Homework
By Dr Robert Needlman
Homework does not have to be war. If you can see your role as a coach rather than a taskmaster, homework can teach your child the value of hard work, as well as teaching you a lot about your child. In order to be an effective coach, though, you have to know the rules of the game. And that means understanding homework from the teacher's point of view.
Why homework?Teachers assign homework for three basic reasons:
* to get children to practise skills or concepts they have learned in class (for example, practising certain maths fundamentals)
* to prepare children for the next class (perhaps by reading a chapter in a book that the class will later discuss)
* to give children the chance to work on a project that is time-consuming or requires outside resources (such as the library, the internet, or you, the parent).
Early on, the main point of homework is to get children used to the idea of working outside the classroom, as well as helping them develop time-management and organisation skills. Later in primary school, and particularly in high school, children who do more homework score better on standardised tests. It stands to reason that when teachers set high expectations for learning, including relatively high homework demands, children learn more.
How much is enough?There are no hard and fast rules about how much homework should be assigned. But the Victorian Government recommends that children from prep/kinder up to fourth grade do no more than 30 minutes homework a day, with no homework on weekends or holidays.
Some schools tend to assign much more than others, but this doesn't always guarantee higher achievement, especially in primary school. Beyond a certain point, homework not only can become overwhelming, but it squeezes out other valuable activities, such as play, sports, music lessons, hobbies and relaxation. More is not always better.
Working with the teacherIt's a good idea to get on friendly terms with your child's teachers. You want to feel like members of the same team working on behalf of your child's education. If your child is having difficulty in class, you'd expect the teacher to let you know about it sooner rather than later. By the same token, if you have concerns about homework, you should talk with the teacher early on, rather than waiting for the problem to grow.
What are some of the concerns that teachers need to know about?Too much homework. If your child is spending considerably more time than suggested in the guidelines above, talk with the teacher. Find out if she is truly taking much longer than her classmates, or if the volume of work is larger than the teacher intended. If it seems to be your child's individual problem, it could be a warning sign of a learning disability; some bright and highly motivated students who have learning disabilities manage to keep up with homework by devoting extra long hours to the work. While this is admirable, it may not be necessary. A lighter homework load might teach just as much with less pain. Also, earlier recognition of the learning issues often can lead to effective treatments. So, if your child seems to have more trouble than her peers in handling the homework load, consider having her tested for a learning disability. And if one indeed is identified, make sure that her teacher is aware of the disability and try to work together to devise a personalised homework plan.
Your child doesn't understand the work. For the most part, children should learn new concepts in the classroom and practise them at home. If your child doesn't seem to understand a lot of the concepts in the homework, it might be because she is missing the ideas in class, or it might be that the teacher is using the homework to introduce new concepts. If this system isn't working for your child, you can assume that it probably also isn't working for other children and that the teacher will want to receive this feedback.
Your child seems unable to maintain her concentration. Again, it will help you to know if this is just a problem at home (perhaps because she is overtired) or if it seems to be consistent throughout the school day.
Your child is struggling with homework in one particular subject. Talk with the teacher about how that subject is being taught. It may be that there is a mismatch between your child's learning style (visual/verbal/hands-on) and the way the teacher tends to explain things. You may be able to help by taking another approach – for example, using small lollies for addition and subtraction practice, or slicing up a pizza to help understand how division works. You also might decide to find extra tutoring help for your child. The teacher is likely to be able to point you in the right direction. Often, teachers think more positively about a child who is struggling with a problem once it's clear that there is a cooperative parent on the team.
Making homework workWhen it comes to homework, it helps to take a positive approach, even if your own childhood memories of toiling away after school aren't all that happy. Few children actually like doing homework, but they can learn a lot from it. In addition to mastering the actual school material, they can learn to work independently and efficiently, to plan their time and organise their work, and to take responsibility for creating a product on a deadline. They also figure out how to set priorities and strike a balance between work and play.
As a parent, you can help your children learn these important life lessons. Homework is your best opportunity to observe your child in action as a learner, which is, after all, her main job for most of the day. Although children behave differently at school and at home, you can still tell a lot by watching how your child goes about homework:
* How long can she focus on the work?
* Is she easily distracted?
* Does she dive in or try to avoid the challenge?
* Does she plan ahead or leave everything to the last moment?
* Does she really understand the concepts on which the homework is based?
* How long, on average, does the homework take her?
* If she's struggling with a particular assignment, how does she handle the frustration of not getting it immediately?
Setting expectationsIt's helpful to be clear about your homework expectations. If you feel that homework is valuable, tell your child. Even better, show your child by helping her gather supplies, set up a study space, and allow for sufficient time to do her homework. Most important, try to be available to offer assistance when she needs it.
In setting expectations, it's wise to focus on the effort your child puts in, rather than on the results. A child who does her best and gets a ‘C’ should feel proud of her accomplishment; it's not fair to criticise her for a lack of academic ability over which she has no control. By the same token, a child who easily zips through her homework and gets ‘A’s shouldn't feel unduly proud. Let her take on a real challenge – many good teachers are happy to devise worthwhile and rewarding extracurricular projects for advanced students – and take pride in that.
The coach approachMany parents take an authoritarian approach to homework, mainly because that's what they remember from their own childhood. They tell their children, ‘You have to do your homework! Do it now!’ When the homework isn't done, they become angry, and think of punishments such as ‘No TV for a month!’ Homework becomes a battleground, and children become even more turned off by it.
It doesn't have to be that way, however. A more positive approach is to see yourself as your child's coach. Like a coach, you want to get the very best performance you can from your ‘athlete’, but, at the end of the day, she's the one running the race. Rather than laying down the law about homework, talk to your child about the realities: it's important that she does well in school and feels good about her accomplishments. Homework is an important part of school. You expect your child to give it her best effort. You'll help as best you can (including reminding her of her duties when she gets wrapped up in playing and forgets), but the homework is hers to do.
Here's the hard part for many tenderhearted parents: part of your role as coach is to allow your child to fail from time to time. This may seem the opposite of what a responsible parent should do. But children learn from failure as well as from success, and how you approach those failures is what counts. When your child does stumble, rather than rehashing what she did wrong, talk with her about what she can do better next time. Help her focus on a positive goal. What you're teaching her – about working hard and staying optimistic – is much more important in the long run than the particulars of the test or project at which she failed.
More suggestionsAllow time for play and unwinding after school before encouraging your child to do homework.
You can support your child by making a space for homework that will help her learn. It should have a table or desk and good lighting, and be far away from distractions like TV.
If your child has a big assignment, show her how she can break it down into smaller tasks – say, one per night – so she doesn't get overwhelmed and leave it all until the last night.
did you know?
Clear communication between parents and teachers about homework helps. Talk with your teacher, or explore the possibility of setting up a communication book that can travel between school and home.
http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/homework:_the_rules_of_the_game.html
LEADING HIGH SCHOOL REFORM
Thursday June 01 2006
“How will this decision help students become better readers, writers, and thinkers and reach proficiency?”
Leaders in the Boston Public Schools are expected to ask this question as they proceed in their high school renewal work. Led by Superintendent Thomas W. Payzant, the systemic Boston change progress has been driven by the comprehensive reform plan Focus on Children. Efforts are coordinated by the High School Renewal and Small Schools Network, which supports school leaders in their quest to develop quality small learning environments.
“The primacy of school leaders” was a critical lesson learned in the first stages of the high school renewal efforts. Data was an essential element in preparing school leaders to change instruction and improve their practices. Building ownership and providing opportunities to deepen understanding proved to be key leadership development efforts.
Developing small, dynamic learning environments that promote student engagement, positive relationships among adults and students, and a love of learning is the goal of Boston’s Office of High School Renewal. The office has engaged a range of stakeholders, built partnerships with community organizations, and won funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.
Leadership at the Top
Since 1995, Payzant has led the school district in dividing large high schools and developing portfolios of secondary school options.
Payzant stressed the importance of a clear vision in his leadership work in a recent interview with The Washington Post. "From the perspective of the teachers, each year brings a new set of goals, new programs, a new set of expectations. . . And they haven't even begun to understand last year's plan," said Payzant. "From day one here, you have to have a consistent plan and everyone on the same page."
Payzant has emphasized leadership in his tenure and putting school performance front and center. Innovative programs—and needed supports—have been put in place to restore building-level control to leaders at all levels. Engaging parents and the community has been essential in Payzant’s larger efforts.
Demonstrated Success
For the fifth year in a row, in April 2006 the Boston Public Schools was named a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education, a $1 million prize given to urban school districts that have made the greatest increases in student achievement.
High school reform efforts are a large part of this success. One reason the district was chosen, according to the Broad Foundation, is because low-income, Hispanic, and African American students are performing at higher-than-expected proficiency levels in middle and high school reading and math compared to districts in Massachusetts with similar student populations.
For example, between 1998–2005, student scores on standardized testing for all racial groups have significantly increased. In 1998, only 15 percent of African Americans passed the standard math exam, while 62 percent passed in 2005. For Hispanics, the pass rate rose from 13 percent to 65 percent. Caucasians increased from 50 percent to 85 percent, and Asian students improved from 50 percent to 95 percent. Additionally, in 2003, 74 percent of all graduating students went on to higher education or post-secondary training. SAT scores have also increased by 45 points.
Ongoing Challenges
There are still challenges in Boston that a close examination of the data reveals. About one-fifth of Boston’s class of 2003 was unable, despite many attempts, to pass the state assessment tests, which are now required for graduation. The city’s dropout rate, while falling, also remains over 20 percent.
There is a clear achievement gap between the success of Caucasian and Asian students and African Americans and Hispanics. When named the 2005 Public Official of the Year, Payzant noted in an interview with Governing.com, “The debate about closing the achievement gap is as important and lively as ever.”
Payzant, who will retire in June 2006, leaves behind a district focused on relationships, curriculum, and instruction for students’ success in secondary education and beyond.
Leading Change From The Classroom: Teachers As Leaders
As the movement to restructure schools continues,
teachers are increasingly being called upon to provide leadership in schools.
Why Teacher Leadership?
The notion of teacher leadership is not new, but recently it has been transformed. In the past, teacher leadership roles have been limited in scope and established at the prerogative of school administrators. Teachers have long served as team leaders, department chairs, association leaders and curriculum developers. In these roles teachers have often served as "representatives" rather than "leaders" who enact change (Livingston, 1992). In addition, leadership roles for teachers have traditionally lacked flexibility and required a lengthy, ongoing commitment of time and energy. Often the decision to take on leadership tasks has been accompanied by a decision to get out of teaching and into administration.
Recently, reports on the status of teacher education have issued strong and compelling pleas for dramatically different roles for teachers and increased professional development (Carnegie, 1986; Holmes 1986). While recognizing the centrality of teaching, the reports emphasize the need for teachers to extend their sphere of influence beyond the classroom and into schoolwide leadership activities.
Advocacy for teacher professionalism and expanded leadership roles is based on the understanding that teachers, because they have daily contacts with learners, are in the best position to make critical decisions about curriculum and instruction. Moreover, they are better able to implement changes in a comprehensive and continuous manner (Howey, 1988; Livingston, 1992). The movement to expand teacher roles is also motivated by an ongoing need to attract and retain qualified teachers.
What is Teacher Leadership?
Teachers typically define career satisfaction in terms of their ability to be of service to others and make a difference in the lives of their students (McLaughlin & Lee, 1988). Similarly, the leadership considerations of teachers are grounded in their desire to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all students. Studies have shown that teachers do not subscribe to traditional definitions of leadership as "higher" or "superior" positions within the organizational hierarchy (Devaney, 1987). Instead, teachers view leadership as a collaborative effort, a "banding together" with other teachers to promote professional development and growth and the improvement of educational services (Troen & Boles, 1992).
Today, leadership roles have begun to emerge and promise real opportunities for teachers to impact educational change-without necessarily leaving the classroom. Teachers are now serving as research colleagues, working as advisor-mentors to new teachers, and facilitating professional development activities as master teachers. Teachers also act as members of school-based leadership teams, instructional support teams and leaders of change efforts (Livingston, 1992). In addition, teachers are forging a number of new and unique leadership roles through their own initiative by developing and implementing programs they personally believe will result in positive change (Troen & Boles, 1992).
What We Know About the Work Lives of Teacher Leaders
In spite of the fact that roles continue to expand, little is known about the teachers who take on leadership roles and their experiences. Researchers are only beginning to understand the complexities involved in creating and implementing leadership positions for teachers. Several recent studies have attempted to document the lives of teachers as they confront the challenges of leadership. These have shown that while lead teachers typically find their new roles and responsibilities enormously rewarding, they also encounter a variety of constraints and tensions.
What Do Teacher Leaders Do?
In one of the most extensive studies on the work of teacher leaders, Lieberman, Saxl, and Miles (1988) focused on what teachers actually did when they assumed leadership positions designed to provide assistance to other teachers. The authors found that the work of lead teachers was varied and largely specific to the individual context of the school. In order to be effective with their colleagues, lead teachers found it necessary to learn a variety of leadership skills while on the job. Those skills included:
Building trust and developing rapport
Diagnosing organizational conditions
Dealing with processes
Managing the work
Building skills and confidence in others
The authors concluded that restructuring school communities to incorporate leadership positions for teachers will require teacher leaders to take certain actions. These include: placing a nonjudgmental value on providing assistance, modeling collegiality as a mode of work, enhancing teachers' self-esteem, using different approaches to assistance, making provisions for continuous learning and support for teachers at the school site and encouraging others to provide leadership to their peers.
Personal Gains.
Studies have shown that leadership positions can yield significant personal benefits to those involved. Intellectual and professional growth and decreased isolation are personal gains teachers reported in their new leadership roles.
Intellectual and professional growth.
Teachers report that their knowledge and skills in teaching increased dramatically as a result of their involvement in leadership positions (Porter, 1987; Lieberman et al., 1988; Troen & Boles, 1992). New skills and knowledge also lead to increased confidence among lead teachers and a stronger commitment to teaching. Professional growth was more often the result of collaboration with peers than activities separated from the normal school routine. Growth occurred as lead teachers observed and assisted other teachers, worked with administrators, and were exposed to new concepts and ideas.
Decreased isolation.
Teacher leaders report a significant decrease in isolation as a result of opportunities to work with others outside of the classroom. Studies have found, however, that in most instances isolation only decreased for those involved in leadership positions and had little bearing on the isolation felt by the larger teaching force (Porter, 1987; Wasley, 1989). Other studies have shown that under certain conditions lead teachers are successful in facilitating cooperation and collegiality more broadly among faculty members, thereby decreasing the isolation many teachers experience (Lieberman, et. al., 1988; Hart, 1990).
Confronting Obstacles
While leadership roles can provide important benefits they have also proven to be highly problematic. Studies have shown that lead teachers confront a number of constraints as they learn to negotiate new roles and relationships.
Role Definitions.
Studies suggest that problems often result when teacher leadership roles are not well defined (Hart, 1990; Hatfield, et al., 1987; Wasley, 1989). When responsibilities involved with leadership are not well delineated confusion results and tensions mount, not only for lead teachers but also for those who work with them (i.e., administrators, classroom teachers). At the same time, however, researchers point to the need for lead teachers to participate in the definition and creation of their new roles. Teacher leaders who are given the opportunity to create and shape their own roles receive more support and experience greater success than those who are less willing and able to take initiative (Hart, 1990).
Time.
Teacher leaders report that time constraints significantly limit their ability to succeed in the dual roles of both teacher and leader (Dierks, et al., 1988; Fay, 1992; Lieberman, et al., 1988; Porter, 1987; Wasley, 1989). With additional responsibilities and little extra time, teachers are often forced to make sacrifices that compromise their ability to be effective in both roles.
School culture.
A lack of support and encouragement from school administrators and teaching colleagues often poses the biggest obstacles for teacher leaders. Lead teachers found that school norms of privacy and isolation made it difficult to foster collegiality and promote the sharing of ideas. Teacher leaders were repeatedly confronted by the "egalitarian nature of teaching" and had to work hard to gain acceptance and respect (Hart, 1990; Lieberman, et al., 1988; Wasley, 1989). The selection of lead teachers by the administration, which violated the "equal status" of teachers, often exacerbated the problems and bred resentment and hostility toward teachers in leadership positions (Devaney, 1987; Hart, 1990; Wasley, 1989). Lead teachers often blamed the administration for failing to support leadership roles and engendering a hostile environment (Hart, 1990; Troen & Boles, 1992).
Lessons From the Field
For the past four years, the Leadership for Change project at Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) has been conducting case studies of leaders and their efforts to implement school improvement. One of the sites is Dumas Public Schools, located in one of the nation's poorest regions, the Arkansas Mississippi Delta. Dumas is a small school district, with two elementary schools, a junior high and a high school. Nearly 60 percent of the district's student population is enrolled in free lunch programs, and 77 percent of the families have incomes below the poverty level.
The Dumas community regards a quality school system as essential to economic and industrial development. The district continuously strives to improve in response to the identified needs of their students. Don McHan, superintendent of Dumas Public Schools, emphasizes the importance of data analysis as part of the district's planning process. the district examines student data and then pursues solutions to identified problems. Improvement efforts have been underway to revise the school curriculum, to implement the Ventures in Education program, and, most recently, to reorganize the school day into a block schedule.
A History of Promoting Leadership and Change
Dumas Public Schools has a history of promoting teacher leadership and change. The superintendent and principals have long encouraged and supported teachers who provide leadership in the development and implementation of innovative programs, particularly those to which the teachers exhibit a strong personal commitment. An elementary reading program, a mathematics curriculum alignment and revision project, and the Ventures in Education program have all been led by teachers in the district. In general, Dumas teachers report freedom to use innovative instructional strategies and programs in their classrooms and to share these ideas with other teachers. Teachers are also encouraged to bring ideas back from conferences or meetings and report their recommendations for change both at faculty meetings and individually to the superintendent.
There is a clear expectation in Dumas that teachers will participate in leadership roles. One teacher noted, "We're probably 56 years ahead of schools around us. We have always been on that leading edge of things because of the attitude of the administration that we should be leaders. And I think that's pretty ingrained in us as teachers that we should be out there leading." Superintendent McHan believes that it is his job to support ideas that are economically feasible and freely cites examples of teacher initiated projects that have benefited students. This expectation was furthered nurtured by former high school principal David Rainey. He described his philosophy towards decision making at Dumas as "putting critical decisions in the hands of people who are most capable of making those decisions - teachers. In the process of doing that, teachers have to ask themselves some serious questions, like why are we doing this?"
Mike Ratcliff, the current principal of the high school, has continued this pattern of decision making and focus on improvement as exemplified in a recent decision to initiate a block schedule. A teacher committee investigated the idea, visited other schools, collected research information, and presented its findings to the entire faculty on several occasions over the course of the school year. The faculty then debated the issue, eventually voting to change to block scheduling in the 1995-1996 school year.
Committees that involve teachers in the investigation of future innovations provide an ongoing structure to encourage and perpetuate leadership among teachers. In addition, teacher leaders have been given time, in the form of an additional conference period, to help them fulfill their role as leader. Funds to purchase supplies and staff development have also been made available to support innovations.
Implementing Ventures in Education
McHan has said, "a lot of things come from the entire staff, not from my direction. It is my responsibility and duty as superintendent to bring ideas to share." The Ventures in Education (VIE) program implementation began in precisely this way. McHan first learned of the VIE program at a statewide meeting and later shared this information with David Rainey, then high school principal. As is the school's practice, a committee of teachers was created to study the program and report to the entire faculty. Next, Rainey and several teachers attended an awareness session and reported on the innovation at a faculty meeting. The entire Dumas staff subsequently voted to adopt the program. The VIE program has been operating at high school and junior high school campuses for the past three years.
The VIE program is designed to encourage students to take four years each of mathematics, science, English, and social studies, two years of a foreign language, and other challenging elective courses. When implementation of VIE began, Gerri Appleberry, a teacher at Dumas High School, was chosen by the VIE committee as its chair. She has since become influential as a teacher and leader in the implementation of the program in Dumas.
One Teacher's Story
The following story is a description of Appleberry's experience as a teacher leader and her comments about what she has done as a leader to help teachers implement the Ventures in Education program in the Dumas Public School district.
Shaping and Sharing a Vision
"Every plan you want to do has a vision. Someone has got to really believe in that vision," says Appleberry. The high levels of poverty in the district and the students' limited opportunities to attend universities initially spurred Appleberry's interest in the VIE program. Her vision was that students would increase their academic performance and self confidence. She believed that by taking more advanced courses, students could achieve higher scores on standardized tests. This, in turn, would improve their chances of obtaining university scholarships and attaining success in their adult work lives.
Taking Initiative
From the beginning, Appleberry has been a driving force of implementation. As one of her colleagues noted, "...she's in charge because she was willing to be in charge. If she had not been in charge, this program might not have gone, because who will take over that kind of responsibility? I mean you're talking about time to teach school and still work on this." Another colleague remarked, "I feel like she is the one who has really pushed this, And we're behind her, we're there, but you've got to have that leader." Since taking charge, Appleberry has expended extraordinary amounts of time and energy to garner resources and support for the program. Much of this has paid off. One teacher noted, "Because of her we have things that we have never had before."
Building Community Support
From the beginning, Appleberry believed community support was essential to the successful implementation of the program. She initially built support by contacting parents individually: "I got on the telephone and I started calling parents. I told them about the program, and what I thought we would have, and what changes we would be making. I told them I wanted them to be part of it. . . . I know that we're going to make mistakes. . . . I leveled with them. I told the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club that we needed their support. . . . It's not going to be perfect, but if we have the commitment and we have this team of parents, students, teachers, and school working together, it's got to be nothing but good for our community."
Over time, this support paid off. As the program was implemented, some students unaccustomed to the increased demands of the rigorous academic coursework and new instructional strategies began to enlist their parents in their fight against a program that they believed was too demanding. Although a few compromises were made, Appleberry and the administration essentially stood firm in their support of the teachers. They knew support for teachers was essential for them to continue the new teaching practices. Eventually parents came to realize the importance of increased expectations for their students; students had to learn that they could meet the challenges being presented to them. Appleberry describes what happened next. "When people felt our dreams might be jeopardized, they formed camps of support, parents and community members. . . . A teacher has to feel support from the community in order to [implement] change."
Building Staff Support
Early in the implementation process, Appleberry experienced resentment and hostility similar to that noted in the literature. As one of her colleagues pointed out, "The negatives are out there. You can feel that some people probably hope that it will not work, but I think that's lack of communication. . . . Because I think some of the faculty members feel intimidated by her to begin with."
Appleberry has tried to work around these feelings by garnering support from a core group of faculty members. She has also tried to facilitate communication among the staff. During the first year of the program, Appleberry was unable to meet with the VIE teachers at the junior high campus and had few chances to communicate personally with them. Although the junior high teachers had a common planning period, they rarely met as a group. During the second year of implementation, the administration arranged for Appleberry to have an additional conference that was scheduled to coincide with the junior high teachers' common planning period.
Appleberry used this time to work through conflicts and improve communication. "I met with them regularly and in doing so we formed more of a team partnership. . . . If they had frustrations, I let them talk through those frustrations. . . . Teachers have to work through some frustration with new programs.
. . . This year, when a new teacher came to the school, the other three teachers took her in and helped her understand and buy into the philosophy of the VIE program. . . . You have to work on getting different personalities to work together as a team.
" Appleberry still has no designated time to meet with her colleagues at the high school during the school day. They continue to meet after school hours when important issues arise. In addition, informal meetings and conversations in the teachers' work area or lunch room provide some opportunities for problem solving and planning.
Increasing Staff Capacity
Appleberry views the ongoing support and encouragement of teachers as essential. Referring to one of the new teaching methodologies implemented as part of the VIE program, Appleberry says, "This is difficult for teachers, . . . and that's why they have to have support in trying it . . . You need to encourage teachers, give them support, let them know if they try the first time and aren't successful, don't give up."
The summer program for students has proven to be a useful vehicle for increasing staff capacity and providing support for the implementation of new instructional strategies. Appleberry uses this time to encourage teachers to experiment with new practices, when they are free from the pressures of the regular school year. She notes, "[during the school year] teachers feel the pressure of everything they need to cover, so they are hesitant to try new things. They can try new methods in the summer program when students and teachers are more relaxed. Our teachers felt more confident in trying it when they were not pressured and the students were more receptive. Then it's easier to work the new strategies into the regular school year."
Pressing for Change
"Every vision is going to take time. You have to analyze what went wrong, what you can improve. After that you make some adjustments. If it works, you keep it and then consistently work on things that just didn't work out the way you thought. Sometimes it is just trial and error." Appleberry has found that a number of adjustments have been needed over the years to accommodate students' needs. In response to criticism about students being overloaded, she has encouraged teachers to be more sensitive to the total demands placed on students by all teachers . Teachers have been encouraged to share their class requirements across content areas. This allows students to meet requirements in more than one course when completing major assignments or problemsolving projects.
For Appleberry, pressing for change has included recognizing and celebrating the program's successes. Newspaper articles that highlight student achievements are regularly published in the local paper. Appleberry periodically collects and analyzes student test data to document the gains that have been made by students in the program and shares this information with staff and the community. Results have shown that students participating in the VIE program are scoring higher on state assessments and college entrance exams. They are taking more challenging courses. They are winning academic contests and scholarships.
These results have encouraged Appleberry. She believes the vision of student success she and other faculty members have come to share over the three years of the program's implementation is beginning to become a reality. "I wish it could happen overnight. I'm the type of person that when I have an idea, I want it to happen and happen right now. But working with people you find out that it's got to grow. You plant a seed and it's got to grow." And how does she keep going in spite of obstacles? Appleberry says of herself, "When things go wrong and you encounter negatives, . . . you keep picking yourself up and you go again."
Conditions Necessary for Leadership
A variety of conditions are necessary to support and sustain teachers in leadership positions. According to Lieberman (1992), vision, structure, time and skills are all essential to the success of new teacher roles and responsibilities. These same conditions were crucial to Appleberry's success as a teacher leader at Dumas.
Vision
It is important that teacher leadership roles be part of an overall vision and set of values that accepts and expects teachers to participate in leadership. When new roles are unrelated to a broad vision of teacher participation, leadership positions do not receive the systemic support necessary for success and change. At Dumas Public Schools, administrators at all levels encouraged, even expected, teachers to provide leadership.
Structure
Teachers need structure for their work. Although the structure will vary according to the school and community context, it must bring legitimacy to the new role and facilitate the understanding that knowledgeable and well-respected teachers can provide leadership. At Dumas, committees of teachers are regularly formed and provide a structure to elect leaders and investigate options for school improvement.
Time
Time to experiment, reflect and create is essential for teachers. They need time to talk to other teachers, develop materials, deal with conflicts and build collegial relationships. At Dumas, an extra conference or planning period was added to provide time for reflection and communication.
Skills
There are skills and abilities, which can be labeled and learned, that make leadership more effective. Teachers need access to information and training. At Dumas, Appleberry utilized the following set of leadership skills in her role as teacher leader:
Promoting a clear vision
Taking initiative
Persevering in the face of obstacles
Analyzing and making program adjustments/improvements
Building support with parents and community
Building a team spirit among the faculty
Providing support and encouragement for other teachers
Facilitating communication and reflection among the faculty
Celebrating and recognizing program successes
Using alternative strategies such as a summer program to build skills
Exercising patience
Encouraging teachers to assume leadership roles appears to be working at Dumas. Teachers are teaching differently. They are demonstrating a greater respect for each other and for students. They are working across the curriculum and coordinating their efforts. Appleberry remarked, "I've really seen [teachers] take on the feeling that it belongs to them now. . .that it's not just someone telling them, you've got to do this. They're coming to me to ask for supplies to do activities and saying they'll share with other teachers. . .That's what I see the teachers doing - Getting excited about teaching again."
References
Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy (1986). A nation prepared: Teachers for the twenty-first century. New York: Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy.
Devaney, K. (1987). The lead teacher: Ways to begin. New York: Carnegie Forum on Education and the Economy.
Dierks, K., Dillard, S., McElliot, K., Morgan, J., Schultz, B., Tipps, L., & Wallentine, K. (1988). Teacher leadership: Commitment and challenge. Unpublished research report, Puget Sound Educational Consortium. Seattle: University of Washington
Fay, C. (1992). Empowerment through leadership: In the teachers' voice. In C. Livingston (Ed.), Teachers as leaders: evolving roles. NEA School Restructuring Series. Washington, D. C.: National Education Association.
Hart, A. (1990). Impacts of the school social unit on teacher authority during work redesign. American Educational Research Journal, 27 (3), 503532.
Howey, D. (1988). Why teacher leadership? Journal of Teacher Education, 2831.
Lieberman, A., Saxl, E., & Miles, M. (1988). Teacher leadership: Ideology and practice. In A. Lieberman (Ed.), Building a professional culture in schools. New York: Teachers College Press
Lieberman, A. (1992). Teacher leadership: What are we learning? In C. Livingston (Ed.), Teachers as leaders: Evolving roles. NEA School Restructuring Series. Washington, D. C.: National Education Association.
Livingston, C. (1992). Teacher leadership for restructured schools. In C. Livingston (Ed.), Teachers as leaders: Evolving roles. NEA School Restructuring Series. Washington, D. C.: National Education Association.
McLaughlin, M., & Mei-ling, Y. (1988). In A. Lieberman (Ed.), Building a professional culture in schools. New York: Teachers College Press
Porter, A. (1986). Teacher collaboration: New partnership to attract old problems. Kappan, 69 (2), 147152.
The Holmes Group (1986). Tomorrow's teachers. East Lansing, MI: The Holmes Group, Inc.
Troen, V., & Boles, K. (1992, April). Leadership from the classroom: Women teachers as a key to school reform. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Education Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Wasley, P. (1989, April). Lead teachers and teachers who lead: reform rhetoric and real practice. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
More about this resource:
Click here to view the listing for this item in SEDL's Electronic Library.
Related resources:
You may be interested in the 8 SEDL products or 13 articles from SEDL Letter (SEDL's magazine) that are related to this product's subject, Improving School Performance: Teacher Issues.
Issues . . . about Change is published and produced quarterly Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL). This publication is based on work sponsored by the Office of Educational Research & Improvement, U.S. Department of Education under grant number RP91002003. The content herein does not necessarily reflect the views of the department or any other agency of the U.S. government or any other source. Available in alternative formats.
The Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) is located at 211 East Seventh Street, Austin, Texas 78701; (512)476-6861/(800)476-6861. SEDL is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to affording equal employment opportunities to all individuals in all employment matters.
This issue was written by Victoria Boyd-Dimock, Senior Training/Technical Assistance Associate, and Kathleen M. McGree, Technical Writing Associate, Services for School Improvement, SEDL.
The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It
reviewed by Karen McCarthy — April 09, 2007
Title: The Case Against Homework: How Homework Is Hurting Our Children and What We Can Do About It
Author(s): Sara Bennett and Nancy Kalish
Publisher: Crown Publishers,
ISBN: 0307340171 , Pages: 304, Year: 2006
Search for book at Amazon.com
There are few things in education as dependable as homework—it is such an accepted, ordinary aspect of our educational system that few outside the field may stop to think deeply about it. The Case Against Homework attempts to change all that. Its goal is to force readers to rethink their ideas about homework, to show that the majority of homework is not constructive—and is, in fact, destructive—and to provide tools and encouragement to parents so they may change the homework system in their communities.
Authors Sara Bennett, a criminal defense appeals attorney, and Nancy Kalish, a former senior editor at Child and current magazine columnist, are both parents who became concerned with the toll excessive homework was taking on their children and families. The Case Against Homework is their response:
Here’s a radical thought: It’s time to trust your own instincts. Don’t let the schools tell you that you have to accept things the way they are. If you see your child is suffering because too much homework is sapping his energy and breaking his spirit, something is wrong. If you’re giving up precious family time for hour upon hour of assignments—time you’ll never get back—something is wrong. If the time you have left over is marred by irritating discussions or arguments over when, where, and how homework is going to get done, something is wrong—and it’s okay to do something about it. The solution is to say enough is enough. (p. 155)
The book is organized into two parts. The first attempts to persuade the reader, primarily through first-person stories by parents and families, that there are problems associated with homework. The second offers tools (sample homework policies, letters, scripts) that readers may use to change the current situation.
The more than 100 pages comprising Part One focus on the book’s namesake—the case against homework. This section is presented in multiple testimonials describing the harm homework does to children, parents, and families. It reads like a laundry list of complaints—the authors argue that most homework in America works to destroy family relationships, contribute to childhood obesity, create anxious and exhausted children, take the joy out of learning, and much more. There are some serious jumps in reasoning, including the suggestion that children, who must be relieved from chores in order to complete homework, may wind up in troubled marriages as they learn to place work before household responsibilities and would subsequently argue over performing chores in their adult relationships.
The authors rely on countless anecdotal stories with a sprinkle of research to back their claims. Most examples are geared toward elementary and middle school, however the authors assure the reader that their arguments also apply to high school situations. The tone is strikingly dramatic—perhaps in an attempt to convince the reader of the seriousness of this seemingly mundane topic. Phrases like “time their family will never get back” (p. 4) and “feels like abuse” (p. 10) are heard amongst the series of stories lamenting what the families could do together if they had time—time taken away by homework. There are stories of parents exhausted from arguing with their children over homework completion, stressed from trips to the craft shop to purchase supplies for dioramas, and children who no longer take part in pleasure reading or extra curricular activities due to the excessive toll homework has taken on their free time. Some examples are so incredible they could make a critical reader doubt their sincerity, for example, “…if you live in Lancaster, Texas, you ignore holiday homework at your peril. In January 2006, nearly one thousand students were suspended for not completing their Christmas assignments and some were even visited by police” (p. 19) or, “think twice before giving your child a book as a holiday present. There’s no time to read it—at least if you live in Grand Island, New York, where one ninth-grader had to read four assigned novels and write essays on each of them over the break” (p. 19). These examples are so outlandish that no reasonable person could argue there was not a problem with homework in those communities, yet by emphasizing such extreme examples Bennett and Kalish may overstate the actual crisis—straying from a typical parent or student experience—and thereby undermining their argument’s credibility and their own objectives.
The book’s reliance on anecdotes is one of its main weaknesses, obscuring quantitative evidence critical readers long for. The Case Against Homework includes little hard research apart from data gathered from surveys and polls and a smattering of academic quotes and text boxes primarily from Duke University professor Harris Cooper. Nevertheless, if the reader can manage not to be overwhelmed by the lengthy series of anecdotes, there are some good points to be found; significantly, that homework has not been proven to increase student achievement. Another notable point is the lack of training teachers have in constructing appropriate or meaningful assignments. Through surveying teachers and contacting schools of education, the authors discover that “the overwhelming majority of teachers have never taken a course in homework, and that, contrary to popular belief, there is little solid research demonstrating benefits from the current homework system—if we can even call it a system” (p. 3).
The authors provide a brief historical overview—beginning with the view that homework was considered child abuse in the 1900s, to the competitive urgency of the Cold War and the legacy of A Nation at Risk (both of which called for more homework), bringing us up to the current system of high-stakes testing under No Child Left Behind, which they argue results in inexperienced or poorly trained teachers resorting to lengthy homework assignments in order to make up for material they cannot possibly cover in class. Bennett and Kalish do argue convincingly that homework has become central to a competitive, fast-track mentality, which is misguided in its methods for success. In fact, they cite nations such as Japan, Denmark, and the Czech Republic which consistently outperform the United States on standardized tests and give substantially less homework than U.S. school systems.
The authors also include testimony on the developmental needs of children, arguing that they are out of step with long periods of sitting listlessly completing homework assignments. This may hurt brain formation, social skills, and even classroom behavior; in the authors’ opinions it is also a leading cause of childhood obesity (due to long sedentary work periods). Teenagers need time away from homework to find their interests and identities. Children need time to play in order to develop social skills. A strong component of their argument is that children need time to enjoy being children.
Part Two is entitled: “Ending Homework Hell.” In this section the authors pull together stories of parents who confronted the system and were, to a large or small extent, successful in changing it. The book stresses that this is a systemic school problem, not a parent problem, but encourages parents to collaborate to create change. Ensuing chapters offer advice on how to determine when to allow your child to not do a homework assignment, how to approach teachers, where to begin, and how to organize with other parents. Suggestions include looking into or working to establish a homework policy for your school— they believe this is essential, for it helps with accountability, gathering allies amongst other parents, setting up meetings before homework becomes a problem, being open to temporary change, and even simply jotting down notes before going into a meeting. They argue for independent reading as a replacement for most homework (however, teachers may argue that it is difficult to check if this type of assignment is actually done), and to discuss with your children what they are learning or doing in school rather than placing emphasis on the amount of homework they have and engaging in power struggles to get it done. This section includes nearly 35 pages of scripts and model letters to aid the reader, an abundance of exemplars, which might be better placed in an appendix for readers to reference if needed.
The book may succeed in widening the conversation about a topic that has been largely ignored by families, who nevertheless feel its effects daily. It may also bring to the general public some critical facts about the value (or lack there of) of homework. Unfortunately each interesting fact or piece of information is mired in repetitive, overly dramatic statements that a reader must filter through to find the essence of the argument. There are some good, but generally obvious points (e.g., young children should not have several hours of nightly homework), yet ultimately their argument is not truly about homework as much as it is against generally poor educational practice.
The Case Against Homework is not a book to pick up if you are seeking serious research on homework. Educators will be disappointed in the dearth of educational theory and lack of concrete strategies to improve assignments. The audience for this book is clearly parents, as many of the anecdotes pertain to the tribulations of their role in this system. Much of the key information could be delivered in a pamphlet or found in the concluding section “Tools for Homework Reform” (which consists of 14 pages of sample homework policies, surveys, and a two-page fact sheet that summarizes the bulk of their research and recommendations in bulleted form). There are certainly problems with excessive or meaningless assignments in many communities, but a balanced discussion of the value of homework—and how to make it meaningful—would best be found elsewhere.
Cite This Article as: Teachers College Record, Date Published: April 09, 2007
http://www.tcrecord.org ID Number: 14160, Date Accessed: 5/4/2007 9:49:07 PM
