The English Department Standards

Students are expected to keep a copy of these standards in their English notebook. English teachers will collect from each student a second copy of the standards, signed by the student and by a parent or guardian. The electronic copy posted here (updated August 28, 2007) is simply for your reference.

Make-up Work

All students have up to three (3) school days to complete assignments missed because of an excused absence. In case of prolonged absence, the teacher will determine the due date. Students are responsible for scheduling make-up tests or quizzes. Unless the teacher grants an extension, long-term assignments, including compositions, will be due the day the student returns from an absence, provided that the teacher has given at least a one-week advance notice of the due date. If the student is in the building at any time during the day the assignment is due, the assignment must be turned in on time. This includes students who have guidance appointments, are going on field trips, have SGA meetings, or have any other appointments or meetings that prevent them from attending their English class the day an assignment is due. The student must either find the teacher or another department member who will put the time and date on the assignment and submit it to the student's teacher. Students should not leave assignments in the faculty mailboxes in the main office or in the English office.

Unexcused Absences

If a student has an unexcused absence, he/she will receive no credit for made-up work.

Plagiarism

The English Department does not tolerate acts of plagiarism. As stated in Chapter Two of the Research Paper Procedure manual, "Even when it is unintentional, presenting someone else's thoughts, ideas, expressions, or information without proper acknowledgement of the source is an act of academic dishonesty." Plagiarism can occur in writing, video, and other media assignments, with journal assignments or homework assignments copied from another student or another source, and with assignments submitted for another course. It is also an act of plagiarism to help other students plagiarize by sharing work or allowing another student to copy an assignment.

Consequences for plagiarism will depend on the severity of the infraction.

Major plagiarism infractions:

• submitting work that is entirely or almost entirely borrowed from another source without proper documentation
• submitting work with pervasive documentation issues
• failing to demonstrate a clear understanding of correct documentation procedures as described in the Research Paper Procedure manual

Consequences: Major infractions will result in a zero for the assignment, parental notification and an administrative referral. A student who commits a major act of plagiarism may not redo the assignment to improve the grade.

Minor plagiarism infractions:

• rare instances of faulty paraphrasing or documentation
• including direct quotations without quotation marks, even if a citation is present
• failing to alter syntax and wording of the original in a paraphrase or summary, even if cited
• misidentifying the source of borrowed material in the citation
• failing to submit a works cited page with the paper
• failing to include a citation for information that is not common knowledge

Consequences: Students may receive credit for the assignment if they correct the work to demonstrate a clear understanding of documentation procedure. However, the corrected assignment will receive a penalty of 20 percent.

Extra Credit

There will be no extra credit in lieu of work not completed and/or submitted.

Methods of Grading

According to MCPS policy, all assignments, including oral presentations, are assessed a penalty of one letter grade or 10 percent if submitted after the due date and before the deadline. Student work meeting minimum standards as defined by the teacher, submitted by the deadline, may earn a grade of no lower than 50 percent. Work not completed by the deadline earns a grade of zero. Work not meeting minimum standards will earn a zero. Homework assignments are accepted late only at the discretion of the individual teacher. Computers and printers are available at school for student use.

Each grade level team of teachers will assign category weights for assignments and will determine which assignments are available for reassessment.

Differentiation

Expectations for Regular English are high; teachers gear pacing and level of assignments to the students' needs and emphasize methods of meeting assignment requirements. In Honors and AP English, the degree of difficulty and the amount of work is greater. Therefore, Honors and AP students should be mature, independent, and self-directed, and should contribute actively to class. Honors and AP students should show initiative, read extensively and critically, be responsible about work, and welcome challenges.

Summer Reading

All books read for summer reading must come from the appropriate grade level English Department list. Students who register late will receive additional time to complete at least one novel. The grade for the initial assessment(s) of summer reading will account for no more than five percent of the first quarter grade. Discussions of summer reading books may be embedded throughout the course.

Extra Help

The English Department encourages students who need clarification on an assignment or additional support with English class to speak with their teacher. Members of the English Department wish to see each student make as much progress as possible. Students also may seek help in The Writing Center. If a student or a parent has concerns about an English class, please contact the individual teacher. For more general questions or concerns, contact Mrs. Suzanne Coker, English Resource Teacher.

A Note on Cliff's Notes

The English Department does not condone the use of Cliff's Notes, Spark Notes, or any other similar "literary study guide." Such guides set a dreadful example for students; the content is wholly undocumented, the information is often faulty, and the interpretations presented are elementary and bland. We believe a rich, thorough understanding of literature can only be achieved through reading, writing, thinking, and discussion. Cliff's Notes and Spark Notes, etc. undermine a student's study of literature and we consider their use a form of cheating.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Student's Signature

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Parents's Signature