Gooding Joint School District No. 231

INSTRUCTION                                                                                                                        2630

Homework

The District is eager to provide the best possible educational opportunities for all children. It is the policy of the District that homework is, in general, an important student activity which contributes to the educative process. Homework can serve to tie the school more closely to the home. It is a demonstration of teacher expectations to both student and parent. Homework, along with sports, special programs, and other activities, is an important link in a total educational program.

By definition, homework is a task initiated and/or motivated in the classroom related to the objective of the course studied which is normally completed during out-of-class time.

Homework may take the form of additional practice on exercises (independent practice), reading material on a specified subject, in-depth follow-up of class activities (enrichments), or independent project work related to the subject (extensions).

The purposes of homework are to:

• reinforce skills introduced in the classroom;
• achieve mastery of basic learning such as arithmetic facts;
• promote independent in-depth study of chosen topics;
• provide opportunities for broad enrichment activities; and,
• promote wise and orderly use of

The amount of homework assigned shall be guided by the following criteria:

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (K-5). Homework in certain areas may be assigned on a regular basis, especially in reading and mathematics. The homework should be meaningful and consistent with course objectives. In general, homework at this level should not total more than one hour, on the average, per day. Special projects will be undertaken which require more time and materials than the school can provide.

MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL (6-8). Homework at this level should be regularly assigned, but not necessarily daily. Emphasis should be on reading and mathematics. As a guideline, the total daily homework assignments should not require more than two hours and rarely more than one hour for out-of-class preparation time. Special projects will be undertaken which require more time and materials than the school can provide. Teachers should plan cooperatively in making extended assignments, testing, and special projects, so that an equitable load results.

HIGH SCHOOL (9-12). Regular homework should be assigned and expected for most high school courses. Typically, the initial phase of homework will begin in the classroom and be completed out-of-class, either at school or at home. Teachers should plan cooperatively in making extended assignments, testing, and special projects, so that an equitable load results.

ALL GRADES. Generally, homework on weekends or holidays should be limited to review, voluntary projects, or make-up work.

The teacher’s responsibilities are to be sure that:

• the objectives of the lesson and resultant homework are fully understood;
• the direction, extent, and options in homework are clear;
• background and reference materials are available;
• students at various levels of achievement have a reasonable chance of completing assignments successfully;
• an unfair burden of homework for a subject is not placed on the student;
• homework is collected promptly and recorded for each student;
• homework is checked and evaluated;
• homework is normally returned in a short period of time, not to exceed a week, with an indication of the evaluation (certain material may be retained for display purposes); and,
• parents are informed of their

Parents can help their students to be successful with their homework if they will:

• observe closely how well the student does his homework and notify the teacher whenever the student is observed to be having difficulty with a particular assignment;
• support the school and the teachers in providing a suitable environment for homework;
• provide time and encouragement for their children to do good schoolwork, including homework;
• coordinate homework efforts with the teacher in special cases;
• guide or assist in homework when unusual difficulties arise (but never do the homework for their child);
• provide educational activities that broaden the child’s interests, such as visits to museums, the zoo, and other places where learning can take place;
• monitor time spent on television viewing, music listening, video games, , so that homework and other school activities do not suffer;
• in unusual cases, provide opportunities for specialized help, such as tutoring, when progress falters and all school resources have not been as successful as desired; and,
• attend parent-teacher

Policy History:

Adopted on: May 8, 2012 Revised on:

Reviewed on: 12-12-23