North Shore Schools Mission
Statement
Our mission is to nurture and enrich our students' natural
delight in learning and in the powers of mind and body. Each child's
awakening into confident young adulthood requires guided engagement
with vital ideas and events of the past to realize fresh possibilities
and discoveries for the future.
We aspire to foster in our students those qualities
of character consonant with the ideals of a democratic society.
We are committed to reaching beyond routine expectations in a learning
environment that encourages inquiry and builds its daily practice
upon respect for oneself and others.
Homework Policy Philosophy
Homework plays an important role in the development of responsibility
and good study habits as the cognitive capacities of young learners
mature. Homework also provides opportunities for young children to
begin to develop the understanding that learning continues to take
place outside of the school day. Homework is only one part of the
teaching/learning process. Research has shown that providing children
with varied experiences enables them to use all of their intelligences
and senses to establish a rich conceptual foundation for learning.
Homework is a flexible and individual responsibility of the instructional
staff. Because of the individual differences and needs of students,
the district does not require or expect all students to experience
the same kind of homework in connection with classroom instruction.
PURPOSE
- To reinforce, extend, and enrich the instruction experience.To provide opportunities for students to utilize separately
learned skills and concepts and integrate them in the completion
of a project or interdisciplinary assignment. In the upper grades, homework assignments may be designed to
introduce or help students become familiar with material to be
utilized in the instructional setting.
- Teachers use homework as one way to assess student understanding
and to inform their practice in the classroom.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND PROTOCOL Teacher
- To clearly communicate to the student the purpose, directions,
and expectations for all homework assignments. To demonstrate the value of homework by providing timely and
appropriate feedback in accordance with designated assignments.
- To establish a routine process for communicating with parents
and students regarding issues and concerns related to homework.
a. Acknowledging receipt of the homework.
b. Monitoring homework for completion and accuracy.
c. Encouraging feedback regarding quantity and difficulty of homework.
Student
- To be aware of and record all homework assignments To ask for clarification when unsure of the expectations.To ask for assistance as needed from a teacher and/or parent.To complete homework assignments with care and to submit work
in a timely manner.
- To make up any assignments missed.
Parent
- To provide an environment conducive to the individual child's
learning style for the completion of homework.To guide, encourage and help focus children-but not to do the
homework for them. To monitor the effort and amount of time a child spends completing
his or her homework. To contact the teacher when a child experiences difficulty and/or
frustration when completing an assignment or when issues/concerns
about homework arise.
- To contact an administrator, (department head, assistant principal,
principal), if homework issues or concerns remain unresolved.
BENEFITS OF HOMEWORK
- To foster a sense of responsibility for independent learning.
- To help develop appropriate work habits, study and time management
skills.
TYPES OF HOMEWORK
Homework assignments are created based upon the intended instructional
purpose and the needs of the child. Examples of elementary assignments
include but are not limited to:
- Drill and practice exercises (spelling, vocabulary words, math
facts, computation). Review for test and assessments. Research activities and reports - both short and long term. Data collections. Reading and writing assignments. Media assignments - TV, radio, newspaper. Interview
- Authentic applications and projects (models, simulations,
constructions).
Examples of assignments at the secondary level include but are not
limited to:
- Study skills and habits: Homework assignments designed to
improve skills such as concentration, self-discipline, note taking,
reading for understanding, and reading for pleasure. Practice/Review: Homework assignments designed to reinforce
materials presented in class and/or to develop mastery of skill. Preparation: Homework assignments designed to either introduce
or
help students become familiar with material that will be utilized
as
part of the instructional program. Skill integration: Homework assignments designed to utilize
separately learned skills and concepts and apply them to the
completion of a single product such as a science project or writing
assignment.
- Extension: Homework assignments designed to help students
generalize previously learned skills and concepts to authentic
situations involving problem solving and cross-curricular connections.
RANGE
Attitudes towards homework begin at an early age. Homework should
be a positive experience for children and parents. Research suggests
that the amount of time spent completing homework should vary by
grade level. According to the NATIONAL PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION
and the NATION EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, "Most educators agree
that for children in grades K through 2, homework is most effective
when it does not exceed 10 to 20 minutes; while for children grades
three to five, the average daily amount of time spent on homework
should range between 30 and 60 minutes. This is know as the "10
minute rule," approximately 10 times the grade level per evening.
In developing homework guidelines, the recognition of reading as
both an integral component of literacy development and lifelong
learning is crucial. Therefore, it is essential that during the
early years children read or be read to, on a daily basis. In grades
K - 5 the time spent on homework should not exceed the following:
Kindergarten and Grade 1: 10 minutes Grade 2: 20 minutes Grade 3:
30 minutes Grade 4: 40 minutes Grade 5: 50 minutes
In addition, students are expected to spend time each evening, engaged
in reading activities. In grade 6 it is expected that time spent
engaged in homework activities will range between 45 and 75 minutes
on a daily basis. In grades 7 and 8, students should be engaged
in daily homework activities for between 60 and 90 minutes. The
amount of time a student in the High School will spend on homework
will of course vary depending upon both the number and the level
of courses in which he or she is enrolled. However, at any level,
elementary, middle or high school, parents should feel comfortable
contacting the classroom teacher should homework assignments take
substantially more time than outlined in these guidelines. Parent
feedback will assist teachers in monitoring and evaluating the amount
of homework assigned.
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