Dallas School District Lowers Standards Once Again (McKinney: how much, home)

[austinnetx]

Once again, DISD normalizes deviancy.

Read the whole sorry story.

Dallas schools plan to ease grading standards angers teachers | Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas | Latest News (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/081508dnmetdisdgrades.48e6cc22.html - broken link)


Dallas public school students who flunk tests, blow off homework and miss assignment deadlines can make up the work without penalty, under new rules that have angered many teachers.

The new rules will be distributed when teachers return to their campuses next week. But many who have already seen the regulations say they are too lenient on slackers, and will come at the expense of kids who work hard.

For example, the new rules require teachers to accept late work and prevent them from penalizing students for missed deadlines. Homework grades that would drag down a student's overall average will be thrown out.

....

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by austinnetx

Dallas public school students who flunk tests, blow off homework and miss assignment deadlines can make up the work without penalty, under new rules that have angered many teachers.

For example, the new rules require teachers to accept late work and prevent them from penalizing students for missed deadlines. Homework grades that would drag down a student's overall average will be thrown out.

....

This happens in other districts as well. It is just not written as policy. My sis teaches in McKinney and they have been told as much. "Just keeping sending the homework home with them." At least w/ the DISD they are making it "written policy" if that is any better (which it REALLY isn't).

[TXboomerang]

I don't see it as a big deal as long as its homework assignments. I've always thought homework loads are too heavy on students. Students should not be spending 50 hours a week going to school + homework.

[Grainraiser]

I have mixed feelings regarding this issue. There is entirely to much homework being sent home for elementary school kids (I have no experience with middle or highschool). I have spent 2-3hrs a night helping my son with his homework. I also believe kids should turn in homework when it's due. Saying they can do it later on makes for lazy kids. They need to understand deadlines because thats how the real world works. Overall I don't think it's a good policy and DISD is not the only district this happens in. We are telling our kids it's okay to turn in your work when you feel like it, not when it's due.

[austinnetx]

Its not just the homework -

No more flunking.

Letting them retake tests.

As for homework, I know there is a direct correlation between grades on tests and homework. There is nothing wrong with a little elbow grease.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by austinnetx

Its not just the homework -

No more flunking.

Letting them retake tests.

As for homework, I know there is a direct correlation between grades on tests and homework. There is nothing wrong with a little elbow grease.

Yep, same thing other districts do just not as "written" policy. You would be amazed at what some do to keep their "scores" up or to pacify parents. Remember it is not only what goes on in the classroom that helps portray a "good" image. The sports fields have "good" players as well that don't always have time for what goes on in the classroom

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Grainraiser

I have mixed feelings regarding this issue. There is entirely to much homework being sent home for elementary school kids (I have no experience with middle or highschool). I have spent 2-3hrs a night helping my son with his homework. I also believe kids should turn in homework when it's due. Saying they can do it later on makes for lazy kids. They need to understand deadlines because thats how the real world works. Overall I don't think it's a good policy and DISD is not the only district this happens in. We are telling our kids it's okay to turn in your work when you feel like it, not when it's due.

I guess my kids have been lucky.

Oldest has been in a Gifted magnet program since kindergarten. They are grouped by ability so they can get a lot of work done in class. The teachers are not spending most of the time trying to get those behind a little closer up to speed. Then just giving out homework so they have "some grades".

Youngest has a little homework but not like I hear others say. She is like her sister though in that she likes to get things done in school so she doesn't have to deal w/ as much homework later. When they are given the extra time to do the work they usually do it. A lot of kids blow it off and either tell the teachers they are finished or play and then take it home. I've heard MANY parents from both schools complain about the EXTREME amount of homework their kids have. Then I thought maybe my kids had something going on and were not getting their work done or not getting the work they were supposed to. Did some research and found out that the kids who typically ALWAYS had LOADS of hours upon hours of HARD homework were the ones playing around in class during the free time they were given to get the work started and possibly finished. AND had the teacher there to answer any questions about it if they had problems.

I do not have a problem w/ homework as it just helps reinforce what they went over in class. This has been how just about all of the homework has been for my kids. Doing the homework helps them "do it on their own" so that come test time they don't or should not have any problems. Homework CAN be a good thing.

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by austinnetx

Letting them retake tests.

Now see this I am okay with (providing it is a makeup test not a taking the exact same test) the goal is for kids to learn these things. I don't think the fact fact that maybe the first test identified that Billy was weak in fractions, boned up on it and got the knowledge and so passed a makeup test is a bad thing

Originally Posted by austinnetx

As for homework, I know there is a direct correlation between grades on tests and homework. There is nothing wrong with a little elbow grease.

Actually pretty much all the studies say different. Kids seem to do well almost in an inverse ratio to how much homework the school requires. I agree with studying, but I remember how I felt in say Algebra. I knew how to do this, I resented being made to do a hundred examples of a type of math problem that I already knew. I learned nothing from it. I finally made a deal where my Algebra II teacher simply didn't look at my homework, and based my grade solely on tests. A 93 as I recall for the year.

Education has not gotten better in the last twenty years, homework has more than doubled, doesn't seem like it is having an effect. Kids should do the amount of outside work required to master the material, this should be shown on tests. Some kids will work 30 minutes a week and get 100, others will work for 3 hours a night and never quite grasp a concept. Requiring the same amount of homework from them is counterproductive.

It is due to my arrangement with my Algebra II teacher that I had time to do things that I did my Junior year like Theatre, Read King Lear, build my own computer. I learned more by not doing homework.

[austinnetx]

Originally Posted by Macbeth2003

It is due to my arrangement with my Algebra II teacher that I had time to do things that I did my Junior year like Theatre, Read King Lear, build my own computer. I learned more by not doing homework.

No offense, but it sounds like you were learning to underachieve.

I took Algebra when I was in the 7th grade with 10th graders. When the teacher found out I was doing the homework in 20 minutes during lunch time vs 1-2 hours of the other kids, she assigned me the hardest problems in each section. I still had to put my problem solutions on the board with the other kids. Some nights I stayed up past midnight wrestling with them.

It really depends on the child. The faster kids either need to be accelerated or they need to approach the homework as a speed drill OR the teacher assigns the hardest problems. Slower kids REALLY need more repetition to learn something.

IIRC, kids with 100 IQs need 8 reps, vs 115 IQs who need 3, and just one time for for those > 130.

I agree that most schools underserve the more intelligent kids by making them do "mindless" drills. I have BTDT, but real life has some mindless moments as well - learning to deal with these is also important.

[austinnetx]

Originally Posted by Macbeth2003

Actually pretty much all the studies say different. Kids seem to do well almost in an inverse ratio to how much homework the school requires. I agree with studying, but I remember how I felt in say Algebra. .

There is that normalization of underachievement thing again.

Uh-huh. Riiiight. It really depends on the homework and the kid.

I tracked my homework time in college/grad school and the time I spent on a subject directly correlated with my test grades. If I spent 4 hours+ a week, I got 95+ or better. If I spent 10+ hours prepping for the final, I usually got a 100.

My wife did the same thing and she had pretty much the same result.