It is the policy of the Newtown Board of Education (the “Board”) to ensure that all students comply with the homework requirements imposed by the school in which the child is enrolled. It is also the policy of the Board that any imposition of homework should be related to the curriculum goals and standards recognized as appropriate for the student's grade.

           The Superintendent or his/her designee shall be responsible for developing procedures in furtherance of this policy.

Legal Reference:

           Connecticut General Statutes §10-221(b)

Adopted: October 15, 2024                                         NEWTOWN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

                                                                                          Newtown, Connecticut

Homework is recognized as an integral part of the schools’ educational program. If is a form of purposeful learning activity that can be an important contribution to regular classroom work at all grade levels. As a form of independent study directly related to classroom work, homework provides students with the opportunity to develop and to reinforce skills and attitudes that encourage responsibility and self-directed learning.

The classroom remains as the primary instructional center in the schools. Homework relevant to the instructional programs’ objectives is to be assigned by the classroom teacher when it is necessary and considered to be an effective means to reinforce or enrich the classroom learning experience.

Homework can be classified into one of the three basic categories: practice, preparation, or extension.

Practice

Practice is the most common and simple kind of homework. Its purpose is to provide students with an opportunity to reinforce and master specific skills that have been presented in class.

Preparation

Preparation homework assignments are given to make students ready for the next class meeting, for example, students may be asked to read the next chapter in their biology text. Important considerations in making such assignments are to assess the length and difficulty of the assignment and to allow time for follow-up in class. This type of homework might also include library research or other activities that require students to gather and organize information in preparation for class discussion.

Extension

Extension assignments are designed to take students beyond the work covered in class and encourage them to apply concepts and skills learned in class to new and creative situations.  This is a higher order of homework in that it is designed to help students develop their intellectual capabilities beyond those for memory or simple comprehension.

The type, frequency, and quantity of homework assigned by the teacher should be consistent not only with the instructional program’s objectives but with the needs, capabilities, and interests of the individual student or class as well. In fulfillment of this

objective, the teacher should help students to understand the purpose and significance of the assignment. The completion of homework assignments and the evaluation of appropriate homework should be considered in the assessment of a student’s progress.

The following guidelines cannot always be uniformly applied each night of the week. However, it shall be the responsibility of the principal to see that the spirit of these guidelines is implemented in a fair and consistent manner. It is important to acknowledge variables such as speed of assignment completion, study habits, and number of study halls, which make it impossible for all students in the same grade to have uniform time spent each evening completing school work.

The time indicated below are for students in the mainstream of academic achievement in Newtown Public Schools.

           Grade 1              Homework may be assigned requiring 50 minutes in a week.

           Grade 2              Homework requiring 1 to 1.5 hours per week may be assigned.

           Grade 3              30 minutes per night

           Grade 4              45 minutes per night

           Grade 5              50 minutes per night

           Grade 6              1 hour per night

           Grades 7-8         1-1.5 hours per night

           Grades 9-12       2 hours per night

Administrative Regulations Approved: October 15, 2024