District eyes new homework policy

WEST GOSHEN >> For most students, the school day doesn’t end when they hop off the bus.

Not since 1974 has the West Chester Area School District formally addressed the type of, and the amount of, homework students carry home in their knapsacks. More than 400 teachers, administrators, parents and students were involved in drafting a new homework policy. Focus groups first met in January to formally kick off the process.

The school board unanimously passed the first reading of the new policy at the April board meeting. A second reading and vote is needed to make it official.

“We have surveyed parents about the quality and length of

time required to complete assignments,” Robert Sokolowski, assistant superintendent said about homework.

The results were “all over the place,” Sokolowski said. One third of parents said there was too much homework and several considered the assigned homework as “busy work.”

The district is addressing three major areas: professional development for teachers; better communication, including providing consistency and clear language for parents; and time considerations.

The district studied the qualitative aspects of learning that would not

show on test scores.

Time management, responsibility and self-advocacy were all examined.

“Today we know a lot more about teaching, learning and motivation,” Sokolowski said.

Homework should enrich the classroom experience, help to develop lifelong learning and promote learning-related behaviors, according to a draft of the policy manual. The district is making a push for independent learning involving parents less and less as students progress.

As a way to spread out the homework load, a testing schedule might be adopted by the board in May. No longer will a students need to study for several tests on the same evening and also complete homework assignments.

For example, as part of a rolling schedule, tests for English class will be scheduled on days 1 and 3, math on days 3 and 5 and science on days 2 and 4.

“This will allow students to manage their time more efficiently and to study,” Sokolowski said.

Sokolowski noted that a student’s life is different than it was in 1974 when the most recent homework policy was adopted.

“The world is so scheduled,” he said. “It moves at a different pace.”

With Schoology, the district’s technology leaning management system, where students submit their work electronically, learners will no longer need to submit homework for an 11:59 p.m. Friday night deadline.

Sokolowski and the district

recognize that students need free time on weekends to go to a movie or watch a football game. Homework will not be due on extended school breaks such as Thanksgiving, winter or spring breaks.

“The board of school directors recognizes that students and families need balance between school and home,” reads the proposed policy.

The policy reads that homework will be assigned for the following academic purposes: previewing activities; checking for understanding; practicing skills for mastery; analyzing/synthesizing/evaluating and reflecting; and reading or researching.

The district intends to review the homework policy every two years.