Teachers: do you accept late work? If so, what's your policy?

Question

I only accept it from my 8th graders one day late but take off 50%. I figure it doesn't ruin their grade that way, but they still fail the assignment.

In reply to Elizabeth S:

All the other 8th grade teachers don't accept late work at all. And we're on a block schedule, so I only see them every other day. If students turn it in one "day" late they get two extra days to work on it (or three if assigned on a Friday).

In responce to apbanpos (and others):

It's 8th grade Math and they are daily assignments. The other class I teach is Drama where late work is almost impossible to make up (especially group performances).

But just so you know, I also have homework credit cards (used sparingly) which can get you off the hook from an assignment!

Answer 1

I am a older student who is currently working on her teaching degree. I think that is a very fair policy!
Even the best of students can forget to do their homework once. On that note maybe give all your students one 'free pass' where they can turn in their homework 1 day late without plently.
As far as your policy goes you are still giving them a chance to get some credit for their late work, which is very good because it encourages them to still do it.
If you just say late work=zero students will be less likely to do all the work for the class.


As other users have mentioned I also think their are 'circumstances' where flexiability with late work is a must!

Answer 2

What do you think about a WHOLE campus policy directing teachers NOT to accept late work? In some cases the students just didn't finish it (because they need to get help--such as in math or geometry) but the teachers says, "ALL or NOTHING and "calls it MISSING work" and refuses to accept it but puts in a zero (although the student had it but just had questions about the ones they could not finish). Some teachers put a 10 in the gradebook (why not just give them a 50, it's still an F...especially when your rule is that that cannot make up any work or test or turn in late work)

This school also states that the students "Should" ask for help...which is contradictory, anytime they need it. The students do not ask for help because they say, "Well, there's nothing I can do; they already said that it's late and I have a zero!"

This is a requirement "From the principal" directing the teachers NOT to accept late work. Therefore, when parents ask about their child's that are a 34 or a 42 (and the teachers didn't even put that in until almost the end of the grading period), the parent is told..."That's our policy."

This is giving LAZY teachers who don't care if the students learn or not a license to fail students without being held accountable for the student's failure. I'm sure TEA would LOVE to hear about this!

Teachers are supposed to be held to a high standard and care what and if the students are learning the content, not "following the letter of the school law!" that encourages failure. In my opinion any and everyone who is following this unethical rule should be moved or retrained as to what the role of an "Educator" is! Somehow, somewhere, they have lost the patience (or never really had it) to teacher kids and are just there for a paycheck.

If a child does not finish a test...the teachers are refusing to allow the student to come after school to tutorials, stay during lunch, finish the next day... Basically saying, "oh well, too bad you failed this test...That's my policy!"

This is said and this is happening in a school that in the past has received pretty good publicity. But I wonder if the public knew this new rule...what kind of publicity would they receive?

Answer 3

Okay, Let's be real...

Yes, I accepted late work. But I taught English and most of my assignments lent itself to being accepted late. I think that if you are talking about a daily practice homework (like math hw), your policy is great - but anything else it is too strict.

Bottom line is, I wanted them to do the work and if I didn't accept it - they won't do it. If they don't do it, they don't learn. If they don't learn, then I got in trouble. What is your priority as a teacher -to "lay down the law" or to teach students??

But there was a penalty. One letter grade for each day late - and block days don't count. They still had to get it to me (i.e. if they brought it to me the next time they saw me, it would still be -20pts). After 5 days late, we called home (yes - I had the child call them while I stood there). And after your second late paper, then any others after had to be signed by a parent. And when we did something like grammar, the nightly grammar practice was accepted one day late for 50% and that's it - but they were a series of very small assignments.

I did try 50% across the board - but 8th graders never did understand the concept that some points were better than no points. They just saw they only got an "F" and wouldn't bother doing the work.

I also gave out "One-Day Extension" cards for Christmas & Valentine's Presents to the kids.

Keep your priorities straight as a teacher and you'll never go wrong.

Answer 4

I do. I set a class rules and regulations at the beginning of the year and have the students sign what I call a "Teacher-Student Agreement" and they understand that ever late assignment comes with different grading criteria. I will mark off 1 letter grade for ever week late. If 1 day late, I will just take away any extra credit if avaliable or take 5 points of the total score. It works for me. The students are to worried about dropping a letter grade on the paper. I teach 5th, but I have friends who teach 8th who do the same procedures. Let me know if this helps! =]

Answer 5

I agree w/apbanpos. Most kids see an F and think there's no point in turning in the work, especially if they wouldn't have made a 100 on it. Perhaps you could take off a letter grade for the first offense (since it happens to the best of us) and then use the 50% off deduction for any other late work.

And just because the other teachers do it doesn't mean you have to. Teaching should be about what you think is ethically right and most beneficial to students, not simply about what colleagues do.

Answer 6

I announce at the start that work is due when it is due and that late work is not accepted unless there is an incredible reason for it. "I forgot" is not acceptable. On occasion, when giving out an assignment that might take some time, I announce that work turned in on time can receive full credit. If it is one day late, it gets 90% of what it would have had if submitted on time. That number reduces by 10% per succeeding late day until 50% is reached. After that, the grade is zero. I teach geometry and algebra II.

Answer 7

My lateness policy is as follows, i accept all work up to a week late at full credit, but with a catch. I have a form letter i keep handy for this. On the date an assignment is due, if it is not handed in, the student must submit to me, before the end of the day, a written explaination of their lateness, (a part of the formed letter) i accept i forgot and even had a child write down once that they didn't feel like doing it, i then copy the letter and it has to be returned with the assignment, signed by their parent or guardian. i dont accept late assignments with out this letter, and after the week is up, they lose points, but i have honestly not had to face that problem more than a few times, but i have the letter on file for conferences. it helps to be able to show parents this, because it eliminates students saying they didn't know about assignments and parents come in knowing their child is often late. my student respond well to this because it shows them they are accountable for assignments, and it helps out majorly in conferences as well because it all documented.

Answer 8

I accept late work on a descending scale. A grade a day off the grade they earned. The only exception is excused absences. In essence after a week they fail anyway but it gives them a chance.

Answer 9

For my advanced class, I don't accept any late work (unless it's a major assignment). For regular level classes, 10% off per day until it is only worth 50%.

Answer 10

Most of my college professors even accept late work with less of a penalty than you do! My goodness! How does 20% off for each school day sound...