Please click on: McNeil HS Academic Honor Code & Policies, to view important policies. We have a zero tolerance for academic dishonesty, so please read these guidelines carefully.

Grading Policy 

Daily work/Homework= 60% 

Expect 7-8 daily grades to comprise 60% of each marking period average

Major work/Projects= 40% 

Expect 2 major grades to comprise 40% of each marking period average

*THE ENGLISH DEPT. DOES NOT OFFER EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES*

Late Work Policy

Daily & Major work assignments lose 5 points per day following the due date until 5 days (%25). After 10 school days, no credit is given for the assignment.  

Course Re-do/Re-test Policy

For failed assignments (69 and below), the teacher may provide the opportunity for re-doing/re-testing for the opportunity to bring the grade up to a 75. The student must take the initiative to re-do the assignment/test. Only one opportunity to re-do/re-test will be offered for any single assignment.

Opportunities are provided to address re-doing/re-testing through one or more of the following methods:

-A different version of the assignment/test (Most commonly used)

-Assignment/Test corrections which include written rationales supporting all corrected answers;

-Revision within the writing process;

-Demonstration of mastery of material through a medium other than the written test, such as oral proof of  mastery, if an alternative medium of assessment is possible and appropriate.

What does one need to do in order to be able to re-do/re-test?

-Complete homework/assignments by their due dates (this includes reading assignments)

-Attend tutorials

-Complete unit study guides or reviews, if any are assigned

Exceptions to Re-doing / Re-testing

A student cannot re-do an assignment which he or she did not submit on time & therefore late points are the cause of the failing grade. Students wishing to submit work late should consult the course late work policy to determine a plan of action if that’s the case.

Grades which result from a process taking place over a period of time, such as: research-based papers, long-term projects and reading schedules with embedded checkpoints-- these do not fall within the re-teaching/re-testing guidelines. The productivity of our class time is dependent on student preparation beforehand (i.e. when a reading assignments is due, the entire class period is discussion based- therefore the class day is wasted if students do not complete the reading).  The process itself, and adherence to it, will provide several opportunities for students to make improved scores.

Students who are found to be taking unfair advantage of the re-do/re-test opportunities will not be allowed to participate in the procedures. Unfair advantage is determined to be:

skipping school or class the day of either the assignment/test or any day on which re-teaching/re-testing is offered (i.e., truancy); cheating on either the original assignment/test or on the re-do/re-test; habitually failing major assignments/tests on the first attempt and failing to take advantage of re-teaching opportunities, tutorials, student/teacher conferences, and/or parent/teacher conferences, in order to catch up with the class; creating a disturbance that results in an office referral during re-teaching and/or re-testing; failing to consistently take advantage of mutually acceptable scheduled tutorials; or failure to take a re-do/re-test at the appointed time(the original assignment/test grade will be recorded unless the teacher determines that credible extenuating circumstances exist).

Timelines

The Re-doing/Re-testing process should be initiated no later than five school days after the assignment grade is posted, or before the date of the summative assessment in the case of a daily/homework assignment, and for a grade no greater than a 75. (Multiple tutorial opportunities will be available before due date.)

 Only one re-do/re-test may be taken per failing assignment/test grade for a maximum high score of 70. If the re-do/re-test is failed, the higher grade of the two assignments/tests will be recorded.