Homework

**1st day late** - maximum grade value of 90% **2nd day late** - maximum grade value of 80%
 * Homework for Mrs. McCord:  Homework is provided by the District for Science in the form of STEPs. Your student should have seen this last year in their Science class. There are two STEPs per week for 4th grade and I will often supplement additional sets of homework depending on what I am teaching at the time. You will notice a different pattern for homework around review periods throughout the year.   As we strive to help your student become more independently responsible, I ask each student to write their homework assignment in their planner for that day. You may notice that STEPs carry over from day to day and occasionally there will be a long-term homework assignment that spans a week or more. The district prints and supplies the teachers in Alvin ISD with grade level appropriate STEPs so we do not have to print them at the school. Due to paper conservation, it is important for your student to be responsible with their homework. If a student loses their homework, it is that student's responsibility to get with a buddy from class and obtain a copy of the assignment. I will not make extra copies for students who misplace their assignments.   For my class, STEPs homework is passed out on Mondays so the students can have all week to work on it. We will grade it together in class on Fridays, or the last day of the school week, and I will record it in the gradebook. All homework is due on the last day of the week (unless otherwise noted) and will receive late penalties if i is not turned in as per the district guidelines. For 4th grade, homework is worth 5% of your student's final grade, so it is important for them to strive to do their best. All late work will be penalized as follows:
 * 3rd day late**- maximum grade value of 70%
 * 4th day or later**- no credit for the assignment

Your student is also required to show their work on the STEPs. The method I require is a District initiative called the "Problem Solving Process" and will required of your student all the way through High School. There are 5 steps to the process: Summarize the problem in 5-7 words Identify important important information Solve for an answer Record your answer Justify your answer

When I look over the students' STEPs, I will be checking to make sure all 5 steps are done on each of the 6 problems per STEPS homework. A "PSP" grade will possibly be entered along with an accuracy grade for their homework. Students will have chances to earn coupons that will allow them to have a "Homework Pass" for an assignment or a "PSP pass" for an assignment. These will be valid all school year, but it will be the student's responsibility to keep up with it and redeem at their discretion. I am here to help your student with their homework, so they shouldn't be afraid to ask. I will try to give class time as often as possible so your student will only have a minimal amount of homework to actually do at home. This gives your student time to use the classroom resources, their IAN and me to complete their STEPs for the week. If there are any questions regarding homework, please do not hesitate to email me at tmccord@alvinisd.net or call the school. ||