BELLINGHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT 501
2112P
ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES
HOMEWORK
Homework is work assigned by teachers or selected by students to complete at home. Such work can have positive effects of both academic and non-academic nature. In order for homework to be positive, however, the district has adopted the following expectations and procedures.
School Responsibilities:
1. At the beginning of each school year, the principal will review the district policy and procedures with the faculty, identifying areas of concern from the previous year, as necessary.
2. The principal will provide information to parents about homework expectations through school publications.
3. Teachers will ensure that homework assigned is meaningful, valuable, and important for student learning. It must serve at least one of the following purposes:
• Practice/Review - to reinforce and/or master basic skills already presented in class.
• Preparation - to introduce material to be presented in future lessons.
• Extension - to provide students with opportunities to transfer specific skills or concepts to new situations.
• Make Connections - to require students to apply many skills and concepts in order to produce original responses.
4. Teachers should help students have access to the necessary materials and resources to successfully complete assigned homework and are encouraged to judge the quality of student learning and work rather than quantity or quality of materials used when assessing student performance.
5. Teachers are expected to adhere to the following time ranges for specific grade levels, per night average.
K Occasional
1 – 2 15 minutes (M-Th)
3 – 5 30-60 minutes (M-Th)
6 – 8 30-90 minutes (M-Th)
9 – 12 60-120 minutes (M-S)
Students are expected to practice their math facts (grades 2 – 5) and read for pleasure on a daily basis (K – 12). Additional homework may be assigned based on the guidelines above.
At the high school level, the amount of homework a student has will vary with the type of courses being taken. Honors or Advance Placement courses may have significantly higher homework loads than other courses. However, these time recommendations should be considered by faculty when assigning work.
6. Middle and high schools are expected to develop procedures for communication between faculty members about homework expectations. This communication should make clear when large assignments are planned and attempt to balance the work for students. Principals will monitor the process and work with staff to make adjustments as needed.
7. Course expectations about homework and grading practices should be made clear at the beginning of the course.
8. The Assistant Superintendent for School Administration will review school homework procedures and activities with the principals annually.
Approved:
Dale E. Kinsley 6/25/98 Superintendent of Schools