late assignment policy high school

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Late Work Policy Options for Secondary Classrooms

Late work is of the most annoying classroom management challenges for middle and high school teachers. If your late work policy is not working out for you, there are alternate options. Let’s look at a few of the most common classroom management solutions.

Student:   “Can I turn this in?”

Teacher:  “When was it due?’

Student:  “September.”

Teacher:  “No, I’m sorry. It’s too late.”

Student:  “What do you mean? Final exams aren’t until tomorrow!”

Teacher:   “Jeremy…it’s December. That assignment was from first nine weeks.”

Student:   “Oh. Well, can’t you go back and change the grade?”

Teacher:   Sigh.

Maybe that conversation comes across as comical, but when it happens in real life (and it does), it’s enough to send us into a little bit of a crank fest. Teachers don’t need to spend hours at the end of the quarter or the semester grading a stack of papers a mile high that was due weeks ago.

A consistent late work policy helps students to learn responsibility and timeliness…both important skills for real life. What’s more, a late work policy makes classroom management more reasonable. But, should that lesson on responsibility come at the expense of relationships, learning, and confidence?

In today’s post, we’re exploring a handful of late work policy options for the secondary classroom. Needless to say, more than these policies exist, but they are among the most common that I have witnessed and experienced. If you have a different system that works, please tell us about it in the comments. Help us gather a teacher-tested bank of late work policies to help educators solve one of their most pressing classroom management issues.

Before choosing a course of action, make sure to consider both your teaching philosophy and the expectations of your administration. You will want to have a late work policy that reflects your beliefs about teaching and learning, and you also need to know that your administration will support your decisions regarding students’ grades.

5 COMMON LATE WORK POLICY OPTIONS

Don’t accept late work. period..

Why? Not accepting late work puts a strong emphasis on the importance of the work you assign. Students know you mean business, and the work from your class should be considered a priority.

Advantages:   Students will turn more work in on time because of the urgency. They will learn responsibility and the importance of deadlines. You have no paperwork headaches to deal with. By collecting more work on time, you are able to assess students’ ability with a given topic more quickly.

Disadvantages:   Parents will be upset. It penalizes all students, even conscientious ones who make a mistake every once in a while (everyone make mistakes).  The zero on the assignment won’t reflect students’ knowledge of course content. Compiling that many zeros will cause some students to give up early in the nine weeks.

Things to consider:  

• If you choose to adopt the “no late work ever” policy, I highly encourage you to seek support from your administration and to clearly communicate this policy with parents early and often.
• It might be a good idea to offer students a “Whoopsie!” pass , which students could use once…or more! per quarter. That way, every student has four times per year that he or she can legitimately make a mistake and not suffer unwarranted consequences. After all, zeros are detrimental.
• Also, consider the executive functioning of your students. I’ve seen this type of policy successfully used with enriched / advanced high school upper-level classes, but with younger students or at-risk classes, this policy would fail.
• Ask yourself how you will allow students to practice the skills so that they master the content. If we are being honest, most high school students will not complete a late assignment they know they will not receive credit for just to “prepare for the test.”

Disclaimer: I have never used this late work policy, and it wouldn’t be the one I would advocate for because it skews the overall grade, and it often causes tension between teachers and their students.

Deduct a % or a letter grade each day the assignment is late. 

Why? This approach offers students an opportunity to earn credit for their work, but there is still a learning experience involved, and students who turned the assignment in on time are rewarded with full credit.

Advantages:   More students will be passing the class because they won’t have as many zeros. The fact that students know the percentage or letter grade opportunity declines every day motivates them to turn it in more quickly. This approach is more than justifiable to both parents and administration.

Disadvantages:   It’s a little bit of a grading nightmare. Knowing how many days late the assignment would be is usually dependent on the accuracy of the date submitted (which the student typically writes on the paper). If your students are anything like mine, we’re lucky if they write down their name…let alone multiple pieces of information. In addition, because students know they will be able to receive  some credit for the assignment, they might wait until the last minute to turn it in.

• Will you have a cut off? In other words, after a certain date (let’s say a week), will students still be able to turn in the assignment?
• How will you ensure accuracy of the date the student submitted the assignment?

Disclaimer: I have used this policy in the past, but I found keeping track of how many days late an assignment was to be a little bit tedious. And, I really want my students grades to represent learning, not to reflect responsibility.

Give a % (let’s say 75% or 50%) of credit for all late work within a unit up until the unit test.

Why? Like option 1, this approach is still a major motivator. No one wants a bad grade on an assignment.  Yet, the penalty is not so severe that it causes students to fail.

Advantages:   It’s simple for teachers to grade late work because it’s all worth the same amount of credit. Students are encouraged to complete their assignments within the window that the information applies to the test.

Disadvantages:   A student who turns in the assignment one day late is earning the same amount of credit as the student who submits the assignment two weeks late. With this approach, students still don’t score well on the assignment, but the grade is not as detrimental to their overall score as a zero.

• What percentage would motivate your students to turn in the assignment?
• What percentage would keep your students passing if they demonstrate understanding of the concept on the assignment (if that’s your goal)?
• Will you automatically give students the predetermined percentage, regardless of accuracy of answers, or will points be deducted from the highest percentage they can possibly earn (for incorrect or incomplete responses)?

Disclaimer: I’ve used this policy, and it was relatively easy for me to manage, but I didn’t love how it impacted students’ grades…or how it impacted my relationship with students. I think this speaks into where the academic world is right now…caught between traditional and standards-based reporting systems.

Have a “no later than” deadline.

Why? Many times, the most value students can get from completing work comes during the unit of study it pertains to. This policy helps both to address student organization and responsibility and to keep assessing late work manageable. Basically, via this route, students can earn full credit up until the deadline you establish.

Advantages:   You don’t have to worry about students turning in assignments months after the due date. Plus, you are being flexible and responsive to student needs, within reason. When using this policy, parent communication is key. If you have given students multiple reminders to complete work and they simply just aren’t doing it, let parents know. This proactive approach will prevent you from possibly having to back-peddle on a late grade after it’s assigned. With this policy, students can always contact you to ask for an extension if they have a valid reason.

Disadvantages: With this approach, your late work stack may still be larger than normal. Depending on how long your units last, you may want to set deadlines before the unit is over. For instance if your Shakespeare unit lasts 7 weeks, you may want to have a mid-point “no later than” date to keep students from having too many assignments outstanding at once.

• Would this approach allow you to better differentiate for students?
• Could this open doors for more self-paced learning and choices in the types of assignments students are completing?
• Will you ask students to email their parents to let them know about assignment due dates to help them own their learning?

Note: With the growing movement of standards-based reporting, this seems to be a more viable option. However, you’ll have to consider what will happen if students don’t meet the “no later than date.”

Accept all late work with no penalty.

Why? Many people contend that a student’s grade should be a reflection of his or her understanding of course material. It should give an accurate picture of their mastery of standards, not of their responsibility or maturity level.

Advantages:   There’s no headache as far as figuring out how many points to take off. You just don’t! Also, students are more motivated to turn in late work because they  can earn full credit if it’s done well. What’s more, there’s a stronger feeling of trust and credibility between teacher and student when teens feel their teachers are on their team.

Disadvantages: In the “real world,” people really are given extensions. However, they aren’t necessarily given an undetermined amount of time to finish a project.

• Would it help parents to communicate late work through a separate indicator? Instead of including it in the grade, would you give students an executive functioning rating or short narrative as a goal-setting point?
• What is the best way to make this manageable? Do students have tentative or suggested due dates? Are zeros then placed in the grade book until the work is turned in, at which point they can earn full credit? If students do not ever turn the work in, do they get an incomplete or a not achieved?

Note: I’ve seen this type of policy work in situations where students can fluidly move among units without the constraints of nine week or trimester report cards. However, it could work in any situation with careful planning.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

Teach students to advocate for themselves. Instead of receiving an angry call from a parent, if a student is upset about a late grade, they should approach you first. Of course, in order to do so, they need to have a good relationship with you. They need to know you have their best interests at heart. Taking time to invest in our students by having frequent conversations and by teaching students self-advocacy skills will pay dividends.

Differentiate.

You don’t have to stick with just one option. Choose the one that works best for students, but don’t feel boxed in. You know your students best. If a student who usually struggles works exceptionally hard turns an assignment in late but done well, you may consider giving him or her some grace. Reward their effort and their success with full credit!

Students will be more likely to hold themselves accountable to late work policies when they feel they have helped to define them. Invite students to help you create a fair late work policy at the beginning of the year. Throughout the year, check in with them to monitor the pulse.

We all have different stories. During a time period when students are struggling with social emotional issues more than ever, the conversation matters. If a student has late work, talk with them. What is going on in their life? Perhaps they have emotional situations on their plate that are preventing them from being able to focus on school work like they could otherwise.

Use a parent communication app. Remind 101. Class Dojo. There are many platforms that will allow you to send homework reminders to both students and parents. In my experience, using a parent communication reminder app reduced late work drastically.

Reflection Questions.

• What is the goal? What lesson do you want students to learn? Do they really need to complete this assignment to show they are at grade level for this skill or standard?
• How will you manage the gradebook? Will you put in zeros for assignments that are late until they are submitted? If you don’t, how will you remember to go back and enter the missing grades at a later time?
• Should your school implement some type of homework intervention system so that students who have late work can work during their lunch or study hall periods to submit missing work?
• How will you deter students from choosing to turn in work late if they know there is no penalty?
• What will you do about assignment dumping tendencies at the end of the quarter or semester?

Choosing an effective late work policy largely depends on the age, subject, grading system, and track of your students. Teachers need to select a late work policy that encourages independence, responsibility, and work ethic without alienating or punishing students punitively. Which late work policy is the “right” one? The answer is different for each instructor.

Interested in diving further into the late work policy discussion? Listen in on a podcast conversation I had with Todd Bedard from Teachers as Leaders.

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A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work

August 4, 2019

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Most of my 9-week grading periods ended the same way: Me and one or two students, sitting in my quiet, empty classroom together, with me sitting at the computer, the students nearby in desks, methodically working through piles of make-up assignments. They would be focused, more focused than I’d seen them in months, and the speed with which they got through the piles was stunning. 

As they finished each assignment I took it, checked it for accuracy, then entered their scores—taking 50 percent off for being late—into my grading program. With every entry, I’d watch as their class grade went up and up: from a 37 percent to a 41, then to 45, then to 51, and eventually to something in the 60s or even low 70s, a number that constituted passing, at which point the process would end and we’d part ways, full of resolve that next marking period would be different.

And the whole time I thought to myself, This is pointless . They aren’t learning anything at all. But I wasn’t sure what else to do.

For as long as teachers have assigned tasks in exchange for grades, late work has been a problem. What do we do when a student turns in work late? Do we give some kind of consequence or accept assignments at any time with no penalty? Do we set up some kind of system that keeps students motivated while still holding them accountable? Is there a way to manage all of this without driving ourselves crazy?

To find answers, I went to Twitter and asked teachers to share what works for them. What follows is a summary of their responses. I wish I could give individual credit to each person who offered ideas, but that would take way too long, and I really want you to get these suggestions now! If you’ve been unsatisfied with your own approach to late work, you should find some fresh ideas here.

First, a Few Questions About Your Grades

Before we get into the ways teachers manage late work, let’s back up a bit and consider whether your overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. Here are some questions to think about:  

• What do your grades represent? How much of your grades are truly based on academic growth, and how much are based mostly on compliance? If they lean more toward compliance, then what you’re doing when you try to manage late work is basically a lot of administrative paper pushing, rather than teaching your content. Although it’s important for kids to learn how to manage deadlines, do you really want an A in your course to primarily reflect the ability to follow instructions? If your grades are too compliance-based, consider how you might shift things so they more accurately represent learning. (For a deeper discussion of this issue, read How Accurate Are Your Grades? )
• Are you grading too many things? If you spend a lot of time chasing down missing assignments in order to get more scores in your gradebook, it could be that you’re grading too much. Some teachers only enter grades for major, summative tasks, like projects, major writing assignments, or exams. Everything else is considered formative and is either ungraded or given a very low point value for completion, not graded for accuracy; it’s practice . For teachers who are used to collecting lots of grades over a marking period, this will be a big shift, and if you work in a school where you’re expected to enter grades into your system frequently, that shift will be even more difficult. Convincing your students that ungraded practice is worthwhile because it will help their performance on the big things will be another hurdle. With all of that said, reducing the number of scored items will make your grades more meaningful and cut way down on the time you spend grading and managing late work.
• What assumptions do you make when students don’t turn in work? I’m embarrassed to admit that when I first started teaching, I assumed most students with missing work were just unmotivated. Although this might be true for a small portion of students, I no longer see this as the most likely reason. Students may have issues with executive function and could use some help developing systems for managing their time and responsibilities. They may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources—like time, space, and technology—to consistently complete work at home. More attention has been paid lately to the fact that homework is an equity issue , and our policies around homework should reflect an understanding that all students don’t have access to the same resources once they leave school for the day. Punitive policies that are meant to “motivate” students don’t take any of these other issues into consideration, so if your late work penalties don’t seem to be working, it’s likely that the root cause is something other than a lack of motivation.
• What kind of grading system is realistic for you ? Any system you put in place requires YOU to stay on top of grading. It would be much harder to assign penalties, send home reminders, or track lateness if you are behind on marking papers by a week, two weeks, even a month. So whatever you do, create a plan that you can actually keep up with.

Possible Solutions

1. penalties.

Many teachers give some sort of penalty to students for late work. The thinking behind this is that without some sort of negative consequence, too many students would wait until the end of the marking period to turn work in, or in some cases, not turn it in at all. When work is turned in weeks or even months late, it can lose its value as a learning opportunity because it is no longer aligned with what’s happening in class. On top of that, teachers can end up with massive piles of assignments to grade in the last few days of a marking period. This not only places a heavy burden on teachers, it is far from an ideal condition for giving students the good quality feedback they should be getting on these assignments.

Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions In many cases, teachers simply reduce the grade as a result of the lateness. Some teachers will take off a certain number of points per day until they reach a cutoff date after which the work will no longer be accepted. One teacher who responded said he takes off 10 percent for up to three days late, then 30 percent for work submitted up to a week late; he says most students turn their work in before the first three days are over. Others have a standard amount that comes off for any late work (like 10 percent), regardless of when it is turned in. This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late, builds in some accountability for lateness, and prevents the teacher from having to do a lot of mathematical juggling with a more complex system. 

Parent Contact Some teachers keep track of late work and contact parents if it is not turned in. This treats the late work as more of a conduct issue; the parent contact may be in addition to or instead of taking points away. 

No Feedback, No Re-Dos The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback: Students do an assignment, they get timely teacher feedback, and they use that feedback to improve. In many cases, teachers allow students to re-do and resubmit assignments based on that feedback. So a logical consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: Several teachers mentioned that their policy is to accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around. 

2. A Separate Work Habits Grade

In a lot of schools, especially those that use standards-based grading, a student’s grade on an assignment is a pure representation of their academic mastery; it does not reflect compliance in any way. So in these classrooms, if a student turns in good work, it’s going to get a good grade even if it’s handed in a month late. 

But students still need to learn how to manage their time. For that reason, many schools assign a separate grade for work habits. This might measure factors like adherence to deadlines, neatness, and following non-academic guidelines like font sizes or using the correct heading on a paper. 

• Although most teachers whose schools use this type of system will admit that students and parents don’t take the work habits grade as seriously as the academic grade, they report being satisfied that student grades only reflect mastery of the content.
• One school calls their work habits grade a “behavior” grade, and although it doesn’t impact GPA, students who don’t have a certain behavior grade can’t make honor roll, despite their actual GPA.
• Several teachers mentioned looking for patterns and using the separate grade as a basis for conferences with parents, counselors, or other stakeholders. For most students, there’s probably a strong correlation between work habits and academic achievement, so separating the two could help students see that connection.
• Some learning management systems will flag assignments as late without necessarily taking points off. Although this does not automatically translate to a work habits grade, it indicates the lateness to students and parents without misrepresenting the academic achievement.

3. Homework Passes

Because things happen in real life that can throw anyone off course every now and then, some teachers offer passes students can use to replace a missed assignment.

• Most teachers only offer these passes to replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and they generally only offer 1 to 3 passes per marking period. Homework passes can usually only recover 5 to 10 percent of a student’s overall course grade. 
• Other teachers have a policy of allowing students to drop one or two of their lowest scores in the gradebook. Again, this is typically done for smaller assignments and has the same net effect as a homework pass by allowing everyone to have a bad day or two.
• One teacher gives “Next Class Passes” which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every marking period she gives extra credit points to students who still have unused passes. She says that since she started doing this, she has had the lowest rate ever of late work. 

4. Extension Requests

Quite a few teachers require students to submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off. With a system like this, every student turns something in on the due date, whether it’s the assignment itself or an extension request.

• Most extension requests ask students to explain why they were unable to complete the assignment on time. This not only gives the students a chance to reflect on their habits, it also invites the teacher to help students solve larger problems that might be getting in the way of their academic success. 
• Having students submit their requests via Google Forms reduces the need for paper and routes all requests to a single spreadsheet, which makes it easier for teachers to keep track of work that is late or needs to be regraded.  
• Other teachers use a similar system for times when students want to resubmit work for a new grade. 

5. Floating Deadlines

Rather than choosing a single deadline for an assignment, some teachers assign a range of dates for students to submit work. This flexibility allows students to plan their work around other life activities and responsibilities.

• Some teachers offer an incentive to turn in work in the early part of the time frame, such as extra credit or faster feedback, and this helps to spread out the submissions more evenly. 
• Another variation on this approach is to assign a batch of work for a whole week and ask students to get it in by Friday. This way, students get to manage when they get it done. 
• Other names mentioned for this strategy were flexible deadlines , soft deadlines , and due windows .

6. Let Students Submit Work in Progress

Some digital platforms, like Google Classroom, allow students to “submit” assignments while they are still working on them. This allows teachers to see how far the student has gotten and address any problems that might be coming up. If your classroom is mostly paper-based, it’s certainly possible to do this kind of thing with paper as well, letting students turn in partially completed work to demonstrate that an effort has been made and show you where they might be stuck.

7. Give Late Work Full Credit

Some teachers accept all late work with no penalty. Most of them agree that if the work is important, and if we want students to do it, we should let them hand it in whenever they get it done. 

• Some teachers fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a marking period, but teachers who like this approach say they were surprised by how little things changed when they stopped giving penalties: Most students continued to turn work in more or less on time, and the same ones who were late under the old system were still late under the new one. The big difference was that the teacher no longer had to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work was simply graded for mastery.
• To give students an incentive to actually turn the work in before the marking period is over, some teachers will put a temporary zero in the gradebook as a placeholder until the assignment is turned in, at which point the zero is replaced with a grade.
• Here’s a twist on the “no penalty” option: Some teachers don’t take points off for late work, but they limit the time frame when students can turn it in. Some will not accept late work after they have graded and returned an assignment; at that point it would be too easy for students to copy off of the returned papers. Others will only accept late work up until the assessment for the unit, because the work leading up to that is meant to prepare for that assessment. 

8. Other Preventative Measures

These strategies aren’t necessarily a way to manage late work as much as they are meant to prevent it in the first place.

• Include students in setting deadlines. When it comes to major assignments, have students help you determine due dates. They may have a better idea than you do about other big events that are happening and assignments that have been given in other classes.
• Stop assigning homework. Some teachers have stopped assigning homework entirely, recognizing that disparities at home make it an unfair measurement of academic mastery. Instead, all meaningful work is done in class, where the teacher can monitor progress and give feedback as needed. Long-term projects are done in class as well, so the teacher is aware of which students need more time and why. 
• Make homework optional or self-selected. Not all students need the same amount of practice. You may be able to get your students to assess their own need for additional practice and assign that practice to themselves. Although this may sound far-fetched, in some classes, like this self-paced classroom , it actually works, because students know they will be graded on a final assessment, they get good at determining when they need extra practice.

With so many different approaches to late work, what’s clear is that there are a lot of different schools of thought on grading and assessment, so it’s not a surprise that we don’t always land on the best solution on the first try. Experiment with different systems, talk to your colleagues, and be willing to try something new until you find something that works for you. 

Further Reading

20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half This free e-book is full of ideas that can help with grading in general.

On Your Mark: Challenging the Conventions of Grading and Reporting Thomas R. Guskey This book came highly recommended by a number of teachers.

Hacking Assessment: 10 Ways to Go Gradeless in a Traditional Grades School Starr Sackstein

Come back for more. Join our mailing list and get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration that will make your teaching more effective and fun. You’ll get access to our members-only library of free downloads, including 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half , the e-booklet that has helped thousands of teachers save time on grading. Over 50,000 teachers have already joined—come on in.

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Categories: Classroom Management , Instruction , Podcast

Tags: assessment , organization

51 Comments

I teach high school science (mine is a course that does not have an “end of course” test so the stakes are not as high) and I teach mostly juniors and seniors. Last year I decided not to accept any late work whatsoever unless a student is absent the day it is assigned or due (or if they have an accomodation in a 504 or IEP – and I may have had one or two students with real/documented emergencies that I let turn in late.) This makes it so much easier on me because I don’t have to keep up with how many days/points to deduct – that’s a nightmare. It also forces them to be more responsible. They usually have had time to do it in class so there’s no reason for it to be late. Also, I was very frustrated with homework not being completed and I hated having to grade it and keep up with absent work. So I don’t “require” homework (and rarely assign it any more) but if students do ALL (no partial credit) of it they get a 100% (small point value grade), if they are absent or they don’t do it they are exempt. So it ends up being a sort of extra credit grade but it does not really penalize students who don’t do it. When students ask me for extra credit (which I don’t usually give), the first thing I ask is if they’ve done all the homework assigned. That usually shuts down any further discussion. I’ve decided I’m not going to spend tons of time chasing and calculating grades on small point values that do not make a big difference in an overall grade. 🙂

Do I understand correctly….

Homework is not required. If a student fully completes the HW, they will earn full points. If the student is absent or doesn’t do it, they are excused. Students who do complete the HW will benefit a little bit in their overall grade, but students who don’t compete the work will not be penalized. Did I understand it correctly?

Do you stipulate that a student must earn a certain % on the assignment to get the full points? What about a student who completed an assignment but completes the entire thing incorrectly? Still full credit? Or an opportunity to re-do?

Thank you in advance.

From reading this blog post I was thinking the same thing. When not penalizing students for homework do you have students who do turn it in getting extra points in class?

From what I have seen, if there is a benefit for turning in homework and students see this benefit more will try to accomplish what the homework is asking. So avoid penalization is okay, but make sure the ones turning it in are getting rewarded in some way.

The other question regarding what to do with students who may not be completing the assignments correctly, you could use this almost as a formative assessment. You could still give them the credit but use this as a time for you to focus on that student a little more and see where he/she isn’t understanding the content.

Our school has a system called Catch Up Cafe. Students with missing work report to a specific teacher during the first 15 minutes of lunch to work on missing work. Students upgrade to a Wednesday after school time if they have accumulated 4 or more missing assignments on any Monday. They do not have to serve if they can clear ALL missing work by the end of the day Wednesday. Since work is not dragging out for a long period of time, most teachers do not take off points.

How do you manage the logistics of who has missing and how many assignments are needed to be completed-to make sure they are attending the Catch up Cafe or Wednesday after school? How do you manage the communication with parents?

When a student has missing work it can be very difficult to see what he/she is missing. I always keep a running record of all of their assignments that quarter and if they miss that assigement I keep it blank to remind myself there was never a submission. Once I know that this student is missing this assignment I give them their own copy and write at the top late. So once they do turn it in I know that it’s late and makes grading it easier.

There are a lot of different programs that schools use but I’ve always kept a paper copy so I have a back-up.

I find that the worst part of tracking make-up work is keeping tabs on who was absent for a school activity, illness or other excused absence, and who just didn’t turn in the assignment. I obviously have to accept work turned in “late” due to an excused absence, but I can handle the truly late work however I wish. Any advice on simplifying tracking for this?

I tell my students to simply write “Absent (day/s)” at the top of the paper. I remind them of this fairly regularly. That way, if they were absent, it’s their responsibility to notify me, and it’s all together. If you create your own worksheets, etc., you could add a line to the top as an additional reminder.

It might be worth checking out Evernote .

In order to keep track of what type of missing assignments, I put a 0 in as a grade so students and parents know an assignment was never submitted. If a student was here on the due date and day assignment was given then it is a 0 in the grade book. If a student was absent the day the assignment was given or when it was due, I put a 00 in the grade book. This way I know if it was because of an absence or actual no work completed.

This is exactly what I do. Homework can only count 10% in our district. Claims that kids fail due to zeros for homework are specious.

This is SUCH a difficult issue and I have tried a few of the suggested ways in years past. My questions is… how do we properly prepare kids for college while still being mindful of the inequities at home? We need to be sure that we are giving kids opportunity, resources, and support, but at the same time if we don’t introduce them to some of the challenges they will be faced with in college (hours of studying and research and writing regardless of the hours you might have to spend working to pay that tuition), are we truly preparing them? I get the idea of mastery of content without penalty for late work and honestly that is typically what I go with, but I constantly struggle with this and now that I will be moving from middle to high school, I worry even more about the right way to handle late work and homework. I don’t want to hold students back in my class by being too much of a stickler about seemingly little things, but I don’t want to send them to college unprepared to experience a slap in the face, either. I don’t want to provide extra hurdles, but how do I best help them learn how to push through the hurdles and rigor if they aren’t held accountable? I always provide extra time after school, at lunch, etc., and have also experienced that end of term box checking of assignments in place of a true learning experience, but how do we teach them the importance of using resources, asking for help, allowing for mistakes while holding them to standards and learning work habits that will be helpful to them when they will be on their own? I just don’t know where the line is between helping students learn the value of good work habits and keeping them from experiencing certain challenges they need to understand in order to truly get ahead.

Thanks for sharing – I can tell how much you care for your students, wanting them to be confident independent learners. What I think I’m hearing is perhaps the struggle between that fine line of enabling and supporting. When supporting kids, whether academically or behaviorally, we’re doing something that assists or facilitates their growth. So, for example, a student that has anxiety or who doesn’t have the resources at home to complete an assignment, we can assist by giving that student extra time or an alternative place to complete the assignment. This doesn’t lower expectations, it just offers support to help them succeed.

Enabling on the other hand, puts systems in place that don’t involve consequences, which in turn allow the behaviors to continue. It involves excuses and solving problems for others. It may be about lowering expectations and letting people get by with patterns of behavior.

Late work is tricky. The article does mention the importance of time management, which is why separating academic grades from work habits is something a lot of schools are doing. Sometimes real life happens and kids need a “pass.” If whatever you’re doing seems to be helping to support a student rather than enabling patterns, then that might help you distinguish between that fine line. Hope this helps!

Thank you again for such a great post. Always high-quality, relevant, and helpful. I so appreciate you and the work you do!

So glad to hear you enjoyed the post, Liz! I’ll make sure Jenn sees this.

I thought that these points brought up about receiving late work were extremely helpful and I hope that every classroom understands how beneficial these strategies could be.

When reading the penalties section under point deductions it brought up the idea of taking points off slowly as time goes by. Currently in my classroom the only point deduction I take off is 30% of the total grade after it is received late. No matter how much time has gone by in that grading period it will have 30% off the total.

I’m curious if changing this technique to something that would increase the percentage off as time goes by will make students turn in their work on time.

My question to everyone is which grading technique would be more beneficial for the students? Do you believe that just taking off 30% for late work would help students more when turning in their work or do you think that as time goes by penalizing their final score will have students turn in their work more?

If anyone has any answers it would be extremely beneficial.

Thank you, Kirby

When I was in school my school did 1/3 of a grade each day it was like. So 1 day late A >A-. Two days late: A->>B+ so on and so forth. This worked really well for me because I knew that I could still receive a good grade if I worked hard on an assignment, even if it was a day or two late.

I dread it when I have missing work or unsubmitted work. I would try to get a last-minute effort to chase those needed pieces of work which could be done from those students housed in dorms on campus. It is better than not failing them for lacking to turn in graded submissions or taking scheduled quizzes. I dread this not for the students, sadly, but for likely call to explain why I did not keep physical evidence of students’ supposed learning. In my part of the globe, we have a yearly “quality assurance” audit by the country’s educational authorities or their representatives.

I am a pre-service teacher and I am in the process of developing my personal philosophies in education, including the topic of late work. I will be certified as a secondary social studies teacher and would like to teach in a high school. Your post brought my attention to some important insights about the subject. For example, before this post I had not thought to use feedback as a way to incentivize homework submission on time. This action coupled with the ability to re-do assignments is a great way to emphasize the importance of turning work in on time. I do have a follow-up question, how do you adequately manage grading re-do’s and feedback on all assignments? What kinds of organizational and time-management strategies do you use as a teacher? Further, how much homework do you assign when providing this as an option?

Additionally, have you administered or seen the no penalty and homework acceptance time limit in practice (for example, all homework must be turned in by the unit test)? I was curious if providing a deadline to accept all homework until the unit test may result in an access of papers I need to grade. From your experience, what practice(s) have you seen work well in the classroom?

My goal is to prepare students for life beyond high school and to support their intellectual, social, and emotional development during their high school learning experience. Similar to a previous commenter (Kate), I am also trying to define a balance between holding students accountable in order to best prepare them for their future lives and providing opportunities to raise their grade if they are willing to do the work.

Hey Jessica, you have some great questions. I’d recommend checking out the following blog posts from Jenn that will help you learn more about keeping track of assessments, differentiation, and other aspects of grading: Kiddom: Standards-based Grading Made Wonderful , Could You Teach Without Grades , Boost Your Assessment Power with GradeCam , and Four Research-Based Strategies Every Teacher Should be Using . I hope this helps you find answers to your questions!

Overall I found this article extremely helpful and it actually reinforced many ideas I already had about homework and deadlines. One of my favorite teachers I had in high school was always asking for our input on when we felt assignments should be due based on what extra curricular activities were taking place in a given time period. We were all extremely grateful for his consideration and worked that much harder on the given assignments.

While it is important to think about our own well-being when grading papers, I think it is just as important (if not more) to be conscious of how much work students might have in other classes or what students schedules are like outside of school. If we really want students to do their best work, we need to give them enough time to do the work. This will in turn, help them care more about the subject matter and help them dive deeper. Obviously there still needs to be deadlines, but it does not hurt to give students some autonomy and say in the classroom.

Thanks for your comment Zach. I appreciate your point about considering students’ involvement in extracurricular activities and other responsibilities they may have outside the school day. It’s definitely an important consideration. The only homework my son seemed to have in 8th grade was for his history class. I agree that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

Thank you for an important, thought-provoking post! As a veteran teacher of 20+ years, I have some strong opinions about this topic. I have always questioned the model of ‘taking points off’ for late work. I do not see how this presents an accurate picture of what the student knows or can do. Shouldn’t he be able to prove his knowledge regardless of WHEN? Why does WHEN he shows you what he knows determine WHAT he knows?

Putting kids up against a common calendar with due dates and timelines, regardless of their ability to learn the material at the same rate is perhaps not fair. There are so many different situations facing our students – some students have challenges and difficulty with deadlines for a plethora of potential reasons, and some have nothing but support, structure, and time. When it comes to deadlines – Some students need more time. Other students may need less time. Shouldn’t all students have a chance to learn at a pace that is right for them? Shouldn’t we measure student success by demonstrations of learning instead of how much time it takes to turn in work? Shouldn’t students feel comfortable when it is time to show me what they’ve learned, and when they can demonstrate they’ve learned it, I want their grade to reflect that.

Of course we want to teach students how to manage their time. I am not advocating for a lax wishy-washy system that allows for students to ‘get to it when they get to it’. I do believe in promoting work-study habits, and using a separate system to assign a grade for responsibility, respect, management, etc is a potential solution. I understand that when introducing this type of system, it may be tough to get buy-in from parents and older students who have traditionally only looked at an academic grade because it is the only piece of the puzzle that impacts GPA. Adopting a separate work-study grading system would involve encouraging the entire school community – starting at the youngest level – to see its value. It would be crucial for the school to promote the importance of high level work-study habits right along side academic grades.

I teach a specials course to inner city middle schoolers at a charter school. All students have to take my class since it is one of the core pillars of the school’s culture and mission. Therefore it is a double edge sword. Some students and parents think it is irrelevant like an art or music class but will get upset to find out it isn’t just an easy A class. Other students and parents love it because they come to our charter school just to be in this class that isn’t offered anywhere else in the state, except at the college level.

As you may have already guessed, I see a lot of students who don’t do the work. So much that I no longer assign homework, which the majority would not be able to do independently anyways or may develop the wrong way of learning the material, due to the nature of the subject. So everything is done in the classroom together as a class. And then we grade together to reinforce the learning. This is why I absolutely do not accept missing work and there is no reason for late work. Absent students make up the work by staying after school upon their return or they can print it off of Google classroom at home and turn in by the end of the day of their return. Late and missing work is a big issue at our school. I’ve had whole classrooms not do the work even as I implemented the new routine. Students will sit there and mark their papers as we do it in the classroom but by the end they are not handing it in because they claim not to have anything to hand in. Or when they do it appears they were doing very little. I’d have to micromanage all 32 students every 5 minutes to make sure they were actually doing the work, which I believe core teachers do. But that sets a very bad precedent because I noticed our students expect to be handheld every minute or they claim they can’t do the work. I know this to be the case since before this class I was teaching a computer class and the students expected me to sit right next to them and give them step-by-step instructions of where to click on the screen. They simply could not follow along as I demonstrated on the Aquos board. So I do think part of the problem is the administrators’ encouraging poor work ethics. They’re too focused on meeting proficient standard to the point they want teachers to handhold students. They also want teachers to accept late and missing work all the way until the end of each quarter. Well that’s easy if you only have a few students but when you have classrooms full of them, that means trying to grade 300+ students multiplied by “x” amount of late/missing work the week before report card rolls out – to which we still have to write comments for C- or below students. Some of us teach all the grade levels 6-8th. And that has actually had negative effects because students no longer hold themselves accountable.

To be honest, I really do think this is why there is such a high turnover rate and teachers who started giving busy work only. In the inner city, administrators only care about putting out the illusion of proficiency while students and parents don’t want any accountability for their performance. As soon as a student fails because they have to actually try to learn (which is a risk for failing), the parent comes in screaming.

Yea, being an Art teacher you lost me at “ irrelevant like an art or music .”

I teach middle school in the inner city where missing and late work is a chronic issue so the suggestions and ideas above do not work. Students and parents have become complacent with failing grades so penalizing work isn’t going to motivate them to do better the next time. The secret to teaching in the inner city is to give them a way out without it becoming massive work for you. Because trust me, if you give them an inch they will always want a mile at your expense. Depending on which subject you teach, it might be easier to just do everything in class. That way it becomes an all or nothing grade. They either did or didn’t do the work. No excuses, no chasing down half the school through number of calls to disconnected phone numbers and out of date emails, no explaining to parents why Johnny has to stay after school to finish assignments when mom needs him home to babysit or because she works second shift and can’t pick him up, etc. Students have no reason for late work or for missing work when they were supposed to do it right there in class. Absent students can catch up with work when they return.

Milton, I agree with all of what you are saying and have experienced. Not to say that that is for all students I have had, but it is a slow progression as to what is happening with students and parents as years go by. I understand that there are areas outside of the classroom we cannot control and some students do not have certain necessities needed to help them but they need to start learning what can they do to help themselves. I make sure the students know they can come and talk to me if needing help or extra time, tutor after school and even a phone number to contact along with email if needing to ask questions or get help. But parents and students do not use these opportunities given until the week before school ends and are now wanting their student to pass and what can be done. It is frustrating and sad. I let students and parents know my expectation up front and if they do not take the opportunity to talk to me then the grade they earned is the result.

I am a special education resource teacher and late work/missing work happens quite a lot. After reading this article, I want to try a few different things to help minimize this issue. However, I am not the one making the grades or putting the grades in. I am just giving the work to the students in small group settings and giving them more access to the resources they need to help them be successful on these assignments based on their current IEP. I use a make-up folder, and usually I will pull these students to work on their work during a different time than when I regularly pull them. That way they do not miss the delivery of instruction they get from me and it does not punish my other students either if there is make-up work that needs to be completed. I try to give my students ample time to complete their work, so there is no excuse for them not to complete it. If they are absent, then I pull them at a time that they can make it up.

I too agree with that there’s a need for teachers to maintain more of a balance across classes when it comes to the amount of homework they give to students.

I had a few teachers who were willing to tolerate lateness in favor of getting it/understanding the material. Lastly, my favorite teacher was the one who gave me many chances to do rewrites of a ‘bad essay’ and gave me as much time as needed (of course still within like the semester or even month but I never took more than two weeks) because he wanted me to do well. I ended up with a 4 in AP exam though so that’s good.

Late work has a whole new meaning with virtual learning. I am drowning in late work (via Google Classroom). I don’t want to penalize students for late work as every home situation is different. I grade and provide feedback timely (to those who submitted on time). However, I am being penalized every weekend and evening as I try to grade and provide feedback during this time. I would love some ideas.

Hi Susan! I’m in the same place–I have students who (after numerous reminders) still haven’t submitted work due days…weeks ago, and I’m either taking time to remind them again or give feedback on “old” work over my nights and weekends. So, while it’s not specific to online learning, Jenn’s A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work is a post I’ve been trying to put into practice the last few days. I hope this helps!

Graded assignment flexibility is essential to the process of learning in general but especially in our new world of digital divide

It is difficult to determine who is doing the work at home. Follow up videos on seesaw help to see if the student has gained the knowledge or is being given the answers.

This is some good information. This is a difficult subject.

I love the idea of a catch-up cafe! I think I will try to implement this in my school. It’s in the same place every day, yes? And the teachers take turns monitoring? I’m just trying to get a handle on the logistics – I know those will be the first questions I get.

I really enjoyed this post. I think it provides a lot of perspective on a topic that teachers get way too strict about. I just wonder: wouldn’t it be inevitable for students to become lazy and care less about their understanding if there wasn’t any homework (or even if it was optional)? I know students don’t like it, and it can get redundant if they understand the content, but it truly is good practice.

Hi Shannon,

Glad the post helped! Homework is one of those hot educational topics, but I can’t say I’ve personally come across a situation or found any research where kids become lazy or unmotivated if not assigned homework. In fact, research indicates that homework doesn’t really have much impact on learning until high school. I just think that if homework is going to be assigned, it needs to be intentional and purposeful. (If students have already mastered a skill, I’m not sure how homework would provide them much benefit.) Here’s an article that I think is worth checking out. See what you think.

I like how you brought up how homework needs to be given with the understanding that not all kids have the same resources at home. Some kids don’t have computers or their parents won’t let them use it. There is no way of knowing this so teachers should give homework that requires barely any utensils or technology.

I think having students help determine the due dates for major assignments is a great idea. This works well with online schools too. Remote jobs are the future so helping students learn how to set their own due dates and to get homework done from home will prepare them for the future.

This year I am trying something new. After reading this article, I noticed that I have used a combination of some of these strategies to combat late work and encourage students to turn work in on time. I only record a letter grade in the grade book: A, B, C, D, F. If a student turns in an assignment late, I flag it as late, but it does not affect their “grade”.

If a student wants to redo an assignment, they must turn something in. If they miss the due date, they can still turn it in, but lose the opportunity to redo the assignment. Students will meet with me one last time before they turn it in to get final feedback.

At the end of the grading period, I conference with the student about their final grade, looking at how many times they have handed work in on-time or late. This will determine if the student has earned an A or an A+ .

I really appreciate how your post incorporates a lot of suggestions for the way that teachers can think about and grade homework. Thank you for mentioning how different students have different resources available as well. As teachers, we need to be aware of the different resources our students have and tailor our approach to homework to match. I like the idea of grading homework based on completion and accepting late work for full credit at any time (substituting a zero in the grade book until it is turned in). This is definitely a strategy that I’ll be using!

So glad the article was helpful for you! I will be sure to pass on your comments to Jenn.

I also have been teaching for a long time and I have found that providing an END OF WEEK (Friday at 11:59) due date for assignments allows students to get the work completed by that time. It helps with athletes, and others involved in extra curricular activities. I feel this is fair. I give my tests/quizzes on the days assigned and the supplemental work on Fridays.

I personally, as a special education teach, would allow my SPED students extra time to complete the work they have missed. This is in alignment with their IEP accommodations. I would work with each one independently and have remediation with the content that they are having difficulty. This setting would be in a small group and separate classroom.

I really like the idea of a work habits grade. I struggle with students who turn things in late regularly earning the same grade as those who always turn things in on time. A work habits grade could really motivate some learners.

I’ve been in education for 37 years and in all manner of positions. I share this only to also say that things have changed quite a bit. When I started teaching I only had one, maybe two students in a class of 34 elementary students that would not have homework or classwork finished. Now, I have two classes of about 15 each. One group is often half the class on a regular basis not having homework or not finishing classwork on a regular basis- so far. Additionally parents will pull students out to go to amusement parks, etc and expect all work to be made up and at full credit. I believe that the idea of homework is clearly twofold- to teach accountability and to reengage a learner. Classwork is critical to working with the content and, learning objective. We can all grade various ways; however, at some point, the learner has to step up. Learning is not passive, nor is it all on the teacher. I have been called “mean” because I make students do their work in class, refocusing them, etc. I find that is my duty. Late work should be simply dealt with consistently and with understanding to circumstance IMO. You were out or it was late because mom and dad were upset, ok versus we went to Disney for three days and I was too tired. hmm- used to be easy with excused/unexcused absences, now there is no difference. Late with no absence? That can be a problem and I reach out to home and handle it individually at my level.

Hi Jennifer! I really like your sharing about this topic! Late work is a problem that every teacher encounters. Thank you for your consideration of this issue and the many wise ideas you have provided. Your ideas also remind me to reflect on whether my overall program of assignments and grading is in a healthy place. I was inspired by the preventative measures you listed in this post. I want to try to include my students in setting deadlines, especially for some big projects. Students will feel respected by teachers and will be more willing to complete the assignments before deadlines! As you mentioned, some teachers have made homework optional or self-selected, or even stopped assigning homework. I partially agree with that opinion. I indeed try to reduce the amount of students’ homework or even stop assigning homework sometime, but doing related practice in class instead. I believe that the purpose of homework is to aid pupils in mastering the knowledge; it is not a necessary thing.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Yang. Jenn will be glad to know that you found the post inspiring!

Thanks so much for all your insights on giving assignments or homework. All are very helpful as I prepare to return to work after an extended medical leave. It is good to refresh! Anything we require of our students should be purposeful and meaningful to them, so they will give their best to meet whatever deadlines we set. I also like asking our students when is the best time they can turn work in; this is meeting them halfway. And if one strategy does not work, there are more to try; just read this post. Thanks a bunch!!

Jenn will be glad to know the post was helpful for you, Jo!

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Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Late Assignments: Tips From Educators on Managing Them

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how different teachers handle late student work.

‘Taking Late Work Can Be Challenging’

Ann Stiltner is a high school special education and reading teacher in Connecticut with more than 20 years of experience in education. She shares her passion and love for working in the classroom at her blog from Room A212 (www.annstiltner.com/blog). Follow her on Twitter @fromrooma212:

Being a special education teacher means most of my students have the IEP modification of extra time, which generally translates to time and a half. For a test a teacher gives a class one hour to do, my student would have 1½ hours. For a project the class had one week to complete, my student would have 11 days. However, even with this extra time, some of my spec. ed. students are not able to complete the work. With diagnoses such as ADHD, LD (Learning Disabilities), or anxiety, they find maintaining focus and accessing one-on-one support difficult to fit into these time constraints. Their motivation is unpredictable based on their mood, family challenges, or social drama.

Due to these factors, I have adopted a policy where I accept work from both regular and special education students at any time for full credit or I take points off for each day late depending on the circumstances and if that will motivate a student to finish.

I realize that taking late work can be challenging for teachers of 100-plus students. It means constantly updating your grade book and keeping track of papers. Some teachers don’t accept late work because they think a firm cutoff teaches students the importance of meeting deadlines. Even though I agree this is an important skill, I fear that some students won’t learn that lesson from a policy of not accepting work late. These students prefer to give up and forget about the assignment in order to feel a sense of control and protect themselves from failure. Getting a zero on an assignment does not make them rethink their decision to not do the work, since a zero to them doesn’t mean the same as it does to us teachers. To them, a zero is the grade they think they deserve based on their past experiences.

I have found a time limit gives students a reason to give up and not try. This is learned helplessness in action. My working definition of learned helplessness is a person’s lack of effort due to previous experiences which have taught them that making even the smallest effort won’t make a difference.

For many students, trying involves a large investment of cognitive effort and a huge risk to put themselves out there. They are not ready to set themselves up for what, they are sure, will make them feel like a failure and especially not in a setting where they might be bullied, yelled at, or insulted. If they do not feel safe and supported, they will not risk being teased by their classmates. This is the thinking behind my policy to accept late work at any time. I do not want my conditions and requirements to be used as an excuse for why they do not engage in my lesson and do the work.

This same philosophy explains why I provide supplies like writing utensils or computer chargers. I consciously decide not to create barriers for a student to complete work. I do not want to rob them of a chance to engage with the material, learn something new, experience deep thinking and feed their curiosity by dictating conditions that they can blame for not engaging in the work. Accepting an assignment late gives them time to get motivated or set up one-to-one support so they can focus on the work when they are ready. I do not want to distract students with rules concerning time limits, pen vs. pencil, or on paper vs. on computer.

Don’t get me wrong: I do have classroom rules and expectations. I want the focus in my class to be on what is most essential—learning. This approach means the student—and their parents—will have a hard time holding me responsible for their grade. The responsibility falls on the student and their choices. This open policy allows me to create rapport when I explain my belief in their ability to do the work and my dedication to provide them the support and necessary modifications to be successful. If and when a student is ready to engage in the work, make an effort and take a risk, I am ready.

‘A Balanced Approach’

Ruth Okoye, Ed.D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings and is passionate about literacy, educational technology, and ed-tech coaching. She currently serves as the K-12 director at a nonprofit organization:

As an ed-tech coach working with fellow educators in their journey of professional growth, handling assignment submissions beyond the designated due date is a nuanced process that reflects both practicality and a deep understanding of individual circumstances. The approach I adopt recognizes the unique challenges that my learners who are teachers face in their daily lives, and it aims to create an inclusive learning environment that supports their development while acknowledging the diverse contexts in which they operate.

My policy on due dates is rooted in the realization that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the myriad of responsibilities and situations that learners encounter. Rather than rigidly adhering to stringent deadlines, I advocate a balanced approach that considers the academic integrity of assignments and the need for flexibility.

To strike this balance, I establish a preferred due date for assignments, considering the majority of learners and allowing them ample time to complete their work. This desired deadline also has a more concrete counterpart—a hard deadline—that offers a reasonable time frame for those genuinely committed to finishing their tasks. This dual-deadline structure allows proactive learners to demonstrate their dedication while acknowledging the potential challenges others may face.

For example, in a book study, there would be weekly assignments. The posted due dates would give the learners three weeks to get each assignment done. I would establish a hard deadline for all assignments two weeks after the study is completed. I’ve found that for a six- to eight-week book study, that allows ample time for a learner to deal with an external complication and then get back on track.

Of course, the purpose of the assignment plays a significant role in determining the flexibility of the due date. For instance, tasks geared toward in-class reflection, like exit tickets, maintain their original deadline as they serve an immediate and time-sensitive purpose. On the other hand, assignments designed to assess learners’ application of covered material need a more lenient approach, allowing participants the time to digest the content and apply it effectively.

I also believe in allowing learners ample time to attempt tasks and even granting multiple opportunities for submission. This practice is grounded in the understanding that the learning process is not linear, and different individuals require varying duration to internalize and implement new concepts. By granting extensions and multiple tries, I encourage a growth mindset and empower learners to engage more deeply with the subject.

One of the cornerstones of my policy is the recognition that external factors beyond the learning experience can impact a learner’s ability to meet deadlines. Illness, family emergencies, or resource constraints can hinder progress, and rigid due dates should not serve as barriers to measuring their ability to apply course concepts. Instead of penalizing them for circumstances beyond their control, I aim to evaluate their understanding of the material and capacity to use it effectively, irrespective of external hindrances.

So you can see, my approach to handling late submissions from learners revolves around flexibility, empathy, and practicality. By acknowledging the diverse challenges teachers face and tailoring due dates to the purpose of assignments, I create an environment that fosters deep learning, personal growth, and a commitment to the subject matter. This policy recognizes the unique circumstances of each learner. It underscores the overarching goal of professional learning—to nurture and support the development of capable and resilient professionals in education.

What Is the Goal?

Jessica Fernandez is a full-time high school teacher and instructional coach near Chicago who specializes in teaching multilingual English learners and in supporting colleagues to make small language shifts that will benefit all learners:

Fortunately, my high school freshman English PLC has decided to have two categories: formative (anything at all that is practice), which is weighted 10 percent, and summative, which is weighted 90 percent. Since the purpose of formative tasks is to practice a skill they will later demonstrate, late work is accepted until we complete the summative demonstration for that skill. Afterward, there’s not so much of a point, plus it would drive us crazy and make work-life balance tough.

The goal, after all, is to give frequent and prompt feedback so kids can improve before their final summative demonstration. Late points are more of what we used to call “habits of work”; important soft skills, yes, but for our purposes, if the kid practiced for their summative skill demonstration, I’m happy, and I’m not scoring them on timeliness. Who knows what they had going on? I’ve gotten grace, and 10 percent won’t make or break their grade anyway.

Thanks to Ann, Ruth, and Jessica for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post responded to this question:

How do you handle students turning in work after the due date, and why do you apply that policy?

In Part One , Chandra Shaw, Stephen Katzel, and Kelly Owens contributed their ideas.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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Flexibility: what to consider in late work policies.

November 16, 2018. Photo by Justin Mohling, University Communication.

Choosing a late policy that will work for your particular course and teaching style can be tricky. There are many different options available, and how well each works will depend on factors such as the discipline, course level, enrollment size, and instructor educational philosophy.

This page is designed to help you think about the different options and how they might fit with your needs. It contains a variety of examples of late work policies, annotated with things for you to consider before adopting that policy type. Some also contain ideas of situations where that policy type might work well. While this page may seem lengthy, it’s important to remember that good teaching is hard work! To support students equitably, it is critical to think about the implications for your syllabus policies on different student populations.

Before you dig in, know that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list - there are other creative options available for crafting great syllabus policies. It is also possible to mix elements of the different approaches together if none of them feel like quite the right fit. Note that these are focused on homework and project type work rather than exams. There are a lot of very interesting ways that faculty account for missed exams or students with low exam scores, but that is beyond the scope of this document.

Types of late policies that we’ve seen:

Considerations: This type of policy offers maximum flexibility for students that need it. However, instructors sometimes find that many students procrastinate too much, which can cause students to fall behind if material builds on itself. It can also be difficult to keep up with grading.

Learning happens by trying something, getting feedback, and improving. Instructors assign work because they believe it will lead to valuable student learning. Removing the ability for students to get feedback or re-do work can therefore take away the main reason you have them do the work in the first place.

When might this work well: Upper level or low enrollment courses with highly motivated students.

Considerations: This type of policy is somewhat flexible and pretty easy to implement as an instructor (it can even be automated in Canvas). However, some students may still need exceptions, so this could potentially penalize emergencies unless there is a clear section outlining exceptions to the policy.

When it can work well: This is probably the most common late work policy, and can be implemented in most courses.

Considerations: This policy works similarly to the previous one, which means there is flexibility and ease of implementation. The main difference is that this ensures a decent amount of credit for completing assignments no matter how late they are, which can encourage students to do the work that we know leads to enhanced learning. It is also less penalizing of students that have significant emergencies.

When it can work well: This can be implemented in most courses.

Considerations: This can provide some flexibility, and makes it so the instructor doesn’t have to determine what constitutes a ‘valid’ excuse. It can also be automated in the Canvas. However, students may miss out on learning experiences for missed assignments, so this may not be optimal in courses where material builds on itself and every assignment is important. There may still be some need for flexibility on more than the granted number of assignments for specific students, although this method should substantially reduce the number of exceptions granted.

Where it can work well: In high enrollment courses or classes with a large number of assignments across the semester making it difficult to give feedback on late work.

Considerations: This can be very flexible, and makes it so the instructor doesn’t have to determine what constitutes a ‘valid’ excuse. Also, unlike the policy above where assignments are dropped, here students still get feedback on late work. While there may still be some need for flexibility on more than the granted number of assignments for specific students, this method should substantially reduce the number of exceptions granted.

Where it can work well: This method can work well in most courses, although it does pose the challenge of keeping track of ‘Oops token’ use

Considerations: This can allow flexibility in particular situations, and also helps signal to students what you value most. These policies can be more ‘realistic’, since in a lot of jobs, different types of work (like presenting to a client vs independently working on a project) have very different levels of importance. However, these policies can be more complex to write, and require instructors to be very specific about which rules apply when. Also, there will still be some situations where students need flexibility beyond what is stated for that assignment type, so having a clear exemptions policy will be important.

Considerations: Allowing students to help co-create key parts of the syllabus like policies and due dates can help give them ownership and buy in for the process. You’ll also be able to avoid dates that are particularly busy for a large number of students. However, it can be difficult to find a process that achieves consensus without some students feeling unheard, and you’re unlikely to find a schedule that works perfectly for all students.

Where it can work well: In small classes or courses within a major where students already have a sense of community.

Common beliefs and practices that can be unintentionally harmful:

Requiring documentation to avoid penalties. This can add a burden to students that are already having a difficult time, which sometimes can result in them taking the 0 rather than trying to get an extension. Students can also have very severe illness (COVID-19, the flu) without getting any medical treatment that would provide documentation. Policies like this often use phrases like ‘legitimate absence,’ which can leave students questioning whether their situation counts. first-generation college students and those of marginalized backgrounds are less likely to ask for extensions than other students in situations like this, which leads to inequity.

Requiring notification ahead of time for extensions. While it’s great to encourage students to let you know ahead of time when they’ll need an extension, making it an explicit requirement for being granted extra time is problematic. The term ‘emergency’ means ‘you don’t know it’s coming,’ and if a student is having an emergency, it doesn’t make sense for them to be thinking about your course. Changing the language to something like ‘Either ahead of time or as soon afterward as possible’ signals to students that it’s still okay to contact you after a due date has passed.

Having a stated policy (like ‘no late work under any circumstance’) that differs from what you do in practice (often ‘just talk to me and we can work something out’). As mentioned above, first-generation college students and those of marginalized backgrounds tend to believe exactly what you write in your syllabus. While some students will ask for extensions with this policy, not everyone will, which creates inequity in the implementation of the policy.

Supporting your policy with ‘In the real world there are no extensions’. Actually, there are. People get sick in the real world and need extensions all the time. It can be useful to think carefully about which types of work are granted which types of extensions in your field, and use that to craft a more realistic policy.

‘If I give extensions, they won’t be prepared for their future careers’ . Time / project management is a skill that has to be learned over time. By the time they graduate, we want to ensure they have mastered that skill, but as with anything we teach, it’s not reasonable to hold 1st year students accountable for mastery. There is tremendous variation in workplace culture, so making assumptions about what students will encounter in their future careers can result in gatekeeping rather than support. The question then, is how do we design curriculum to support students through learning time management instead of using it as a reason to push them out?

‘Granting extensions to some students isn’t fair to those that turned it in on time.’ As long as you follow your policy as written, all students are being given the same opportunity for grace. Having a very stringent policy in the name of ‘equality’ is what produces inequity and makes it difficult for students with disabilities or emergency situations to succeed.

Writing a policy using harsh language. Whatever policy you choose to implement, pay close attention to the language that you use. Try to write it in your own voice as an instructor, and be sure to explain the reason you chose that policy. When you use all caps and bold font to say ‘DO NOT’ do something, it can signal to students that they don’t belong and can’t succeed in the course. Even if your policy includes penalties, find a way to phrase it in a way that signals you support student learning.

Having a vague late policy. Sometimes faculty will simply link to a university-level policy or say something like ‘late work will be penalized’. It is very important to write a policy that is specific to your course so students know exactly what to expect. Otherwise, they may make assumptions based on what they’ve experienced in other courses, which may or may not fit with how you implement your policy.

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How to decide when to be flexible

Kathy Castle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Practice teaches large-enrollment courses and aims to be empathetic, consistent, and equitable, but it doesn't mean "anything goes."

Instead, she has created a decision tree that helps her meet her goals. Take a look and see how it might assist you in implementing flexibility in your course.

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Late work policy, when is late work accepted.

Students may turn in late homework assignments one class period after the original due date. 

Students receive 70% of the credit earned on any late homework assignment. 

Missing homework assignments will be marked as “M” in Infinite Campus no later than 3:00 pm the following day.  

Late homework assignments will be marked as “late” in Infinite Campus.  

No late assignments will be accepted for classwork that was assigned when a student was present during that class. 

Lunch Access – If a student attends Lunch Access, they may complete homework assignments that are missing for THAT WEEK ONLY (Monday – Friday). Students receive 70% of the credit earned on any late homework assignment completed and submitted during Lunch Access.

Infinite Campus Gradebook Markings

Late = Denotes assignments that were turned in late and earned 70% of what the student scored on the assignment. “Late” will appear in the comments section next to the score for an assignment. 

M = Ability to submit work under the late policy. 

0 = (Zero) Not able to submit work under the late policy. 

Gradebook Updates

Late Work:  Families should expect that teachers will communicate missing work in Infinite Campus (not Schoology) by marking an “M” no later than 3:00pm the day after an assignment is due.

General Updates:  Families should expect that teachers will update their Infinite Campus gradebook no later than midnight every Tuesday.

Schoolwide Absent (Late) Work Policy

Students with an excused absence will receive ONE additional day (class period) for every excused absence day to complete assignments that were assigned on the day of that absence. 

An assignment that is due on the day that a student has an excused absence must turn in that assignment upon returning to class. 

Students with an unexcused absence will receive a zero for anything assigned that day, completed in class that day, or due that day. 

Absences must be excused by a parent within 24 hours of the student’s absence. 

Students may turn in late homework assignments one class period after the original due date. 

Students receive 70% of the credit earned on any late homework assignment. 

Missing homework assignments will be marked as “M” in Infinite Campus no later than 3:00 pm the following day.  

Late homework assignments will be marked as “late” in Infinite Campus.  

No late assignments will be accepted for classwork that was assigned when a student was present during that class. 

Late = Denotes assignments that were turned in late and earned 70% of what the student scored on the assignment. “Late” will appear in the comments section next to the score for an assignment. 

M = Ability to submit work under the late policy. 

0 = (Zero) Not able to submit work under the late policy. 

Late Work:  Families should expect that teachers will communicate missing work in Infinite Campus (not Schoology) by marking an “M” no later than 3:00pm the day after an assignment is due.

General Updates:  Families should expect that teachers will update their Infinite Campus gradebook no later than midnight every Tuesday.

Students with an excused absence will receive ONE additional day (class period) for every excused absence day to complete assignments that were assigned on the day of that absence. 

An assignment that is due on the day that a student has an excused absence must turn in that assignment upon returning to class. 

Students with an unexcused absence will receive a zero for anything assigned that day, completed in class that day, or due that day. 

Absences must be excused by a parent within 24 hours of the student’s absence. 

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Faculty Share Ideas About Late Work Policies

During the pandemic, many instructors have incorporated flexibility in their teaching and identified a need to strike a balance between flexibility, fairness, and high expectations of students. Is it difficult to create flexible course deadlines without creating a lot of extra work for instructors? How can we balance compassion with setting clear expectations of getting work done – keeping in mind that the teacher’s wellness, boundaries, and time limits are as important as the students’. Moreover, too much flexibility can sometimes be a barrier for students who need deadlines and more-specific directions. In a recent session faculty shared strategies for and challenges with determining how flexible their late policies should be, balancing the needs of both students and instructors.

Faculty shared with each other specific challenges to having a flexible late policy and strategies they have used to address these challenges in their courses. Based on the discussions and some prior research done by the facilitators, the following strategies emerged that might be of use to instructors who are seeking to balance flexible late work policies, set clear boundaries, and reach course outcomes:

• As a first step, examine your assessment plans to determine if you might cut down on the number of graded assignments.
• Consider the purpose of the assignments, and the reasons why students might be able to turn them in late. No standard policy applies to all KINDS of assignments (or to all classes). Some assignments build on earlier work (e.g., drafts of papers), while others are discrete assessments (e.g., a presentation that comes at the end of a particular unit of study).
• Communication is key – both in terms of what your late policy is AND “why” your policy is set that way. Help the students understand why a deadline is important (i.e., tied to their learning) or why you have built flexibility into certain assignments (but maybe not others).
• Build in “make-up days”, designated day(s) listed in the syllabus when students can submit late work without penalty.
• Build in grace periods after the deadline date (e.g., if you won’t grade something until a day or so after the due date, can it still be considered on time as long as it is there when you do your grading?).
• If you do include a penalty for late work, you can set that up in Canvas so it is applied automatically. This saves you time in grading and the application of the policy is clear to students.
• Include student input/feedback when setting up deadlines.
• If time management challenges are leading students to turn in work late, help them  develop planning skills by allowing late work that is accompanied by a plan for how they will be on time for the assignment next time (or future assignments).
• The “Message students who” feature of Canvas is a good way to reach out to students who turn in late work, especially for early assignments. You can use that feature to check in with them about challenges/confusion they have with the course early on.

Overall, the participants agreed that when it comes to late work policies, it’s hard to find the right balance between complete flexibility and no flexibility. Nevertheless, it is important to try, in order to purposefully create a learning environment for students whose success we care about. For a more comprehensive view of the ideas shared during the session, and links to further reading on the topic, you can check out these resources:

• Methods for Managing Late Work
• Rethinking Deadline and Late Penalty Policies…Again
• Grading for a Pandemic
• Do Late Penalties Do More Harm Than Good?

Written by:

Devshikha Bose & Teresa Focarile

Center for Teaching and Learning

How to Deal With Late Work and Makeup Work

Late Work and Make Up Work Policies

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Late work is a teacher housekeeping task that often causes a classroom management nightmare for teachers. Late work can be especially difficult for new educators who do not have a set policy in place or even for a veteran teacher who has created a policy that just is not working.

There are many reasons why makeup or late work should be allowed, but the best reason to consider is that any work that was deemed important enough by a teacher to be assigned, deserves to be completed. If homework or classwork is not important, or are assigned as "busy work," students will notice, and they will not be motivated to complete the assignments. Any homework and/or classwork a teacher assigns and collects should support a student's academic growth.

There may be students returning from excused or unexcused absences who will need to complete makeup work. There also may be students who have not worked responsibly. There may be assignment completed on paper, and now there may be assignments submitted digitally. There are multiple software programs where students may submit homework or classwork. However, there may be students who lack the resources or support they need at home.

Therefore, it is important that teachers create late work and make-up work policies for hard copies and for digital submissions that they can follow consistently and with a minimum of effort. Anything less will result in confusion and further problems.

Questions to Consider When Creating a Late Work and Makeup Work Policy

• Does my school have a set policy for teachers concerning late work? For example, there might be a schoolwide policy that all teachers are to take off a letter grade for each day late.
• What is my school's policy concerning time for makeup work? Many school districts allow students two days to complete late work for each day they were out.
• What is my school's policy for making up work when a student has an excused absence? Does that policy differ for an unexcused absence? Some schools do not allow students to make up work after unexcused absences.
• Collecting homework (hard copies) at the door as they enter the class.
• Digital submissions to a classroom software platform or app (ex: Edmodo, Google Classroom). These will have a digital time stamp on each document.
• Ask students have to turn homework/classwork into a specific location (homework/classwork box) by the bell to be considered on time.
• Use a timestamp to put on homework /classwork to mark when it was submitted. 
• Determine if you will accept partially-completed homework or classwork. If so, then students can be considered on time even if they have not completed their work. If not, this needs to be clearly explained to students.
• Have students write the date they turn in the homework on the top. This saves you time but could also lead to cheating .
• You write the date the homework was turned in on the top as it is turned in. This will only work if you have a mechanism for students to turn in work directly to you each day.
• If you wish to use a homework collection box, then you can mark the day each assignment was turned in on the paper when you grade each day. However, this requires daily maintenance on your part so that you don't get confused.
• Have an assignment book where you write down all classwork and homework along with a folder for copies of any worksheets/handouts. Students are responsible for checking the assignment book when they return and collecting the assignments. This requires you to be organized and to update the assignment book each day.
• Create a "buddy" system. Have students be responsible for writing down assignments to share with someone who was out of class. If you gave notes in class, either provide a copy for the students who missed or you can have them copy notes for a friend. Be aware that students have to on their own time copy notes and they might not get all the information depending on the quality of the notes copied.
• Only give makeup work before or after school. Students have to come to see you when you are not teaching so that they can get the work. This can be hard for some students who do not have the time to come before or after depending on bus/ride schedules.
• Have a separate makeup assignment that uses the same skills, but different questions or criteria.
• Prepare how will you have students makeup tests and/or quizzes that they missed when they were absent. Many teachers require students to meet with them either before or after school. However, if there is an issue or concern with that, you might be able to have them come to your room during your planning period or lunch to try and complete the work. For students who need to make up assessments, you may want to design an alternate assessment, with different questions.
• Anticipate that long-term assignments (ones where students have two or more weeks to work on) will take much more supervision. Break the project up into chunks, staggering the workload when possible. Breaking up one assignment into smaller deadlines will mean that you are not chasing a large assignment with a high percentage grade that is late.
• Decide how you will address late projects or large percentage assignments. Will you allow late submissions? Make sure that you address this issue at the beginning of the year, especially if you are going to have a research paper or other long-term assignment in your class. Most teachers make it a policy that if students are absent on the day a long-term assignment is due that it must be submitted the day that student returns to school. Without this policy, you might find students who are trying to gain extra days by being absent.

If you do not have a consistent late work or makeup policy, your students will notice. Students who turn their work in on time will be upset, and those who are consistently late will take advantage of you. The key to an effective late work and makeup work policy is good recordkeeping and daily enforcement.

Once you decide what you want for your late work and makeup policy, then stick to that policy. Share your policy with other teachers because there is strength in consistency. Only by your consistent actions will this become one less worry in your school day. 

• Late Work Policy for Teachers Example
• Teacher Housekeeping Tasks
• Collecting Homework in the Classroom
• How to Write a School Attendance Policy That Improves Attendance
• Homework Guidelines for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
• Effective Classroom Policies and Procedures
• You Missed Class: What Do You Do?
• How Teachers Must Handle a "Lazy" Student
• Write IEP Goals for Healthy Student Work Habits
• What to Do If Your Students Come to Class Unprepared
• Creating a Homework Policy With Meaning and Purpose
• 8 Common Questions Parents Ask Teachers
• Essential Strategies to Help You Become an Outstanding Student
• Tardy Policies for Students
• Tips for Remembering Homework Assignments
• The 10 Things That Worry Math Teachers the Most

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Rethinking Deadline and Late Penalty Policies…Again

• August 5, 2019
• Brenda Thomas

Some of the recurring topics on Faculty Focus in the past ten years pertain to handling excuses, extension requests, and late work, because teachers regularly deal with those issues. Suggested remedies range from giving one-time grace to assuming deception as the norm. If you have been a teacher for any length of time, you already have some sort of policy and have maybe modified it more than once. With this article, I am providing a peek at how and why I morphed from a rigid to a more flexible deadline/late penalty policy and what I observed as a result.   

When I began teaching online in 2015, my policy was to deduct 10 percent for each day an assignment was late. That was the maximum allowed by the university as stated in the student handbook, so I adopted that as my policy. I thought that would make everything fair and square for everybody. (I can hear some of you chuckling.) However, three repeating scenarios made me reckon with my naiveté and prompted me to begin tweaking my policy.

• Some students turned in high-quality work but received lower grades due only to lateness.
• Some students turned in low-quality work but received higher grades than the late, high-quality assignments due only to timeliness.  
• Some students received exemptions from deadlines/late penalties because the university periodically requested that faculty grant leniency to those affected by a major natural disaster in their geographical region, but students experiencing other issues beyond their control, such as illnesses, injuries, or technical glitches, had to abide by the set deadlines.

Meting out punishment or pardon based on their reasons and timing made me feel more like Judge Judy than their teacher.

Since I was foregoing late deductions for weather, I decided to do the same for other issues beyond a student’s control, so I began allowing late assignments with no or minimal penalty (5 percent). But only if students contacted me prior to the deadline with a valid reason. (I can hear some of you chuckling again.) As a result, I was inundated with eleventh-hour extension requests for a variety of reasons. Those who contacted me after the deadline with a valid reason received the same consideration. Meting out punishment or pardon based on their reasons and timing made me feel more like Judge Judy than their teacher.

It was around that time I read an article suggesting that teachers abolish deadlines and late penalties altogether, but I saw three main problems with that approach.

• A course eventually ends, so there is at least one deadline. The author said he never had a flood of assignments submitted at the end, but I was unwilling to risk being the exception to that.
• For students to improve throughout my course they needed to receive feedback in between assignments, so multiple deadlines spaced throughout the course were necessary.
• Not having deadlines or late penalties facilitated procrastination and removed incentives for timely work.

Because I wanted to assess my students more on the quality of their work than the speed with which they completed it, while also encouraging timely work without using the incentives of extra points for timeliness and lost points for lateness, I made another policy tweak.

The course ran for seven weeks with a writing assignment due at the end of each week. I could not allow assignments to be turned in after the seventh week ended, but I did allow students five extra days without penalty for each of the six assignments due in the first six weeks. If students turned in their assignment by the deadline each week, I graded it and allowed them to revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback. For those who turned in their assignment during the five-day grace period, they also had the option to revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback, but the highest grade they could receive on the re-do was five points less than the maximum possible for that assignment. If students turned in their assignment after the five-day grace period, then I enacted a late penalty of 5 percent for each day it was late, and they could not revise and resubmit after seeing my feedback.

What I observed was that only two or three students chose to revise and resubmit and even fewer turned in assignments after the five-day grace period. As a result of that new policy, my grading workload negligibly increased, the number of assignments receiving late penalties noticeably decreased, the occurrence of excuses and extension requests became almost non-existent, and the incidence of grades reflecting the quality of the assignments exponentially grew. The lesson I learned, and continue to learn, is that if my policies do not uphold my teaching philosophy then it is time to consider some modifications. Making small tweaks through multiple class sessions helped me notice the details that needed adjusting. Now I’m off to rethink my discussion forum grading policy . . . again.

Brenda Thomas is an online instructor in the humanities who writes on topics related to online higher education. 

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Improving Equity, Grade Challenges, and Late Work

Recommendations for improving equity in grading systems.

Change Weighting Scale When calculating a final grade, each type of assessment holds a certain “weight” in the overall grade. Exam results might be worth 50% of the entire grade, while daily assignments are worth 20%. Giving more weight to recent scores when averaging several scores over an extended period so that low scores early in the marking period don't discourage the student or allow performance on formative assessments to overshadow those on more summative assessments.

Allow for Self-Assessment Give students an opportunity to assess their own learning and reflect on the progress they are making. They can identify their own gaps in skills or knowledge, revise their work, and set realistic goals. This process also helps students stay motivated and interested in their own learning.

Provide Multiple Assessment Formats Students benefit from a grading system that includes multiple types of assignments, preferably designed to allow the students to demonstrate learning in different ways. General strategies include blending extended assignments such as projects with in-class, time-limited assessments such as tests, providing formative (e.g., activities, laboratories) as well as summative (e.g., tests) assessments, and providing an ample number of assessments throughout the marking period.

Tests do not need to be restricted to pencil and paper formats. Students with written output issues can be given oral-response tests. Instructors can use long answer, short answer, diagrams, charts, fill-in-the-blank, and other graphic organizers to have students answer questions about material.

Dealing with Grade Complaints

Occasionally students will dispute a test score or a final grade. In that case, it's important to give the student a courteous hearing. We may have added incorrectly, or overlooked work, or not been able to decipher the writing on a test. If, on the contrary, the grade should still hold, most students appreciate an explanation of how the grade accords with the policies we set forth.  

It’s easier to handle grade challenges, however, if we do not attempt to regrade exams with the concerned student looking on. Have students explain carefully whatever problem they see in the exam, and then ask them to leave for a time. Not only does this give us time to look over the exam on our own to recheck our records, and sometimes to rethink our original criteria for grading, but it also gives the oftentimes upset student a chance to calm down. Graduate Teaching Assistants also need to be careful not to get caught between professor and students on regrading questions. Professors can help GTAs by discussing beforehand, the expectations and policies for regrades; or GTAs can initiate the discussion, finding out who is responsible for regrading issues.

Managing Late Work  (from   A Few Ideas for Dealing with Late Work,  Cult of Pedagogy )

What assumptions do you make when students don’t turn in work? Unmotivated?  Time-management issues?  Perhaps they may struggle with anxiety. Or they may not have the resources—like time, space, and technology—to consistently complete work at home. More attention has been paid lately to the fact that homework is an equity issue, and our policies around homework should reflect an understanding that all students may not have access to the same resources.  Possible solutions presented below reflect an instructor’s grading philosophy and recognition of issues that impact student work.

Penalties The assumption is that without some sort of negative consequence, too many students would wait until the end of the marking period to turn work in, or in some cases, not turn it in at all, and thus lose its value as a learning opportunity.  Several types of penalties are most common:

Point Deductions Have an increasing amount taken off per day/week, or a standard amount that comes off for any late work (like 10 percent), regardless of when it is turned in. This policy still rewards students for on-time work without completely de-motivating those who are late.

No Feedback or Re-Dos The real value of homework and other smaller assignments should be the opportunity for feedback that students use to improve. A consequence of late work could be the loss of that opportunity: accept late work for full credit, but only students who submit work on time will receive feedback or the chance to re-do it for a higher grade. Those who hand in late work must accept whatever score they get the first time around.

  “Life Happens” Passes   Because things happen in real life that can throw anyone off course every now and then, some teachers offer passes students can use to replace a missed assignment. Typically these passes can only replace low-point assignments, not major ones, and generally only 1 to 3 passes per semester.  Other instructors allow students to drop a low score in the gradebook.  Another option is “Next Class Passes” which allow students one extra day to turn in work. At the end of every semester, you can give extra credit points to students who still have unused passes.  

Extension Requests On the due date, students can submit a written request for a deadline extension rather than taking points off.  Most extension requests ask students to explain why they were unable to complete the assignment on time. This not only gives the students a chance to reflect on their habits, it also invites the teacher to help students solve larger problems that might be getting in the way of their academic success.  

Give Late Work Full Credit Some instructors accept all late work with no penalty, with the assumption that if the work is important, and if we want students to do it, we should let them hand it in whenever they get it done. Other instructors fear this approach will cause more students to stop doing the work or delay submission until the end of a semester, but most students continue to turn work in more or less on time, and the same ones who were late under the old system were still late under the new one. The big difference is that the instructor no longer has to spend time calculating deductions or determining whether students had valid excuses; the work is simply graded for mastery.

• 4 Different Ways To Evaluate Student Progress In the Inclusive Class . Special Needs Resources,  Friendship Circle
• Grading Students with Significant Disabilities in Inclusive Settings, from Kansas University

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Teaching Commons > Teaching Guides > Course Design > Attendance, Participation & Late Work Policies

​​​​Beyond completing the BlueStar Attendance/Participation survey early in the quarter, as an instructor you have wide latitude on what kinds of attendance, participation and late work policies to set for your classes. In some cases, specific policies are set by your department or program, so check with your department chair or program manager if you are unsure.

One important thing to keep in mind is how your attendance policy corresponds with your course's teaching modality . For example, if your course is listed as "Flex," which allows students to join your class on campus or via Zoom throughout the quarter, you cannot adopt an on-campus-only attendance policy. 

In a whitepaper for Macmillan Learning, which provides attendance tracking services to institutions, Bergin and Ferrara  argue that class attendance is an important early indicator of student success, particularly for non-traditional students. They cite a 2010 meta-analysis that found "class attendance is a better predictor of college grades than any other known predictor of academic performance."

However, some scholars have questioned the benefit of compulsory class attendance, arguing that the relationship between student attendance and performance is statistically significant, but with a weak effect size ( Buechele 2020 ) and does not control for other variables such as motivation ( St. Claire 1999 ). Buechele further argues that it is not attendance per se, but "in-class engagement" that explains the positive correlation. Indeed, active learning —which requires student engagement during class—has been extensively shown to positively impact student success ( Freeman et al., 2014 ). 

The takeaway is that students engaging cognitively and behaviorally with course content increases the likelihood of their success. Providing an incentive for students to attend your class can increase the likelihood of engagement, but only to the extent your class sessions engage them.

No matter what policy you set, you should be explicit about your expectations in your syllabus and early communications with your students.

Example Attendance Policy

Your attendance will be measured by your presence in our synchronous class sessions. After one absence, your final attendance grade will be marked down by [insert grade deduction] for each additional absence.

Much of our learning happens while working with peers, discussion, and participation in a community. These are learning experiences that are almost impossible to make up individually. If you have concerns about your ability to attend synchronous class sessions this quarter, please reach out to me via email to discuss your concerns.

How can I take attendance using Zoom or in a Zoom+/Trimodal Room?

If you want to take attendance in Zoom or in a Zoom+/Trimodal Room, there a few ways you might consider doing so:

• You can take attendance as you would in an on-campus class, by call-and-response.
• If you plan to rely on usage reports to take attendance, make sure students are using a name in Zoom that you'll be able to easily connect with their name in your class roster.

Although it's unlikely to be an issue in your course, it's possible for a student to log in with two devices and rename the other device as another student, thereby "cheating" this system. This may be more likely to occur if class attendance is worth a significant portion of students' grades.

• You can use proxies for taking attendance, like having students complete a survey, poll, or quiz during the class session. These measures can also be "defeated" by students sharing links to surveys, polls, or quizzes, so this method is not foolproof, either.

What is the absense notification service that the Dean of Students offers?

When a student has missed or fallen behind in class for a documented medical, mental health or personal emergency, the Dean of Students Office may notify faculty. Students must submit an absence notification/request for flexibility form along with supporting documentation. Learn more about Absence Notifications  from the Dean of Students.

Participation

Many instructors prefer to assign grades based on students' levels of participation in their class sessions. This strategy corresponds with research that indicates students' levels of engagement are greater predictors of success than just attendance in a physical or virtual room. Key questions to ask yourself are

• What does active participation look like in your teaching context? 
• How will you evaluate your students' participation? 
• What kinds of opportunities for participation will you provide?

In order to increase the likelihood of students' participation, be sure to establish a welcoming and inclusive environment with your students and incorporate active learning techniques . Use icebreakers to get people talking, and continue engaging students personally throughout the quarter.

Example Participation Policy

This is a class in which participation (in a variety of forms) is key to developing your skills and knowledge. Your participation during the synchronous sessions will also help us to build our classroom community. Your participation grade will be determined by your engagement with synchronous class discussions and activities, asynchronous discussion forums, responses to short written assignments, and completion of knowledge-check quizzes.

Your participation in synchronous class sessions will be evaluated based on quality. I will ask you to participate in a variety of forms, including raising your hand and contributing via speaking, posting responses to the Zoom chat, and adding content to Google Docs that will be available via our D2L course site.

You'll earn 1 point for each class session if you

• Contribute unique ideas and personal examples when prompted
• Build on previous comments and contributions
• Provide evidence and support for claims and ideas (especially evidence that is derived from our course texts and materials)
• Ask relevant questions that advance the discussion

All other participation grading guidelines are available as part of the individual activity and assignment instructions.

Like attendance, instructors can set their own policies for late work in the absence of specific criteria set by their college or program. And also like attendance, instructors have a wide range of opinions on late work. For some, deadlines are fixed and only an extreme circumstance such as health emergency, death in the family, etc. will satisfy the requirement for an extended deadline.

However, the ongoing public health emergency related to the novel coronavirus has highlighted how strict deadlines, no matter how well intentioned, can disproportionately impact the most at-risk students. Typically these are students who are working one or more jobs while attending school, raising children, caring for elders, or managing other obligations that limit their time for study and academic work.

Many instructors try to balance the need for establishing a course rhythm with weekly deadlines while also building in enough flexibility so that students are not unduly penalized for work that is late. Brenda Thomas, writing in Faculty Focus , notes how strict penalties for deadlines can inadvertently penalize strong work submitted late while rewarding mediocre work that is submitted on time. She has adopted a semi-flexible policy where late work can be submitted without penalty for five days, with the opportunity for revising and resubmitting, but beyond that late work is penalized at 5 percent each day it is late and precludes the possibility for revising/resubmitting.

Another option you may want to consider is simply reducing the severity of your late penalty based on the number of days an assignment is submitted after the deadline. For example, if you currently deduct one letter grade for each day an assignment is late, consider these alternatives:

• a deduction of one third of a letter grade per day overdue
• a very small deduction for the first day (e.g., the equivalent of one point out of 100) and a larger deduction (2 or 3 points for each day thereafter)

If you're concerned about potential grading bottlenecks due to many students submitting work long after the original deadline, you may want to set a limit on how long you'll accept late work. For instance, you might deduct a small number of points per day late but only accept work a maximum of five or seven days after the original due date.

Other Policies

Review The Syllabus page for more example policies and statements that you can use and adapt.

Crede, M., Roch, S., Kieszczynka, U. (2010). Class attendance in college: a meta-analytic review of the relationship of class attendance with grades and student characteristics. Review of Educational Research. American Educational Research Association.  https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654310362998

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(23), 8410–8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

St. Clair, K. (1999). A case against compulsory class attendance policies in higher education. Innovative Higher Education, 29(3), 171-180.

Buechele, Stefan (2020) : Evaluating the link between attendance and performance in higher education - the role of classroom engagement dimensions, MAGKS Joint Discussion Paper Series in Economics, No. 10-2020, Philipps-University Marburg, School of Business and Economics, Marburg.

Classroom Q&A

With larry ferlazzo.

In this EdWeek blog, an experiment in knowledge-gathering, Ferlazzo will address readers’ questions on classroom management, ELL instruction, lesson planning, and other issues facing teachers. Send your questions to [email protected]. Read more from this blog.

Late Assignments: Tips From Educators on Managing Them

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Today’s post finishes up a two-part series on how different teachers handle late student work.

‘Taking Late Work Can Be Challenging’

Ann Stiltner is a high school special education and reading teacher in Connecticut with more than 20 years of experience in education. She shares her passion and love for working in the classroom at her blog from Room A212 (www.annstiltner.com/blog). Follow her on Twitter @fromrooma212:

Being a special education teacher means most of my students have the IEP modification of extra time, which generally translates to time and a half. For a test a teacher gives a class one hour to do, my student would have 1½ hours. For a project the class had one week to complete, my student would have 11 days. However, even with this extra time, some of my spec. ed. students are not able to complete the work. With diagnoses such as ADHD, LD (Learning Disabilities), or anxiety, they find maintaining focus and accessing one-on-one support difficult to fit into these time constraints. Their motivation is unpredictable based on their mood, family challenges, or social drama.

Due to these factors, I have adopted a policy where I accept work from both regular and special education students at any time for full credit or I take points off for each day late depending on the circumstances and if that will motivate a student to finish.

I realize that taking late work can be challenging for teachers of 100-plus students. It means constantly updating your grade book and keeping track of papers. Some teachers don’t accept late work because they think a firm cutoff teaches students the importance of meeting deadlines. Even though I agree this is an important skill, I fear that some students won’t learn that lesson from a policy of not accepting work late. These students prefer to give up and forget about the assignment in order to feel a sense of control and protect themselves from failure. Getting a zero on an assignment does not make them rethink their decision to not do the work, since a zero to them doesn’t mean the same as it does to us teachers. To them, a zero is the grade they think they deserve based on their past experiences.

I have found a time limit gives students a reason to give up and not try. This is learned helplessness in action. My working definition of learned helplessness is a person’s lack of effort due to previous experiences which have taught them that making even the smallest effort won’t make a difference.

For many students, trying involves a large investment of cognitive effort and a huge risk to put themselves out there. They are not ready to set themselves up for what, they are sure, will make them feel like a failure and especially not in a setting where they might be bullied, yelled at, or insulted. If they do not feel safe and supported, they will not risk being teased by their classmates. This is the thinking behind my policy to accept late work at any time. I do not want my conditions and requirements to be used as an excuse for why they do not engage in my lesson and do the work.

This same philosophy explains why I provide supplies like writing utensils or computer chargers. I consciously decide not to create barriers for a student to complete work. I do not want to rob them of a chance to engage with the material, learn something new, experience deep thinking and feed their curiosity by dictating conditions that they can blame for not engaging in the work. Accepting an assignment late gives them time to get motivated or set up one-to-one support so they can focus on the work when they are ready. I do not want to distract students with rules concerning time limits, pen vs. pencil, or on paper vs. on computer.

Don’t get me wrong: I do have classroom rules and expectations. I want the focus in my class to be on what is most essential—learning. This approach means the student—and their parents—will have a hard time holding me responsible for their grade. The responsibility falls on the student and their choices. This open policy allows me to create rapport when I explain my belief in their ability to do the work and my dedication to provide them the support and necessary modifications to be successful. If and when a student is ready to engage in the work, make an effort and take a risk, I am ready.

‘A Balanced Approach’

Ruth Okoye, Ed.D., is a 30-year veteran educator. She has taught in private and public school settings and is passionate about literacy, educational technology, and ed-tech coaching. She currently serves as the K-12 director at a nonprofit organization:

As an ed-tech coach working with fellow educators in their journey of professional growth, handling assignment submissions beyond the designated due date is a nuanced process that reflects both practicality and a deep understanding of individual circumstances. The approach I adopt recognizes the unique challenges that my learners who are teachers face in their daily lives, and it aims to create an inclusive learning environment that supports their development while acknowledging the diverse contexts in which they operate.

My policy on due dates is rooted in the realization that a one-size-fits-all approach fails to account for the myriad of responsibilities and situations that learners encounter. Rather than rigidly adhering to stringent deadlines, I advocate a balanced approach that considers the academic integrity of assignments and the need for flexibility.

To strike this balance, I establish a preferred due date for assignments, considering the majority of learners and allowing them ample time to complete their work. This desired deadline also has a more concrete counterpart—a hard deadline—that offers a reasonable time frame for those genuinely committed to finishing their tasks. This dual-deadline structure allows proactive learners to demonstrate their dedication while acknowledging the potential challenges others may face.

For example, in a book study, there would be weekly assignments. The posted due dates would give the learners three weeks to get each assignment done. I would establish a hard deadline for all assignments two weeks after the study is completed. I’ve found that for a six- to eight-week book study, that allows ample time for a learner to deal with an external complication and then get back on track.

Of course, the purpose of the assignment plays a significant role in determining the flexibility of the due date. For instance, tasks geared toward in-class reflection, like exit tickets, maintain their original deadline as they serve an immediate and time-sensitive purpose. On the other hand, assignments designed to assess learners’ application of covered material need a more lenient approach, allowing participants the time to digest the content and apply it effectively.

I also believe in allowing learners ample time to attempt tasks and even granting multiple opportunities for submission. This practice is grounded in the understanding that the learning process is not linear, and different individuals require varying duration to internalize and implement new concepts. By granting extensions and multiple tries, I encourage a growth mindset and empower learners to engage more deeply with the subject.

One of the cornerstones of my policy is the recognition that external factors beyond the learning experience can impact a learner’s ability to meet deadlines. Illness, family emergencies, or resource constraints can hinder progress, and rigid due dates should not serve as barriers to measuring their ability to apply course concepts. Instead of penalizing them for circumstances beyond their control, I aim to evaluate their understanding of the material and capacity to use it effectively, irrespective of external hindrances.

So you can see, my approach to handling late submissions from learners revolves around flexibility, empathy, and practicality. By acknowledging the diverse challenges teachers face and tailoring due dates to the purpose of assignments, I create an environment that fosters deep learning, personal growth, and a commitment to the subject matter. This policy recognizes the unique circumstances of each learner. It underscores the overarching goal of professional learning—to nurture and support the development of capable and resilient professionals in education.

What Is the Goal?

Jessica Fernandez is a full-time high school teacher and instructional coach near Chicago who specializes in teaching multilingual English learners and in supporting colleagues to make small language shifts that will benefit all learners:

Fortunately, my high school freshman English PLC has decided to have two categories: formative (anything at all that is practice), which is weighted 10 percent, and summative, which is weighted 90 percent. Since the purpose of formative tasks is to practice a skill they will later demonstrate, late work is accepted until we complete the summative demonstration for that skill. Afterward, there’s not so much of a point, plus it would drive us crazy and make work-life balance tough.

The goal, after all, is to give frequent and prompt feedback so kids can improve before their final summative demonstration. Late points are more of what we used to call “habits of work”; important soft skills, yes, but for our purposes, if the kid practiced for their summative skill demonstration, I’m happy, and I’m not scoring them on timeliness. Who knows what they had going on? I’ve gotten grace, and 10 percent won’t make or break their grade anyway.

Thanks to Ann, Ruth, and Jessica for contributing their thoughts!

Today’s post responded to this question:

How do you handle students turning in work after the due date, and why do you apply that policy?

In Part One , Chandra Shaw, Stephen Katzel, and Kelly Owens contributed their ideas.

Consider contributing a question to be answered in a future post. You can send one to me at [email protected] . When you send it in, let me know if I can use your real name if it’s selected or if you’d prefer remaining anonymous and have a pseudonym in mind.

You can also contact me on Twitter at @Larryferlazzo .

Just a reminder; you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email . And if you missed any of the highlights from the first 12 years of this blog, you can see a categorized list here .

The opinions expressed in Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo are strictly those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education, or any of its publications.

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The Case for Not Allowing Test Retakes

As more educators drop penalties for late work and allow students to redo tests, a high school teacher says that traditional policies are better for the majority of students.

In my 21 years in the classroom, I’ve had experience with policies around allowing test retakes, dropping late work penalties, and prohibiting zeros . Education reformers have recently gained traction in promoting these policies, and here at Edutopia David Cutler recently wrote an article entitled “ Tips for Allowing Test Retakes .”

In my experience, however, the more lenient we are in these matters, the less students learn. The traditional policies—giving each assessment only once, penalizing late work, and giving zeros in some situations—help most students maximize their learning and improve their time management skills, preparing them for success in college and career.

3 Reasons Traditional Policies Remain Effective

1. Student motivation: Proponents of the new policies are well intentioned, but these policies are designed for intrinsically motivated students. The truth is that no one—students, teachers, parents—is entirely intrinsically motivated. These current reforms seem to overlook that. Many of my students have candidly admitted that flexible due dates and retake opportunities leave them unmotivated, and therefore they learn less than they could.

Dan Ariely, a behavioral economist who wrote a book on human decision-making called Predictably Irrational , has studied the power of deadlines. One of his research studies showed that college students who were held to firm deadlines performed better, in general, than students who chose their own deadlines or turned in all work at the end of the semester. In a TED talk about self-control , Ariely explains that most people prioritize immediate desires over long-term goals. Just as adults are always starting their diet “tomorrow,” students will begin writing their essay or studying for their big test “tomorrow”—both students and adults procrastinate.

Deadlines and consequences for late work provide scaffolding for students to learn self-control. These policies provide the extrinsic motivation students need to build study habits and time management skills. In my experience, reform policies rely too heavily on students already having strong self-control and intrinsic motivation. In math classes, where concepts constantly build on one another, traditional policies hold students to schedules that keep them learning with the class. This makes kids practice and check their practice on a timeline determined by the teacher that will have them ready to test before the test. Deadlines build students’ ability to self-assess and then self-advocate to get the help they need.

2. Mental health: When deadlines are flexible and retakes are available, many students spend their time with their entertaining devices at the detriment of keeping up with their schoolwork. They spend hours a day on video games and social media. Record numbers of students today are reporting feelings of depression, which some researchers link to the increase in student screen time .

Retakes and soft deadlines allow students to procrastinate: Why do school work that can be completed later when they can Snapchat now? Deadlines and one-time testing, on the other hand, provide extrinsic motivation to keep students on task on a regular basis.

Retake policies also allow students to dig themselves into “late holes” that cause preventable stress and anxiety. My math class builds sequentially: Mastery in early units helps students be successful in the following units. In my experience, traditional policies motivate students to maximize their learning in the first unit, which helps them on every later unit.

Under retake policies, parents at my school have expressed concerns about how overwhelmed their children become due to being caught in a vicious cycle of retakes. Traditional policies send the message to students and parents that it’s important to work hard consistently throughout the course, and teachers can provide extra support to keep struggling students from feeling overwhelmed.

3. Teacher effectiveness: Reform policies can be effective if the teacher has time to implement them well. However, every minute writing and grading retakes or grading long-overdue work is a minute that I’m not planning effective and creative instruction, grading current work so students receive timely feedback, or communicating with parents.

In special circumstances, such as an illness or death in the family, it’s reasonable to give students second chances and to extend deadlines. Doing this too often, however, steals valuable time away from the teacher that may reduce the quality of instruction for all the other students.

A key flaw in the reform policies is the assumption about motivation. Many students—not all, but many—require extrinsic motivation. Due dates, one-time assessments, and late penalties provide motivation for the majority of our students.

There is no one way to teach, and any system will inevitably better fit some students than others. But in my experience, reform policies benefit a small portion of the student body, whereas traditional policies better serve a majority of students.

I hope that the dialogue around these policies starts shifting back in favor of traditional methods because they work for the majority of students and give teachers more time for effective planning and assessing, which all teachers agree are vital for a successful classroom.