Assignments
ASSIGNMENTS
At Biggenden State School, assignments are an important part of the learning and assessment process. They provide students with a valuable opportunity to work on school related topics in out-of-school hours. This is a practice the students will use with increasing regularity the further they continue with studies.
Assignment policy will be constantly under review to keep it relevant and meaningful.
Objectives
• To promote independent learning
• To practise using reference and non-fiction material
• To develop research skills
• To practise time management
• To develop presentation skills
• To provide evidence of learning
• To achieve and display excellence
• To promote self extension
• To develop critical thinking
Assignment sheets will show:
• School logo
• Subject and year level
• The Topic or Task
• Explanation of Topic/Task to enhance student understanding of the topic including conditions for completion
• The following important dates
- Date Set
- Check date
- Due date for submission of assignment
• Assessment Criteria
Operating Principles
• Information regarding submission dates for a term’s assignments will be provided early each term.
• Details of assignments will be given to students as early as possible
• Assignments will be set bearing in mind availability and suitability of resources.
• Assignments will include some degree of choice in the topics set.
• Assignment workloads will be reasonable, bearing in mind the expectations across all subject areas.
• The word length for an assignment should generally be as follows:-
a) Year 8 - 200 – 400 words (or 2 – 4 minutes)
b) Year 9 - 300 – 600 words (or 3 – 6 minutes)
c) Year 10 - 400 – 800 words (or 4 – 8 minutes)
• Students must do their own homework.
• A portion of normal teaching time will be devoted to completion of assignments.
• Staff will monitor the progress at check date and final copies of assignments.
• Assignments must be submitted by the due date unless an extension is granted by the teacher concerned and the Principal. Extensions must be applied for on the standard form before the due date. Extensions will be granted only in extreme circumstances.
Failure to submit assignment by due date
• If extension (on official form signed by teacher/principal/student/parent) has been granted, due date will become that which is set on form.
• If note from parent outlining extenuating circumstances on the date due, teacher and principal will negotiate outcome.
• If an assignment is not submitted by the due date, teacher must refer student to Behaviour Management Committee. Student will be required to attend lunch hour detention until assignment is completed to an acceptable standard which either reflects the student’s ability or is a satisfactory level (which ever is lesser).
• Marking of late assignments – where a notification of failure to meet a satisfactory or required work rate has been sent to parents/carers the late submission will be rated NR. NR (no rating) will be credited to student’s overall achievement and 0 will be used for averaging over semester. However, teacher will mark assignment, and to value assessment as part of learning process will give student feedback indicating what may have been achieved / what learning has been missed. Where such a notification has been sent to parents/carers, grading of the submitted work will be informed by work sighted prior to the due date and the degree of lateness.
• For overall achievement for subject :
1 assessment item not rated – assessment program is averaged with this piece given ‘0’ for averaging
All assessment pieces not rated – NR given as overall result
Comment on report card would reflect these points.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is defined as “ the act of taking and using another’s work as one’s own”. The following acts would constitute plagiarism unless the work is acknowledged.
• Copying work from another student
• Copying part of another person’s work directly
• Summarising the work of another person
• Using or developing an idea from another person’s work
• Using experimental results obtained from another person’s work
Consequences for submitting plagiarised work will be:
• Where majority of assignment is taken directly from another source, including the work of another student – FAIL
• Where isolated paragraph/s directly from another source without referencing – ‘delete’ for marking purposes and mark rest of assignment
GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES
Any student who legitimately believes an assessment item has been unfairly and inequitably rated must lodge a grievance with the teacher within 5 days of receiving the mark for the assessment.
