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During the 2004-05 school year a
district-wide committee of teachers, administrators and parents
was formed for the purpose of establishing homework guidelines
for the school district.
Committee Members
Primary Teachers
Marie Dirslane
Jamie Pink
Intermediate Teachers
Kathy Cathell
Becky Vojtisek
Secondary Teachers
Bruce McAllister
Bronson Knaggs
Ann Schulman
Parents
Magda Dogall
Jennifer Dixon
Theresa Chrysler
Debbie DellaVilla
Sue Gallo
Cheryl Holmes Wright
Administrators
Joby Gifford
Jackie Bayle
These guidelines based on research and best practice are to be
considered recommended suggestions for students, teachers, and
parents. This draft document will be reviewed by the entire
Schalmont faculty and administration during September 2005.
Parents and community members may obtain a set of these
guidelines at any of the school’s main offices. The committee is
also highly interested in receiving parent comments before the
guidelines are put in their final form.
Introduction
The Schalmont Central School District and school community
believe that homework plays a critical role in teaching and
learning. It also provides an excellent opportunity for parents
to become aware of their child’s daily academic experiences.
The purpose of homework is to strengthen academic skills and
reinforce concepts taught by teachers. Its value is borne out in
a variety of research studies. Appropriately assigned homework
not only improves student achievement, it also develops time
management skills, self discipline, independence, personal
responsibility, and the ability to follow directions and
prioritize.
The intent of this document is to promote sound homework
practices and identify the responsibilities of teachers in their
role of assigning appropriate homework, students in their role
of doing homework and parents in their role of encouraging and
supporting their children.
Amount of Homework
The following chart suggests the amount of time to be spent on
homework at each grade level. There is flexibility in all of
these times that are stated based on the fact that individual
students complete work at different rates. A significant number
of students prefer to complete a portion of their homework in
school during study halls or other times that are available
during school. Some children prefer to complete assigned
homework in advance if they know they have other commitments
beyond the school day such as sports competitions or family
celebrations. Long-term projects require some homework
scheduling on the part of the student, knowing that other
assignments need to be completed, as well.
To promote consistency and fairness, these are guidelines for
the amount of time; however, teachers may vary in their beliefs
and system for assigning work. For example, some teachers choose
not to assign work over the weekend or during holiday periods.
Kindergarten — 10 minutes per school weekday
First Grade — 20 minutes per school weekday
Second Grade — 30 minutes per school weekday
Third Grade — 40 minutes per school weekday
Fourth Grade — 50 minutes per school weekday
Fifth Grade — one hour per school week day
Sixth through Eighth Grade — 5 to 8 hours per school week
Ninth through Twelfth Grade — 6 to 10 hours per school
week
These timeframes do not include recreational reading. Also, some
teachers may assign a specific amount of additional time for
reading.
Teacher’s Role and Responsibilities
Teachers are responsible for assigning meaningful homework to
all students and for providing the necessary explanation and
direction required, so that students can accomplish the work
with reasonable success. Teachers will be mindful of students
with limited resources, like internet access in the home, and
will provide suggestions for how students might accomplish these
assignments in school. Students receiving special education or
related services will be given appropriate homework assignments
on a regular basis. Homework will be checked and proper feedback
given to students.
Middle School and High School teachers have built into their
schedules a time period of 2:30-3:15 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays,
and Thursdays, whereby students may request and receive help
related to class work and/or homework.
Teachers need to be cognizant that students’ illnesses may
preclude them from completing and returning homework immediately
following their sick days. Students may need an extended defined
period of time established by the teacher to complete work that
was assigned during their illness.
Student’s Role and Responsibilities
It is the responsibility of the student to record their homework
assignments. Students are encouraged to seek clarification about
homework assignments they feel are unclear. It is their
responsibility to complete homework and return at the time it is
due. Students at all levels who are experiencing difficulty with
their homework are encouraged to seek help from their teachers.
It is incumbent on parents in the early grades and students
themselves as they mature to request homework assignments missed
based on absences. Students who are ill may take it upon
themselves to complete homework while staying home, depending
upon the illness.
Parent’s Role and Responsibilities
It is the parent’s role to reinforce the importance of homework
and encourage home completion in a timely manner. Parents need
to monitor their child’s homework. If parents set rules within
their home that define where, when and under what conditions
their child needs to complete their work, the task becomes more
routine and less cumbersome. It is essential that parents
provide guidance for their child not answers. Parents are
encouraged to find out more specifics about individual teachers
procedures and requirements when a child is absent.
Homework Tips for Parents
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Express to your child the importance of
a good education and the value of doing homework.
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Make sure your child has a quiet,
well-lit place to do homework. Make this location a permanent
one.
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Watch your child for signs of
frustration. Suggest a short break and then return to the
task.
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If your child is struggling to complete
an assignment, you may need to contact your child’s teacher.
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At various times during the school year,
positively reinforce how well your child is doing.
Reading — An Important Activity in
Conjunction with Homework
Homework often involves a reading assignment with follow up
questions related to the comprehension of the material assigned.
How often do teachers and parents emphasize the need to read an
entire passage before answering any questions? This logical
procedure is often not the process followed by the student. Both
teachers and parents need to reinforce the appropriate strategy
for completing homework. It is a process students need to follow
not only to better their comprehension skills, but also to
prepare them for standardized testing.
Most importantly, reading for pleasure in itself, is an
extremely important pastime that has great impact on a student’s
success. Children are able to get public library cards at a very
young age. The research is clear that students who read
regularly are more successful in school. It is important for
teachers and parents to continually encourage students to read
more and often.
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