Grading Homework

My daughter, a fourth-grader, attends a private school. As a former teacher, it was my experience that elementary-school homework may be a part of the report-card grade, but it is to be taken on a complete/incomplete basis. At college, I was taught that homework is assigned to teach students to work independently, learn responsibility, practice new material and to serve as a yardstick for the teacher to see who understands what was taught.
I discovered that my daughter's school is randomly pulling a homework assignment and applying that number grade to 20 percent of the report-card grade. I feel the school has taken the above opportunities away from my child because now we look at homework as being as important as a test or report. We are not given any criteria as to which assignment will be pulled for a grade, nor are we notified before or after which paper it was. Now I feel I must check my child's homework so it doesn't jeopardize her report card.
The principal of the school will not change this policy. Is the random grading of homework the norm? - Very Upset
Answer: Both public and private schools, as well as individual teachers, can have homework policies that parents might not like. Changing them is usually accomplished by parent-teacher organizations or a group of concerned parents. Individual complaints by parents are rarely effective.
Here are some of the most common approaches that teachers use in handling the grading of homework:
-Homework is checked to see if it is completed, and points are awarded for whole or partial completion (a popular approach).
-Some homework is collected and graded on a random basis. (Other schools do have the same policy as your child's school.)
-All homework is graded.
-Quizzes are given over the content of homework.
-No homework is graded.
-No credit is given for completing homework.
We are not enthused about the random grading of homework. Tests and quizzes are a better gauge of the quality of work students are doing, as homework might have input from parents, tutors and other students.
There is no reason to be so obsessed with the grades your child is receiving unless she is having trouble in school. Homework should be your child's responsibility. Don't check it unless your child requests it. Then, you should merely indicate areas that the child should look at carefully rather than point out or correct errors.