The Sad Reality of Alternative Assignments

Assigning large projects (culminating tasks) can often lead to disappointed teachers and poor student grades. My district wants to see the rigor of classroom curriculum increased, but the number of Ds and Fs reduced. Knowing that many of my students have hard home lives, jobs, or see no point in education, I have gotten accustomed to having an alternative assignment ready for the students that come to presentation day unprepared. 

My college teacher friends may disagree with this idea, but I feel that I have no choice. These projects can cause a student's grade to drop to irretrievable depths, and then what happens? They give up for the remainder of the semester knowing that they will not pass and might as well wait for summer school or credit recovery. 

The alternative assignment gives them hope and keeps them working. I could be a stickler for deadlines OR I could be that teacher that chose not to give up on the students that often give up on themselves. 

I must note that the alternate assignment is not equivalent to the original. Students can achieve no higher than a "C" on the alternate assignment, which, many of them, are perfectly happy with. Those who are not happy with the alternative are often inspired to do the original assignment for late points. 

Either way the students are still working and learning. And that's the goal. Right?