Conferences are usually held in connection with the regularly assigned finished pieces while those pieces are in process, although they are sometimes held in connection with the completed versions. Students are required to conference over most core assignments in the Writing Center. Correctness concerns are addressed through teacher commentary on papers and in writing conferences. Basic grammatical terms are occasionally reviewed with the entire class, as there is a need to speak a common language about features of text correctness. In Academic English III, students are required to turn in sufficient prewriting and drafts with their finished pieces so that teachers may observe the development of student writing.
Teachers believe it is impor tant to trace and reflect on the individual student's writing process.
Teachers require that papers are handed in on time. Papers turned in after general collection are considered late and thus are subject to late penalties. Specifically, a finished piece designated as a core assignment that is late can earn no more than a 50. While English III is not a survey course, literature of the United States is featured reading and the subject of study. In part, this is because students are concurrently taking a United States history course.