Tumwater High School English Department Policies
Tumwater High School English Department Policies
True learning happens only when students are actively engaged in their own education and teachers are able to offer feedback on authentic student effort. For these reasons, the English department has adopted policies that stress academic honesty and reward continued effort. All English students are expected to know and follow these English Department policies:
Academic Honesty
Cheating includes copying someone else’s work or allowing someone else to copy or use your work on any class assignment, quiz, essay, or test. Students are expected to do their own work and arrive at their own answers/responses unless the teacher gives specific instructions to work together. Students who provide answers violate the cheating policy to the same extent as those who obtain them and are subject to disciplinary action.
Plagiarismincludes using someone else’s ideas or words as your own without giving proper credit to your source (including electronic sources like websites or online encyclopedias), or turning in a paper that you have not written yourself. The offense involves using others’ ideas as well as using their exact written words. This also applies to any class assignment, quiz, essay, or test. The length of the passage quoted or paraphrased without citation does not change or lessen the offense of plagiarism.
Consequences: Parents and school administrators will be notified. Individuals who engage in academic dishonesty by cheating or plagiarizing or by allowing/helping others to cheat or plagiarize will receive a zero for the assignment until an appropriate resolution is reached between the student(s), teacher, and administrator.
Grading Policies
Your English grade will reflect your knowledge and mastery of the course’s primaryconcepts and skills—the standards for that course. A score of 80% or higher on tests/quizzes and essays shows you have met the standard for the material tested.
- Students who earn less than 80% on an exam or essay will have the opportunity to make test corrections or essay revisions for a maximum score of 80% up to one week after the original due date during the CORE/FLEX period or before/after school by arrangement with your teacher.
- Late work will be accepted up to one week beyond the original due date for a maximum score of 80%. Please download a late work application from the THS website or your teacher’s website. (After one week, a parent and administrator’s signature will also be required.)
- No extra credit will be offered in English courses; however, extended learning opportunities (bonus points) may be available on some quizzes or tests.
Assignment Expectations
- Every assignment should be legible and demonstrate proper grammar, mechanics, and spelling. Internet- or text-speak or other abbreviations are not appropriate for any school assignment.
- Typing papers in double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font is encouraged. Handwritten papers must be written on one side of the paper only, in blue or black ink, and double-spaced. Computer or printer problems are not valid excuses for late assignments.
- Final papers must be in MLA format (your teacher will explain this) and headed in the upper left corner with the following information: student first and last name, teacher last name and period, assignment, and the date, written day month year with no commas. Double-space this heading when typing. For example:
John Doe
Smith 2
Biography Essay
12 September 2011
Please sign here to indicate that you understand these policies and return this entire form to your English teacher. For future reference, this form is posted on the THS website.