Redding School District

Making Up Missed Work

Absent students are everyday facts of school life. You and your students need to know your expectations for making up missed work. Students will need to know what they are required to make up and how long they have to do it.

Keep in mind that students may not be able to make up some work until they are caught up with the instruction that was missed. In your planning, you need to remember that you may have to work with a student individually before assignments can be made up.

Here are ideas to consider:

Number a set of folders so that you have one numbered folder for each student in your class. By numbering the folders instead of writing names on them, you can reuse the folders each year. Assign each student a number and keep a corresponding list. For younger students, you may need to write names on the folders.
Depending on the age of your students, you may want to post a number and name list near the make-up folders bin.
Place the folders in an easily accessible bin.
When a student is absent, place the work that needs to be made up in his or her folder.
When the student returns to class, the student can pick up his or her folder and know exactly what work needs to be done.

Homework Buddies

Group students into pairs or teams called “homework buddies.”
When a student is absent, his or her buddy is responsible for writing down all missed assignments, bulletins, and homework.
Make a form that students can use to write down all missed assignments, and make a folder for storing homework.
Designate a location where students can place their partner’s folder at the end of each day.
If appropriate, have the students take the folder to their partner’s house.

The Principal and staff at each school shall develop a school site homework plan which includes guidelines for the assignment of homework and describes the responsibilities of students, staff and parents/guardians. The plan shall inform parents/guardians of the district’s suggested grade level guidelines for the time spent on homework.

Homework Suggestions

Average Per Week Activities (as appropriate)

Kindergarten 50 minutes Story listening, alphabet (sounds and letters), Numbers, address, colors, telephone number

Grade 1 100 minutes Story listening, vocabulary building, handwriting practices, reading and math, social studies, sciences

Grade 2 100 minutes Vocabulary building, reading and math, spelling, social studies, sciences, handwriting practice

Grade 3 150 minutes Reading and math, spelling, expressive writing, social studies, sciences, penmanship

Grade 4 200 minutes Reading and math, spelling, expressive writing, research, social studies, sciences, penmanship, projects

Grade 5 250 minutes Reading and math, spelling, expressive writing, research, social studies, sciences, penmanship, projects

Grades 6-8 300 minutes Reading and math, spelling, expressive writing, Research, social studies, sciences, projects

Internet

You may be able to e-mail students about missed work if you have that arrangement with your parents.
If you have a Google Classroom or classroom website you may be able to post the assignments there for quick access. This way, students do not have to wait till they come back to school to get assignments completed.

Keep These Tips in Mind When Having Students Make Up Work

Determine how long a student has to complete the work on a case-by-case basis. Consider the age of the student, how long the student was out, the nature of the work that was missed (new concepts or reinforcement), and the student’s current workload.
Not all homework may need to be made up. It can be hard enough to catch up without being overloaded. Give careful thought to the value of each assignment you ask a student to make up.
If a student is absent for a significant length of time, a parent may pick up the folder or a friend can take it home to the student.

Board Policy:

Redding ESD | BP 6154 Instruction

Homework/Makeup Work Homework

The Board of Trustees believes that homework serves many important purposes. The administration and certificated staff shall design homework plans and assignments so that through their homework, students can reinforce academic skills taught in school and learn how to conduct research effectively, develop ideas creatively and become life-long learners.

The Board believes that homework is the responsibility of the student. It is the student’s job to develop regular study habits and to do most assignments independently. The Board encourages teachers at all grade levels to use the parent/guardian as a contributing resource and to structure homework assignments so as to involve the parent/guardian without diminishing the student’s sense of responsibility. When assigning homework which involves interaction with parents/guardians, teachers should include instructions which show how parents/guardians can best help their children.

To be effective, homework assignments should not place an undue burden on students and families. Homework should reinforce classroom learning objectives and be related to individual student needs and abilities.

The Superintendent shall ensure that each school site develops an effective homework plan in accordance with Board policy and administrative regulation.

Makeup Work

Students shall be given the opportunity to make up school work missed because of an excused absence and shall receive full credit if the work is turned in according to a reasonable makeup schedule.

Teachers may require a suspended student to complete any assignments and tests missed during the suspension.

Students who miss school work because of unexcused absences may be given the opportunity to make up missed work for full or reduced credit. Teachers may assign such makeup work as necessary to ensure academic progress, not as a punitive measure.