HOMEWORK

Homework Guidance

The district homework policy can be found in its entirety HERE, including information about the guiding principles that informed the development of the policy and detailed descriptions of roles and responsibilities for students and families. This document is intended to depict level-specific expectations for educators at the middle level.

Guiding Principles

Shrewsbury’s homework policy is designed to support and empower children, educators and families as they work together to further student learning.

The school district recognizes and affirms that co-curricular activities and other commitments are important aspects of students’ lives that can significantly improve their physical and mental health and well-being. It is a shared responsibility between home and school to ensure that students have balance in their lives while pursuing educational excellence. This policy is intended to help our students achieve that. Further, the district recognizes that vacations, long weekends, and holidays are opportunities to enjoy family time and fun. In order to protect this time for students and staff, the district will implement a “no homework” calendar that specifies times when homework will not be assigned. In addition to promoting family time and recreation, “no homework” periods can provide a respite from new assignments that allows for a focus on other responsibilities or needs, such as religious observances for students with their families, performing community service, or completing college applications.

Please see the list of “no homework” dates HERE. For a calendar view of the “no homework”dates, click HERE.For “no homework” periods, homework shall not be assigned on the school day prior to the “no homework” date(s), and no assignments will be due and no tests or other assessments that require studying will occur on the school day following the “no homework” date(s).

Definition

Homework is defined as tasks that are assigned by teachers to be completed by students outside of class time, including work done using pencil and paper and/or digital tools. These tasks include, but are not limited to: skills practice; reading; viewing of video content; studying or preparation for quizzes or tests; creating written, audio, or visual content; and completion of reports or projects.

Purposes of Homework

Research affirms the importance of independent reading, skills practice, and the development of learning routines for young children, and the value of regular homework assignments for older students. The purposes of homework in the Shrewsbury Schools are to practice newly taught skills, review previously mastered skills, develop independent study habits, and motivate students to pursue personal goals.

Learner Variability

Every learner is different, and variability among students should be expected. Homework should encourage personal reflection. Educators are empowered with the flexibility to match assignments to meet a child’s individual needs.

Homework Policy Components

1. Frequency of Homework Assignments

All students in Grades 1-12 are expected to spend time on homework. Due dates assigned by teachers may vary according to the nature of the assignment; for example, assignments could be due the next day, by the end of the week, or could be part of a longer-term project. Students in Grades 5-12 may also have homework assigned over the weekend at the discretion of the teacher. Weekend assignments are considered as one night of homework per the time guidelines below. Long-term projects must be assigned so that there are at least two weekends, not including “no homework” dates, before a project is due.

Administrators and educators at each grade span will provide guidance regarding how students can communicate requests for extensions of homework due dates. Reasonable accommodations will be provided through extensions for due dates with regard to absences related to student illness, family obligations, religious observances, etc. Flexibility to respond to other student-specific situations will be provided as appropriate, with the goal of promoting student academic progress in light of personal circumstances. Schools and educators will communicate what supports are available for students who need assistance with completing homework, as well as consequences for students who do not meet homework expectations.

2. Time Guidelines By Grade Level

The guidelines below provide for the approximate maximum amount of focused time that homework assignments should take each night. It is understood that different students will require different amounts of time based on a variety of factors. Parents and caregivers are encouraged to speak with their child’s teacher(s) if homework is routinely taking much more or much less time than called for in the guidelines.

Required reading assignments are included within the time allotments at each grade level. Because reading is crucial to academic success, voluntary reading beyond homework time guidelines is encouraged.

● Grade 5: 50 minutes Monday-Friday
● Grades 6-8: 60-90 minutes Monday-Friday

3. Accommodating Religious Observances by Students

Per School Committee Policy #291, students who miss school or cannot complete homework due to any religious observance will be provided with the opportunity to make up work without penalty. Families are encouraged to communicate with educators regarding any situation where religious observances may impact their student’s attendance or homework completion.

4. Educator Responsibilities

As they consider options for homework, educators will:
● Communicate expectations to students for how the assignment should be completed and the learning goal(s) being addressed (e.g., practicing a new skill, preparing for an assessment, etc.)
● Consider the amount of time an assignment will require in order to align with the targets for time spent each night on homework, including special projects.
● Establish objectives and guidelines for special projects, including any expectations for parent/caregiver participation.
● Be clear about the appropriate use of technology tools, including artificial intelligence, so that students and parents/caregivers understand what is expected regarding academic integrity.

● With as much advance notice as possible, communicate all assignments and due dates to students and post them as required, and provide time for students to record them where students use a paper planning tool.
● Model homework strategies and provide exemplars to clarify expectations as appropriate throughout the school year.

● Establish a system for recording and monitoring homework completion and quality, including reading assignments.
● Review homework and provide feedback in a timely manner. Feedback does not require grading or responding in writing to every homework assignment; educators are expected to communicate frequently enough to signal whether the quality of the homework is meeting expectations and whether there are concerns about missing assignments or late submissions, so that the student has an opportunity to improve.

● Ensure that resources and materials required for homework projects are easily obtained by the student, and work with families and school administration as needed to ensure that no student will be unable to complete an assignment due to lack of financial resources.
● Provide ways for parents and caregivers to communicate with teachers about homework, using translation tools where appropriate.
● Notify parents/caregivers when poor homework quality or missing assignments are cause for concern, using translation tools where appropriate.
● Assign long term projects so that the completion time includes more than one weekend (not including “no homework” dates), and is not limited to a school vacation period.
● Discuss homework practices with colleagues and align them with these policy guidelines; while it is not expected that homework assignments are identical forall students, the volume and types of homework assigned to students in the same grade level should be consistent across different teachers and teacher teams.
● Work with students to provide flexibility in order to promote quality completion of assignments while responding to student needs. This may include extending deadlines where warranted and using strategies to accommodate individual situations.
● Follow the guidelines in the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) and meet all legal requirements of a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Accommodation Plan that may be related to homework.

Educators are strongly encouraged to periodically consider student feedback regarding the homework they assign and to include options where students have opportunities for self-direction where appropriate. Further, having choice develops motivation and purpose. Where appropriate, give students responsibility for setting and monitoring progress toward personal learning goals and provide choice of topics, methods, tools, etc. to demonstrate understanding and empower students.