Homework in a Proficiency-Based Classroom

One of the most common misconceptions around proficiency-based learning is that teachers will no longer assign homework.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  Although the way we think about homework may change, working at home will remain an integral part of our students educational experience.

Once teachers have identified learning targets, any work they assign should be intended to help students hit those targets.  In some classrooms, the notion of "homework" may change.  It's just work. Some of the work will be done at school and some will be done at home.  The reality is that if students are off task in school, they will likely have more work to do at home.

Likewise, if students are struggling to meet a learning target, they may have alternative or additional assignments that they need to complete to help them get there.  Again, some of this work will be done at school, and some will be done at home.

In the following short article, Rick Wormeli writes about various ways teachers can make homework more meaningful for students.  It's a great little article and he is spot on.  The practices he presents are universal, and they ring true in any classroom: proficiency-based or traditional.

It's interesting to note;  I've observed teachers use many of these strategies in their classrooms. In the classrooms in which teachers use them most frequently, we always see high rates of homework completion.  In classrooms where these types of practices are absent, we find relatively lower rates of homework completion.  It's no accident.

Click below to read the article:

13 Ways to Make Homework More Meaningful