ENSURE YOUR GRADE!
Maintaining, monitoring, and appropriately addressing grades is the responsibility of the student. If a student is not earning the grade they want in this class s/he should begin helping themselves by exercising any of the appropriate options below.
Turn In Missing Assignments Late
Assignments are a student’s evidence of learning. When work is assigned and collected it is evaluated and recorded. If evidence of learning was not submitted for the instructor to evaluate a “0” is recorded in the grade book. In my class students can still turn in missing assignments up to the end of an assigned unit/before a quiz or until an assignment has been returned to other students for reduced credit. Late assignments MUST be (1) 100% compete, (2) accurate, (3) thoughtful and (4) legible to be accepted and evaluated for reduced credit. Students should always expect at least 40% to be taken off an assignment for being turned in late.
Retake Quizzes
In my class quizzes are not just assessments but learning experiences too. My goal is to give a short and fair quiz at the end of every unit of study. These quizzes provide me with evidence of a student’s knowledge over main concepts. After any quiz eligible students are encouraged to look at their quiz, identify what they need to relearn, complete a quiz retake form, study, relearn, and then retake the quiz. Students are eligible to retake quizzes as long as they have no missing assignments, completed the retake form, and can provide evidence of positive participation in class. Positive participation is demonstrated by providing evidence of completing all notes and activities and by having no participation infractions (e.g. electronics distractions, head down, failing to transition in to class appropriately) recorded in the grade book during a unit. Students may retake quizzes as many times as possible (up until the deadline) and I will always record the highest score. Students must arrange a time with me to retake quizzes. As a rule I am usually available after school until 3:15pm on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Recovery Work
If a student is missing assignments and is unable or unwilling to turn in those assignments then that student may do recovery work. Recovery work is completed independently by a student using a structured organizer and the online textbook. Students who complete recovery work are eligible for up to 3/5th credit for assignments in a relevant unit of study. Students are still expected to complete and demonstrate proficiency on quizzes and the final exam. It is the student’s responsibility to ask for recovery work.
Extra Credit
If a student has completed and turned in all of the assigned work but still wants to positively affect their grade they are eligible for extra credit. Extra credit should be a student-initiated assignment. The student should identify what they want to do, how they are going to complete it, and communicate this plan with the instructor. Occasionally I may offer extra credit opportunities in class or through Google classroom. If the student completes this experience and submits then credit may be assigned in the “General Extra Credit” column. Extra credit is still expected to be authentic and original to the individual student turning it in. Extra credit is evaluated and awarded points on a case-by-case basis. Usually extra credit has a noticeable positive effect on a students’ grade.
Updated: 3.14.17
*Subject to Changes