Fix 2 might be a tough one to swallow for some. This fix requires a change in thinking for the teacher. Many times grades are used as extrinsic motivation. Some recent research on extrinsic motivation by Daniel Pink shows that extrinsic motivation may not necessarily lead to better results. It may, in fact, have the opposite affect on the desired behavior. Again, by adding or subtracting points on assignments for being late or on-time the teacher distorts the grade on achievement.
The flip-side of this argument is that when an adult is late on a bill, they are normally penalized. This is true, but are we replicating the real world, or trying to prepare our students for the real world? There are some things in life that you can turn in late without penalty, and there are some things you will get penalized for being late on. If we are preparing our students for the real world, we should teach them how responsible adults deal with being late. If I am going to be late on a bill, the responsible thing to do would be to call the person you owe and negotiate a new reasonable date.
A teacher could also include timeliness as part of the behavior grade mentioned in fix 1. As teachers, we should also be helping our students develop the skills needed for life after school. By continually punishing for being late, we are doing nothing but punishing the student. We should be setting up supports for the student. Just like if a person cannot continually pay a bill on time, there usually are supports there to assist the person in paying the bill. The old adage, "if I don't pay my electricity bill, the power company flips the switch". This is true, but they don't flip the switch after one day of being late. If asked, they will work with the person who is struggling to pay. Treat students the same way, support them, don't punish them!
Overall, punishing distorts the achievement grade. Always ask yourself, "Does this grade accurately show what the student knows and is able to do?"
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