Parent-Student Handbook

• Carefully planned homework can complement classroom learning.
• Well-designed homework strengthens students’ academic skills.
• It is important to respect a balance between schoolwork and family life.
• The physical and mental health of our students is important.

• Homework is any task assigned by teachers to be completed outside the classroom.

• Prelearning/preparation (“to discover what students already know about a topic or what they are interested in learning about” or “to stimulate interest in a concept” (Vatterott 104); reading; flipped classroom);
• Diagnosis (“[provides] information that enables the teacher to make decisions about next steps… once teachers know where students are in their skills or knowledge, they can plan instruction more efficiently” (Vatterott 104-105));
• Checking for understanding (examples include: “Journal questions about a science experiment may ask the student to explain what happened and why. Asking students to identify literary devices in a short story shows the teacher whether the student understands literary devices. Asking students to do a few sample problems in math and to explain the steps lets the teacher know if the student understands how to do the problem” (Vatterott 106));
• Practice/extension (“students should practice [something] only after the teacher has adequately checked for understanding” and “practice is more effective when distributed over several days” (Vatterott 106)); and
• Processing (“used when we want

students to reflect on concepts that were discussed in class, think of new questions to ask, apply skills or knowledge learned, synthesize information, or show that they see the big picture. Processing homework is often a long-term project, such as showing relationships between major concepts in a unit, writing an original poem, or applying a number of math concepts to the design of a golf course” (Vatterott 107)).

• Has a clear purpose;
• Is connected to learning goals;
• Is developmentally appropriate (provides necessary scaffolding, is of student-level-appropriate difficulty); and
• Is differentiated to accommodate learner needs.

• Effective feedback is goal-referenced, tangible and transparent, actionable, user-friendly, timely, ongoing, and consistent (from Grant Wiggins’ “Seven Keys to Effective Feedback”); and
• Homework should provide feedback to the teacher and student about student understanding and progress.

• There is no requirement for teachers to give homework on a regular basis;
• When assigning homework, be mindful of students’ after-school activities and commitments, including homework in other classes; and
• When possible and appropriate, provide students with advance notice, or give them a window of time before the due date, so they can manage their workload.

• Students’ marking period grades should accurately reflect their mastery of the standards for the course;
• Homework completion (or lack thereof) should not significantly impact a student’s grade; and
• A student who has been absent from school will be given an opportunity to make up homework assignments, provided the assignments are completed during a period equal to the length of his or her absence. That period may be extended for the completion of long-term assignments.

• The district will establish and send out No Homework Days at the start of the school year. The purposes of these days are to provide students with a mental break from school and to spend time with their families.