PRINCIPLES OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP (NFTE) MS. OUSLEY Dear Parents/Guardians: Your son/daughter is currently enrolled in the Principles of Entrepreneurship (NFTE) course. The following materials are attached: 1. Course Syllabus (pg. 2) 2. Confirmation of Syllabus Packet (pg. 5) *To be signed and handed in to teacher The syllabus was written to help your son/daughter grasp his/her educational responsibilities and my commitment to improve the learner s Internet skills, and computer operation/software application skills. Therefore, with your son/daughter s cooperation in and out of the classroom, my commitment to share the skills I have acquired in education and computer technology, and your positive support, Principles of Entrepreneurship (NFTE) should be a successful experience for your son/daughter. Please take time to read the attached syllabus and materials list. After reading the material, please ensure that the student has his/her materials to bring to class. Also, please sign the Confirmation of Syllabus Packet form (pg.5) and return the signed paper to me. Thank you for your time, support, and understanding. If you have any questions or concerns, please call me at Thornridge High School (708) 271-4650. I can also be reached via e-mail at Ousley.Dena@District205.net Sincerely, Ms. Dena Ousley PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN THE CONFIRMATION OF SYLLABUS SHEET (pg. 5) TO ME BY THE 4 TH DAY OF CLASS. PARENTS: PLEASE KEEP THIS TOP PAGE FOR YOUR REFERENCE. IT HAS MY CONTACT INFORMATION FOR YOU TO CONTACT ME AT ANYTIME.
Principles of Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 1 Credit Syllabus 2011-2012 Instructor: Ms. Dena Ousley Ousley.Dena@District205.net Phone: (708) 271-4650 Course Description: This Principles of Entrepreneurship class is a foundational course in entrepreneurship, which incorporates the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) curriculum in the District 205 business education framework. This course has been designed for students who are interested in business education, particularly entrepreneurship and small business management. Students must have successfully completed Educational and Career Technology with a minimum grade of C. In this course, the students will study the role of entrepreneurs in our free enterprise system. This course will enable students to acquire the knowledge and develop the skills needed to effectively organize, develop, create, and manage their own businesses. Activities will include reading, writing, discussion, direct and indirect research, business math, accounting principles, teamwork, networking, problem solving, applying technology, and decision-making. Students will develop business and marketing skills, including work readiness skills, customer service and sales techniques, inventory procedures and calculations, effective communications techniques, payroll calculations, and related marketing functions. Emphasis will also be placed on job search techniques, career opportunities and requirements, and appropriate workplace behaviors. The Secretary s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills (SCANS) competencies are integrated throughout the textbook, materials, and activities. The SCANS competencies include resources, interpersonal, information, systems and technology, basic skills, critical thinking, and personal qualities. Major Project: The culminating project is to develop a business plan for a new business operation of each student s choice. This plan will include a description of the business, location, products and services, analysis of completion, market survey and analysis, marketing strategies, organizational structure, legal issues, business forms, sales projections, and financial plans. 2
Course Objectives: The objectives of this course are designed to teach students everything they need in order to start and maintain their own small business. Students will gain an understanding about the role of entrepreneurs in our free enterprise society. They will discover what entrepreneurs do, learn about trends that shape the future for entrepreneurship relevant to job creation, compare and contrast personal attributes, and use technology to facilitate business decisions and basic operation. Also, learning the principles of entrepreneurship will teach students about how to negotiate, calculate return on investment, perform cost/benefit analysis, and keep track of income and expenses. Assessment: Students will receive a cumulative letter grade for this elective entrepreneurship course. The instructor will employ various methods to assess student learning and achievement. Such methods include, but are not limited to, daily class work, homework, quizzes, unit tests (True/False, Multiple Choice, Matching, Sentence Completion, and Short Answer), essays, oral presentations, vocabulary review, group activities, and teacher and peer evaluations. Students will also be responsible for maintaining a portfolio of class notes, newspaper, magazine, and Internet article reviews and summaries, and reflections about any field observations with professional mentors, guest speaker presentations, field trips, etc. The culminating project of this course is to prepare a basic business plan, for which a rubric will be used to evaluate such key components, as business idea, financial data, marketing analysis, and management and operations. Class Attendance and Procedures: Students are expected to be in class every day on time and prepared to positively contribute to our classroom environment. They must bring all necessary supplies, materials, books, and completed assignments to class as directed by the instructor. Materials for the Course: NFTE textbook, workbook, and supporting materials: Entrepreneurship 11 th Edition: Owning Your Future, by Steve Mariotti with Tony Towle, The National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship, 2010. Business Education Forum, magazines such as Entrepreneur, Black Enterprise, Hispanic Entrepreneur, Money, Forbes, and Fortune. Internet Sources online publications related to entrepreneurship. Classroom Equipment: Dell computers, a color printer, an overhead projector. Student Supplies (needed by the end of the 1 st week): Thumb drive, 2-inch 3 ring white binder with pockets, pencils/pens, and Spiral notebook. Software: Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher) Instructional Method: Lecture, demonstration, individualized self-paced activities, visual aids, Videos/TV Shows (i.e. Shark Tank and Undercover Boss), field trips, and guest speaker presentations. 3
Grade Assignments: 90-100%A 80-89% B 70-79% C 60-69% D 0-59% F Assignment/Make Up Work/Redo Policy: 1. ALL assignments must be turned in on the date they are assigned. Late assignments may receive half credit. If you forget to turn in an assignment, it is considered late and will be only given half credit. 2. All assignments may be made up within two days if missed due to absence. 3. When a student must be absent from class, it the student s responsibility to make up for the time missed to avoid falling behind in class. 4. All missed assignments and below-standard work may be made up or redone at the discretion of the instructor. It is the student s responsibility to come during Communication Period to get the assignments, study, get help as needed, and maintain passing scores on all work and evaluations. Ethics: Each student must submit his/her own work. If a student is found copying another student s work, both will receive no credit for the assignment and may be referred to his/her Dean. 4
Principles of Entrepreneurship (NFTE) CONFIRMATION OF SYLLABUS PACKET Period # I, HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND (Print Student s Name) THE REQUIREMENTS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THIS CLASS. MY PARENT/GUARDIAN HAS ALSO READ THIS DOCUMENT AS WELL. BY TURNING IN THIS DOCUMENT, I WILL RECEIVE TEN POINTS. THIS IS DUE BY THE FOURTH DAY OF CLASS. ANYTIME AFTERWARDS, HALF CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN. STUDENT S SIGNATURE PARENT/GUARDIAN S SIGNATURE DATE DATE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PARENT/ GUARDIAN (Please Print) Home: Work: Cell: Email: Questions / Comments: If you have any questions and/or concerns about our new entrepreneurship course, please state such matters in this section. Thank you for supporting our new initiative at Thornridge High School. 5