5.10 HOMEWORK GUIDELINES
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The homework guidelines of University Laboratory High School are consistent with its philosophy of providing the academic challenge its students need to help them develop their academic gifts and talents. Homework is a significant and necessary part of the learning activities of students at Uni High School. Homework includes daily and long-term assignments such as reading, written exercises, problem sets, preparation for exams, term papers, projects, as well as daily review and daily preparation for class. The role of homework in the classroom and the weight of homework in grade computation will be defined by the instructor. Students are not to perceive the homework policy as rules to be interpreted and enforced by the students themselves or their parents.
For most students and most subjects, it is reasonable to expect being able to develop an adequate understanding of the subject by spending 2.5 hours per week outside of class, plus over 4 hours per week in class. The depth of students’ understanding, the level of their skills, and the grades they earn will depend at least as much on the quality of the work done as the amount of time spent.
Homework will not be assigned over the extended vacation periods for Thanksgiving, Winter Break and spring vacation. During shorter vacation periods such as teacher in-service days or three-day weekends, homework may be assigned at the teacher’s discretion. During such school activities as Agora Week and X-Week, homework should be expected. Long-term projects are to be noted on the master calendar in the main office. Within University Laboratory High School’s “open-campus” philosophy, students are expected to learn how to effectively use their free periods in completion of homework. That is, with the exception of a few students who have eight scheduled periods per day, all students have 50 minutes or more free time during the day that they are expected to use for individual or group study.
n Homework Policy — Teachers will assign no more than 30 minutes of homework per night (2.5 hours per week). Some students may complete assignments in less than 30 minutes, and some may complete assignments in more than 30 minutes, but approximately 80 percent of the students in a class should complete assignments in the specified time.
Study time for announced tests and quizzes that require such study time beforehand is considered part of homework. Tests and quizzes are announced ahead of time after considering the schedule. Typically tests occupy the full 50-minute period and are designed not to exceed that time. Quizzes generally take no more than 30 minutes to complete and typically do not require more than the previous night’s homework to prepare for. No more than two tests can be scheduled per day, and teachers should make serious attempts to space their tests and quizzes. Teachers will use the calendar in the main office on a first-come, first-serve basis to schedule tests and long-term projects. Pop quizzes do not require homework time. Therefore, pop quizzes are an option for teachers but should be short and cover the previous night’s homework.
Long-term projects, including papers, should be designed with specific deadlines for various steps in the project to be completed. Students are expected to use their time-management skills to complete projects in a timely fashion.
The homework policy assumes that students keep up with daily assignments and that students budget their time effectively over a period of days or weeks for long-term assignments.
It is the philosophy of University Laboratory High School that students learn to manage their time effectively by the time they graduate. It is expected that students in the junior and senior years will be given more long-term assignments requiring the development and demonstration of sophisticated self-management skills.
If a student is having difficulty completing homework within these general time frames, the student should contact the teacher(s) and/or a counselor for advice on the development of subject matter and time-management skills. Questions from students or parents about homework in a class should be addressed to the teacher. Further questions should be addressed to the department’s executive teacher. After discussion with the teacher, all grievances should be addressed to executive teachers. If the grievance cannot be resolved at the department level, the grievance may be forwarded to the Assistant Director and then to the Director/Principal.
The executive teacher will be responsible for monitoring members of the department for adherence to the homework policy. Adherence to the homework policy will be a part of the teacher evaluation process.
Teachers may request an exception to the 30-minute rule from the department’s executive teacher. If the executive teacher approves of the exception, the executive teacher will bring the request to the Curriculum Committee, which will advise the Director/Principal about the impact of the exception on other courses. If the Director/Principal approves the exception, the homework expectation for that class will be included in the curriculum guide. The counselors will make parents and students aware of the different expectation when discussing course selection.
n Alternative Assignments — When an objection is voiced by parents regarding their child’s using particular instructional activities and/or materials, it is the right of the parent/guardian to request alternative activities and/or materials. It is the teacher’s responsibility to consider such requests in consultation with an Executive Teacher. If the problem cannot be resolved, the complaint should be reported to the Assistant Director.
n Exam Load — Students are not to have more than two major exams, tests, or major papers due or any combination during any one school day. A student scheduled with more than two of these major activities is to consult the teachers. If the problem is still not resolved, the matter can be referred to the Assistant Director. Of course, if a student chooses to complete more than two of these activities in any one day, that would be his/her decision. Students should not wait until the last minute to request changes. This policy is established so that a student is not required to complete more than two of these activities in one day.
n Finals — Teachers determine whether final exams, final projects, or another type of culminating activity supports the goals of their courses. Final exam days are scheduled at the end of each semester and can be used for comprehensive exams, presentation of final projects, or any other culminating academic activity used for assessment. Students are not to have more than two final exams per day unless there is a scheduling problem that cannot be reconciled. A student with more than two is to consult the teachers. Further assistance can be sought from the Assistant Director if problems arise.
n Field Trips, Special Events, Service Learning — Teachers at Uni High value experiential learning through participation on field trips and at community events or service learning activities outside of class that expose students to opportunities and events not available in the school. Teachers are expected to notify students/ parent(s)/ guardian(s) about travel plans and costs. Teachers are also expected to notify the faculty about class excursions during the school day. If a teacher does not feel that a student is making satisfactory academic progress in his/her class, he/she may deny permission to the student to participate in the field trip. Students are expected to make prior arrangements to keep up with their assignments in their other classes. Teachers will make arrangements for those students in the class who are not going on the field trip and leave this information with the Assistant Director.
Teachers requiring service learning activities and participation in community events outside of school time must notify students of these expectations in the course syllabus and parents/guardians during the Fall Open House.