers, sex education, cooking, sewing,
choir, brother to brother and sister to
sister, youth law, and other areas that might
be of interest to students. Reports of student
progress in specials will be included on
quarterly report cards mailed to parents.
Beyond School
Programs: UCAP offers students a wide range of
extra programs that take place after school, on
weekends, during vacation, and over the summer.
These programs are optional and offered to all
students, providing they have parental
permission. In most cases, transportation during
non-school hours will be provided by public
transportation and UCAP will supply bus tokens
to students. Naturally, parents are always
welcome to arrange their own transportation.
Programs that take place at school are such
things as homework club, art classes, chorus,
video games, chess, dance, and other things that
can be done on school grounds. Programs that
take place away from school have included such
things as hiking, fishing, golfing, rock
climbing, basketball, volleyball, bowling, games
of capture the flag, canoeing, kayaking and
field trips to museums, the theatre, sporting
events, movies, Six Flags, New York City or
other places of interest. In most cases,
provided there is room, parents are very welcome
to attend and participate. Generally, friends of
students will not be allowed to attend these
events. Siblings or other relatives will often
be welcome provided the parent can also attend.
Physical
Education: At UCAP, there is not a regular
PE class built into the school day. At lunch,
students have about 15 minutes of free time to
go outside for air and exercise. However, there
is no traditional PE class. Instead, all
students are expected to participate in PE
programs through the Beyond School programs
offered all year long. Specifically, each
student is expected to accumulate 30 hours of
these activities in order to obtain a PE credit.
Students who do not obtain a PE credit, place
themselves in the position of not having enough
credits when they enter high school. Students
who participate in organized community teams or
athletic programs can have some of this time
recognized by the school for their PE credit.
Community
Service: Students at UCAP are encouraged to
participate in programs and activities that
benefit others. These programs can take place at
the school or elsewhere in Rhode Island. In some
cases, participating in community service can
also count as PE credit. In cases where
community service takes place during non-school
hours, students will be expected to have a
signed permission slip. Top
Incentives, Recognition, Awards
At UCAP, we
recognize that many students accomplish great
things to prepare themselves for success in high
school. To move students toward these great
things, we offer incentives such as treats at
lunch, pizza lunches, lunches out at
restaurants, special privileges like going to
lunch early, early dismissal from school (with
parental permission), and other things that
might be appealing. We also try to recognize
students whenever possible at the morning school
meeting, and we send out happy grams when
students achieve something noteworthy such as
accelerating in a subject or doing a good deed
for someone. Top
Interscholastic Sports
The only
Interscholastic sport in which UCAP participates
in is boys basketball in the 8th grade league.
Most students at UCAP are at an appropriate age
to take part in this activity. Top
English Version |
Spanish
Version | Portuguese
Version
