What's the best late work policy?

Question

Teachers, do you even accept late work? How many points do you dock? How much time do students have before you won't accept work? How has your policy worked for you?

Students (and former students) did being able to turn late work in help or hurt you, and why?

Answer 1

My policy is 80% credit for one day late, no credit after that. However, no late work policy is in effect for Honors class. We've all had bad days and not gotten our own work done at some time, and this policy has worked pretty well. I once tried deducting 10% for each day late, and that was way too hard to track.

Answer 2

This very question ran me right out of the middle school. Too many parents trying to get credit for thier kids doing work way to late in the game. I recently moved to TX and the district I'm in has a policy about it. I thought it was a pretty good one so maybe it will work for you. If the work is late or a test is failed..the lowest grade that can be entered into the computer is a 50%. This is a failing mark but is not too detrimental to previous achievements. If the work is never turned in then the mark is a 0.

Amazing that I couldn't come up with that myself!

Answer 3

I'm struggling with the same issue. Last year I did the 10 % off per day. But I agree that it was a pain to keep track of, and it only somewhat seemed to help with homework on time. I teach 4th and 5th grade math. My students didn't really grasp how much it affected their grade to turn work in late. (or not at all). Sorry if this isn't much help, I'm looking for new ideas too.

I had a few issues with parents, when they learned their child was missing work, they insisted the child make it up (even if it was for no credit) but often they prioritized the late/expired stuff over the current things.

When I did my student teaching, my mentor had a policy where each 9 weeks they could miss 3 homeworks, but if they missed a 4th they got their 9-weeks grade lowered one letter.

Answer 4

Accepting late work makes more work for you, but there is so much pressure to pass kids, that it's nearly impossible NOT to accept late work! What I finally made peace with was full credit turned in on time, 70% credit afterwards. Of course, this meant, to get a C it would have to be 100% correct if turned in late! I would even accept completed work on the last day of the grading period. This made it possible for students with organizational difficulties to freak out with the midterm grade, then get stuff finished and in before they failed the term. Parents fuss too much if you don't allow their children to turn in late work! If a student has an IEP that allows extra time, that should not be penalized, but it should be reasonable, too. Talk to the parents to determine an agreeable timeline!

Answer 5

OK..I believe late work should punish those that abuse its acceptance. Maybe each person has 3 times a semester to turn in something late (cause everyone has those moments) but it must be turned in the next class period. If it takes longer than the next class or they have gone over 3 lates they should get one letter grade lower than what they actually receive. I think it's fair for everyone and only hurts the people that try and take advantage

Answer 6

No late work! If you start to accept it, you will get few papers turned in on time. The real world does not work this way.

Answer 7

I work at an alternative school and we expect the work to be done whether it's on time or not. We set our deadline... if they don't make it, they immediately go to a room to complete it. Our goal is to make sure the child does the work... not to let them slide out of it by putting a zero in the book. My colleague makes them do the work, then he still gives them a zero! I give them just enough to make them pass if they do a good job... I award by points... they can't get a 100%, but an 80% I will do.

Answer 8

Three strikes and you fail.