@Parent and size of unit, The length of the school day is specified in By-law 6112 (web link). The homework policy is generally set out in Commission Policy 6154 (web link) and, in particular, in AR6154 (web link). The homework committee`s guidelines include language relevant to this discussion, including: “Effective homework practices do not impose an undue burden on students. The board recognizes the value of extracurricular activities, unstructured time, and adequate sleep to a student`s academic success. The devil is in the details, of course, and we can`t begin to intelligently assess the extent to which the policy and related regulations are being implemented without having more detailed data on how much homework is allocated and how much time students spend on it. I am pleased that Dr. McGee is advancing this data collection effort. Beyond the question of time, of course, there is the educational value of homework. The board`s policy states: “Homework should be designed to: – deepen understanding and promote a love of learning. – Reflect on individual student needs, learning styles, socio-emotional health, and abilities to help students with homework. – Give students timely feedback on their learning. – Add clear instructions and performance expectations so students can do their work on their own. – be allocated in reasonable quantities which can be completed within a reasonable time.
– Give teachers feedback to inform the lesson. We also need to be able to demonstrate how well the district meets these standards. I recently posted a summary of some of the issues that the board has been seized of over the past month, including the general issue of stress and students` social and emotional well-being, including homework, on a blog I created for this purpose here: Web Link. I appreciate your comments and comments. I also encourage everyone to share their experiences and ideas at school committee meetings. Board meetings are held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 a.m., and each session includes an “open forum” where everyone can speak for up to 3 minutes on each topic. Agendas are usually posted on the Friday before the meeting on Weblink. It looks like camp won in favor of homework in Menlo Park, and they use the 10-minute policy, but it doesn`t do it right. According to the OECD data, to which reference has already been made, the proposal is not due to more duties.
This is a recast proposal. According to an article on research Web Link 1. “There are diminishing marginal returns on homework after 11 a.m.” 2. In the United States – “unlike most countries, where more homework is associated with higher PISA test scores, this is not the case here.” 3. “The quality of teachers and teaching is much more important to student outcomes than homework” 4. “Set goals and work independently. But more than four hours of homework a week, she says, isn`t very beneficial. “It would be better to rethink the system to have less homework,” Borgonov said. But it`s hard to do. The easiest way is to apply a single formula on old assumptions. The old assumptions are that more is better and that all homework has the same effect on every student.
The fact that most students “do” homework in PAUSD does not speak to the success or value of homework. This could mean that we have built in a very good fear system that makes everyone do the work without question. A fear-based homework system could hurt many students` performance and opportunities, and we know it can interfere with social-emotional development, even for those doing the work. Certainly, specialization and AP courses should not exclude students based on homework. You shouldn`t literally “sign” rational boundary expectations for a high school class. Whatever the aura, the height they go, the university and what they don`t do, these are high school programs and should serve all high school students. Another reality check, As usual, I would like to encourage you to read the thread, this is a very interesting discussion and an important topic. As soon as you know what you are commenting, I look forward to your input.
I will also thank you for refraining from attacking my child or someone else`s child (whether based on such half-cooked assumptions or not). Unfortunately, what you quoted there, “91% of JLS-7 students have no more than 2 hours of homework per night, with more than half of JLS-7 students having 1 hour or less of homework each night.” was a MISTAKE and misrepresentation of a poster titled “This is Why,” which I quoted in my response.