Dublin High School Work Ethics Policy

DHS Work Ethics System (Character Education)

 

               

The faculty and staff of Dublin High School pledge to provide the best possible educational programs for all of our students.  Doing so requires that we value the development of work ethics as an important component of the educational process.  We want our students to be prepared for life, which means they will have the necessary knowledge and skills along with the right attitude and work ethics (character education) to succeed in life.  All faculty members will use Work Ethics grading procedures as part of the student’s overall grade.  Additionally, we want our students to possess sound moral and ethical standards that will provide them with a basis for successful living.

                Studies by the American Society for Training and Development and the U.S. Department of Labor indicate 85 percent of persons who lose their jobs do so because they lack good work habits—basic work ethics—rather than lack appropriate skills.  Factors most often cited are tardiness and absenteeism, failure to follow directions and instructions, and the inability to get along with supervisors or fellow workers.

                David Poythress, former Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor wrote, “We need to start educating kids as early as grammar school about the world of work and how you behave in the workplace, including teaching the work ethic.”

                To address the importance of developing a positive work ethic, Dublin High School has implemented a system to reward students for exhibiting a positive work ethic in their classes.  The system reinforces positive behavior and eliminates negative behavior through daily assessment of the student’s performance.  Performance indicators include attendance, tardies, work habits (character traits), and attitudes toward others.

               

 

How the grading system works:  Each day is worth 20 points.  Daily points will be given and totaled at the end of the week and recorded in the grade book.  The total points earned will be divided by the total possible to determine the student’s work ethics grade for the nine weeks.  This means that the total points earned in fourth period classes will be divided by 900 (20 pts/day X 5 days/wk X 9 wks), while all other class period totals will be divided by 720 (20 pts/day X 4 days/wk X 9 wks), to determine the student’s work ethics grade.  This will count 10 percent of the students overall nine weeks grade.  Students may ask their teachers how many points they have earned toward their total.  Students should keep up with their grades and are urged to maintain journals of the recorded grades.  Ethics points may be deducted in either of the following areas:

 

 

1.                  Attendance:  Students must be in class to earn their 20 points for the day.  Students who have an excused absence, including school activities, will earn their points for the day when the work missed in class is made up.  This work must be made up within the required three days.  In situations where work is not made up, the absence is unexcused, the student is suspended or assigned to ISS, the student will lose all 20 work ethics points. Unexcused absences, including pre-arranged absences, will result in a loss of 20 points.  Students who are tardy to class or who check out of class prior to the end of the period will lose 10 points for the day.  If the tardy or checkout is excused, the points may be awarded once the work is made up. When you miss school you miss out on lecture, demonstrations, notes, etc.  Something did take place in the classroom while you were absent and you missed out on that opportunity to learn!

       

 

2.        Work habits:  A maximum of 20 points may be deducted from the work ethics grade for classroom discipline problems. These problems interfere with other students’ learning. A maximum of 10 points may be deducted for being unprepared for class, such as no book, notebook, pen, pencil, homework, etc.  Five points may be deducted for being not on task.   Under no circumstances can a student lose more than 20 work ethics points in a single class period.

 

 

 

 

Codes:  Teachers will use the following codes to record work ethics deduction due to attendance or work habits.

 

 

Category	Code	Reason	Points Deducted
Attendance	X	Absent	20
	ISS	In-School Suspension	20
	CK/T	Checkout/Tardy	10
Work Habits	CDP	Classroom Discipline Problem	20
	UP	Unprepared for Class	10
	NOT	Not on Task	5

 

               

 

 

 

 

 

 

    These reports will be reviewed when considering students for participation in any work-based experience program (job shadowing, internship, cooperative education, distributive education, apprenticeship, etc.).  If you have any questions about your weekly grade you are welcome to discuss it with your teacher after school.  The DHS work ethics system is designed to reward good work ethics in the classroom.  You will begin each week in each class with a work ethics grade of 100 percent.  The only way to reduce this grade is to be absent, tardy, check out early, or demonstrate some type of inappropriate classroom behavior.  In real life you will be rewarded for good work ethics in other ways.  We believe that students who are present and punctual each day, and who exhibit appropriate behavior, will naturally learn more and be better prepared for success in life.

 

Character Traits Essential to Good Work Ethics:  Character traits essential to success as an individual in the classroom and for the proper development of work ethics include the following:

·          Punctuality:  being on time for attendance and tasks

·          Cooperation and Courtesy:  working with others for mutual benefit and recognition of mutual interdependence with others resulting in polite treatment and respect f or them

·          Dependability:  reliability and trustworthiness

·          Perserverance and Diligence:  adherence to actions and their consequences

·          School Pride:  dignity, self-respect, doing one’s best, playing a contributing role in maintaining and improving all aspects of your school’s environment, programs and activities within the context of contributing to the betterment of the school and community

·          Respect for the Environment:  building, grounds, textbooks, and other school property

·          Respect for Others:  concern for and motivation to act for the welfare of others

·          Creativity:  exhibiting an entrepreneurial spirit, inventiveness, originality, not bound by the norm

·          Citizenship:  duties, rights, and privileges associated with democracy, respect for and acceptance of authority, equality, freedom of conscience and expression, justice and liberty

·          Tolerance:  the allowable deviation from a standard, the indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own

·          Self-Respect:  taking pride in who you are and doing your best.

·          Courage:  the willingness to face danger with determination

·          Patriotism:  support of the U.S. Constitution and love for the United States of America with zealous guarding of their authority and interests

·          Honesty:  truthfulness and sincerity

·          Fairness and Sportsmanship:  freedom from favoritism, self-interests, or indulgence of one’s likes and dislikes, abiding by the rules of a contest and accepting victory or defeat graciously

·          Compassion, Kindness, and Generosity:  concern for suffering or distress of others and response to their feelings and needs

·          Cleanliness:  good habits of personal hygiene and grooming

·          Cheerfulness and Courtesy:  politeness in action or speech

·          Respect for the Creator:  an acknowledgement that the intrinsic worth of every individual derives from no government, person, or groups of persons, but is something that each of us is born with and which no thing and no one can ever deprive us of

·          Patience:  not being hasty or impetuous

·          Loyalty:  steadfastness or faithfulness to a person, institution, custom, or idea to which one is tied by duty, pledge, or promise

·          Self-Control and Virtue:  exercising authority over one’s emotions and actions.