Due Date and Make-up Guidelines
of the MHS English Department
When an English teacher assigns a writing task, specifically an essay or research paper, the assignment must be turned in on the day it is due. Below are typical situations that tend to arise when papers are due; they are followed by procedures that the department and administration have agreed upon. Teachers will share the points below with students, and with the parents on Back to School Night, at the beginning of the course when expectations and consequences are being established.
As a general practice, English instructors give all essay and research paper assignments in writing, allowing enough lead-in time for students to fill out homework pads and to prepare the papers. Depending upon varying grade and ability levels, this lead-in time is generally a week for essays, and eight to ten weeks for research papers. In addition, each assignment may be posted in the room, as a further means of stressing the due-date(s) and as a source of reference for students who have questions.
In cases of extreme or unavoidable problems that crop up for students and that affect their ability to meet specific deadlines, the department agrees that we seek to be compassionate and if appropriate, flexible in our response. In all cases, a conference with the appropriate people (among them, the student, previous English teacher, parents, school nurse, dept. head, guidance counselor and/or assistant principal) can be held to ascertain the validity of the reason for the missed deadline.
Absentee and Make-up Work Guidelines
for The English Department
The following guidelines have now been adopted for general use by the English department. Teachers may modify any of the requirements below depending upon the grade level or the needs of specific classes.
No research paper due dates are affected by any absence; these due dates are given in writing well in advance. Students have been given due dates for all research paper stages. Every stage of the paper is DUE that day whether students are present or absent. Absence the day such work is due will result in this work being LATE and worth no more than half-credit even if the work is turned in the next day. This requirement includes all stages stipulated on the research paper calendar of due dates. If absent, students should send in such work with a reliable person on the day it is due. It is suggested that students place NO papers in English teacher mailboxes; give such work directly to the secretary in the main office if no other arrangements have been made with the English teacher.
Any other work assigned several days prior, is due the day students return to class. This includes quizzes, essays, reading assignments, written homework, and major tests. There is no longer a school policy of “two days for each day absent” for work which is assigned in advance; Students who have persistent attendance problems should take textbooks and notebooks home each night. They should also select a “homework buddy” whom they KNOW has good attendance and homework records, and phone that buddy the evening of the day absent, to check on homework assignments.
Any homework assigned the day students are absent should be made up within two days of their return, preferably the first day, giving them an extra night to complete the work. Generally, students will not be reminded of this work due, depending upon the decision of the teacher and the specific circumstances.
If students are present for any part of a school day, they are responsible for turning in or completing any work due that day even if they are not here for the full day. This includes any excused absences for a field trip, school obligations or a medical appointment. If students have appeared in school, the assigned work is due to their teachers.
Unofficial vacation or college visitation days are not excused absences. This is district and administrative requirement.
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Major emergencies and extenuating circumstances will be handled on a case-by-case basis, and extensions may be given for any and all of the above. For computer/printer problems: see due date guidelines below; a note from parents must accompany any such problem, as to the date when the problem occurred. Incessant computer problems will ultimately NOT be excused; students have access to computers in the building before, during and after school.
Below are specific situations and the resulting consequences relating to student due dates and grading requirements.
Specific Situations Affecting Essays or Compositions
Essay is due; student is present, does not turn it in; no reason given.
Teacher records a zero in grade book.
Essay is due; student does not turn it in or offer reason; turns essay in next day.
Teacher accepts paper and marks it, but informs student that it must receive a failing grade, with points that may range from 50 to 20, depending on the teacher's assessment.
Essay is due; student approaches beforehand for extension because of personal or academic reasons/problems.
After verifying validity, by consulting, if necessary any of the parties named above, teacher may grant an extension.
Student has excused absence because of illness on day essay is due.
The first time, teacher accepts the essay the day the student returns. Student is cautioned that "strategic absences" which establish a pattern of due-date avoidance will not be tolerated. Teacher may opt to notify guidance or parent of such a pattern, and of the fact that at a specific point, such papers will fall under the "turned in for a failing grade" requirement explained above.
Student is absent for several days while class is expected to be working on an in-progress essay assignment; absence is excused: illness or other important reason (not family vacation, for example).
Teacher sets the deadline when essay is due for that specific student.
Student receives an Incomplete for the marking period because an extension has been given on the deadline, but the essay does not come in at the agreed-upon extension date.
The teacher follows the M.H.S. incomplete marking period grade requirement: after a specific period of time, a zero is recorded, and the grade is computed.
Situations Affecting Research Paper Due Dates
Student is present the day and the period research papers are collected; no paper is turned in. No excuse forthcoming from student.
Teacher records a zero.
Student is present when term papers are collected, turns none in, comes in next day with paper.
Teacher follows same essay requirement as stated above: paper is marked but receives a failing grade, with numbers that may range from 50 to 20 points.
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Technical Difficulties with Word Processors Which Affect Due Dates
The department encourages students to type their papers as soon as typing skills are sufficiently mastered. We encourage students to use computers, their own or the school's, because of the ease of editing. We seek to be flexible and understanding when students use this technology. However, papers which are late because of technical problems will be treated according to the grading guidelines set up on the previous pages.
At the outset of the year, teachers should draw students' and parents’ attention to the procedures below. Those students doing their papers on computers/printers at home may not plan on asking for extensions because of technical problems which can be avoided. First, such repeated extensions are unfair to other students. Secondly, validation of such problems is difficult to establish.
Teachers and students must discuss the situations and procedures below well before due dates of major works. All concerned will need to understand clearly the expectations and the consequences of due dates missed because of technical problems.
Student does not have paper on due day because the only one copy of the paper existed, the hard drive or disk was damaged , or there was an electrical "dip. The paper must be done over.
The paper is late and receives a failing grade on the 50 to 20 scale. Students must be warned to have surge protectors on their computers, must save every five minutes and must make a backup disk of all essays-in-progress. A further safety measure consists of printing out dated copies of a work-in-progress. The save and back-up habits must be integral to those who use computers. Those who cannot form these habits should revert to typewriters.
The completed paper is brought to class the day it is due but is incorrectly printed, or the paragraphs are out of order, i.e., it is not in the form to be graded but has obviously been worked on. Inexperience with pagination, editing and printing is very evident.
At his or her discretion, the teacher may grant one extension, having seen evidence of printout attempt. After that, the papers are late. Students must read operators' manuals or stop using the computer.
Student turns in final draft when due, but does not have the required rough draft stipulated by the teacher. Student says s/he kept revising the rough draft but saved no in-progress copies and back-up copies.
Teachers requiring rough drafts will stress this requirement early on. If plagiarism is suspected, the inability to produce a rough draft is generally strong evidence that the work is not original. Students should save in-progress drafts on disks for printout-out and submission.
Student has no paper to turn in on due date; excuse is that there was no paper or no toner, or a new computer/printer was acquired, or there was no way to straighten out a technical glitch the night before.
Teachers should discuss well before due date that such requirements are the responsibility of the students, who must not wait until the night before the paper is due to see that these supplies are at hand, that they know how to use the equipment and that the printer is functioning. Print early and often.