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P6154
ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION POLICY INSTRUCTION Studies on excellence in education encourage homework as a valuable tool for strengthening educational opportunities for students. Further, such studies emphasize the importance of homework in the educational process. In adopting this homework policy, the board reaffirms its belief that homework is an essential and required part of the student's total educational program for it broadens and extends the principles, concepts, and information taught and learned in the classroom. Accordingly, the board establishes the following major purposes of homework for the St. Louis Public Schools: To reinforce the principles, concepts, and information taught and learned in the classroom. To assist teachers in assessing the student's comprehension of concepts and skills covered in class. To stimulate creative, logical, and critical thought. To provide an opportunity for the creative application of material mastered during the formal class time. To teach the student self-discipline and self-motivation regarding the responsibility and effort required to complete assignments. To permit parents to have a more active role in educating their children and in monitoring their classroom assignments and in becoming familiar with their textbooks.
In fulfilling the role of educational leader in the school, the principal will be diligent in carrying out the responsibilities and regulations relating to the homework policy. To fulfill their responsibilities, principals and teachers will require the assistance of other school staff members such as librarians, nurses, counselors, and teacher's aides. The roles of these staff members will be delineated as each school develops its plan for the homework policy. The superintendent is therefore instructed to draft administrative regulations that will reflect the desires of the board.
Revised: December 07, 1999 R6154 ST. LOUIS BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULATION Homework contributes to the effectiveness of the school’s impact on the individual student. As such, it is an essential and required component in the student's total educational program. It also assists the student in making up work missed during absences from school. In recognition of the importance of homework to the educational development of students, parents will: Inquire daily of their children as to the nature of their homework assignments; Communicate with the principal and teacher if their children report consistently that no homework has been assigned; Provide a quiet, comfortable study area; Set aside time on a daily basis for the completion of homework assignments; Encourage their children to prepare homework assignments; Read, review, and sign all homework assignments where applicable; Teach their children that they have a responsibility to care for and return books and learning materials taken home for homework assignments. Pursuant to the homework policy, the student will: View homework as an opportunity to expand his/her educational development; Seek help for homework assignments when necessary; Homework (continued) R6154
Care for and return promptly books and materials taken home to complete assignments; Review the teacher's evaluation of homework assignments when they are returned and use that review as a basis for improving future assignments. In the effort to maximize learning opportunities for students, the teacher will: Assign homework that has clearly defined instructional objectives; Assign homework that reinforces and extends subject matter presented in the classroom and prepares the student for future assignments; Assign homework that is related to the level and ability of students; Teach students to care for and return promptly books and materials taken home to complete assignments; Critique, grade, and return assignments in a timely manner; Maintain a record of homework assignments; Share evaluation of the student's assignments with both the student and his/her parents. In fulfilling the role of educational leader in the school, the principal will: Stress the importance of homework in the education process; Develop, along with school faculty, a plan for implementing and monitoring the homework policy within the school;
The plan will: a. Provide for a range of activities appropriate for homework assignments. Each assignment should be responsive to the overall policy and should include a variety of activities, i.e., written and oral exercises, reading, special projects, listening, and viewing assignments. b. Clearly authorize teachers to permit students to take home books and appropriate textual materials needed to complete homework assignments. Effort should be made to teach students their responsibility of caring for and returning books and other materials. c. Include a procedure whereby the student's performance on homework is included in the evaluation of the student's academic achievement. Disseminate information regarding the homework policy to students, staff, and parents. Coordinate and monitor the homework assignments within grades and subjects. The average time to be spent on homework is as follows: Grades 1-5: Twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes per evening for students in grades one (1) through five (5). Grades 6-8: Twenty (20) minutes per evening for each of the basic subject areas for students in grades six (6) through eight (8). This translates to an average of seventy-five (75) minutes of study each evening for students in these grades. Grades 9-12: Three (3) hours a week for each of the subject areas for high school students. This will mean that high school students will spend approximately 3-1/2 hours each evening involved with school work. Regulation approved: June 26, 1990 Revised: December 07, 1999
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