Niswonger Online &  AP Access for ALL

Late Work Policy

This policy can also be found at Late Work Policy Niswonger Online General Education

At Niswonger Online and the AP Access for ALL program, we understand the importance of meeting deadlines and developing strong time management skills. To maintain consistency and encourage timely submissions, we have established the following late work policy:

1. Due Dates and Submissions:

1. All assignments have designated due dates at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. These deadlines will be communicated clearly to students in advance through a course pacing guide and individual assignment due dates in CanvasLMS.
2. Unless noted on the assignment instructions, all assignments should be submitted through the online course, the APAA CanvasLMS platform.
3. Courses beginning in August will have two pacing guides, one for students who have the entire year to complete the course and one for students who must have the course completed in one-semester (by December). A link to these pacing guides can be found on all course homepages.

2. No Assignment Submission:

1. All assignments not submitted by the given due date and time will be given a 0%.
2. Students enrolled in a year-long section but working on a faster pace to finish the course in December, will be given a separate pacing guide that will guide them to finish all the work in one-semester. Assignments will be given a 0% when submissions do not occur following that one-semester pacing guide.

     3.   Late Submissions:

1. Assignments submitted after 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time on the designated course due date (due date associated with each assignment) will be considered late.
2. Late submissions will incur a two (2) percentage point decrease for each day late.
3. The reduction will apply to the overall grade earned on the assignment.
4. The maximum penalty will be a 40 point deduction. If a student earns less than a 60% on the late work, the earned, lesser grade will be the grade recorded without additional point deductions.
5. Late penalties for students working on the faster one-semester pace are not given automatically but will incur as needed if a student falls behind and is habitually late with their submissions.
6. Fall Semester Assignment Closure for Year-Long Courses

Fall semester assignments in year-long courses must be submitted before the published spring semester start date. After the spring semester begins, students may no longer submit work that was due during the fall semester. Any fall semester assignment not submitted before the published spring semester start date will remain a 0%.

4. Calculation of Percentage Point Reduction:

1. The percentage reduction in grade will be applied on a daily basis after the original assignment due date at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time.
2. Each day that an assignment is late, two (2) percentage points will be deducted from the student's overall score for that assignment.
3. Weekends and holidays are included when calculating daily late penalties.

5.  Exceptional Circumstances and Extensions:

1. Students who anticipate challenges in meeting an assignment deadline due to exceptional circumstances, such as illness or personal emergencies, should notify the instructor immediately.
2. Proper documentation will be required to support extension requests for exceptional circumstances. Schools will follow the Late Penalty Removal Policy and complete a form that will allow us to remove late point penalties when students have excused absences.
3. Note that the form above must be submitted within 10 business days of the student’s return. If the school does not submit this form, the late penalties cannot be removed. Students/ guardians should remind their counselors of this policy to make sure information is sent to us in a timely manner. Counselors/ AP Liaisons all have this online form, if they do not, they can email the Director of APAA, Gina Pavlovich.
4. Exceptions to the Fall Semester Assignment Closure Deadline
   Exceptions to the fall semester assignment closure deadline may only be approved by the APAA Director. Teachers may not independently approve the reopening of fall semester assignments after the published spring semester start date.

1. All requests for an exception must come from the student’s school. Documentation must be provided to support excused absences due to an extenuating medical situation, family emergency, or other documented circumstance that prevented the student from completing recent fall semester work that was not able to be completed before the published spring semester start date.
2. An extension may only be considered for a student who was actively working in the course and generally following the course pacing guide, but who fell behind near the end of the fall semester due to a documented and extenuating circumstance. This exception is intended to provide limited additional time for recent assignments connected to the documented circumstance. A student who has never been on pace, has rarely or never submitted work, or has not consistently participated in the course will not be eligible for an extension after the fall semester assignment closure deadline.
3. If an extension is approved, it will only apply to specific recent assignments that align with the documented excused absence or approved circumstance. Fall semester assignments that have remained incomplete since earlier in the school year will not be reopened. Any fall semester assignment not approved for an extension will remain a 0%.
4. Students with an IEP, 504 Plan, or ILP who are approved for extended time are still expected to follow the course pacing guide and submit fall semester work before the published spring semester start date. Extended time accommodations do not provide unlimited time to complete missing work from earlier in the semester. The maximum extension allowed for an assignment based on approved accommodations is four (4) school days. Students are also provided the winter break period to complete and submit any remaining fall semester work before the spring semester begins.

6. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity:

1. Plagiarized assignments that are submitted late will follow the Academic Integrity guidelines as well as point deductions for plagiarized work. The APAA Plagiarism policy is linked below and can also be found in each course. AP Access for ALL Academic and Nonacademic Misconduct/ Plaigiarism Policy 
   

7. FOR AP ACCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS ONLY
   Automatic Drop Dates:

1. This policy DOES NOT apply to Niswonger Online or Ballad Health students.
2. Two times during the school year, once in the fall for fall and year-long semester students, and once in the spring for spring semester students, the APAA program will enforce an automatic drop date.
3. Drops will only occur for students failing their course and/or not logging in consistently to work and submit assignments.
4. Consistent late work will negatively impact a student’s grade and can cause them to be dropped from the course.
5. Consistent plagiarism or Academic Integrity violations can negatively impact a student’s grade and cause them to be dropped from the course.

More information on the APAA Auto-Drop Policy can be found here.

8.  Communication and Transparency:

1. The late work policy and automatic drop dates will be clearly communicated to students at the beginning of the course and reiterated before each assignment deadline.
2.  Instructors will provide timely reminders of approaching due dates to help students stay on track.
3. The instructor will promptly notify students about any needed changes or exceptions to the late work policy based on assignment needs.
4. APAA instructors and administrators ask that students communicate with their teachers immediately if there is an emergency that may require an extension.
5.  If students have any questions about their grades and any points deducted, they should contact their instructor immediately.
   

9. ​Course-Specific Submission and Resubmission Requirements:

Students should review the syllabus for each course in which they are enrolled to fully understand all late work and resubmission requirements specific to that course. Students are expected to read, understand, and follow all course-specific procedures, including requirements for correct submission formats, required links or attachments, and any resubmission procedures allowed or required by the teacher or assignment instructions. These course-specific requirements are considered part of the Late Work Policy and must be followed.

We believe adhering to deadlines is essential for academic success and professional development. This late work policy aims to instill a sense of responsibility, time management, and accountability in our students. By complying with this policy, students will be better prepared for future challenges and will maximize their learning opportunities within their AP Access for ALL class.

This policy serves as a general framework, and specific details, such as the deduction date and extension criteria, may vary on some assignments based on instructor or student needs and assignment requirements. The teachers and Niswonger Online administrators make these decisions and will communicate with students immediately if changes are needed.