School-wide Academic Procedures

Content Recovery  is defined as a course-specific, skill-based learning opportunity for students who are still enrolled in the course with the original teacher of record assigned by the school. Content recovery allows students to retake a subset of the course including a single unit, more than one unit, or supplemental assignments/activities assigned and approved by a certified instructor as needed for student mastery of course content. 

Rules and Procedures: 

1. All students are eligible to participate in content recovery for major assignments. 
2. Students can recover each major assessment/assignment one time. 
   Example: 5 major assignments are given over the course of the nine weeks.
   Each of the 5 major assignments can be recovered one time.  
3. Content recovery must be completed within 2 weeks of the first grade being recorded in the teacher’s grade book/PowerSchool. 
4. The student and parent must complete the district approved form for content recovery and submit it to the teacher. 
5. The student must attend at least one hour of tutoring prior to the content being recovered with the teacher. 
6. The highest grade will be recorded in the grade book/PowerSchool.

At Blythewood Middle School, we believe that students should have an opportunity to work towards mastery of content material.  To this end, students will have two options to demonstrate content mastery:

Option 1:  Partial Credit for Corrections to Tests, Written Assignments & Projects

Tests, Written Assignments & Project corrections must be done in accordance with the teacher’s specifications.  If parent notification is not provided within 48 hours, the student is eligible to move forward with corrections for partial credit  by the classroom teacher.  Students may receive partial credit for the corrected items in accordance with the teacher’s specifications.

Option 2:  Full Credit for  Tests, Written Assignments, & Projects 

Students desiring to recover full credit  for tests, written assignments and major projects must participate in one hour of academic tutoring, after the school day, per administrative rule, IKADD-R. Prior to attempting recovery, the parent must complete the district/school approved form within 48 hours of the grade being posted in Parent Portal.  The student may recover a portion of the assignment to demonstrate mastery as specified by the teacher, or may be required to redo the entire assignment.  The student will have up to 2 weeks, from the date of the grade being posted in

Late Work is defined as any work (except for homework*) completed and turned in after the designated due date. The philosophy of awarding partial credit for late work takes into account the following:  the teacher had a valid reason for assigning the work, the assignment is aligned to the curriculum, and the assignment is designed to help inform the student and teacher of the student’s level of mastery of the course standards. 

Blythewood Middle School will adhere to the following procedures for late work: 

Students will have five days from the designated due date to turn in work.  A grade of “0” will be assigned until the work is received and graded by the teacher.

• 1 day late = a deduction of 4 percentage points off of the earned grade; 
• 2 days late = a deduction of 8 percentage points off of the earned grade; 
• 3 days late = a deduction of 12 percentage points off of the earned grade; 
•  4 days late = a deduction of 16 percentage points off of the earned grade; 
•  5 days late = a deduction of 20 percentage points off of the earned grade.  
•  After 5 days = a grade of “0”  will be assigned.  

**Late work may be accepted after 5 days at the teachers’ discretion; the 20 percentage points deduction off of the earned grade will still apply.** 

**Since homework is given as practice and reviewed in class on the day that it is due, late homework assignments will not be accepted unless the student has a verified absence from class on the day that the assignment was due or the day that the homework was assigned (see Missing Work procedure below).  Late homework assignments that are not submitted on the due date will receive a grade of “0”. 

No late work will be accepted the last 5 days before grades are due for report cards:

• 1st Quarter last date to accept late work  - October 2, 2024
• 2nd Quarter last date to accept late work - December 13, 2024
• 3rd Quarter last date to accept late work - March 5, 2025
• 4th Quarter last date to accept late work - To Be Determined

At all times, it is the students’ responsibility to stay abreast of assignments and due dates.

*Note:  Teachers can use their discretion when unavoidable circumstances arise. 

Make Up Work is defined as any assignments or tests students need to complete due to an absence.  In accordance with Board Policy JH-R:  

Teachers will permit students to make up missed work  [after returning from an absence] as long as the student makes appropriate arrangements with the teacher no later than the student’s fifth day back at school. The student is expected to complete the work within 10 days after his/her return to school.  When earning high school Carnegie units, a student must complete all work within thirty days from the last day of the course(s).

*Note:  If a student has not turned in make-up work by day 10, then refer to procedures listed under “Late Work”, listed above.  Previously announced tests, quizzes, projects, and/or homework that have been scheduled BEFORE a student is absent may be made up the day the student returns to school (as long as there is no new material that has been taught).

At all times, it is the students’ responsibility to speak with the teacher regarding assignments that were missed due to an absence.

*Note:  Teachers can use their discretion when unavoidable circumstances arise. 
 

At Blythewood Middle School, students are given opportunities to work on missing assignments during Study Hall, as well as during set aside time during Advisory time.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, students have Study Hall in the morning upon their arrival to school from 7:45 am - 8:20 am.  It is the expectation of all staff that students are working to complete missing assignments (past due homework assignments will not be accepted) and submit these assignments to their teachers.  At all times, it is the students’ responsibility to ensure that they have made their teacher aware that past dues assignments have been submitted.   

All missing assignments for each quarter for weeks 1-3 of the quarter must be submitted prior to the first interim of that nine weeks.  All missing assignments for weeks 4-6 of the quarter must be submitted by the second interim of that quarter.  During weeks 7-8, students will be able to submit missing assignments for the last two weeks of the nine weeks, as well as make up any outstanding quizzes, tests, and projects for the current quarter only.  The interim dates are as follows:

1st quarter interim dates:  August 27, 2024 and September 17, 2024

2nd quarter interim dates:  October 29, 2024 and November 19, 2024

3rd quarter interim dates:  January 28, 2025 and February 18, 2025

4th quarter interim dates:  April 8, 2025 and May 6, 2025

 

Webster's dictionary defines plagiarism as the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing it off as one’s own.  At Blythewood Middle School, we strive to teach our students how to properly cite their sources; to this end, plagiarism is unacceptable.  The use of tools such as Chat GPT or other AI software to complete assignments is considered plagiarism/cheating.  At all times, students should submit original work.

Cheating is considered any work that does not represent the student’s own effort.  

In accordance with Richland Two School Board Policy, Plagiarism and Cheating are considered Level I Behavioral Misconduct Offenses.  

The Richland 2 Honor Code states that students:  

1. will tell the truth when dealing with faculty, administrators, staff and student hearing boards where they exist.
2. will not represent as theirs any work they have not done alone. This is plagiarism and includes any misuse of computers or other technology. 
3. will not cheat. Types of cheating include, but are not limited to, divulging responses to others or allowing others to view responses during any type of examination, looking at others’ responses in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage, bringing, or attempting to bring, unauthorized materials to a test that include, but are not limited to written answers on any medium, unauthorized programs on calculators, other unauthorized resources or devices. Other forms of cheating include receiving, stealing, or looking at a test beforehand, using others’ words, works or ideas without proper attribution, working in collaboration on work that was to be completed individually, and portraying as their own work that was completed by another. 

Consequence for Cheating or Plagiarism:  Students who violate the honor code will receive academic and disciplinary consequences that may include but are not limited to receiving a zero on an assignment, parent notification, detention, reduced points on an assignment, and/or removal from co-curricular or extracurricular activities, honor societies or student offices. 

At Blythewood Middle School, the first incident of academic dishonesty, will result in notification to the parent/parent conference.  The student will be given the chance to redo the assignment for a grade no higher than a 70.  If the assignment is a test/quiz, the assignment will be made up as soon as possible.  Other assignments must be resubmitted within 48 hours.  Failure to submit the assignment within the specified time allotted by the teacher will result in a grade of zero being recorded.   

Future incidents of Academic Dishonesty will result in a grade of zero and an administrative action in accordance with the Richland Two Disciplinary Matrix.