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Baileywick Elementary Homework Policy
Homework is an important part of the educational program for students in the WCPSS. Homework assignments are continuations or extensions of the instructional program and appropriate to the students’ developmental levels. Homework should help students become more responsible, self-directed learners, improve their academic achievement, and provide reinforcement opportunities. For this reason, there should be a minimal amount of parent involvement in the completion of homework assignments. While parents should be interested, they must not do the homework for their child; rather, they should emphasize the importance of homework, and give assistance only when necessary.
Because homework is designed to help students with a wide range of subjects and to reinforce and apply different skills, assignments will be varied. Assignments may include:
- Practice in silent reading and oral reading
- Reading a variety of books from which reports or projects may be an outgrowth
- Reading for study and information
- Studying in preparation for a test
- Practice in the fundamental skills of a particular subject
- Reviewing and mastering skills or concepts
- Preparing short- or long-term projects
- Writing projects, both expository and creative
We recognize time spent on homework varies greatly among individuals and depends on a number of interrelated factors. Although an exact time schedule is not possible, we will follow research-based guidelines for minutes of homework a day, as stated in WCPSS Board policy.
K-2: 20 minutes per day 3-5: 50 minutes per day
Make-up work may be requested when students are absent. If possible, we should try to provide the assignments at the end of the school day. If not, the work should be available the next day. Make-up work should be sent to the office for pick-up.
Due to the nature of standards based grading, no work completed at home should receive a grade. Rather, all homework and at-home projects should receive a “P” for Practice.
The WCPSS Board of Education Homework Make-up Policy
6000.5
School work will be made up for excused absences under the following conditions:
A.
If the absence is approved in advance and/or if the work is assigned by the teacher in advance, all make-up work, including tests assigned for the day of return, is due upon the student's return to school. Teachers should use discretion and may make exceptions in the case of students whose excused absences were not planned in advance, were beyond the student’s control, and the nature of which would not support make-up work the day of return (e.g., death in the immediate family, serious illness).
B.
If the make-up work has not been assigned in advance, for absences of one (1) to three (3) days, the student will have one day for each day absent. For absences exceeding three (3) days, the student may have two (2) days for each day absent to make up work. Special consideration should be given in the case of extended absences due to injury or chronic illness.
C.
The student is responsible for securing make-up work at the secondary level. At the elementary level, the teacher is responsible for assigning make-up work.
For unexcused absences, the teacher is not required to help a student make up work missed. If make-up work is allowed, full or reduced credit may be given. The teacher may take into account the student’s past record or performance in determining what and how much credit should be given. Absences resulting from out-of-school suspensions are considered unexcused.