Barrington schools have a new homework policy

No homework over school vacations; new time limits imposed

By Josh Bickford
Posted 9/27/16

Students spoke, and Barrington school leaders listened.

About a year ago, students at the high school participated in a survey, the results of which loudly criticized the amount of homework they …

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Barrington schools have a new homework policy

No homework over school vacations; new time limits imposed

Posted

Students spoke, and Barrington school leaders listened.

About a year ago, students at the high school participated in a survey, the results of which loudly criticized the amount of homework they were being assigned each night and the manner in which it was being assigned.

Barrington students sing out for peace.

Nearly 65 percent of the students reported having too much homework — some upperclassmen said they spent about three hours each night completing homework assignments. 

About 92 percent said there was no consistency when teachers assigned homework. Others complained of being stressed out because they were assigned projects that needed to be finished during school vacation weeks.

Officials are hoping that a newly approved district-wide homework policy will remedy many, if not all, of those problems. 

"It's still early in the school year," said Paula Dillon, the district's curriculum director, "but so far we've only heard positive feedback about the policy."

The new policy, which was created by a homework committee that included nearly 20 school administrators and teachers, features a number of significant changes from prior practices.

For starters, teachers will assign all homework during class. 

In previous years, some teachers would post homework assignments online, well after the final bell had sounded. The delay, said some, forced students to stay up later in order to complete the assignments.

"This was contributing to student stress," said Barrington School Committee Chairwoman Kate Brody. 

 The policy also states that "teachers will not assign homework to be completed during school vacations or due on the first school day back from break." The exception to that rule is for long-range assignments that span both before and after a school vacation. 

The policy also requires educators who teach the same course to collaboratively develop written homework grading practices and protocols. Consistency is a must, said school officials. 

"Some teachers were not aware of what others were assigning," said Ms. Dillon, adding that the overarching theme of the new policy was an emphasis on assigning homework with "purpose and meaning."

"It needs to have a positive impact on the students' learning," she said. 

Members of the homework committee spent many hours focusing on research and data-driven information regarding homework. In one area, the data clearly showed that there were diminishing returns when students spent more than two hours each night on homework. 

Officials were quick to remind parents of high school students that they had less control over the amount of homework being assigned in Advanced Placement courses. The curriculum for AP classes is not school-specific, rather it is established by the College Board. 

Ms. Dillon said middle school students will also recognize a reduction in the amount of homework being assigned each day. She said there will not be homework assigned for over the weekends and tests will not be administered on Mondays (or the first day back from a break).

"I feel really positive about this" new homework policy, said Ms. Dillon. 

Ms. Brody echoed that sentiment. 

"I am so proud of this," she said. "The work that has been done will benefit our students… I'm proud and I'm most enthused for our students — our student-health and student-academics... This is a courageous step."

Homework policy changes will also be felt at the elementary school level. 

Ms. Dillon offered an example: In previous years students were told to read for 20 minutes each night, and then needed to fill out a reading log that recorded the name of the book and the number of pages read. 

This year, teachers eliminated the reading logs.

"Research showed that the reading logs weren't necessary," said Ms. Dillon. "The logs took the joy out of reading and made it more of a chore."

Educators are also relying less on work sheets and more on real life applications of lessons at the elementary school level.

"If you're going shopping, let your children count the change," Ms. Dillon said. The specific text included in the new policy states: "Teachers will encourage parents to include their children in life skills activities and the application of learning such as measuring in the kitchen, cooking, and exploring nature."

Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore thanked all those who helped draft the new homework policy. He said the new homework policy is specific to Barrington and was created "from the ground up."

"They did all the research," Mr. Messore said of the committee.

Peering into the policy

Following are some of the specific objectives set forth in the school district's new homework policy, which was approved in mid-August:

High school

• Teachers will assign all homework and requisite materials during the class period.

• Teachers will post or link assigned homework on Aspen.

• Teachers will not assign homework to be completed during school vacations or due on the first school day back from break, with the exception of long-range assignments (for example: process steps in projects that span before and after a school break) and Advanced Placement coursework.

• Homework will constitute no more than ten percent of a student’s quarter grade.

• Teachers who teach the same courses will collaboratively develop and provide written homework grading practices and protocols that are consistent within each course at the start of the year/course.

Middle school

• Students may receive up to 10-12 minutes per grade for each grade a student has attended school.

• If a student cannot complete the homework due to lack of understanding or in the above recommended amount of time, students should refer to the protocol articulated in the student handbook.

• Teachers will not assign homework over weekends, long weekends, or vacations.

• Teachers will not administer tests on the day school resumes after a long weekend or school vacation.

• Teachers will provide timely teacher-directed feedback for any homework assignment.

• All homework and requisite materials must be assigned during the class period.

• Assigned homework will be posted or linked on Aspen.

• Teachers will only grade homework assignments in the homework category.

• Homework will be worth 10 percent of the grade each marking period. It will be graded for accuracy/completion/effort for nightly assignments.

• All teachers will use our school wide process grading scale for homework grading.

• Elements/individual components of a project assigned as homework will only be graded for completion/effort as a process homework grade.

• Any type of assessed writing assignment must be done in the classroom.

Grades 4-5

• Students may read nightly for a minimum of 20 minutes (self-selected or assigned).

• Teachers will assign no more than 40 minutes of homework, including reading, on a nightly basis. Teachers may assign Tenmarks, and/ or other research-based district approved math programs in accordance with this policy.

• If a student cannot complete the homework in the above-recommended amount of time, a student’s parent/guardian may attach a note to their work indicating that the student was unable to complete the assignment. Teachers will not penalize students; instead, teachers will utilize this information to support the needs of the individual student.

• Teachers will not grade homework; however, they will provide written or oral feedback and students may be asked to complete their own reflections.

• Each teacher will communicate a clear, written protocol for incomplete homework.

Grades K-3

• Teachers will encourage students to engage in reading 10-20 minutes per night (read independently or read to).

• Teachers will provide and encourage students to engage in math fluency practice and games weekly.

• Teachers will encourage parents to include their children in life skills activities and the application of learning such as measuring in the kitchen, cooking, and exploring nature.

• Teachers will not assign homework over weekends, long weekends, or vacations.

• Teachers will encourage studying and practicing rules and application rather than memorization.

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