Notesale: Turn your study into money

Document Preview

Extracts from the notes are below, to see the PDF you'll receive please use the links above

---

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT RESEARCH SERIES
Research You Can Use

Close-Up #1

Homework
November 1987
Jocelyn A
...


NATURE AND PURPOSE
HOMEWORK CAN:
Provide additional practice, increasing the amount of time students are actively engaged in
learning and extending time on task
...

Be an effective way to increase student personal responsibility and individual accountability
...

Lead to increased communications between parents and the schools and encourage parent
awareness of student learning
...

RESEARCH INDICATES:
Schools in which homework is routinely assigned and graded tend to have higher achieving
students
...
) in the early school years are not very effective and should be given sparingly, possibly
not at all in primary grades
...

There is general agreement that the amount of homework increases significantly as a student
progresses through school
...

Students complete more homework when teachers make it central to course work, collect it
routinely and spend class time reviewing it
...

Giving homework on a regular basis may increase achievement and improve attitudes toward
learning
...

Involve teachers and parents in planning
...

CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Assign homework regularly
...

Vary homework assignments: short-term and longterm; practice of new skills; written or oral
reports; preparation for new lessons; research projects; enrichment exercises; assignments to
spur creativity; etc
...

Give classroom assignments built on homework to reinforce the value of homework
...

Apply effective instructional practice to homework: frequent practice, good preparation, high
success rate, check for understanding, correction and reteaching as necessary
...

Review the assignment before giving it to students and anticipate difficulties
...

Give clear instructions
...

Be clear on how homework assignments are tied to grades
...
Repeat periodically
...

Have students write down assignments or hand out written assignments rather than relying
only on communicating assignments orally
...

Correct homework quickly
...

Correct all papers/assignments yourself
...

Do not accept incomplete homework: return it to students for completion and enforce
appropriate, announced consequences
...

Give feedback
...

Emphasize improvements and successes indicated by completed homework assignments
...

Involve parents
...

Provide parents, particularly of elementary students, with study guides to help them help
their children learn
...

Parents are often asked by students for help: if there is a major change in approach (e
...
, the
"new math"), alert parents and provide them with information: this avoids parental
frustration that can lead to student frustration and disinterest
...

PARENTS
Set a regular study time each day that is not to be interrupted by family plans, school
activities or television and with a definite beginning and ending time
...

Make sure students have the materials they need to do assignments (paper, colored pencils,
etc
...

Have the students organize school materials: study notes, assignments, books, papers, etc
...

Help the student work to find the answer rather than doing the work just to get it done
...

Contact the teacher to clear up any misunderstandings, troubleshoot problems and be better
informed about the students' learning progress
...

Be sure all assignments are clear: don't be afraid to ask questions if necessary
...

Find a quiet, well-lit place to study
...

Older students tutoring younger students; more advanced students tutoring less advanced
students
...

Parent awareness program
...


EXAMPLE: DISTRICT HOMEWORK POLICY #1
The Seattle Public Schools (Washington) in 1983 adopted districtwide homework policy and
procedures
...
Homework
standards and procedures will be established within each individual building following the
guidelines established by the district
...
Each set of procedures includes an
introduction describing the district homework policy, procedural guidelines for homework
standards at individual buildings to assure uniformity, fairness and flexibility, and lists of
responsibilities for the school/staff, parents and students
...

MIDDLE SCHOOL
HOMEWORK PROCEDURES
(G 60
...

Homework will be used by teachers as an extension of classroom instruction to expand or enrich
the regular classwork or to assure mastery of a particular skill or concept
...
These standards and procedures will be reviewed and explained to staff, students and
parents at the beginning of each school year
...
SCHOOL/STAFF RESPONSIBILITIES
The teacher's responsibilities in implementing homework policies are to:
1
...


2
...

4
...

6
...

8
...

10
...

Coordinate homework assignments with other teachers so that no student receives excessive
assignments on a single night
...

Flexibility is important when teachers become aware of student homework overload
...

Give special consideration to limiting weekend assignments
...

No teacher should fail to assign needed homework when, in their judgment, homework is
required to accomplish academic goals and objectives
...

Homework will be considered as a part of the total learning process and will be monitored
(specific feedback, check in, graded, etc
...

PARENT RESPONSIBILITIES

The parent's responsibilities are to:
1
...

2
...

3
...
Be sure they understand the assignments
...
Complete the assignments
...
Turn the assignments in by the specific due date
...
Homework may serve to tie the school more
closely to the home
...
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
...

WHAT ARE THE PURPOSES OF HOMEWORK?
Homework should:
1
...

2
...


3
...

4
...

5
...

HOW MUCH HOMEWORK SHOULD BE ASSIGNED?
PRIMARY LEVEL
...
Pupils may complete
work at home which was begun in class
...
Additional reading for pleasure should be
encouraged
...
In general, daily or regularly scheduled homework is not assigned
...
Homework in certain areas may be assigned on a regular basis,
especially in reading and mathematics
...
In general, homework at this level should not total more than one hour, on the
average, per day
...

JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL (7-8)
...
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-ofclass preparation time
...
Teachers should plan
cooperatively in making assignments, so that an equitable load results
...
Regular homework should be assigned and expected for most high school
courses
...
Length of assignments will vary according to purpose
and level, but it is suggested that moderate assignments completed and well done are more
effective than lengthy or difficult ones poorly done
...

WHAT ARE TEACHERS' RESPONSIBILITIES?
Teachers should be sure that:
1
...

3
...

5
...

7
...

9
...

The direction, extent and options in homework are clear
...

Students at various levels of achievement have a reasonable chance of completing
assignments successfully
...

Homework is collected promptly and a record made for each pupil
...

Homework is normally returned in a short period of time, but not to exceed two weeks, with
an indication of the evaluation
...

Parents are informed of their responsibilities
...
Observe closely how well the pupil does his homework and send a note to the teacher
whenever the pupil 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 television and radio viewing and listening 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
...
These include physical facilities,
professional and supportive staff, learning materials and other resources
...
Therefore, parents and the
public share the responsibility for educating children in all aspects of life
...


EXAMPLE: A "HOMEWORK HOTLINE"
The "Help with Homework Hotline" was developed in a cooperative effort among the Duval
County Public Schools (Florida), the University of North Florida, Jacksonville University and
Edward Waters College
...
PURPOSE
The Help with Homework Hotline was developed to achieve the following goals:
1
...

2
...

3
...
A
bank of four telephones is housed in the school system's Professional Library and manned by
certificated classroom teachers
...
The recorded message requests caller's name and phone number
and these calls are returned by the teachers prior to leaving each evening
...
STAFFING
The Homework Hotline is staffed by four teams of certified teachers
...
Teams vary from six to eight members
...
The
University of North Florida provides a faculty member who conducts training for the Hotline
operators and who helps provide ongoing supervision of the staff
...

4
...
Two certificated master teachers are employed on a parttime
basis to help provide nightly, on-site
supervision
...
DAYS AND HOURS OF SERVICE
The Homework Hotline is open from 5 - 8 p
...
, Monday through Thursday on days public schools
are in session
...
PUBLICITY
Posters announcing the Homework Hotline have been placed in every classroom in Duval County
...
Public Service
Announcements for both radio and television have been distributed and are broadcast frequently
...
DATA COLLECTION/EVALUATION
Each incoming call is logged in by the operator
...
, is completed by the operator
...

8
...
This includes expenses for parttime employees ($4,500), supplies ($1,000), telephone service ($2,000) and telephone installation
($300)
...
RESULTS OF THE INITIAL ELEVEN WEEKS OF OPERATION
During the first 11 weeks of operation (October 5 through December 17, 1981) the Homework
Hotline operators assisted 5,714 callers for a weekly average of 521 calls and a nightly average of
140 calls
...


England, David A
...
HOMEWORK-- AND WHY (PDK Fastback No
...

Bloomington, Indiana: Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, 1985
...
"
Good, Thomas L
...
"Teaching and Mathematics Learning
...

A study of teacher behaviors that contributed to increased student learning identifies
homework as key instructional behavior
...
Z
...
"
JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY, 74:2, 248-253, 1982
...

Knorr, Cynthia L
...
Paper presented to the Lehigh Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, Bethlehem, PA:
January 24, 1981
...

LaConte, Ronald T
...
Washington, D
...
: National Education Association, 1981
...
Recommendations
...
, Paschal, Rosanne A
...
"Homework's Powerful Effects
on Learning
...

A synthesis of 15 studies indicates homework benefits student achievement and
attitudes, especially if it is commented upon or graded
...
HOMEWORK: HELPING STUDENTS
ACHIEVE
...

Based on research on successful teaching and learning practices, a publication offering
practical advice to parents and students on ways to be successful with homework
...
"Homework Research in Mathematics
...

Summarization of the research on the effects of homework on mathematics
achievement
...
HOMEWORK SURVEYS
...
)
A series of surveys, each including the current district homework policy, for parents,
teachers and students
...
and Good, T
...
" In Wittrock, Merlin C
...
), HANDBOOK OF RESEARCH ON TEACHING (Third Edition)
...

In review of research linking teacher behavior to student performance, homework is
cited as contributing to student achievement
...
IDEAS AND TIPS FOR STRENGTHENING HOME/SCHOOL RELATIONS
San Diego Office of Education, 1984
...

Coulter, Frank
...

7)
...
(ED
209 200)
Research results support homework as a way to extend learning time and increase
student achievement
...
HELPING CHILDREN DEVELOP GOOD STUDY HABITS: A PARENTS'
GUIDE
...
(ED 240 061
...

Foyle, Harvey C
...
" NASSP BULLETIN,
70:487, 36-38, February 1986
...

Goldstein, A
...
" THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
JOURNAL, 60, 212-224, 1960
...

Harvard Graduate School of Education in association with Harvard University Press
...
"
EDUCATION LETTER, 1:1, 1-3, February 1985
...

Irvine Unified School District
...
Citation as outstanding

program
...
(ED 238 425
...

Lee, Jackson F
...
, and Pruitt, K
...
"Homework Assignments: Classroom Games or
Teaching Tools?" CLEARING HOUSE, 53:1, 31-35, September 1979
...

Page, E
...
and Keith, T
...
"Effects of U
...
Private Schools: A Technical Analysis of Two Recent
Claims
...

Data from private and public schools show that amount of study time had an effect on
student achievement
...
"Families as Educators of Their Own Children
...
(Ed
...
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development, 26-40, 1979
...

Ritchie, Joy S
...
Lincoln, NE: Nebraska
Association of Elementary School Principals, University of NebraskaLincoln Teachers College
...

Rutter, M
...
FIFTEEN THOUSAND HOURS: SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND THEIR
EFFECTS ON CHILDREN
...
: Harvard University Press, 1979
...

San Mateo County School District, SMERC Information Center
...
(ED 233 463
...
Some in draft form
...
PALS: PARENT ACTIVITIES FOR LEARNING
BASIC SKILLS
...
(ED 241 120)
...


Strother, Deborah Burnett
...

A discussion of practical application of the homework research: parental expectations,
extended time for learning, effects on achievement and practical suggestions
...
"The Joy of Homework
...

Discussion and suggestions for planning and giving homework assignments to assure
student engagement and enjoyment of learning via homework assignments
...
"Homework: Its Importance to Student Achievement
...

Research review and recommendations for action by district/school and individual
teachers
...
"Improving the Productivity of America's Schools
...

Discussion of nine factors to improve affective, behavioral and cognitive learning
...


This publication is based on work sponsored wholly, or in part, by the Office of Educational Research and
Improvement (OERI), U
...
Department of Education, under Contract Number 400-86-0006
...
S
...

November 1987



---