Homework guiding questions
The Issaquah School District’s policy states:
Homework, as an extension of the classroom, must be planned and organized; must be purposeful to the students; and must be evaluated and returned to students in a timely manner. Homework may be assigned for one or more of the following purposes:
- Practice – to help students to master specific skills which have been presented in class;
- Preparation – to help students gain the maximum benefits from future lessons;
- Extension – to provide students with opportunities to transfer specific skills or concepts to new situations; and
- Creativity – to require students to integrate many skills and concepts in order to produce original responses.
The purposes of homework assignments, the basis for evaluating the work performed and the guidelines and/or rules should be made clear to the student at the time of the assignment.
With that foundation:
- Do you believe this policy is in practice in our classrooms?
- When is homework a valuable learning tool? When is it not?
- Do you believe that currently the amount of homework your child receives is appropriate?
- What weight should homework be given in a student’s overall grade?