Policies

Please be advised that:

York Early College Academy's policies are compliant with New York City, New York State, and Federal laws.
Many school policies are external mandates over which YECA has limited to no control.
Independent school policies are established to best serve students and are reviewed as deemed necessary.
Questions regarding school policy should be directed to the Assistant Principals or the Principal.

Cell Phones (and other personal electronic devices)

In today's digital age, cell phones have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, to ensure a focused and conducive learning environment, we have implemented a cell phone policy at YECA. Our policy aims to strike a balance between allowing students to have access to their devices while also minimizing distractions in the classroom. Please reference Chancellor’s Regulation A-411 for further information.

Cell phones and other electronic devices MAY NOT be used to photograph, record (neither picture, sound, nor both) any student or staff member on school premises at any time.

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

* Refers to all scholars following the Middle School & High School sequence and taking classes at the Richard Grossley I.S. 8 Campus.

Grades 6-10 and
Students in grades 11 and 12 who do not meet the academic requirements to participate in the college program.

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

* Refers to all scholars participating in the dual enrollment program on the York College Campus, (typically Grades 11-12).

Cell phones and other personal electronic devices including airpods, earbuds, and headphones MAY NOT be turned on or used during instructional time, hallway passing and while waiting to use the bathroom, except for instructional and educational purposes with the explicit approval of the teacher.

Cell phones and other personal electronic devices including airpods, earbuds, and headphones MAY be used during the following non-instructional times of the school day: during arrival in the auditorium and student’s lunch period only in the student cafeteria.

To support our MIDDLE SCHOOL SCHOLARS with cell phone regulation, at the beginning of each class, all 6th and 7th grade scholars will be instructed to:

Put their phones and other personal electronic devices including airpods, earbuds, and headphones on silent and in their backpacks
Take out the materials needed for the class period
Place their backpacks in front of the classroom.

Please note, scholars will not be allowed to access their backpacks for the duration of their class period(s). Families may call the main office in case of an emergency.

As high school students participating in college courses on the York College CUNY campus, it is essential to demonstrate academic discipline and present yourselves as aspiring adults who understand the importance of self-discipline.To support a focused and professional learning environment, the following cell phone policy will be in effect:

Classroom Use: Cell phones and other personal electronic devices including airpods, earbuds, and headphones MUST be silenced and put away during all classes, labs, and instructional sessions. Texting, social media use, and calls during these times are strictly prohibited.
Academic Use: If a cell phone is needed for academic purposes (e.g., accessing course materials or participating in polls), it may be used with the instructor’s explicit permission.
Common Areas: In common areas, such as hallways or lounges, students may use their phones discreetly, ensuring they do not disrupt others or cause distractions.
Emergency Situations:Students can use their cell phones to contact family members or authorities in an emergency. However, this should be done in a way that minimally disrupts the learning environment.
Consequences for Non-Compliance:
First Offense: The student will receive a warning, and parents will be notified of the infraction.
Second Offense: The student must meet with CCT and school administration, and their parents will be contacted to discuss maintaining academic discipline.
Third Offense: The student may face further disciplinary actions, including potential removal from the college course program.
‍

Chancellor's Regulations

The New York City Department of Education's Chancellor's Regulations cover a wide range of policies, divided into four sections:

^{Volume A Regulations}

^{The regulations in Volume A address student-related issues, from admissions to promotion.}

^{Volume B Regulations}

^{These regulations address school-based budgeting.}

^{Volume C Regulations}

^{These regulations address employee issues, from hiring to termination.}

^{Volume D Regulations}

^{These regulations address parent and community involvement.}

Discipline Code

The Discipline Code is also known as the Citywide Behavioral Expectations to Support Student Learning. It:

Is age-specific with one set for grades K-5 and another for grades 6-12.
Explains the standards for behavior in the New York City public schools.
Describes supports, interventions, and disciplinary responses that schools can use when students demonstrate unwelcome behavior.
Explains how you can appeal decisions.
Includes the K-12 Student Bill of Rights and Responsibilities.

Ensuring that every child learns in safe, supportive, and inclusive schools is our top priority. To do this, we use preventive approaches that address the real causes of a conflict as well as reinforcing positive behaviors through teachable moments. The Discipline Code outlines the standards of behavior and the responses if these standards are not met. We encourage you to become familiar with these standards and discuss them at home.

The current version of the Discipline Code includes input from principals, teachers, safety administrators, parents, students, and advocacy groups.

Parents who want to discuss supports and interventions in response to student behavior should contact their child’s school, including the Parent Coordinator, or, if necessary, the Family Support Coordinator in your District Office. Please use our get help page for guidance about the appropriate people in your school or district to reach and for information to look up their contact information.

The Code of Conduct and District-Wide Safety Plan was posted for public comment on August 29, 2019 and was adopted on October 1, 2019 after a public hearing that was held on September 27, 2019.

In addition, the Citywide Behavioral Expectations to Support Student Learning (the Discipline Code), was posted for public comment on June 28, 2019 and was adopted on September 4, 2019 following engagement sessions that were held in each borough on June 29, July 1, July 2, July 16, July 17, July 29, July 30 (a city-wide session) and August 1 (for students) 2019. These were attended by various community members, including student, teacher, administrator and parent organizations, and security personnel.

NYC DOE Discipline Code

YECA Grading Policy

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

* YECA Campus refers to all scholars following the Middle School & High School sequence and taking classes at the Richard Grossley I.S. 8 Campus.

Grades 6-10 and
Students in grades 11 and 12 who do not meet the academic requirements to participate in the college program.

How are grades determined? The components of a grade will reflect both mastery and non-mastery measures. As outlined below, mastery grades show a student’s academic performance, and non-mastery grades will represent exhibition of the YECA Core Values – Service, Perseverance, Advocacy, Reflection, and Collaboration (SPARC)

I. Summative Assessments (40%)

The goal of a summative assessment is to evaluate student learning during or at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value.
Examples of summative assessments may include: Exams [Interim/Midterm/Final], Unit Tests, Quizzes, Projects, Presentations, Portfolios, Essays- Final Drafts

II. Formative Assessments (50%)

The goal of a summative assessment is to evaluate student learning during or at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have a high point value.
Examples of formative assessments may include: Homework, Classwork, Classroom discussion (Ex: turn and talk or group discussion), Essay Drafts, Entry/Exit tickets

II. Formative Assessments (50%)

Examples of SPARC Core Values may include:

Service

active leadership amongst peers and/or in the school community as a whole
service to teachers, YECA staff members and/or fellow students
consistent efforts and willingness to assist and support

Perseverance

persistence in working through challenges
handling adversity with grace and eloquence
diligent work toward achieving goals and/or aspirations

Advocacy

commitment to standing up for one’s own beliefs and values and/or those of others
integrity with one’s word and consistent and demonstrated capacity to take and justify stances on pertinent issues

Reflection

honest and critical self-reflection to identify strengths and areas for growth
consistent practice of metacognition and use of reflective insights for academic and social growth

Collaboration

ability to work harmoniously with any peer, teacher, or YECA staff member
instrumental in creating an environment for and supporting collaborative learning

YECA Best Practices

Teachers will post grades on Jupiter for all mastery and non-mastery assignments/assessments within 5-7 school days of the due date.
Homework and any other assignments assigned to students will be posted on Google Classroom by no later than 2:30 PM the day it was assigned in order for students and parents to be aware of the assignment. If assignments are posted after 2:30, then students will have an additional day to complete them. (For example, a teacher posts a HW assignment on Monday at 4pm. Scholars will have until Wednesday to complete the assignment.)
Criteria for Success will be transparent for all students for all assignments. These may include guidelines, expectations, rubrics, checklists, etc.
Students’ will have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their learning in various ways and/or modalities.

* If a student hands in work past a deadline without requesting an extension more than three times, late work without an official extension request will not be accepted.

Procedures for extenuating circumstances Extenuating circumstances for students typically refers to significant and unavoidable events or situations that may have affected academic performance or ability to meet certain requirements in which students are not attending school for an extended period of time. **Extenuating circumstances are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and documentation or evidence may be required to support a student's claim.

What is York Early College Academy’s policy and procedures around scholastic dishonesty? As an Early College school, YECA is committed to ensuring that students receive the preparation necessary to participate in college level courses. Scholastic dishonesty is the practice of passing off someone else’s work as your own and/or inappropriately using your own work. Examples of scholastic dishonesty include:

Cheating. For example, copying from someone else’s test paper; using unauthorized material during a test; collaborating with another during a test; knowingly using, buying, selling, stealing, or transporting, in whole or part, the contents of an un-administered test; substituting for another student or permitting another student to substitute for oneself to take a test; bribing another person to obtain a test that is to be administered; securing copies of or answers to a test in advance of the test.
Plagiarizing. For example, appropriating another’s work and using it as one’s own for credit without the required citation and attribution. This includes copying information – in whole or part – from the work of another student, internet, any other source (as well as artificial intelligence).

In the event that a student (or a group of students) engages in scholastic dishonesty, we will follow the NYC Department of Education’s Discipline Code to intervene. Possible interventions include, but are not limited to: parent outreach, referrals to guidance, conference with school leadership (Assistant Principal or Principal), in-school disciplinary actions, and suspension.

A, At YECA, we approach intervention with a leveled approach, as follows:

First time – Student will receive a zero for the assignment and the teacher of the course will contact the parent/guardian. Outreach will be documented and the scholar’s advisor and grade team will be updated on the incident. In order for the student to receive an opportunity to make-up the “zero”, they must complete the Plagiarism Webquest and submit it to the teacher of the class whose assignment was plagiarized. Upon successful completion, the teacher may give the student a make-up assignment.
Second time – Student will be referred to a student services department member for a conference including the student, parent and guidance counselor. The guidance counselor will update the grade team on the incident and conference.
Third time – Students will be referred to the Assistant Principal.

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

* YECA Campus refers to all scholars following the Middle School & High School sequence and taking classes at the Richard Grossley I.S. 8 Campus.

Grades 6-10 and
Students in grades 11 and 12 who do not meet the academic requirements to participate in the college program.

Grades earned for college coursework will be recorded on the high school and college transcript which will stay with students throughout their tenure at YECA and beyond.
Students are graded on performance in College courses. Each letter grade is assigned a quality point. The scholastic index (GPA) is computed by multiplying the total number of credits earned by the numerical index values of the grades and dividing the sum by the total number of credits attempted, including courses failed.
A summary of the College’s academic policies is available at this website: Academic Policies - Academics - York College (cuny.edu).
Mid-Semester Grades At the middle of the semester, all college professors submit a mid-semester evaluation of students enrolled
in their classes. These are not final grades. Its purpose is to give you an idea of how you are doing early enough so that you can seek help if you need it. We do not mail out grades for college credit bearing courses.
Final Grades in courses which carry college credit (with the exceptions indicated), the student is assigned a final grade.

Each course syllabus will include specific on the grading policy that will guide how your work is scores. Please be diligent in reviewing this syllabus with your child and utilize a planner (online or a hard copy) to develop the necessary college readiness skills for success.

Please pay attention to the following GPAs :

GPA 2.0 and below = C York College dismisses student after 2 semesters (Mandated Study Hall)
‍GPA 2.01- 2.49 = Student is on academic probation for two semesters (Mandated Study Hall)
‍GPA 2.5 = B - Student will be identified as at-risk of being dismissed from the college
GPA 2.51 - 3.49 Student qualifies to maintain college placement
GPA 3.5 = A- Invitation and celebration as a YECA Honors Scholar

*Student’s pass/fail will be in accordance with York College’s Academic Policy

YECA Uniform Expectations

Uniforms play a crucial role in maintaining a professional appearance and promoting a sense of unity and pride within York Early College Academy. As an early college school, we are preparing scholars for the collegiate academic setting, internships, community service and post-secondary experiences such as job interviews. As we strive to maintain a focused learning environment, it is essential that all students adhere to our uniform policy. We appreciate your cooperation in maintaining these standards.

This dress code is to help students present themselves in a manner that is respectful of the campus environment and conducive to academic success.
Our uniform policy will be enforced and follow up will be made with scholars and their families when necessary.
During presentations and formal events, scholars are advised to wear business attire that aligns with their personal style.

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

* Refers to all scholars following the Middle School & High School sequence and taking classes at the Richard Grossley I.S. 8 Campus.

Grades 6-10 and
Students in grades 11 and 12 who do not meet the academic requirements to participate in the college program.

College Campus (Grades 11-12)

* Refers to all scholars participating in the dual enrollment program on the York College Campus, (typically Grades 11-12).

ALL scholars on the YECA campus are required to wear the appropriate attire, as outlined below.

YECA Uniform Tops: Please purchase uniform shirts at
‍https://flynnohara.com/

Blue Uniform Polo and/or‍
Gray Uniform T-Shirt and/or
Blue T-shirt with school logo and/or
Sweater with school logo and/or
Fleece with school logo

Your choice of bottoms.

Bottoms can be bought from any store, and must be appropriate for the educational setting. We recommend jeans, skirts no shorter than your knees, loose fitting pants, and minimal to no rips.

Gym - Gray YECA P.E Shirt, pants appropriate for physical education such as sweatpants or mesh shorts, and sneakers.

ALL scholars on the college campus are required to wear the appropriate attire, as outlined below.

Professionalism: Clothing should be appropriate for a learning environment. Avoid revealing, distracting, or inappropriate attire for an academic setting. (This includes distracting images, words, or logos. Any language or graphics that are vulgar, discriminatory, or promote illegal activities are prohibited)

Your choice of tops.

Shirts, blouses, and tops should cover the torso, including the midriff, chest, and shoulders.
No low-cut tops, halter tops, crop tops, or tank tops are allowed.
Sleeveless tops are acceptable as long as they cover the shoulders and are not revealing.

Your choice of bottoms.

Bottoms can be bought from any store, and must be appropriate for the educational setting. We recommend jeans, skirts no shorter than your knees, loose fitting pants, and minimal to no rips.

Outerwear:

Jackets, coats, and hoodies are permitted, but hoods should not be worn indoors.
Oversized outerwear that obscures the body or face is not allowed.

York Early College Academy

Policies

Cell Phones (and other personal electronic devices)

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

Chancellor's Regulations

The New York City Department of Education's Chancellor's Regulations cover a wide range of policies, divided into four sections:

Volume A Regulations

The regulations in Volume A address student-related issues, from admissions to promotion.

Volume B Regulations

These regulations address school-based budgeting.

Volume C Regulations

These regulations address employee issues, from hiring to termination.

Volume D Regulations

These regulations address parent and community involvement.

Discipline Code

YECA Grading Policy

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

YECA Uniform Expectations

YECA Campus (Grades 6-10)

College Campus (Grades 11-12)

ServicePerseveranceAdvocacyReflectionCollaboration

York Early College Academy

^{Volume A Regulations}

^{The regulations in Volume A address student-related issues, from admissions to promotion.}

^{Volume B Regulations}

^{These regulations address school-based budgeting.}

^{Volume C Regulations}

^{These regulations address employee issues, from hiring to termination.}

^{Volume D Regulations}

^{These regulations address parent and community involvement.}

Service
Perseverance
Advocacy
Reflection
Collaboration