The Willy Nilly Make Up Policy

In a previous blog post, I went off on a tangent about the makeup work policy. To further understand it, I created a commentary on my districts Make Up Work policy. The podcast went a little longer than I had planned (6 minutes), so here I basic outline of what I have discussed.

1. The district does not have a clear make-up work policy. It varies from school to school, teacher to teacher. However, the district has set a grading floor of 59%. This is to allow for the statistical problems of zeros, give students hope and meet the minimum requirement to attend summer school.
2. At my school, if a child decides they want to pass at the end of the school year, the teacher MUST give the student the opportunity “to meet the standard or acquire the skills.” Even, if it is from the first semester. Students are adopting bad habits of turning work whenever they feel like it. They copy other students work and submit it as their own. What students really want is for teachers to give some sort of make up work packet and a completion grade.
3. So, here is my policy:

• Students may complete makeup work at any point in the year (in accordance w/district policy), however, it must be done in my presence AFTER school.
• I don’t grade classwork. Students only receive a completion grade for it.
• I do grade tests, which may be taken open note & open book after school in my presence or at Saturday school.

My thoughts:

I am torn b/c in college, there is no make up work or latework policy—it just isn’t accepted by most professors. I failed a class in college b/c of this. We need to better prepare them for life after high school.