HOMEWORK

Numerous studies show that the amount of time students spend on learning a skill directly affects their ability to master it.

The board believes that there are several reasons for assigning homework:

A. Homework helps student learn better and faster. Research shows that many successful teachers assign meaningful homework. By asking students to spend some of their out-of-class time working on a specific skill or subject, teachers make it possible to spend class time teaching students even more.

B. Homework helps families become involved with education. We know that for schools to do the best possible job educating each student, parents and schools must work together.

Homework is one way parents can make a meaningful contribution to helping their sons and daughters achieve.

When students see that their parents think education is important, their performance improves.

C. Homework communicates the high expectations that schools hold for their students. The best schools have confidence that their students can and will achieve. Assigning meaningful homework is one way of letting students develop confidence in their own abilities.

D. Homework helps students develop self-discipline and organizational skills. Through homework, students learn how to manage their time. They learn the importance of setting goals and working to achieve them. They learn to be responsible for their own achievements.

All these skills will help them continue to be successful throughout their lives.

The amount of homework assigned should be gradually increased from grade to grade. As a child advances through school, it is reasonable to expect that the amount of homework can be increased, using the following guidelines:

Kindergarten Grades 1 - 3 5 Minutes

Grades 4 - 5 15 Minutes

Grades 6 - 8 up to 60 Minutes

minimum of 2 hours for all subjects combined

* For students with special needs length of time to be adjusted.

Legal Reference: ME DEPT OF EDU RULE CHAP. 125.23, A, 5, 1

Adopted: January 24, 1994