Department/Class Policies

English Department Policies

Field Trips or Anticipated Absences:

The student is responsible to see his/her teacher prior to the dates he/she will miss class to make arrangements regarding when the assignments should be submitted. If a major paper, project, or test has been listed on the calendar/syllabus, & the due date falls during the student’s missing class, the teacher may require the student to submit the work before the absence. The work will be submitted according to the teacher discretion, so students should see their teachers well in advance of the field trip or anticipated absence. If the student fails to see the teacher prior to the day(s) he/she misses, the teacher may deduct late points from the work that is not submitted prior to the absence. The only exception to this policy will be in the case of unexpected field trips, such as advancement in playoff games.

Notice to AP/IB students:

If an AP/IB student misses a reading check quiz due to a field trip or absence, the student is expected to make up the quiz the day he/she returns to school if the reading assignment was listed on a calendar or syllabus prior to the absence. The student must see the teacher at the beginning of the period the day he/she returns, since he/she should not have benefit of the class discussion prior to the quiz, since the other students will have taken the quiz without benefit of class discussion on the reading.

Illness or Unexpected Absences:

The student should see the teacher the day he returns to class to make arrangements to submit the work. The student will have the same amount of time to make up the work as he/she was absent. So if the student was absent one day, he will obtain the assignments when he returns & submit the assignment the following day. However, if a major paper, project or test was listed on the six weeks calendar/syllabus, the student will take the test or submit the work the day he returns to class unless stipulated otherwise by the teacher, provided no new material was covered in the class prior to the test/project due date. It is the student’s responsibility to see the teacher for makeup work. If the student fails to see the teacher the day he/she returns to class to obtain assignments, then the teacher may deduct late points if the assignment is not submitted in a timely manner. If the absence is unexcused, the student may receive a zero for that assignment.

English Department Late Work Policy

We accept late daily work only from regular students, since honors, AP, and IB students should be responsible individuals who do their assignments & turn them in on time. A daily assignment that is turned in late will have 30 points deducted the first day it is late, another 20 points the second day, and 10 points deducted each school day thereafter that it is late. These points are deducted before the paper is graded, so the highest grade a late paper can be awarded is 70. A paper or project that counts as a major grade will be accepted in all English classes, but 10 points per school day will be deducted from the paper each day that it is late.

Tutorials:

Teachers will post two tutorial times of at least 30 minutes each week & teachers will work with students on an individual basis to schedule tutorials as needed, but it is the responsibility of the student to see the teacher regarding a tutorial time outside of the teacher’s regularly scheduled tutorials.

Academic Integrity

"A student found to have engaged in academic dishonesty shall be subject to grade penalties on assignments or tests and disciplinary penalties" in accordance with Plano ISD's Student Code of Conduct. "Academic dishonesty includes[, but is not limited to,] cheating or copying the work of another student, plagiarism [as outlined in the plagiarism packet], and unauthorized communication between students during an examination. The determination that a student has engaged in academic dishonesty shall be based on the judgment of the classroom teacher or another supervising professional employee, taking into consideration written materials, observation, or information from students."

Violations of this policy are very serious and can possibly result in a failing grade for a course.

I take academic honesty very seriously, as it is the foundation not only of my own vocation, but also of the institution of which we are both a part. Any instance of dishonesty or plagiarism—regardless of the amount plagiarized, the value of the assignment, or whether the plagiarism occurs intentionally or through neglect—may result in a failing grade. If you have any questions at all about what may constitute plagiarism or academic dishonesty, I encourage you to ask me before you submit your work. Before you turn something in, we can have a productive conversation about the boundaries of what is and is not permissible, but after you submit your work, that conversation ends.