AP Computer Science with Mr. Ferrante

Cupertino High School, August 2011

Course Description

Welcome to AP Computer Science! APCS is an academic course that focuses on problem solving, algorithm development, programming methodology, data structures, and abstraction. As an Advanced Placement course, APCS is equivalent to an introductory UC-level college course in computer science. By the end of the year you will be able to

· Understand the design, structure, and coding practices of object-oriented programming

· Design and implement computer based solutions to applied problems

· Understand, develop, and select well-known algorithms and data structures to solve problems

· Read and understand the design, decisions, and coding practices for large programs

· Understand the function of major hardware and software components of a computer system

· Explore and discuss the ethical and social implications of computer use

Grades

Your grade is weighted as follows: Labs & Homework 40% Tests/Quizzes 60%

A ³ 90% B ³ 80% C ³ 70% D ³ 60% F < 60%

Grades are semester-cumulative. I do not average quarter grades. Final grades are rounded to the nearest whole percentage. For example, a grade of 89.4% is a B and 89.5% is an A. Unlike final grades, progress reports include plusses and minuses for grades within 2 percentage points of the respective boundary. Progress reports are calculated to the nearest tenth. For example, an A+ is 98.0% and up. An A- is 90.0% to 92.0%.

Your lowest exam score, not including the final, will be dropped each semester. No makeup tests are allowed with the exception of excused medical emergencies and school-related activities that you tell me about in advance. Unexcused absences cannot be made up. If you have an excused absence on the day of a test you’ll have to take a separate un-curved exam when you return.

Homework and Academic Honesty Policy

You are encouraged to help other students in this course. You may help each other outline programs and solve problems using paper and pencil. You may also help another student debug his/her code as long as the student’s code stays on his or her own computer or is posted to our APCS Discussion Board. Then everyone can help you and I can see who got help from whom. Post only the parts that are giving you trouble. If you’re struggling to complete an assignment or life gets too busy, you have the option of turning your program later in for late credit. You still get a B for one or two days late and a C for up to a week late. After that, it’s a zero. If you need an extension, please tell me about it on the assignment’s due date. Just don’t give up and turn in your own version of someone else’s code. It doesn’t pay off. Using someone else’s code as part of yours or as a template is considered cheating and will get you in more trouble than you realize. It’s important to me that students find their own solutions to the problems given. When it comes down to writing programs, you are required to work independently. You may not copy any part of another person's program nor use it as a template for your own program. If you do so, you and whomever you copied from, if applicable, may be removed from the class and your college admissions may be affected.

AP Policy

At the end of the year you will be taking the AP Computer Science exam. Although grades in APCS correlate very strongly to AP Scores on their own, there are occasional exceptions. In such cases, your solid performance on the AP Exam can bump your grade up provided that you have never been cited for a cheating violation.

APCS HW + APCS Overall + AP Score = Guaranteed APCS Overall Grade

90%      88%           5             A
85%      78%           5             B
70%      Any           5             C
85%      78%           4             B
70%      65%           4             C
Any      Any           < 4           No change

Supplies

· A computer at home with the following software installed:

o Java SE Development Kit (JDK) version 5 or better

o JCreator LE

o BlueJ

o Internet access

· “Composition” notebook for notes and warm-ups

· Having a laptop with wireless access is extremely useful but not required.

Help

Besides the millions of online Java help pages and tutorials, I’m available during tutorial, and from halfway through 7^th period to 4pm. Additionally, we’ll have an online Discussion Board to answer questions and have everyone help each other.

Tardy Policy and Classroom Rules

Tardies

You are allowed three tardies each quarter. A fourth tardy and every second tardy thereafter earns a 30-minute detention with the office.

Attendance

This is an AP class. Either come every day or drop the class. For a legal absence, you have as many days as you were absent to make up homework and you are additionally responsible for keeping up with the current homework. If you miss class to participate in a school activity, you are fully responsible for obtaining and completing regular homework. You are not allowed to makeup or turn in homework for unexcused absences.

Cell Phones, CD Players, etc.

If you carry them in your backpack and the sound is turned off, that’s fine. However, if I see or hear anything, it’s my job to turn them in to the office. I hold the school record for cell phones confiscated.

Parents

Please feel free to contact me whenever you have questions or concerns. E-mail is the best way to reach me: eric_ferrante@fuhsd.org. You can also leave me a voice message at school: 366-7388 x4845. If you have Internet access, please register for School Loop. Most of your student’s teachers will be using it for communication. Register at http://cupertino.schoolloop.com.

Student Signature ____________________ Parent Signature ____________________

Student Name _______________________ Parent Name _______________________
(Print) (Print)

Visit

http://www.MrFerrante.com