Board of Education members are revising homework policies that could reduce the amount of homework for younger students and ensure that all homework is designed to reinforce skills.
A draft of the proposed homework guidelines was approved March 19 and is now open to the public for comment until April 24.
“Literally, everyone has an opinion about homework, whether you are a parent or student. Everyone seems to have an opinion,” said BOE member Rebecca Smondrowski.
Homework should be designed to attain curricular objectives, according to the proposed policy.
The amount and timing of assignments should increase as students move on to the next grade, according to the proposal. Homework assigned to elementary school students should be structured so that students can do it themselves without family input. This is done to eliminate disparities as some students have parents who don’t speak English.
Currently, students in kindergarten through eighth grade are assigned homework three to five times a week, but this would become more flexible under the proposed policy.
Parents will be able to inform a teacher when their child is absent due to an excused religious holiday, thereby allowing a teacher to design homework that will respect that absence or not assign any at all.
Nico D’Orazio is a Wootton High School student and a student apprentice who worked with student focus groups to obtain feedback concerning homework. He told BOE members that students want homework to be based on what they have learned and what will be on a test. They aren’t in favor of being assigned new topics that have not yet been taught.
Homework should be practice, D’Orazio said of what students told him. Students also want their teachers to take time and go over their homework as a way of showing that it matters, he said. Teacher feedback keeps students motivated and engaged, he said.
Younger students often are turned off from their course work when their homework has words and concepts they don’t know and have no one to go to for assistance, he told BOE members.
The draft policy notes that it is important for students to have a good place and all necessary technology to do their homework.
Sami Saeed, student member of the board, said he would like teachers “when feasible” to allow time during class for their students to start their homework. That way, if anything is confusing, the matter can be addressed by the teacher immediately.
Saeed also said that homework should be very limited during weekends to account for students who work or need mental health time to relax from the week’s work and activities. Any homework during the weekend should be due at least a day after student’s return from the weekend, he said.
School Boardmember Shebra Evans responded that although jobs and extracurricular activities are important, “Your first priority is to your academics.”
