While LT students slept, hung out with friends or played frisbee on their sunny summer mornings, staff and faculty in the Language Arts division were crafting a new policy for the school year. This policy allows students not only to revise summative assignment (tests, projects and papers), but to coordinate extensions for due dates.

The belief that grades cannot accurately depict a student’s skill level through a summative assignment that is missing or marked down for lateness was the inspiration behind this new approach. The biggest outcome from this policy change is the completion of all summative assignments as well as to give students the opportunity to put their best work forward.

“Grades should be a reflection of skill attainment, not necessarily behavior,” Karen Raino, Chair of the Language Arts division, said. “Turning something in late has nothing to do with your ability to write a good paper.”

If there is a summative assignment that has not been turned in, a student will earn an incomplete for the marking period. If an assignment is incomplete, a student’s responsibility becomes communicating with teachers, preferably before the due date. From there, the student and teacher can discuss an extension if it is needed. No quarter or semester grade can be earned without every summative assignment being completed.

For students loaded with extracurricular clubs, sports, jobs and more, this policy provides alleviation.

“Students have a sense of relief that this isn’t the end,” Scott Eggerding, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, said. “Kids don’t have to stay up until 2 a.m., finish this paper, turn it in tomorrow, get whatever grade I get and then that’s it.”

As far as revisions go, they must be discussed with teachers well prior to the resubmission and are to display a student’s learning and growth. The amount of revisions, nor the date when the assignment is turned in, are allowed to diminish the grade of the assignment.

This policy takes one more step further in coordination between divisions. The discussed unity as far as textbooks, grading scales, curriculum and now late work is how teachers are working to make courses the same throughout the division, according to Eggerding.

While most teachers are on board for this new approach, some see potential revisions that could be made to the new policy, especially with the lack of responsibility that students may take advantage of.

“With the current setup, it seems like students have until a week before finals to turn assignments in,” English teacher Tom Stukel said. “At that point it’s not teaching them responsibility, it’s teaching procrastination, which isn’t realistic. When students go to college and don’t have their paper in on time, it’s done.”

There is the belief that we as a school will begin the conversation about late work and grading but talks have not begun yet, Raino said.

“This year, I think that the conversation is going to continue,” Raino said. “There are a lot of researchers that support this and were looking forward to moving this direction.”