• Advanced Placement (AP) Biology Class Syllabus

    Clayton High School

    Susan Murray

     

    Contact Information

    E-mail: susanmurray@claytonschools.net

     

    A note to students enrolled in AP Biology: The Clayton High School AP Biology course is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college life science course. The course is designed for those students who are considering science as a major in college and/or wish to earn college credit in life science while attending high school. Consequently, the curriculum of this course is rigorous and students should be prepared to do a significant amount of reading, writing, and reflecting inside and outside of the classroom. The course will assist in preparation for the AP Biology exam which all students are strongly encouraged to take in May 2026.

     

    Students are expected to follow the Attendance and Technology Acceptable Use policies posted on the Clayton High School website as well as in the Clayton High School student handbook.

     

     

    I. My Responsibilities As Your “Lead Learner”

     

    • Our classroom will serve as a place for everyone to grow as learners in head and heart. 

     

    • Your assignments will be assessed, recorded, and returned to you in a timely manner. Assessment questions will be modeled after questions that you have encountered previously as part of in-class/homework assignments or previously administered formative assessments. 

     

    • I will do my best to provide constructive feedback on all of your homework assignments, quizzes, tests, and lab reports so that you understand your mistakes and how you can improve in the future. 

     

    • I will make myself available to any student who needs extra help with an assignment, assessment, or lab. You may make an appointment with me for before school, after school, during Greyhound Time, or during a shared free period.

     

     

    II. Attendance

     

    • Clayton High School values students being in class every day and recognizes the importance of regular student attendance to a successful learning experience. CHS recognizes that frequent absences of students from regular classroom learning experiences disrupt the continuity of the instructional process and that the benefits of classroom instruction, once lost, cannot be entirely regained. Partnering with the families of Clayton High School to increase student attendance has been mission critical. With these partnerships in mind and valuing the learning experience, below is our expectation of student attendance for all classes: 

      • A student will not be allowed more than EIGHT (8) absences per semester, excused or unexcused. On the ninth absence, “No Credit - Absences” (NCA) will be issued for the class. Students will need to serve a Greyhound Time detention to mitigate a class absence (One detention served will count for one class absence removed). If the student is failing the course at the end of the semester, an “F” will override the “NCA.” If the student is passing the class, an “NCA” will appear on the grade report to indicate that a passing grade was earned but credit was not awarded for that course due to lack of attendance in the class. For more information, please reference this document. 

        • Please note, Religious Observances, while excused, do not factor into the count of 8+ absences. 

     

    • If you miss an assignment, assessment, or lab as the result of an excused absence (see page 27) you must make up the assignment before school, after school, during Greyhound Time, or during a free period. You must contact Mrs. Murray at least one day in advance to make up an assignment. ALL ASSIGNMENTS/ASSESSMENTS MUST BE MADE UP WITHIN 3 DAYS OF THE ABSENCE. This policy includes laboratory activities.

     

    • You are responsible for getting any material/s from another student in class for the day(s) that you miss. I recommend sharing the names, phone numbers, and/or e-mail addresses of 2-3 classmates who will be willing to collect materials for you if you miss a day of class.

     

    • Do not expect me to remember to give you the assignments that you have missed. The best time to get

    caught up with work following an excused absence is before school, after school, during Greyhound Time, or during a free period. You must contact Mrs. Murray at least one day in advance to make up an assignment during a free period. The majority of handouts (if applicable) will be accessible from our Google Classroom. 

     

     

    III. Tardy Policy

    • Be sure that you are familiar with the tardy policy (see page 27) on the school website. You are tardy if you are not inside of the classroom and seated when the bell rings. Everyone receives one free tardy pass at the beginning of the semester. Three or more tardies will result in one or more detentions.

     

     

    IV. Classroom Expectations

    • It is essential that you do nothing that interferes with another student’s opportunity to learn inside of our learning space.

     

    • You must adhere to all safety procedures during lab activities. You risk endangering yourself and/or your classmates when you are not focused on completing a task safely. 

     

    • LATE ASSIGNMENTS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED UNLESS THE ABSENCE IS EXCUSED. ALL ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF CLASS ON THE DUE DATE UNLESS TOLD TO DO OTHERWISE. YOUR NAME, DATE, AND PERIOD SHOULD BE WRITTEN ON EACH ASSIGNMENT (IF APPROPRIATE) IN ORDER TO RECEIVE CREDIT.

     

    • There is ABSOLUTELY NO TALKING during assessments. If you choose to talk you will automatically receive a ZERO (0) on that quiz or test. No exceptions and no excuses.

     

    • Off-color language, put downs, and swearing (as determined by the teacher) will not be tolerated.

     

    • You are expected to have all of your materials for class with you before the bell rings. 

     

     

    V. Use of Personal Electronic Devices in the Classroom (To be Updated in 2025-26)

     

    • Our goal at Clayton High School is always to maintain a distraction free, academic environment. With this in mind, the use of electronic devices such as (but not limited to) cell phones and earbuds is prohibited during instructional time. Smart watches and similar wearable devices should be placed in airplane or school mode. The expectation is that all students will have these devices put away during instructional time unless the teacher has given permission for use in a specific instructional activity. Students who violate the personal electronic device expectations will be subject to progressive disciplinary consequences including, but not limited to, loss of privileges. Exceptions to this rule may apply based on accommodations included in a student’s 504, IEP or health plan. As a reminder, students should only access the internet through district-provided networks during the school day. For more information, please reference this document. 

     

     

    VI. School Policy on Plagiarism & Cheating

     

    • We will follow the expectations of the Clayton High School Statement of Academic Integrity (see page 30) and Plagiarism (see pages 31-32) in this course. If you have a question or a concern regarding this policy, please discuss it with Mr. Bergeron. 

     

    • UNLESS INSTRUCTED OTHERWISE, ALL LAB REPORTS AND OTHER ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE COMPLETED INDEPENDENTLY. ANY ASSIGNMENTS THAT APPEAR TO BE COPIED, PLAGIARIZED, AND/OR GENERATED WITH THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL NOT BE GRADED AND WILL REQUIRE A CONFERENCE WITH MR. BERGERON. THIS INCLUDES COPYING AND/OR PARAPHRASING FROM AN ONLINE SOURCE. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT CHEATING/PLAGIARIZING ON A TEST, QUIZ, HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT, OR LAB ACTIVITY YOU MAY NOT RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT.

     

    • Artificial Intelligence (AI) can assist in day-to-day tasks when one uses AI as a tool, not a substitute. Learners who use AI are expected to use it to supplement their own knowledge and ideas. AI should not be used as a substitute for critical thinking or original work. To do so risks violating our academic integrity policy and may result in consequences aligned with our academic misconduct policies. 

    • Always acknowledge the use of AI: If using any AI tool, students must clearly acknowledge their use of the tool. It must be cited as an outside source and the student must include a paragraph that explains what they used the AI for and what prompt(s) they used to get their results. This paragraph must be written by the student, not the AI.

    • Ensure accuracy: AI is a powerful tool, but it is not perfect. Students are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of any information or responses generated by AI. They should assume numbers and facts are wrong unless they have checked them for accuracy. Students will be responsible for any errors or omissions.

    • Avoid plagiarism: Using AI to generate content that is identical or substantially similar to another source without proper attribution is considered plagiarism. Students must ensure that any material generated by AI is properly cited, and that any paraphrasing is done in accordance with academic standards.

    • Follow the course objectives: Students who use AI must do so in a manner that is consistent with the course objectives. Assignments should be completed in a way that demonstrates an understanding of the course content and learning objectives, with AI serving as a tool to aid in that process, not as the main tool for completing the assignment.

     

     

    VII. Grading

    Your quarter and semester grades in this course will be determined using a weighted system. Simply put, every in-class and out-of-class assignment counts but not every assignment counts for the same percentage of your overall grade! If you have questions about your grade, please see me before or after class.

     

    Summative Assessments (e.g. unit tests, AP FRQs, post-quizzes) = 40%

    Lab (Participation & Write-ups; includes mini-labs) = 40%

    Homework assignments = 10%

    Final Exam = 10%

    Pre-quizzes/formative assessments = 0%

     

    We will follow the grade scale (see page 5) as described on the CHS website. 

     

    IMPORTANT Note on Grading #1: Assignment Completion for Course Credit

    Students must make a legitimate attempt to complete each and every lab report and summative assessment in order to earn credit for the course. 

     

    IMPORTANT Note on Grading #2: Use of PowerSchool Codes and Flags

    L: The assignment was submitted after the due date/time. No penalty assessed. 

     

    INS: Assignments that are not turned in on the due date will be marked with the “INS” code in PowerSchools. These assignments will initially receive 0% credit. However, these assignments can be turned in for full credit within five (5) calendar days. The score will be adjusted (if necessary) following resubmission of the assignment. A meeting with the instructor is required. 

     

    M: The assignment has been attempted but is less than 50% complete. These assignments will initially receive 49% credit. However, these assignments can be resubmitted within five (5) calendar days. The score will be adjusted (if necessary) following resubmission of the assignment. A meeting with the instructor is required. 

     

    FM: The assignment has been attempted but is less than 50% complete. The assignment has not been resubmitted within five (5) days. These assignments will receive 48% credit. These assignments can not be completed. The grade is final. 

     

     








    VIII. Revision Policy for Summative Assessments (Unit Tests & Lab Reports)

    You will have the opportunity to make revisions to summative assignments (i.e. unit tests and lab reports) during the 2025-26 academic year. 

     

    Summative Assessments

    • Take a look at the assessment correction "calculator" to see how many points you can earn for making revisions to your assessment. 

    • Use the assessment revisions protocol to correct/revise your original answers to the summative assessment.

    • Use the appropriate Google Doc to write your revisions.

    • Turn in your Doc through Google Classroom when you have finished.

    • You will have one (1) opportunity to make revisions to a summative assessment. These revisions should demonstrate a meaningful amount of reflection as well as a deeper understanding of the learning objective/s that were assessed. Additional opportunities to revise your work will not be offered this year. (Note: Consider your revisions to be equivalent to that of a test re-take in another course). 

    Lab Reports

    • After a lab report is returned to you, use the Explanation Tool Scoring Rubric to see how your report was assessed.

    • Use my feedback/comments to reflect on what you need to revise. 

    • Make the revisions to your lab report and turn in your work through Google Classroom. 

    • Lab report revisions are eligible for full credit (100% of the assignment value). 

    • You will have one (1) opportunity to make revisions to a lab report. These revisions should demonstrate a meaningful amount of reflection as well as a deeper understanding of the lab activity including data that were collected and analyzed. Additional opportunities to revise your work will not be offered this year.

     

     

    IX. Greyhound Time

    Clayton High School provides a common time each day to support the academic and personal growth of students. This time may be used in a variety of ways such as academic support (e.g. tutoring, reassessment, conferences), club meetings, LINK Crew meetings, exercise, and mental wellness activities. While students are encouraged to be proactive in meeting their academic needs, teachers may require students to come to office hours for additional assistance. The expectation is that students will prioritize their academic needs during this time. Failure to comply with teacher requests may result in a loss of privileges until their academic obligations are met and/or appropriate disciplinary action.