Bringing Homework Into Focus

FOCUS

Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback

“Personal and timely, Bringing Homework Into Focus addresses all the homework issues teachers typically face as well as the common missteps teachers should avoid. The author shows a sensitivity to learner needs, home environments, and the importance of student buy-in in the design of homework tasks. The many concrete examples of high-quality homework tasks, including tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills, are exactly what teachers need today.”

—Cathy Vatterott, Professor of Education, University of Missouri—St. Louis

I

n many classrooms, teachers assign homework out of habit. Author Eileen Depka urges educators to reflect on the purpose of student assignments in Bringing Homework Into Focus: Tools and Tips to Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback to determine if and when

homework is valuable. Because of homework’s constancy in most classrooms, educators must preserve what is beneficial about it and isolate what is not helpful through considered design, clear rubrics, and swift feedback. Homework does have the capacity to foster continuous student growth, as long as educators work toward optimal homework design

Bringing

HOMEWORK I N T O FOCUS

HOMEWORK I N TO

Tips to

BRINGING

Bringing

Tools and

HOMEWORK I N TO

FOCUS

Tools and Tips to Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback

by considering the type, amount, and timing of assignments. This book shows them how.

K–12 teachers will: • Recognize that different kinds of homework assignments advance students’ knowledge and promote their understanding during all stages of the learning process

• Interpret examples of assignments for multiple school subjects to understand how to create impactful questions on any topic • Develop rubrics and checklists to clearly assess the accuracy of completed homework and better communicate feedback with the time and resources available to them • Create learning environments in which students recognize that well-designed homework can help them reach their own goals for future personal growth Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment to download the reproducibles in this book. solution-tree.com

EILEEN DEPKA

• Learn the components that influence quality homework design

Eileen Depka

Copyright © 2015 by Solution Tree Press Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved. Readers may reproduce only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher.

555 North Morton Street Bloomington, IN 47404 800.733.6786 (toll free) / 812.336.7700 FAX: 812.336.7790 email: info@solution-tree.com solution-tree.com Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment to download the reproducibles in this book.

Printed in the United States of America 18 17 16 15 14

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Depka, Eileen.

Bringing homework into focus : tools and tips to enhance practices, design, and feedback / Eileen Depka. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-936763-23-8 (perfect bound) 1. Homework. I. Title.

LB1048.D46 2015 371.30281--dc23 2014028777

Solution Tree Jeffrey C. Jones, CEO Edmund M. Ackerman, President Solution Tree Press President: Douglas M. Rife Editorial Director: Lesley Bolton Managing Production Editor: Caroline Weiss Copy Editor: Ashante K. Thomas Proofreader: Sarah Payne-Mills Text Design: Rian Anderson and Rachel Smith Cover Designer: Rian Anderson

Table of Contents

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Focus and Organization of the Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Importance of a Team Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chapter One Types of Work and Their Purposes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Diagnostic Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Introductory Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Formative Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Summative Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Chapter Two Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Relevance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Doability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Quantity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Chapter Three Quality Homework: The Result of Quality Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Recognition and Design of Quality Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Assignment Evaluation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Bloom’s Taxonomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Webb’s Depth of Knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 vii

viii

BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

A Menu of Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Evaluation of Student Work for Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

45 46 49 49

Chapter Four Homework: To Give or Not to Give, That Is the Question!. . . . . . . . . . 53 Awareness of Student Needs Inside and Outside of School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Evaluation of Teacher Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Evaluation of Student Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Impact on Class Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Impact on Achievement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Chapter Five Grading and Homework: The Two Worlds Can Coexist. . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Grading and the Type of Work. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Progress Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Does Late Matter?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 If I Don’t Grade It, They Won’t Do It!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 The Crucial Nature of Feedback. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 The Essential Elements of Record Keeping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Communication of Homework Expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Final Thoughts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Chapter Six Next Steps: Evaluating and Changing Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Identify the Desired State. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Evaluate Current Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Implement Practices to Close the Gap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Evaluate the Effectiveness of New Practices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Collaborative Team Discussion Questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Epilogue. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

About the Author

Eileen Depka, PhD, is the director of continuous improvement and assessment in the School District of New Berlin, Wisconsin. Eileen supervises and coordinates curriculum, instruction, assessment, special education, education technology, and continuous improvement efforts. In addition, she provides professional development for K–12 administrators and teachers. Eileen has taught all subjects at the elementary and middle school levels, and she has also taught graduate-level courses. As a consultant, she has worked with schools and districts across the United States, focusing on topics such as assessment, grading and reporting, portfolio development, rubrics, continuous improvement, and data collection. Since 1998, Eileen has been presenting at the local, state, and national levels.

Eileen has been featured in and consulted on educational videos and written online courses. She is the author of Designing Rubrics for Mathematics, Designing Assessment for Mathematics, and The Data Guidebook for Teachers and Leaders: Tools for Continuous Improvement. She is the coauthor of Using Formative Assessment in the RTI Framework and a contributing author to Data-Enhanced Leadership. Eileen is a board member for the Wisconsin Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development and Learning Forward.

Eileen earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, and she earned her master’s and doctorate degrees from Cardinal Stritch University.

To book Eileen Depka for professional development, contact pd@solution-tree .com.

ix

Introduction

Homework is an interesting topic. Students, parents, and educators often have opinions about the practice that are in direct opposition. There is research to support that homework has benefits. There is also research that indicates benefits are lacking.

Harris Cooper (2007) states that much of the impact homework has on achievement is dependent on the age of students. Other factors include the amount of time spent doing homework, the content, and the feedback given. Even among educators, viewpoints are contradictory. Regardless of our feelings about homework, the practice is alive and kicking in most of our schools. As a result, it is advantageous to create the best possible approaches to homework design and implementation.

This book will: • Provide a global picture of the purpose of homework • Create and evaluate quality assignments • Evaluate considerations when assigning homework • Relate grading practices to homework • Promote collaborative team discussion and action Homework is a topic that we take for granted. It is often assigned out of habit rather than as a result of careful thought and consideration. That is not a criticism; rather, it is meant to build awareness that homework should be given with caution, care, and consideration.

Focus and Organization of the Book Quality homework design is the focus of this book. However, the purpose of homework, whether or not to assign homework, and the grading practices connected to homework are all addressed as well. Although the term homework is used throughout, the practices discussed are true of any work assigned to students.

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BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

Each chapter is organized to incorporate new learning, provide tools to organize thought, evaluate practices, or demonstrate ideas. Following each chapter is a section devoted to collaborative team discussion.

The topics and contents are as follows: • Chapter 1 discusses the four types of student work and clarifies the purpose of each from an assessment perspective.

• Chapter 2 describes the four components important to designing quality homework.

• Chapter 3 concentrates on recognizing and designing quality work to ensure student understanding.

• Chapter 4 discusses considerations to determine when and if homework should be given.

• Chapter 5 clarifies grading practices as they relate to homework.

• Chapter 6 assists the reader in taking the next steps and viewing positive practices, evaluating current practices, and working to close the gap between current practices and the desired state.

Although the title for this book refers to homework, it may help to consider that homework most often refers to any work done outside of the classroom. Where the work is completed is typically not relevant. However, the purpose of the task is incredibly relevant and changes the focus of the intent and outcome of the work. The descriptions of the type of student work are valid no matter the location in which a student is working, whether inside or outside of the classroom. It is the type of work that gives us direction as to how to respond to the outcome, not the location in which it is completed.

Importance of a Team Approach When teachers work collaboratively to improve their practice, the result is beneficial to students. In a professional learning community (PLC) approach for example, authors Richard DuFour, Rebecca DuFour, Robert Eaker, and Thomas W. Many (2010) reveal that a PLC is “an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve” (p. 11). The collaborative team discussion questions at the end of each chapter will assist in this process.

C

hapter

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Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

T

he word homework elicits an emotional response in most students, parents, and teachers, for different reasons. Some students, often those who are successful, have positive experiences and thoughts about homework. Others experience negative feelings. Students may be confused about what they are being asked to do or have no confidence in their ability to successfully complete the task. Some may not be aware of the purpose of the task or see the relevance of skill building and competence in the subject area. Homework may be seen as repetitious and a waste of time or as a punishment—as opposed to an experience provided for their benefit. Failure to complete homework might lead to punishment by parents, teachers, or both. Homework also limits the time available for activities such as sporting events, music lessons, or activities specific to relaxation outside of the school day. In some schools, participating in extracurricular events, sports, and clubs is only allowed when homework is completed.

Worlds can collide when parents seek to provide an atmosphere supportive of academic achievement while raising well-rounded children who participate in a variety of activities outside of the school day. Supporting both their children and the teachers can lead to a no-win situation, especially when an imbalance of home-identified activities and homework time occurs. In some cases, parents are unavailable or unable to assist children with their homework.

Some situations simply don’t provide an atmosphere conducive to homework success. Poverty and English learner (EL) levels have an impact on the ability to successfully complete homework. Students do not have a level playing field, and

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In the classroom, the teacher is in total control when assigning homework, yet little guidance is given as to what, why, and how much. Very few teacher education courses highlight specific information on what types of homework, if any, are needed when students are developing valuable practices. The homework views of the teacher might simply be based on those the teacher experienced as a student.

When students don’t complete homework and significant amounts of class time are consumed correcting and collecting homework, homework can become a frustrating and difficult issue.

If we believe that homework is important to academic success, then a quality approach to homework design is essential. Although such an approach may not completely eliminate the negativity associated with homework, it will limit it. When students and parents (and even teachers) view student work as purposeful and relevant, a positive attitude—and dare I say enthusiasm—can result. This chapter will demonstrate how teachers can design quality homework assignments by focusing on four aspects.

1. Purpose

3. Doability

2. Relevance

4. Quantity

Purpose Standards identify the knowledge, skills, and applications that will allow students to experience academic success, while the curriculum outlines the content and time line during which the standards will be achieved. Diagnostic, formative, and summative assessments, with the help of introductory work, assist in measuring the path toward achieving the desired outcome. Thus, standards, curriculum, and assessment collectively are crucial components of lesson development. However, the identification of purposeful student work is equally essential.

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

circumstances beyond their control impact their opportunity for success. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES, 2011) reports that 21 percent of school-age students live in poverty in the United States—nearly eleven million children between the ages of five and seventeen. Reports show that poverty levels in all regions of the United States have increased since the year 2000. Poverty often inhibits students’ ability to do homework successfully for several reasons, including lack of resources, limited background knowledge, and limited access to technology. About 10 percent of school-age children are ELs (NCES, 2013). Because these children are at various stages of learning English, they are likely to have more difficulty both understanding and meeting the expectations of assignments unless someone within the home is able to clarify.

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

I am confident that I am not the only one who has ever felt that my students learned the content for the day only because I asked them to. I knew why I asked students to complete specific activities; I just failed to tell them. If I had known better, I would have connected the concepts being learned that day not only with the homework being assigned but also with the bigger picture. For example, I once gave an assignment that asked students to list five adjectives to describe three different nouns that I supplied. While the assignment focused on adjectives, it provided no particular value to understanding and using adjectives. I could have asked students to pick out three objects in their home and use at least five adjectives to describe the objects with the intent of helping the other students visualize these items, which would provide an additional purpose for the work. This would have made it clear to students that descriptive words help others visualize and better understand content as well as add interest to what we are trying to communicate. Listing adjectives would have seemed pointless to me as well if I looked at it from the students’ perspective. The students completed the assignment, but they weren’t invested. Purpose promotes a willingness to practice. The task in figure 2.1 (page 24) may have helped create a more valid purpose for the homework.

The goal of the assignment is to help students understand the use of adjectives.

When they don’t name the object but are asked to describe it for others, it is important for them to use a variety of descriptive words to communicate their ideas. Prior to using this work with the class, consider pairing students so that the students can share their descriptions and provide suggestions. This benefits both students because the brainstorming and discussion results in increased vocabulary and quality of both assignments.

During the design of meaningful work for students, the first step is to clearly identify the purpose of the work, since students will achieve higher levels of success when

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

It is not uncommon for students to ask, “Why do we need to do this?” It’s an excellent question. Students are asking us to clearly identify the purpose of the tasks we expect them to perform. They are asking for clear, purposeful targets—a reason to learn. A MetLife (2007) study on homework reveals that parents and students do not often understand the relationship between the assignment and its academic purpose. Although that connection is clear to us as educators, students do not always understand the benefit or the relationship; therefore, we must state the connection.

To ensure that students clearly understand the connection, ask them what that connection is prior to having them begin the assignment.

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24

Task: I am very interested in getting to know each of you better and am looking for your help. I am familiar with what you are like at school, but I know very little about what you are like at home.

To complete the task, choose any three of the following: an object you own, a type of food in your house, a toy, a shoe, a piece of clothing, a superhero, or a piece of equipment.

Purpose: Using adjectives helps us add detail so others are better able to understand and visualize our descriptions. Adjectives add interest.

Object 1:

red, motorized, self-propelled, easy to start, loud, sharp, dangerous Object 2:

black and silver, boxlike, loud, soft, sometimes scratchy, sensitive, jazzy Object 3:

small, square, black, electric and battery operated, loud, interruptive Figure 2.1: Getting to know you using adjectives.

the expectation is clear (Wormeli, 2006a). How does the work relate to the more global standards being addressed within the unit? Many districts refer to the preferred end results as the learning targets or lesson outcomes. Often these are displayed and clearly announced as the aim of the day’s class or the week’s work. However, this isn’t sufficient. Students should also be able to clearly articulate the way in which their assignments will help them reach the learning targets or objectives.

Practice work assigned to students in order to extend the lesson should have an obvious connection to the aim of the lesson, and that connection should be shared with and clear to students. Clarification of purpose will allow students to make connections to previous, current, and future learning. When students are aware of the work’s connection to the standards, to next steps in classroom content, to the real world, and to future success in college and career, the stage is set. Students develop an understanding that the work is not for the moment or for the teacher, but for them and their future success. The correlations we make help students understand that there are direct connections between practice (homework) and skill (learning target). Even young children know that if they practice batting, they hit more in baseball. If they practice the piano, they sound better. Practice works.

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

In the space provided, list five or more words that describe the objects. Your words should help me and the class visualize exactly what you are describing.

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

25

While relevant homework can cause gains in academic achievement, irrelevant homework causes little or no benefit (Marzano & Pickering, 2007). A defined, focused purpose will result in assignments that are clear and pertinent and that lead to increased academic success.

Relevance

Students’ understanding of the applicability of the work at hand will increase the level of its significance in their minds. What is the relationship of the work at hand to its real-world usage? Additionally, what is the relationship of the current work to future success? We should always explain the rationale and make connections between the classroom and the world beyond as well as provide valid reasons as to why the work is important to student success both now and in the future. For example, Forbes reports that critical thinking and problem solving are among the top ten skills needed for employment in 2013 (Casserly, 2012). Students are provided multiple opportunities to think critically and use their problem-solving abilities; however, they are not necessarily aware of the crucial nature of these skills within the workplace, unless we clarify the connection.

On occasion, I hear that kindergarten students are too young to be thinking about careers and that they won’t understand the connections to the real world. Yet even young students can understand real-world connections. Some already have determined what they want to be when they grow up! We simply need to make the connections between the content and skills we address in school and the real world and real careers.

Often students think they are working for the teacher when in actuality, they are working for themselves. Clearly the teacher wants students to succeed, but the work assigned is for the benefit of the students. When students don’t understand this point, teachers need to impart a sense of ownership. Students need to establish a relationship between themselves and the tasks they are performing and their rate of success. Work, if seen as an exciting venture, is more likely to inspire a new level of commitment (Vatterott, 2009). Relevance is the catalyst that promotes this ownership. Students who set goals and track their own success are more apt to accomplish desired outcomes, leading to self-efficacy and increased performance. Learning goals have a positive impact on student performance (Grant & Dweck, 2003), and

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

As adults, it would be rare that we choose to do anything that does not appear relevant or interesting to our lives. If there is no purpose, there is little or no reason to engage in the activity. Students are no different. If the goal is student engagement, relevance is a key factor.

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BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

teachers can provide a simple goal-setting and data-tracking form to aid students in this process.

We can also create relevance by assigning meaningful work. That seems obvious, yet in my own practice there were times when I forgot to evaluate meaning, and fun took precedence. With little effort, I could have connected the fun to meaning and purpose; it just didn’t occur to me. I recall a time when, after teaching a unit on birds, the students worked for a week on papier-mâché birds. We used feathers and had fun. We made great creatures. What I failed to do is connect the learning to that project. I could have successfully incorporated learning by asking students to create models that accurately reflected a specific type of bird and to explain the body parts and how each part influenced the bird’s ability to thrive and survive. Students could have discussed the bird’s environment and food supply. Frankly, I just didn’t think of it. Now I have a better understanding and know that I need to evaluate the assignments by their value in the learning process.

There is little relevance to a task in which the majority of time is spent coloring, cutting, pasting, or word searching, unless of course the purpose is to learn how to color, cut, paste, or search. The time a task takes should be equivalent to its educational value. In other words, if the task takes fifteen minutes, fifteen minutes of learning should have taken place. The time commitment made by the students should be a valuable use of their time. Relevant and appealing tasks with a direct connection to both the learning target and the real world will result in a higher level of student engagement. Students can simultaneously learn from and enjoy the work.

Doability As a young teacher, I encountered a wonderful student named Sami. She was a willing fourth-grade student who wanted to learn and grow. I was not aware of the

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

Students use the form to write a learning goal based on components that they feel are important to their success, creating relevance to their own lives (see figure 2.2).

The goal should be for a specific length of time—long enough to improve, yet short enough so that it can be met in a reasonable amount of time—and use a baseline of current performance to monitor progress. Students will need the time to create, track, and reflect on the goal process, as well as guidance and prompting from the teacher. Initially it will be important for the teacher to model the process so that students understand what they are expected to do. With the assistance from their teacher, students can internalize the process and will need less guidance as time goes on. Revisiting goals regularly and tracking progress help the goals stay meaningful in the lives of the students.

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

27

My Goal:

My goal is to increase the accuracy on my homework assignments so that I better understand the math I am supposed to learn. On my last assignment, I got two out of ten right. I want to get all ten right.

Goal Time Frame:

Goal Measures

My Reflections

4 of 10 correct

I need to ask questions when I don’t understand.

5 of 10 correct

I need to work on finishing my assignment.

8 of 10 correct

I am happy with how I did, but I need to double-check answers.

7 of 10 correct

I will slow down when I work and not hurry through it.

9 of 10 correct

I am proud of the progress I have made and just need to keep trying and checking to see that I did things correctly.

9 of 10 correct

I didn’t reach my goal, but I think I did better than I would have without my goal or my graph, because I looked at my results and tried to improve.

Number Correct

Goal Graph

1

2

3

4

5

6

Test Number

Figure 2.2: Student goal-setting and tracking form.

Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment for a reproducible version of this figure.

extent of how what I did in the classroom impacted both her home and school life.

Unfortunately, it took me awhile to realize this. Homework in my classroom was typically an extension of school work. I would teach, and then students would begin practice during school and finish the assignment at home. This worked unless I ran out of time. In that case, I would assign work to keep us on track even if the students

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The next six assignments

28

BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

did not have the appropriate amount of instruction to be confident with the skills they needed to be successful on the work.

Assigning homework is a tricky venture. As teachers, we cannot assume that students will have someone available to answer questions or teach content. We also cannot assume that students will have the skills to complete work independently.

The danger is that students may practice and learn a skill incorrectly, they may spend a great deal of valuable time and give up, or they may become frustrated and acquire an attitude of incompetence.

Prior to dismissing students with an assigned task, teachers should be confident that all their students have the knowledge and skills to successfully complete the homework. Students should have that same level of confidence. If that is not the case, the assignment is inappropriate.

How do teachers reach this level of confidence? Informal formative evaluations of student understanding will help determine student readiness. The fist-to-five strategy mentioned earlier, pre-exit slips, whiteboard responses, stoplights, reflections, thumbs-up, feedback loops, and a variety of other formative assessment strategies can provide the information necessary to evaluate student comfort level with the

Š 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

I began to notice a defiant and defeatist attitude in Sami, the reason for which was unknown to me. She became reluctant, unmotivated, and what I deemed as disrespectful. Her mother was invited in for a conference, and I was confident in my approach. I would explain the change in Sami and ask for her support. The outcome was one I hadn’t expected. As it turned out, I was the one who needed to be supportive. The change in behavior was directly related to non-doability. I had not prepared Sami for the work she was being asked to do outside of the classroom. For example, when we were working on adding fractions, I made the assumption that Sami knew how to reduce fractions and find common denominators when adding fractions with unlike denominators without providing specific instruction or in-class opportunities for practice and feedback. I am not suggesting that having students apply knowledge to new or unique situations is a bad thing; what I am suggesting is that I needed to guarantee a certain level of confidence in Sami before she left the classroom so that instead of giving up hope, she had the ability to give it a try. Her attitude had changed because I had inadvertently inspired in her feelings of lack of confidence and failure. I had taken a casual attitude when it came to assigning tasks, assuming that students should be able to complete them. Their lack of success could be directly related to my practices. My heightened awareness changed my habits.

Doability was an important component of student success, and I needed to realize and act on the crucial nature of its role.

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

29

assigned material. Figure 2.3 lists and explains informal formative assessment strategies that are beneficial when evaluating student readiness for independent work. If the results show that students are not ready to tackle the work independently, more instruction is necessary prior to students working outside of the classroom.

Pre-exit slips are distributed and collected within the last ten minutes of class. Questions are asked to determine student readiness. Students might be asked a specific question, such as a specific type of math problem, and the answer to which would determine readiness. An alternative would be a more traditional approach including a statement, a question, and a confidence level. For example, students would (1) explain the procedure they learned; (2) list a question they have; and (3) say what their level of confidence is with the material on a scale of one to ten.

Whiteboard responses

The teacher asks students to respond to a question or complete a procedure similar to what will be expected on the homework using a mini-whiteboard or sheet of paper. When the appropriate amount of time has passed, each student holds up his or her work so the teacher can evaluate the level of success.

Stoplights

Students are given a stoplight that they keep with them during the class period. Teachers share with students the homework expectations and provide a sample exercise. Students listen to the explanation. A question is then posed to the students similar to that in the homework. The students formulate their response and then point to the red, yellow, or green light to illustrate their level of confidence with the answer. Green means, “I’m ready to go!” Yellow means, “I’m not confident I can move on.” Red means, “I’m at a standstill. I can’t proceed.”

Thumbs-up

Thumbs-up requires teachers to simply ask students to reflect on their confidence with the content, skills, or procedures. Students indicate with thumbs-up if they are ready to move on. Thumbs-down indicates that more support is needed.

Feedback loops

Each student is given a question to answer or problem to complete based on the work each will be expected to do. The students are given time to complete the task. In partner groups, the students explain their work to each other, including any procedures or strategies used as well as their answer.

Me-We-You

This strategy requires the teacher to share an example with the class; a similar task is then assigned to students in small groups. Finally, the teacher asks students to perform a similar task on their own. The teacher evaluates students’ confidence levels at each step.

Figure 2.3: Informal formative assessment strategies.

More often than not, the class will include groups of students who are confident and some who need additional support. A differentiated approach to assignment design is crucial in most classrooms. Optimally, students are challenged just beyond

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

Pre-exit slips

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BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

Time is also a factor when considering doability. Be sensitive to the needs of students outside of school. Family life is often a busy one. Piano lessons, baseball practices, soccer games, clubs, teams, jobs, and a multitude of other affiliations create a time crunch for families. This is not to say that school work should take a backseat to everything else, but teachers cannot assume that the night is available for only or any homework when designing it. Consideration should be given to creating assignments that are time bound and will successfully fit into the family structure.

Placing time limits on an assignment can help busy home situations. For example, tell students that they should work on the task for fifteen minutes. As I consider that suggestion, I am aware that some may be thinking there will be students who say they worked for fifteen minutes and accomplished nothing. This is, of course, a possibility. It is important to talk about exhibiting best effort during the time allotment.

Let students know that the assignment is doable if they understand the assignment, and if they are not able to complete the work, they should come to school prepared to ask questions about the confusing factors within the assignment.

No matter how much time and effort is spent setting students up for success, confusion can happen. Students who may be confident when they leave school can become confused when they attempt to complete their work. When homework supports are in place, students have the best opportunity for success. Who can they call? Is there a website available for support? Are there resources available online or in text? Is a homework club available that meets after or prior to the school day?

Students and teachers need to be confident that students have a good chance at success. If students do not feel secure in this, they may not even attempt the work, or they may find someone to do it for them (Vatterott, 2010). Neither response will benefit students.

Students want to be set up for a successful experience; clear expectations increase those odds. A definition of purpose and appropriate targets help lead students to a

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their comfort level. When designing work for students, whether it is done in school or at home, ability is a factor to consider. The range of intellectual abilities or readiness levels and the needs of subgroups within a classroom should be considered.

Special education students, English learners, and students whose socioeconomic status may indicate the need for additional support call for differentiated assignments (Deschenes, Cuban, & Tyack, 2001). This is not to say that the standards, content, or expected outcomes change, but the work should be differentiated to ensure doability—work that goes just beyond their level of confidence. Assignments can stretch student understanding without overwhelming them with difficulty or underwhelming them with work that doesn’t challenge them or help them grow.

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

Mike Schmoker (2006), in his book Results Now: How We Can Achieve Unprecedented Improvements in Teaching and Learning, tells us the “single greatest determinant of learning” is instruction (p. 7). Good instruction is not only powerful; it can have an impact beyond poverty and other outside influences. This background information helps us understand that when assigning work to be accomplished without the teacher present, prior instruction will be a key factor in student success. Without the appropriate instruction, student efforts may result in failure. Teachers need to be confident that students are ready to independently apply the day’s lesson prior to assigning homework.

Quantity The magic amount of work is a balance between time and need. How much work is required to provide evidence that a student understands or doesn’t understand the tasks he or she is required to accomplish? Are twenty-five problems necessary, or would five do the trick? Can we skip the factually based questions and assign three that clearly measure understanding? For example, does a student know more if he or she can retrieve dates and locations or if he or she can compare and contrast the events that occurred on those dates and in those locations? Quantity can be limited when quality is crucial.

Quantity is a tricky matter when assigning student work. Consider the ageappropriateness connected to the length of the assignment. Determine the quantity needed to find out the students’ level of understanding. We need to establish the just right amount to show that the student indeed understands and can apply knowledge and skills without having to repeat mundane tasks that only serve to reiterate what the student already knows or solidify misunderstandings for anything confusing. For example, if ten math problems will show that the student understands, can perform, and can apply a process, there is no need to assign twenty problems. Consider Goldilocks’s search for the ideal bed in the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears; teachers are looking to identify not what is too small or too large, but what is just right.

© 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

better outcome. Prior to leaving the classroom, the students not only need to understand the skills necessary to complete their work, but also have an accurate picture of exactly what is expected of them. Students also benefit from sensing that the tasks they are completing are adding to their bank of skills and they are making progress as a result of their efforts (Dweck, 2010). Always keep in mind that all students do not learn at the same rate in the same time frame, and assigning work that is valuable for some may be inappropriate for those who require additional instruction prior to working independently (Figlio & Lucas, 2003).

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BRINGING HOMEWORK INTO FOCUS

Time is also a factor when completing tasks outside of school. As with doability, students could be asked to spend no more than the specific number of minutes on an assigned task rather than completing a given number of problems. We will discuss the issue of time in greater depth in chapter 4.

Consider purpose and length, evaluate the time required to complete the tasks, and assign only what is needed to accurately evaluate knowledge, skills, and applications.

Purpose, relevance, doability, and quantity are four important considerations when designing quality homework that has a positive balance between quality and quantity. The homework goal is to create a productive and successful experience for students without overburdening families. Homework should provide opportunities for the students to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and applications—no small feat.

Figure 2.4 illustrates these four necessary components to ensuring quality homework. Keep in mind that students gain motivation to learn when the task is clear and relevant and they feel capable of completing the task successfully (McTighe & O’Connor, 2005).

Component 1 Identify the Purpose What is the purpose of this assignment as related to the standards?

Component 4 Evaluate the Quantity What is the right amount of work to increase student success?

Component 2 Quality Homework

State the Relevance Why is this work important to students, and how does it apply to the real world?

Component 3 Monitor the Doability What considerations are necessary to increase doability?

Figure 2.4: Ensuring quality homework.

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Final Thoughts

Four Components to Ensure Quality Homework

33

Collaborative Team Discussion Questions Discuss the following questions with your collaborative team. Evaluate current practices, identify the positive aspects being employed, and discuss changes or additions that are valuable to student success. Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment to download a reproducible version of these questions.

2. When designing student work and homework, in what ways are students informed of the connection between the lesson’s purpose and the tasks being assigned?

3. What part does relevance play when assigning homework?

4. In what ways do you make homework relevant to your students? What suggestions do you have to increase relevance?

5. What steps do you take to ensure the doability of student work?

6. What support systems do you have in place or recommend?

7. How do you determine the quantity of homework to assign students?

8. How do you evaluate the time it will take to complete tasks?

9. What are the benefits and drawbacks of assigning homework based on the time it will take to complete it rather than to assess specific tasks?

Š 2015 by Solution Tree Press. All rights reserved.

1. How do students gain an understanding of what they will know and be able to do as a result of the lesson?

FOCUS

Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback

“Personal and timely, Bringing Homework Into Focus addresses all the homework issues teachers typically face as well as the common missteps teachers should avoid. The author shows a sensitivity to learner needs, home environments, and the importance of student buy-in in the design of homework tasks. The many concrete examples of high-quality homework tasks, including tasks that promote higher-order thinking skills, are exactly what teachers need today.”

—Cathy Vatterott, Professor of Education, University of Missouri—St. Louis

I

n many classrooms, teachers assign homework out of habit. Author Eileen Depka urges educators to reflect on the purpose of student assignments in Bringing Homework Into Focus: Tools and Tips to Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback to determine if and when

homework is valuable. Because of homework’s constancy in most classrooms, educators must preserve what is beneficial about it and isolate what is not helpful through considered design, clear rubrics, and swift feedback. Homework does have the capacity to foster continuous student growth, as long as educators work toward optimal homework design

Bringing

HOMEWORK I N T O FOCUS

HOMEWORK I N TO

Tips to

BRINGING

Bringing

Tools and

HOMEWORK I N TO

FOCUS

Tools and Tips to Enhance Practices, Design, and Feedback

by considering the type, amount, and timing of assignments. This book shows them how.

K–12 teachers will: • Recognize that different kinds of homework assignments advance students’ knowledge and promote their understanding during all stages of the learning process

• Interpret examples of assignments for multiple school subjects to understand how to create impactful questions on any topic • Develop rubrics and checklists to clearly assess the accuracy of completed homework and better communicate feedback with the time and resources available to them • Create learning environments in which students recognize that well-designed homework can help them reach their own goals for future personal growth Visit go.solution-tree.com/assessment to download the reproducibles in this book. solution-tree.com

EILEEN DEPKA

• Learn the components that influence quality homework design

Eileen Depka