In order to ensure that each student meets or exceeds rigorous performance and achievement standards, Howard County public schools must assist students in maintaining and extending their learning. The appropriate design, use, and evaluation of regular homework assignments are all integral pieces needed to achieve that goal. Homework can assist students in reinforcing previously taught skills, in exploring and extending knowledge, in preparing students for future lessons, in challenging and inspiring independent learning, and in exploring new talents and skills. It must be useful, responsive, engaging, varied, and challenging.
Parents can follow students' learning activities through monitoring their homework.
Therefore, all Howard County schools will develop and implement a set of comprehensive homework guidelines based upon countywide criteria as well as on the needs of that school's community. Each school will communicate this information clearly to parents at the beginning of every school year. Teachers will check homework, provide feedback on homework, and return it to the students in a timely manner . Homework should be planned so that students see the relationship of their homework to classwork, see meaning in their assignments, have a clear understanding of the procedures and due dates, and understand how their homework is evaluated. Each school will develop clear guidelines for dealing with late or missing homework, as well as determine the percentage of grades that can be derived from homework assignments.