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Knowledge House Scholars
Epsilon Delta ~ official chapter of ~ ETA SIGMA ALPHA
MEMBERSHIP Membership in the Knowledge House Scholars chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha is available to any 6th-12th grade homeschool student (based on their curriculum level) who also meets the academic requirements of the honor society. Senior applications are accepted until January of their 12th grade year. Members come from Anthem, New River, Desert Hills, Cave Creek, Tramonto, North Phoenix, North Glendale/Peoria, North Scottsdale, Black Canyon City, Wickenburg, and adjacent areas. (Please Note: Knowledge House Scholars DO NOT have to be a member of the sponsoring organization, Knowledge House Learning Resource Center.) There are two groups of Knowledge House Scholars, one consisting of junior high students in grades 6-9; the other for high school students in grades 9-12.* *9th grade serves as a transition period between middle school and high school. Placement will be determined by curriculum level taught at home, standardized test results, and/or student maturity. High school members will focus on community service and volunteer projects, along with topics to prepare them for future careers, the workplace, and adult responsibilities. Junior high members will focus on community service and volunteer projects, as well as on topics that prepare them for high school. These projects should be beneficial to the community, group, and/or individual and be a positive learning experience for the members. For example, adopting a charity organization and working with them, or identifying a need in the community and helping to solve it. REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP The ESA national organization has the following requirements: 1) Test score of at least 1200* (SAT), 120* (PSAT), 26 (ACT), or a 90% composite score on the IOWA, MAT, CAT, Stanford, or other nationally norm-referenced standardized achievement test. [*The SAT test is changing to a different format in the year 2005. Therefore, the new scoring standard in 2005 will be: 1800 (SAT) or 180 (PSAT).] Testing is required to establish a standard in a totally non-standard educational environment. According to Joanne Juren, ESA National Executive Director, "The test scores provide an accepted method of measuring the homeschool student's achievement against national and standardized norms." Standardized testing will be offered for students who are applying to, or renewing membership in, the Knowledge House chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha because of the yearly requirement for standardized testing. All members must submit a copy of their latest test results. 2) 3.5 grade point average based on a 4.0 scale. GPA may be based on lessons taught at home by the parent; co-op or enrichment classes; early admission college courses, etc. A parent-prepared or other transcript must be submitted showing the grades received. ESA maintains a national registry of all homeschool honor society members. Therefore, every year we will be asked to submit a list of our local chapter members with the following information: full name, city, state, and if he/she has graduated (and when). Additional Requirements as established by this chapter include: An essay written by the applicant indicating why he or she is interested in becoming a member. While some honor societies do not require a written essay, we feel that the ability to demonstrate good writing skills is important because writing well is essential for future success, as evidenced by the new essay requirement on the SAT. Note: A letter of recommendation is NOT required, just as prior experience in leadership and community service is NOT required as part of the selection criteria for new members. One of the functions of membership will be to provide experience in these areas. All we ask is that applicants express a sincere interest in the goals of the organization, which is "to form integrity in students through four key areas: leadership, community service, networking, and scholarship." Like most membership organizations, a nominal annual fee (currently $20 but subject to change) will be charged to help cover the costs of fulfilling our mission. A portion of this amount will be paid to the national organization, which requires payment of an annual chapter fee. (See chapter requirements below.)
TO APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP
E-mail for an application form and further instructions. * * * * * ESA CHAPTER REQUIREMENTS There is a $10 charter application fee and a $10 yearly chapter membership fee, paid to HEP of Texas. Each chapter receives a charter certificate and is assigned a chapter name. There must be two adult sponsors. Chapter sponsors are responsible for verifying each candidate's qualifications for membership. If there is a conflict or question, they may also have to verify the scores with ESA National. A recommended minimum of 5 qualifying members are needed to apply for a chapter. It is recommended that meetings be held at least once per month. Yearly report of membership information to the national office. Chapters must meet the mission of the ESA Honor Society, "…to form integrity in students through four aspects: leadership, community service, networking, and scholarship." For more information about the Eta Sigma Alpha National Home School Honor Society, please see: www.etasigmaalpha.com
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