Homework and Practice
An Overview
Lake Norman High School
9-22-09
Introduction Video
• http://teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?vid
eo_id=1246&title=Welcome_Back_to_Sch
ool
Review of Previous Strategies
• Marzano’s HYIS
• For more information visit Mr. Gentle’s
webpage on the LNHS website
Learning About Homework &
Practice – Fall ‘09
• Session 1
– Build shared knowledge
– Reflect on our practice
• Sessions 2 & 3
– Classroom application
– Integration of resources, technology, &
differentiation
– Sharing our practice
Self-Reflection
Prior to Marzano
Video
Marzano’s Intro to Homework and
Practice
http://platform.teachscape.com/tsp/web/orgp
review/oid/3995/asid/10457
Purpose of Homework and Practice
•
•
•
To deepen a student’s understanding
To extend learning opportunities
beyond the confines of the school day
Two purposes
1. Practice
2. Preparation
Source: Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-based Strategies for Increasing Student
Achievement, Robert Marzano et.al – pp 60-71
Purposeful Homework
• Is an appropriate amount
• Requires minimal parental
involvement
• Clearly communicates to students the
purpose for the Homework or Practice
• Provides feedback to the student
Amount of Homework
Different levels require different amounts of homework and
practice - elementary, middle, high school
Cooper’s Study reported the following gains:
– 24 percentile points: high school
– 12 percentile points: middle school
– 6 percentile points: elementary school
Marzano et.al reported a 28 overall percentile gain
from their meta-analysis study.
NOTE: Although the percentile gain at the elementary is a
single digit, other studies (Cooper and others) determine that
purposeful homework at the elementary level is beneficial.
It produces good study habits
It fosters positive attitudes toward school
Parent Involvement in Homework
• Role of parent → minimal
• Encourage independent solving of
content problems by students
• To facilitate homework, parents can:
– Reinforce the purpose of homework
– Provide a quiet and consistent place
– Reinforce and recognize the effort
Purpose of Homework
Students need to know if the homework assignment is:
•for practice
•for preparation/elaboration
For Practice
• Structured around
highly familiar
content for the
student
• Reinforcing a familiar
skill
For Preparation or
Elaboration
• Preparing students
for new content
• Having students
elaborate on new
knowledge
Articulate clear guidelines & expectations for the assignment
Value, Benefit, Time-frame, Acceptable parent involvement
Feedback on Homework
Homework with feedback
30% gain
Homework without feedback
11% gain
• Vary the approach to feedback
–
–
–
–
–
Specific comments from teacher
Peer feedback monitored by teacher
Written
Verbal
Rubric
• Let students know type of feedback to expect
Purposeful Practice
• While practicing, students should adapt and
shape what they have learned.
• Allowing students time to “shape” skills builds
their conceptual understanding.
• Mastery takes focused practice spread out over
time.
• Have students practice fewer examples to
develop a deep understanding vs. many
examples that create a shallow understanding.
High School Scenarios
High School Scenario #1
Homework Overload
Mrs. Devlin feels it is important to give lots of homework in
her 9th grade U.S. History class, usually consisting of
worksheets related to the book chapters. She feels she has so
much content to cover that she cannot afford to take time in
class to discuss the homework with students. She spends
hours each night grading the worksheets and returns them to
students without comment. She assumes it is their
responsibility to learn from the textbook on their own, and her
lectures cover material that is not covered in the textbook.
Several students are failing because they cannot complete
the large amount of homework required.
High School Scenario #2
Patrick is a very bright 10th grader taking
chemistry, biology, and the highest-level math
courses his school offers. He learns math
quite easily, never does homework, and still
makes As on all the tests. Luckily his science
teacher, Mr. Richardson, does not count
homework in Patrick’s grade. Other teachers
believe that Mr. Richardson is wrong not to
require Patrick to do the homework.
Grading Homework Scenario
What does grading homework mean for a student’s grade? Below
is a chart where we have two 9th grade students whose teacher
grades every homework assignment.
Serena is a child who does well in school and has mastered many
of her objectives. Unfortunately her homework doesn’t get
finished because she has to help her mom take care of her two
younger brothers. Her grades in (insert subject) have suffered
because her homework isn’t always complete.
Sarah is a girl who really struggles in school. She hasn’t
mastered many objectives and has difficulty paying attention.
When she goes home her mom tries to help her with her
homework but gets frustrated with Sarah’s lack of attention.
Sarah’s mom ends up telling Sarah most of the homework so she
can get it done. Sarah’s final grade is increased because she
turns her homework in everyday.
Data of 2 students Assessment and Homework
Assess
#1
Asses
s#2
Asses
s#3
Asses
s#4
HW
#1
HW #
2
HW #
3
HW #
4
Final
Grade
w/HW
Final
Grade
wo/HW
Serena
92
93
96
89
0
0
100
0
58.75
92.5
Sarah
72
67
82
74
100
100
100
100
86.88
73.75
Are these grades really
representations of how much the
students know?
Is the homework we assign
purposeful?
What are some other ways a teacher
can keep students accountable for
their homework?
District HW Policy
• ISS Board Policy 3135
Closing Activity
Gallery Walk
Read the research statements and place a
colored dot on your top 3 statements that
raise the biggest issue/concern/passion.
Research Statements
Sources
• Classroom Instruction that Works: Researchbased Strategies for Increasing Student
Achievement, Robert Marzano et.al
• Teachscape – www.teachscape.com
• Teacher Tube