Homework Policy

Homework should supplement and reinforce what has been taught in the classroom.  Some pupils may need added practice in basic skills taught.  For other pupils, homework is a means for enriching school activities started in class.  Pupils who have fallen behind may be in need of remedial, supplementary work in order to improve their achievement.

It is the objective of the school staff to assign homework in reasonable amounts and with adequate instructions, not as "busy" work.  Parents can support this activity greatly by providing an adequate place for study, in showing interest, and through encouraging the child to assume the responsibility of completing homework.  We strongly urge parents to support this aspect of the school program.


Time Guidelines
Students should expect to have homework each school night and weekends in accordance with the following:

Grade Levels
 Approximate Time
Kindergarten Occasionally
Grades 1-3 1/2 Hour
Grades 4-6 1 Hour
Grades 7-8 1-1/2 Hours
Grades 9-12 2 Hours
 
Homework Philosophy (School Board Policy #130)
Homework is a recommended practice.  It becomes an essential part of the total education of the student when it provides the opportunity for the student to:

• Reinforce learning through the practice, application, integration, and/or extension of knowledge and skills.

• Develop study skills, work habits, and a sense of personal responsibility so that the student may become an independent learner.

• Use school and community resources.

• Develop self-discipline.
 
Ideally, homework should enhance the intellectual development of a child and create and broaden desirable interests and habits.  It should reinforce the pupil's mastery of skills, extend his fund of worthwhile knowledge, encourage creative use of his/her abilities and increase his/her appreciation of the world in which he/she lives.  Homework should be an outgrowth of an extension of meaningful classroom experiences.

Homework Definition (School Board Policy #130)
Homework is defined as any work planned or approved by the teacher to be completed by the student outside of the regular classroom without the immediate and direct supervision of the teacher.
 
OBJECTIVES OF HOMEWORK:

A.  To improve skills in a subject area.

B.  To reinforce knowledge and skills.

C.  To increase knowledge learned in the classroom.

D.  To prepare for classroom instruction.

E.  To develop the skills of research.

F.  To develop self-motivation, self-discipline, responsibility, and independence.

G.  To enrich school experiences and encourage a carryover into leisure and career-centered interests.

H.  To help the student organize and condense information.

I.  To enhance home/school communication and provide for increased curriculum understanding.

J.  To involve parents in the learning process of their children.
 

Parents should:

1.  Be familiar with the district's homework policy.

2.  Help their children set a regular homework time each day, free of other responsibilities, and remain with that commitment.

3.  Provide a place to work and study that is quiet, properly lighted and equipped with necessary basic materials.

4.  Limit television viewing and avoid television or radio listening during study time.

5.  Show interest in their children's homework by encouraging them to do their best.

6.  Encourage their children to complete assignments independently.

7.  Discuss and review homework assignments with their children to become aware of what they are studying.

8.  Provide feedback to the teacher, counselor, or building administrator regarding problems, such as time, difficulty, and progress.