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How Should a First-Year Teacher Develop a Homework Policy? Danielle McShane Byrne Professional Development School Student Teacher Riverside Elementary School, Boise School District The purpose of this research project was to generate ideas about how a first-year Boise School District classroom teacher should develop a homework policy when none exists for the district, and in my case, for the school. Research Questions: What do teachers consider “homework”? What percentage of teachers give homework? What research or guidelines do teachers use to support their homework policy? Do teachers feel homework increases their students’ academic performance? What advice would teachers give a first-year Boise School District teacher when developing his/her own policy? Reflection: I learned through this process that ultimately a teacher must be consistent, fair, and deliberate when developing a homework policy. Homework should only be given if it is meaningful. I found Alfie Kohn’s book quite informative; yet I believe, as does Cooper, that eliminating homework makes no more sense than “piling it on” and that the answer is somewhere in between. What is Homework? (according to teachers surveyed) 18% 82% ANY work a student has to complete outside of class Only projects and work assigned in addition to unfinished daily work Results of Research Introduction: As a student teacher at Riverside Elementary School, I observed large differences in the amount of homework teachers gave to their students, even within the same grade level. I became curious about how teachers developed with their homework policies. With some investigation, I discovered that there were not many guidelines given to teachers. The Boise School District does not have a homework policy, and the school I work in does not have one either. This sparked my desire to research how the teachers in my school formulated their homework policies when none exist for them to follow. I felt that this information would be helpful to future first-year teachers in the same predicament. College of Education The Main Research Supporting Homework Harris Cooper, director of Duke University’s Education Program - Published an analysis of dozens of studies in 1989 linking homework to academic achievement (but only in reading for elementary school students) - In 2006, after reviewing new studies, Cooper indicated there was some evidence that in grades 2-5, students do better on unit tests when they do short homework assignments on basic skills related directly to the test Methodology: Surveys with this inquiry’s research questions (see left) were distributed at a monthly Riverside Elementary faculty meeting to classroom teachers to be completed on a volunteer basis. Data analysis procedures: Read through data, generated themes, checked for accuracy with colleagues, and read through research about homework. Does Homework Increase Academic Performance? (according to teachers surveyed) NO 82%YES 18%NO YES Results: Of the teachers surveyed at Riverside Elementary, 100% give homework at least occasionally. The majority of those surveyed believe that homework does increase their students’ academic performance. The majority of those surveyed follow the “10 minute rule” in which the amount of homework is consistent with the student’s grade level (i.e. a 1st grader would have 10 minutes of homework per night, a 3rd grader would have 30 minutes). Discussion: Reasons varied for why those surveyed believe that giving homework is important. Some teachers believe that homework encourages family support and involvement. Others feel homework can help reinforce skills taught in the classroom, teach responsibility, and teach independent work habits. STATEMENT: Findings not generalizable due to small sample, but important for personal professional growth. The Main Research Against Homework Alfie Kohn, author of “The Homework Myth” (2006) - Points to family conflict, stress, and Cooper’s research as reasons for giving kids other things to do to develop their minds and bodies after school besides homework - Describes how research is misused, misrepresented, and misunderstood in the field of education, paying particular attention to claims about the benefits of homework