OUR ACADEMICS 

Benton Hall Academy

Base Curriculum

We follow the Tennessee State Standards for all levels and all subjects.

BENTON HALL ACADEMY LOWER/MIDDLE SCHOOL

Benton Hall Academy starts at grade 3 with grades 3, 4 and 5 being considered lower school and grades 6, 7 and 8 considered middle school. The lower and middle school follow the Tennessee State Standards for all subjects but are able to adjust the pace and provide modifications and/or accommodations for each student as needed.

  • Math:
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt GoMath
  • Go Math! combines trusted content, practice, and games with user-friendly tools aimed at guiding every learner toward mastery.
  • Reading and Language Arts:
  • Spectrum Learning: Reading, Language Arts, Spelling, and more.
  • Spectrum provides solutions for parents who want to help their children get ahead and for teachers who want their students to meet and exceed set learning goals. Spectrum partners with you in supporting your child's educational journey every step of the way.
  • 6+1 Traits of Writing:
  • Ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation: Everything you need to teach and assess student writing with this powerful model.
  • Science & Social Studies
  • Social Studies Weekly
  • Science Weekly
  • American History Curriculum: Peacefield History
  • Critical thinking, historical inquiry, cooperative learning, and educational technology
  • IXL
  • IXL is for subjects including Math, Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
  • IXL is used to to close learning gaps for all students. It provides solutions-differential learning, assessments, interactive classes, and real rewards. It is an accessible, all-in-one resource of ed-tech tools.

BENTON HALL ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL

For all high school students enrolled at Benton Hall Academy, twenty-two (22) credits are required for a diploma. The diploma requirements include:

 

  • Math: 4 credits, including Algebra I & II, Geometry and a fourth higher level math course. Algebra IA, Algebra IB, Geometry A and Geometry B are offered as well. (Students must be enrolled in a mathematics course each school year.
  • Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Algebra I & II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, Statistics, Bridge Math & Applied Mathematical Concept.
  • Our grades 9-12 math curriculum engages every learner in mathematical thinking.
  • English: 4 credits
  • Scott Foresman Literature:
  • Comprehensive, well-regarded, thorough take on all things literature throughout the grade levels.
  • Science: 3 credits, including Biology, Chemistry or Physics, and a third lab course
  • Social Studies: 3 credits, including U.S. History and Geography, World History and Geography, U.S. Government and Civics, and Economics
  • Physical Education and Wellness: 1.5 credits
  • Personal Finance: 0.5 credits (Three years of JROTC may be substituted for one-half unit of Personal Finance if the JROTC instructor attends the Personal Finance training.)
  • Foreign Language: 2 credits (May be waived for students not going to a University to expand and enhance the elective focus)
  • Fine Arts: 1 credit (May be waived for students not going to a University to expand and enhance the elective focus)
  • Electives: 3 credits

 

SENIOR SERVICE REQUIREMENTS

For seniors who are looking to obtain the TN Promise Scholarship, you must complete and submit 8 hours of community service. For more information, click the button below.

TN Promise Scholarship Community Service Requirements

TESTING

BHA tests students with the NWEA MAP battery of tests in the Fall, Winter and Spring to assess their placement and progress. Students in grades 3-10 will be given the ACT Aspire each spring.


ACT


High School students are required to take the ACT in order to graduate. It is recommended that Juniors take the ACT at least once during their Junior year, preferably in the spring and then if they are planning to attend college may retake it their Senior year.

Students may opt to take the test at a national testing center on the regular test date. Otherwise, if needed, they may request accommodations such as testing at BHA and extended time. The first step is to register online. Please refer to this website for more information about testing accommodations: http://www.act.org/content/act/en/products-and-services/the-act/services-for-examinees-with-disabilities.html

To request accommodations for an administration of the ACT, examinees must first:

1. Create an ACT web account, or log in to an existing account

2. Register for a test date – request accommodations if necessary

3. Return the ACTConsent-to-Release-Information form to BHA (bring into school or email to m.reynolds@bentonhallacademy.org)

4. Once an examinee has registered online for the ACT, ACT will automatically email instructions (with Subject: Requesting Accommodations on the ACT) regarding how to work with a qualified school official to request accommodations and submit supporting documentation via the Test Accessibility and Accommodations System (TAA). Forward the accommodation e-mail to m.reynolds@bentonhallacademy.org asap

Note: The basic fees for accommodated testing are the same.


For a better chance of having accommodations approved make sure that your child’s psychoeducational evaluation and any other paperwork on file at BHA is up to date (within 3 years).

ACADEMIC HONOR CODE 

Benton Hall Academy believes an important dimension of education is honesty and the independent process of discovery and self-actualization. Practically and academically, if you as a student compose an essay using another’s words, if you permit someone to do your homework, if you copy someone else’s notes for a take-home test, if you collaborate without permission or without stating so, you are not learning and you are gaining unfairly through the efforts of others. These are forms of academic dishonesty.

Benton Hall Academy also insists upon proper use and citation of research materials.

To avoid plagiarism, a student must footnote everything that is not a result of personal thinking, except for what is common knowledge. Direct quotations must be framed in quotation marks and documented. Paraphrases, the translation of ideas and facts into one’s own words, must also be documented. On-line resources must be cited as rigorously as any other source of information. If there are questions or concerns while writing a paper, a student should consult a teacher.

Academic dishonesty may be treated both as an academic concern and as a disciplinary concern. A repeated plagiarism offense may jeopardize the student’s tenure at Benton Hall Academy.

COURSE SELECTION DROP/ADD

If a student feels a change in his/her schedule is necessary, the student should secure the appropriate change form from the Dean of Students and return the form to the Dean’s office. The Dean and Guidance Counselor will then determine whether the change is necessary and should be made.

GRADING PERIODS AND COMMENTS

The school calendar is divided into four grading periods over two semesters. A progress report is posted on Sycamore Education 3 and 6 weeks into the quarter. An official report card will be posted to Sycamore at the end of each nine week marking period.

HONOR ROLL

There are three levels of Honor Roll announced at the end of each semester. The Headmaster’s List is composed of students with all A’s, the Dean’s List is composed of students with A’s and B’s, and the Honors List is composed of students with a B average without a D in any class. All graded courses factor into the Honor Roll calculation.

GRADING SCALE

90-100

80-89

70-79

60-69

59 and Below

Incomplete

Due date must be arranged by student with the teacher


TESTS

If a student is scheduled for three tests on a single day, he or she is entitled to have a test rescheduled for another time if such rescheduling is done at least a day ahead of time – this is the student’s responsibility. Students should pay careful attention to upcoming test dates to avoid an overload. A student may enlist the help of the Dean of Students in establishing a workable new schedule with the teachers involved.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS/GRADING

The student is the primary person responsible for his or her learning. All students at Benton Hall Academy have the ability to succeed and earn high grades.


Grades are based upon your effort in class, homework, class work, tests, and projects. Homework is necessary to reinforce concepts taught in the class and is a vital part of the education at Benton Hall Academy. Extra credit work will not be accepted until all required work is completed.


In order to receive ½ credit for a semester class, an overall grade average must be a 60 or above. Due dates for incomplete grades and assignments must be arranged with the teacher involved. If a student is absent, it is the student’s responsibility to ask each teacher about the work missed and the date it is due.