Home | How It Works | Stats Login | Register         Case: Is it OK to deduct points for a late assignment? I've been teaching high school for a while and deducted 10 points a day on major assignments without a thought, but a couple of years ago my Principal challenged my thinking. What are we actually deducting points for ... or, rather, what do the points of our assignments actually stand for? If they stand for mastery and mastery is proven, then how can we deduct points for it being late? There are no standards that measure timeliness. How can you still get work turned in on time if there is no penalty? Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!) 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.