Although, as you noted, there is no standard that relates to timeliness, as educators, we are expected to teach our students about responsibility and the real world applicability of school. The real world applicability of not turning in "work" on time is that you could lose a job or wages, hence losing points on an assignment. At the high school level, I feel that this is an important lesson in responsibility and effective time management.

Because we are trying to teach students life skills as well as content, you should be able to deduct some points for late work. One solution would be to have due dates for long term assignments and have deadlines. A due date would be the original date it is due to get full credit, but a deadline is the last day you will take it for a small penalty of your choice. This way students can still show mastery for some credit.

Your principal has an interesting POV. I teach middle school and deduct points from projects that are late. I usually deduct 5 points a day. When a student doesn't turn in the project, they have to attend Saturday School to complete missing assignments. I find it very difficult to get students to turn in assignments on time or at all.

I understand both sides of the debate here. There has to be some level of accountability for turning in assignments in a timely manner. It is easier for me because I teach at the elementary level. Rather than deducting points, my students lose valuable free time (recess, etc.) until they turn in the assignment. I am not sure if you can take away the students free time at the high school level. If so, that would be my solution.

We used to have a policy to take 5 points off per day for an assignment being late, but it would result in students often not being able to earn a passing grade for the assignment, so after a certain amount of time, they would just not turn it in. We were also talked to by our principal about this issue, and do not use that policy anymore. I have had more work turned in on time now that there is no penalty. However, I do give students deadlines they have to make before the grading period is over. If they do not turn in an assignment by that deadline, there is nothing I can do for them. I also usually don't give higher than an 85 for super late assignments though, as an unspoken rule. But, the students know that they aren't going to make an A if they turn in something late.

Yes you do need to set boudaries, but each sitution is different to why the student may be late turning it in. Do suffer a loss of pay when we are late? There are other ways to assess students also other than the point system. Totally agree I can see both sides of this!

I too see both sides of this debate. I understand that grades are meant to show mastery of the content and taking points away does not aid in this. I also firmly believe that students need to be taught that there are consequences for not doing what is asked of them. I have the same issue with students not turning in assignments at all and will assign a zero sometimes. This is not showing whether they have mastered the material or not. I have begun taking free time away from them to complete the assignments. This has worked with some students and not with others.

Because we are trying to teach students life skills as well as content, you should be able to deduct some points for late work. One solution would be to have due dates for long term assignments and have deadlines. A due date would be the original date it is due to get full credit, but a deadline is the last day you will take it for a small penalty of your choice. This way students can still show mastery for some credit.

I deduct points for late assignments as well. In the real-world there are consequences for not being responsible. Students need to be held accountable for not completing assignments on time.

I absolutely deduct points for assignments being late. While I understand your principal's point of view, we are raising future citizens. In the real world, you do things on time or there are penalties. My goal, as a teacher, is not grades, or testing, or even content. My goal, as a teacher, is to raise students who are going to make productive citizens one day. Teaching these students real life lessons and skills is just as important as content mastery. If your principal is so against it, or says you cannot do it, then I guess you can't, but I would not want to work for a principal that didn't want to hold students accountable.

While, in theory, I agree with your principal. In the real world (where we are teaching children in hopes that they will function there), if you don't pay your bills on time, guess what, a late fee is added? Why? Because things are expected on a timeline. School deadlines should be no different.