Developmentally appropriate, authentic and relevant homework can provide additional learning experiences for students. Homework should focus on:

• Practice of new learning and solidify concepts and understandings
• Pre-reading of new material to be introduced in class
• Reading for knowledge and pleasure

Homework is not appropriate for:

• Homework for the sake of homework
• To cover curriculum
• Discipline
• School holidays: no homework, projects, or assessments should be due in any class, including block classes meeting the day after return, immediately following any of the following holidays (exceptions apply to AP classes and exceptions with administrative approval):
  • Thanksgiving
  • Easter
  • Christmas
  • Spring Break
• Use in completing a textbook
• Evenings or weekends of school-sponsored events which affect a large segment of their students, such as tournaments, concerts, or other special activities as specifically designated by administration.

Examples of inappropriate homework practices include:

• Homework due the day it was assigned; homework should typically be due during class time.
• Homework assigned in the absence of classroom introduction or instruction; homework should be review of or preparation for classroom learning. Exceptions include AP courses.
• Homework that focuses on abundant repetition of a skill already mastered or a concept already understood.
• Homework that unduly emphasizes practice of a skill or concept unrelated to the learning objectives of a course.
• Weighting homework as more than 20% of a student’s final grade.

Purpose Homework is an instructional strategy and is best used as independent guided practice to inform learning. Homework should have different amounts and purposes at different grades. Elementary students should be given homework to

• Support development of time management and organizational skills
• Communicate with parents the skills and concepts being taught in class
• Practice skills and solidify concepts with timely teacher feedback
• Practice oral and silent reading for knowledge and pleasure

Middle and high school students should be given homework to:

• Improve achievement
• Extend the time available for both practice and investigative learning
• Help more mature students take charge of their own learning opportunities
• Provide feedback on learning practice
• Encourage independent reading for pleasure

Homework Principles

Based on an analysis of research studies, CHA supports the following principles:

• Homework assignments for students with individualized education plans (SSP) should be short and focused on reinforcement of skills and class lessons and should be within the specifications of the SSP.
• Monitoring of assignments for students is necessary for all and critical for those with individualized education plans (SSP) and/or an English language deficiency.
• Homework should involve parents' encouragement, oversight, and monitoring of study management by the students. Homework assignments should keep required parental involvement in the academic content to a minimum.
• Homework should be evaluated soon after completion for feedback purposes.

Required Independent Reading for K-5th Grades

Suggested Amounts

Keeping these considerations in mind, CHA suggests the following maximum average(1) student/grade-level amounts of focused homework outside of class with the recognition that a methodical student who needs more time may need to take a lighter load. Individual music lesson practice is not included in these academic totals. Teachers may provide optional extension opportunities for students who choose to work beyond these limits. These extension opportunities could be in the form of extension worksheets or links to relevant educational websites. These times do NOT include independent reading or read aloud. This is based on homework research studies (Harris 2006).

Notes

(1)“Average” means that most of the class can complete the work within the daily time parameters. The listing of an amount does not indicate that homework must be given but rather recognizes that students work at differing rates and quality levels. Larger assignments and projects are sometimes assigned with the understanding that students are given several days to complete it.

(2)“Per night” means outside of the actual class time period even if/when homework is started during class.

(3)Only in formal AP courses are we to be equivalent to beginning college courses and demands. In our other courses, CHA is preparing for college, not being a college.

*Homework amounts do not include independent reading (see above)

Roles and Responsibilities

Principals are responsible to:

• Communicate homework roles and responsibilities.
• Monitor homework roles and responsibilities through feedback and surveys.
• Coordinate implementation as needed.
• Ensure that there is a uniform campus-wide communication of homework assignments that is convenient for parent use.

Teachers are responsible to:

• Communicate clearly to parents in a convenient school-wide format.
• Clearly indicate to students how the assignment is related to the topic under study.
• Indicate the purpose of the assignment.
• Define how the assignment might be best carried out.
• Stipulate what the student needs to do to demonstrate successful completion of the assignment; this involves communicating carefully at the beginning of the assignment the criteria which clarify the teacher's expectations.
• Evaluate and give prompt feedback.

Parents:

• should rarely be asked by the teacher to play a formal teaching role in homework.
• should be asked to create a home environment that facilitates student self-study.
• with the primary grade children, may have direct involvement in listening, memorizing, etc.
• should be monitoring completion of homework for students in Grades 1-8.

Conclusion

When teachers and parents work together to implement these recommendations, homework can be useful and generally free from a high level of frustration. These parameters can and should receive broad support from both parents and teachers. CHA’s teachers should make whatever adjustments are necessary to live within these general parameters and parents should support these efforts to make homework beneficial.

Approved by Administration Team 02/2024

The purpose of grading is to describe how well students have achieved specific learning targets based on evidence gathered from an assignment, assessment, or other demonstration of learning. Grades are intended to inform parents, students, and others about learning successes and to guide improvements when needed. (Guskey, Jung 2013)

Grading Homework

Homework is generally a formative instructional strategy that can be used to inform and improve student learning. Homework should be given to reinforce or improve performance on specific standards. Course homework must be connected to a course’s learning outcome/standard, and its weight should not exceed 20% of the final grade. Refer to Procedure 200 Homework.

Summative Assessment

Summative assessment sums up what a student has achieved at the end of a period of time, relative to the learning targets and standards. A summative assessment may include a written test, an observation, a conversation, or a task such as a project or presentation. It may be recorded through writing, through photographs or other visual media, or through an audio recording. Whichever medium is used, the assessment will show what has been learned regarding specific learning standards. Refer to Procedure 122 Assessment.

Formative Assessment

Formative assessment takes place on a day-to-day basis during teaching and learning, allowing teachers and students to assess progress more frequently. It begins with diagnostic assessment, indicating what is already known and what gaps may exist in skills or knowledge. As the learning continues, further formative assessments indicate whether teaching plans need to be amended to reinforce or extend learning. Formative assessments may be questions, tasks, quizzes, exit tickets, or more formal assessments. Often formative assessments may not be recorded at all. Refer to Procedure 122 Assessment.

Late Work Lower School teachers should use an “NTI” (not turned in) as the placeholder for late work, and completion is required.

Middle and high school teachers should use NTI (not turned in) as the most appropriate placeholder for late work. Students should generally be given a 10% grade reduction for each day an assignment is submitted late, subject to teacher discretion on extenuating circumstances. If an assignment is not completed, despite intervention, within ten school days of the original due date, the teacher may permanently score relevant assignments as a zero.

Priority Standards

Priority standards are the standards that are essential for students to master to be prepared for and successful in the next grade level. While teachers will strive to teach, and may assess, all the standards, priority standards will garner extra time and emphasis within the curricula. Teachers are required to assess all priority standards that are chosen for their course. Priority standards are chosen by curriculum task forces or groups designated by the Principals.

Timeliness of Grading and Feedback

Teachers are expected to record grades for assessments in Veracross within one week of student submission of small, daily assessments (typically formative: homework, quizzes, etc.) and within three weeks of student submission of large assessments (summative tasks such as long essays or papers, large chapter tests, etc.), excluding time off for holidays. Teachers must complete all grading for a grading period by the deadline for grade submission as determined by the administrator. Teachers are required to submit a certain number of assessment grades per subject per quarter. See Procedure 122 Assessment.

Weighting (MS/US)

Weighting of gradebook categories should reflect an emphasis on summative assessment of priority standards. Formative elements, such as homework or class participation, should not exceed, in total, 40% of a student’s grade. Exceptions may be made in collaboration with the Principal.

Extra credit

Teachers should not give extra credit/bonus points; however, teachers can allow students to demonstrate improvement on an assessment grade through reassessment. Extra credit should never be given for tasks unrelated to a course’s relevant learning objectives. For example, students may not be given extra credit, for example, for bringing a donation, helping tuck in chairs, or attending a Cubs game.

Grading on a Curve

Teachers may not adjust assessment scores ‘to a curve’ or adjust scores on assessments so that the highest grade is a 100%. Assessments should be written as measurements of specific learning outcomes as determined by the Curriculum Guides. By way of example, if a class all receives a 60% on an assessment of predetermined learning outcomes, either (a) they have not achieved mastery and should be re-taught the material, rather than receive an adjusted A+ on the assessment; or (b) the assessments was too difficult and did not adequately assess the predetermined learning outcomes. However, readjusting assessments is appropriate; for example, if a particular question was too difficult or poorly worded, faculty reserve the right to make adjustments after grading.

Final Exams (US)

High school final exams are required for Upper School courses unless exempted by the principal. Final exams must be between 15-20% of the final semester grade.

Grade Conversion

Final grades are calculated as weighted percentages of categories (or total points, if teachers receive prior approval from Principals). Teachers must ensure that adequate assessments populate each weighted category so as not to unfairly weight singular assignments. (e.g.- One 5-point homework score makes up 15% of a student’s final grade). Teachers should also ensure that final grades clearly reflect performance on summative assessments – and thus performance on the course priority standards.

Grading Scales

Approved by Administration Team 02/2024