Student Assignment Guidelines
WHY HAVE ASSIGNMENTS?
Assignments are considered a very important part of schoolwork.
They may:
a) allow you to pursue topics that you are particularly interested in;
b) give you the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, eg.
* reading skills;
* creative writing skills;
* essay-writing skills;
* research skills;
* oral skills;
* practical skills.
WHY HAVE A DUE DATE?
Assignments must be handed in by the due date. This is:
a) to encourage discipline and management;
b) to give everyone the same chance of completing the task;
c) to allow teachers sufficient time to assess the assignment and offer constructive
comments.
TSHS Assignment Policy
Our assignment policy aims to make it easier for students to complete their assignments on
time while still maintaining a policy that is fair to all students. To do this we have established
the following guidelines:
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teachers modelling assessment items for students so students can clearly see what is
required of them;
•
teachers providing ample warning about assessment;
•
teachers providing class time for assessment where this is appropriate or necessary;
•
teachers encouraging students to plan their assessment and giving students the
opportunity to get two rough drafts (but no more than two) checked;
•
teachers monitoring the progress of students during the weeks leading up to the
assignment being due;
•
teachers setting a due date for one draft to be submitted and this date being no less
than one week before the assignment is due;
•
teachers contacting parents through a letter if the teacher hasn't received a rough draft
one week before the due date.
LATE ASSIGNMENTS & EXTENSIONS
Students may apply for an extension before the due date if:
•
they have been ill for a number of days during the time the class has been working on
the assignment;
•
there have been disruptive circumstances at home. (Parents should contact the
appropriate Deputy Principal on or before the due date to explain the circumstance)
Only the Head of Department or school Administration members can grant an
extension.
Assignments submitted by students after the due date will only be accepted by the teacher if an
extension has been granted (see above) or if the following guidelines have been followed.
These include:
a) that if a student is ill on the day the assignment is due then their parent should phone
the school on the due date or provide a medical certificate the next day to explain this
absence and that the assignment is then submitted on the next day they are at school. It
is very important that all students complete all assessment items for each subject they
study.
The Queensland Studies Authority (QSA) has stated that if students don't complete substantial
sections of senior Authority subjects then a student will be non-rated in that subject. Being nonrated in a subject means that the subject has not been completed. To help students to ensure
that they are rated and given the appropriate level of achievement TSHS has introduced the
following policy:
b) that assignments will not be accepted if a student is absent on the due date and a phone
call and/or medical certificate is not received to explain this absence. In this case the
student will be given an in-class withdrawal to complete the assignment at the next class
they attend. In withdrawal circumstances students must not bring in work to submit or
information that assists them with their required task. They may, however, choose to
submit a rough draft that has been annotated and signed by a teacher.
c) that if a student attends class on the due date but has no assignment to submit then
he/she will be given an in-class withdrawal that lesson and submit the work he/she
completes at the end of that lesson;
d) that teachers will send parents a letter informing them that the assessment was
completed in a withdrawal situation.
*Computer or printer or any other hardware failure is not an acceptable reason for an extension
to be granted.
ABSENT FOR EXAMS
Students who are absent on the day of an exam due to illness or disruptive circumstances at
home will be allowed to sit their exam at an appropriate time and date if the parents or
guardians have contacted the school on the day of the exam and explained the absence.
If the absence is not explained on the day of the exam then the student will be given an inclass withdrawal during the next lesson he attends and the work completed during that lesson
will be marked.
PLAGIARISM
If work has been submitted for assessment and there is evidence that the work has been
plagiarised then the student will be asked to complete the assignment again in an in-class
withdrawal at the next available lesson after the plagiarism has been discovered. In withdrawal
circumstance students must not bring in work to submit or information that assists them with
their required task.
Excursions
It is imperative that a student attends an excursion which is a mandatory part of assessment
under the guidelines of the Queensland Studies Authority. If a student is unable to attend an
excursion he/she:
a) should advise the classroom teacher in advance wherever possible
b) will be required to submit an alternative piece of assessment as instructed by the class
teacher.
Interruption-Free Time
Before mid-semester and end-semester exam periods there will be an interruption-free period.
This means that there will be no excursions over which the school has control. Assignments can
fall due in this time, but are not issued in this period.
The school calendar will clearly indicate the interruption free periods.
All written assignments should fall due on a Monday.
Student Responsibility
In order that students receive maximum benefit from an assignment, it is the student's
responsibility to:
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seek explanation for all criteria associated with the assignment;
attend regularly and participate in class activities related to the assignment;
undertake necessary research;
submit completed assignment by the due date;
apply for an extension of time if extenuating circumstances exist; and
ensure that work submitted is their own.