adding homework to schoology

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How to upload homework to schoology.

There’s a myriad of ways that you can scan your homework and upload it to Schoology, but we want to share the TOP 2 ways, including a teacher favorite, on how you can upload your homework. These instructions are specific for an iPhone. Please see the other blog post for Android.

First, download the Schoology App. Watch this video on how to download the app!

Written Instructions: How to Download the Schoology App from the app store

Search for the Schoology app in the app store and download it.

Within the Schoology app, search for VSA. Many will pop up, but look for the one with the Lancaster address.

Sign in with your student’s VSA email. Each student will need to be signed in on their own VSA account. It’s best to have a different device for each student signed into their own accounts.

If your student is a 7th grade or older, they should be scanning in their homework.

Second, choose from one of two apps: Apple Notes or Fast Scanner

Notes App Written Instructions

Be signed in as the student. Your document will need to get to a device where your student is signed in.

It will automatically scan the doc if it sees a full piece of paper in an image.

When taking a photo, make sure there are as few shadows as possible. For example, putting your phone between the lamp and the paper causes a major shadow on the homework. Have the light come more from the side instead of directly over top.

Make sure it’s on “color”, not “photo”.

If you have multiple pieces of paper, you need to put them all into 1 single document when you upload them.

Save it by naming the file your homework. You need to do this so your teacher can quickly see what it is.

(Minute 2:47 of the previous video)

Fast Scanner Written Instructions

Can be connected to iCloud if you use iCloud

Click the pictures when you’re ready.

Take pictures directly over the paper, not at an angle.

Choose Color, not black and white.

Name the files after scanning.

Choose Upload, choose Schoology.

How to auto upload to iCloud when you use Fast Scanner

If you would like to upload your homework to iCloud, you can, but it’s not necessary to do so in order to use Fast Scanner.

Fast Scanner iCloud Syncing Written Instructions

Click gear in bottom left

Select Auto upload PDFs to iCloud

Go to the computer and pull the docs out of the folder and into Schoology.

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Apps that integrate with Schoology: Use TeacherMade to make online assignments and digital activities

Are you tired of making worksheets in Schoology? Making online worksheets and assignments can be frustrating when there is limited functionality. There is a way to upgrade your worksheet creator and still have assignments that integrate with your Schoology LMS. Read on to find out how.

Why should you pick apps with Schoology integration capability?

Picking apps that integrate with Schoology simplifies your workflow and is easier for students to follow along. 

It’s simple for you to make digital homework and interactive activities.

It’s tough to juggle several apps when teaching online. Pick the apps that make the most sense for you and your students. When creating an assignment online, it must be simple for you to create assignments, assign them to students, grade them, and get them into your grade book. Apps like TeacherMade help you do all of these tasks. 

It’s easy for your students to access through Schoology integration.

You can really lose students along the way when they have to shuffle through a lot of apps. When you use an app that integrates with Schoology, you’re just asking students to log on to Schoology. They can jump right into the online assignment from there. You don’t have to worry about different log-ins and directions for toggling between apps. 

Why should you use TeacherMade for online worksheets?

TeacherMade makes it easy for you to use worksheets, PDFs, and other files that you already have and turn them into digital worksheets. Your online worksheets will feel like traditional worksheets, and you will spend less time creating online interactive activities. 

With TeacherMade, it only takes a few minutes to create online worksheets. 

• Step 1: Upload your file to TeacherMade. Your file becomes the background of your online activity.
• Step 2: Add questions to any part of the activity. If you can create a PowerPoint, you can add questions to TeacherMade. We offer a variety of question choices , so you can always ask the right question. 
• Step 3: Add an answer key for questions, or choose to grade some questions by hand. 
• Step 4: Post your assignment in Schoology, and have students complete it.
• Step 5: Use auto-grading features to grade assignments in minutes. Leave personalized feedback on questions that matter most. Because TeacherMade is connected to Schoology, your grade book gets automatically updated.

How do I set up TeacherMade as an External Tool in Schoology?

It’s simple connecting TeacherMade to Schoology. Here’s the how-to guide to get started. 

Has your Schoology Administrator already set up TeacherMade as an External Tool in your system?

TeacherMade must be installed as an External Tool Provider by your Administrator before you begin using it in courses. If it has not been set up yet, have your Schoology administrator contact us at [email protected] for a consumer key and support.

The BEST thing about adding TeacherMade to your Schoology Course is that your students can view and complete their assignments without ever leaving Schoology…and their grades will be automatically entered into your Schoology grade book!

Here’s how to get started:

• Create a TeacherMade worksheet, or select one that you’ve already created.
• Click on the 3 dots next to the worksheet, and select Assign Worksheet .

• Edit the Assignment Name (if necessary) – this is the name your students will see
• “How will this assignment be delivered?” – Select Schoology from the list beneath and click Next .

Score and grading options for Schoology worksheets

• Select your options for what your students will see, and then click Next in the bottom right corner.

• Choose tools and options for the student, and select Save. TeacherMade will give you the External Tool URL that you will use to set up the assignment in Schoology.
• COPY the External Tool URL

Now you’re ready to create the assignment in Schoology

• Login to Schoology and go to the course where you want to add the worksheet.
• Select Add Materials , and then choose Add File/Link/External Tool from the dropdown menu, and then choose External Tool .

This is the last set of steps. Take a look at the image below before you begin:

• Select TeacherMade as the Tool provider. (If you don’t see this choice, your Schoology administrator has not set up the integration yet. Click here for more information.)
• Give your assignment a Title .
• Paste the External Tool URL you copied from TeacherMade in the URL box.
• You should assign points. TeacherMade will tell Schoology what percent the student received, then Schoology will take the percentage and multiply it by the number of points that you assign here to arrive at the score you see in the Gradebook. The Gradebook score will be updated any time it changes in TeacherMade, such as when you enter a custom score or re-open a worksheet for a student.
• Fill in any other options you want, and then click Submit .

That’s all! Once this is saved, your students will be able to see and complete the worksheet.

Here are a few tips:

• You (the teacher) will NOT be able to view the worksheet in the Schoology the way your students will. Instead, clicking on the worksheet link will take you to the assignment detail screen in TeacherMade, where you can see (and grade) all of the completed work toward your assignment.
• Depending on how you set up the scoring on your assignment in TeacherMade, your students won’t be able to see their grades in Schoology until you grade and return the work.

Start using the most intuitive worksheet creator for teachers!

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• Schoology Learning

Courses: Grade Setup

Use the Grade Setup area to adjust grade settings for your course. In this area, you can manage your Grading Categories, create scales and rubrics, adjust the weights of your grading periods, and enable Final Grade Settings for your student reports.

To access Grade Setup, click Grade Setup from your course.

• If you use the Enterprise version of Schoology, you may not have edit access to all areas of this page based on the permissions in place at your school or organization. Please reach out to your Support Contact or System Administrator with any questions.
• Grade Setup is not supported in courses containing more than 10,000 members.

Grading Categories

Grading Categories enable you to organize graded items in the course. At least one grading category is required for you to use the Gradebook. Common examples of categories include Classwork, Homework, or Quizzes. There is no limit to the number of categories you can create, and you can weight each according to your definition.

To add a new category:

• Click Add in the Categories area.
• Enter a Name .
• Select either Percent or Total Points as the category calculation method.
• Use Drop lowest to automatically drop the lowest n grades within that category from each student's overall score in the course.
• Click Create to complete.

Click the star icon from one of your categories to mark it as your default category for newly-created materials.

To delete a category:

• Move your pointer over the category you'd like to delete and click X .
• If there are any course materials attached to the grading category, you will be prompted to assign another category to those materials before you can proceed to delete:
• Once the materials are attached to another grading category or there are no materials attached to the category, click Delete to complete.

Weight Grading Categories

After you have created at least one category, you can choose to weight the categories for your course by checking Weight Categories.

Enabling weighted categories displays a new Weight field for each Category name. Enter proportional values into these fields to adjust the weight for each category.

• Grading Categories cannot be changed throughout the course without impacting all grading periods of the course. For example, changing the grading category weights for the 2nd Quarter will also change the calculated grades in Quarter 1.
• Weights are relative to each other. You can view the Category's actual percentage value of the Weight field. For example, if Weight Categories is checked, and I have four categories with a weight of 100, the percentage of each category within the overall grade is 25%.

Edit Categories

To make changes to an existing category, click the category name. In the pop-up window that displays, you may adjust:

• The Category Name.
• The Calculation Method.
• The number of low scores you'd like to drop from the overall calculation.
• The weight of the category.

Grading Periods & Final Weights

The Grading Periods & Final Weights area enables you to access all of the grading periods associated with your course, as well as the weighted percentages of each grading period. Depending on the settings in place at your school, you may be able to add or remove grading periods to your course.

To add or remove a Grading Period, follow these steps:

• Click Edit from Grading Periods & Final Weights.
• If there aren't any grading periods listed in your school, you can add a new one to the course by entering a title (For example, SP2018 or 2018-2019 Semester 1) and a start and end date.
• If you can't add grading periods to your course, contact a System Administrator (Enterprise), located in the Help Center area.

Click Save to complete.

Assignments, assessments, tests/quizzes, or graded discussions are designated as midterm/final displays in this area. These items can be given a weight, calculated as part of the student's overall grade, and can be accessed in the Final/Midterm Material Grades filter in the Grading Period drop-down menu in the Gradebook.

Final Grade Settings

Use Final Grade Settings to customize how final grades calculate and display to students. To adjust these settings:

• Numeric — displays the final grade as a percentage.
• A+/- — displays the final grade as a letter (A, B, C, D, F, +/-).
• You can also select a custom grading Scale in this area.
• Check Round Period/Final Grades to round grading period grades and final grades.
• Click Save Changes to complete.

The Final Grade Settings area also includes the Control Grading Columns in Gradebook and Visibility Settings sections.

Grading Scales & Rubrics

Create custom Grading Scales and Rubrics to grade your materials or apply them to your Final Grade Settings. Grading Scales map an alphanumeric value of your choice to a percentage grade (0-100), and rubrics enable you to score an assignment, graded discussion, or test/quiz question based on several criteria.

Click the star icon from a scale to mark it as your default scale for newly-created materials.

To add a new Percentage-based scale:

• While toggled into the Scales menu from the Grade Setup page, click Add .
• Select Scale from the drop-down menu.
• Enter a name for the scale.
• Set the Letter Grade that will display to students in their grade reports. Letter grades must contain at least one letter.
• Set the percentage range for the grading scale.
• Use the Add Level button to add additional grade levels to this scale.
• Set the Letter Conversion value. If you type the letter grade into the Gradebook, the Letter Conversion is the percentage the Gradebook assigns. If you enable the option to Use Average, Schoology calculates the average value within the set range.
• If enabled, students can not access the percentage associated with the letter grade in their grade reports for the category, grading period, and overall grades.
• If you disable this option, students can access the percentage score for the category, grading period, and overall grades.
• Regardless of this setting, students can access the numeric points achieved out of the total points possible for individual graded materials.

To add a new Points-based scale:

• Click Points to switch the calculation method the scale is based on.
• Enter a value and description for obtaining the value (for example, 4= Exceeding Standard, 3= Meeting Standard, and so on)

The Numeric and A +/- scales are pre-populated for all Schoology instructors; you cannot remove these from the Scales list.

To add a rubric:

• Click the Add button in the upper right in the Grading Scales section.
• Enter a name for the rubric.
• Create titles and descriptions for each criterion.
• To add additional rows of criteria, click on the +Criteria button or +Learning Objective button.
• To add additional columns to the scale, move the pointer over the cell and click on the + icon from each cell.
• To remove a row or column, move the pointer over the cell and click on the x icon.
• To reorder the rows, click on the double bars and drag them to the appropriate location.
• Use the menu items to close or hide the rubric.
• The Total Pts for the rubric automatically adjust as you add rows and columns.
• To create a rubric using learning objectives or standards, click the Alignments link from the Criteria section.

Copy Settings

You can copy these settings to other courses you administer using the Copy Settings button.

• Click Copy Settings.

• Select the course(s) to which you'd like to copy the grade settings. You can only copy to courses for which you are a Course Admin.
• Click Copy to complete.

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• Educational Technology

How to add a Google form to Schoology

10 steps to add a google form to schoology.

• Access the Google form
• Click the Send button
• Click the button to display Embed HTML
• Click the embed code, then click Copy
• Navigate to your course Materials page
• Click Add Materials
• Click Add Page
• Click the Switch to HTML View button
• Paste the embed code
• Click Create

Whether your classroom is remote, in person, or a hybrid of both, web-based learning management software (LMS) is a lifesaver for teachers. It’s fun, engaging, easy to use, and, most important, it’s an improvement on traditional, antiquated classroom management methods that can slow you down.

By helping you create, manage, and deliver educational content — from lesson plans to pop quizzes — on one platform, an LMS can also help you save time, money, and resources. Plus, thanks to fundamental features like multichannel communication, multilingual functionality, calendars, social features, and advanced reporting capabilities, both you and your students will enjoy a more interactive (and effective) classroom experience.

While there are many LMS options on the market, one of the best is Schoology , which prides itself on bringing an entire community together — teachers, students, parents, and administrators alike — through one comprehensive, collaborative application.

While it offers an array of useful features, users may want to add to Schoology’s functionality by incorporating online forms for quizzes, surveys, and more. Read on to learn more about how to add a Google form to Schoology.

For an insightful look into the future of higher education, explore “ 8 Top Trends in Higher Education to Watch in 2024 ” on Jotform’s blog.

How Schoology works

With more than 20 million users (as well as more than 10 years of industry experience), Schoology knows what it takes to make your classroom, school, and district successful. It’s robust, secure, and accessible — providing a unique, personalized learning experience for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

Using Schoology, users can

• Track and analyze student performance data like benchmark assessments, attendance, and behavior
• Personalize content and pace learning based on each student’s individual needs, proficiency, and interests
• Participate in collaborative, constructive discussions with students, parents, and other team members
• Provide parents with instant access to information regarding their child’s grades, progress, and overall learning experience

Plus, since Schoology boasts over 200 integrations with other educational tools and platforms, you can build a customized teaching plan that meets your needs without ever leaving the app.

However, Schoology is not without its limitations. Some reviewers say its interface is a bit outdated and can be difficult to navigate.

Schoology assessments also can’t adjust automatically based on a student’s answers to show material more appropriate to their level of understanding — which is an important feature for providing equal learning opportunities for students — while other software (like Google Forms) can, using conditional logic features. Luckily, there’s a way to add a Google form to Schoology.

Embed powerful quizzes, tests, attendance sheets, and more directly into your online school portal with Jotform, the best  Google Form alternative !

Learning how to add a Google form to Schoology is pretty straightforward. Here’s all you need to do:

• First, access the Google form you created.
• Click the Send button.

• Click the < > button to display Embed HTML .
• Click the embed code to highlight it, then click Copy.
• Now, in the Schoology app, navigate to your course Materials page.
• Click Add Materials.
• Click Add Page.
• Click the Switch to HTML View button, which is the two dots on the right, above the text box.
• Paste the embed code.
• Click Create.

If you’re in an Assignment, you may have to select a > button.)

You can enter other content — such as images and text — above or below the Google form once you switch back to the Standard View.

Jotform: An alternative to Google Forms

Now that you know how to add a Google form to Schoology, consider an alternative to Google Forms that’s just as (if not more) simple to use. Online form builder Jotform can help teachers stay organized by creating and storing a wide range of online forms, from student feedback surveys and attendance trackers to progress reports and reading logs.

The platform is easy to use, powerful, secure, fully customizable, and completely code-free, allowing users to create stunning forms, PDFs, tables, and even mobile apps, regardless of their programming experience. And with more than 2,000 ready-made education form templates to choose from — including course registration, teacher assessment, and parent-teacher conference forms — you can get started quickly and make easy design changes with just a few clicks.

Using Jotform’s drag-and-drop functionality, you can even build online forms from scratch. You can

• Easily change your form’s colors, styles, themes, and overall layout 
• Add fun elements to your form, including videos, images, drawing tools, and more
• Integrate with more than 100 third-party platforms
• Use conditional logic to adjust the form based to respondents’ answers

Plus, like in Google Forms, you can embed a Jotform form to any web page (in fewer steps, too) via its embed code feature :

• First, navigate to Jotform’s Form Builder to access the form you’d like to embed to a web page.
• Hover over the form you’d like to use and click Edit Form on the right side.

• Click the Publish tab.

• On the left panel, click Embed.

• Select the green Copy Code button.

• Paste the code into the body of your web page where you would like it to be displayed.

As a teacher, you have enough on your plate these days without worrying about manual, old-fashioned teaching methods that are less than efficient. But if you automate your workload with learning management software like Schoology, you can revolutionize both how you teach and how your students learn through interactive and informative assignments, quizzes, and assessments.

And if you hit a roadblock with Schoology — like creating customizable online forms to meet the needs of every student — consider a tool like Google Forms or Jotform to bridge the gap, especially now that you know how to embed them both.

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myHomework Student Planner and Digital Hall Pass system

Effective use of myhomework.

A good planning system is vital to success in school and beyond.

What follows on this page are some guidelines for successful use of myHomework. In general, myHomework is a simple, flexible and effective planner to help keep focused on academic priorities.

All students are different. Some students need thousands of items in their planner each year to be successful while others do just as well a fraction. The key is finding what works for your child(ren).

The key to solid use of myHomework is to get setup at the beginning of each school year or semester.

Then, be persistent in your habits of planning and use of time.

Getting Setup

Planning time, scheduling homework time, day to day usage.

• Tips for Task Size & Backwards Planning

Parental Guidance

• Starting Over

Once you have created an account, if you haven't already, download the myHomework app on your phone, tablet and/or computer. Then login to your account on each device.

Add your classes and class times. Give each class a color.

From the calendar, add all of your No School Days, Late Starts, Early Releases and other important School Events.

At this point, you should be ready to think ahead about your academics for the coming term(s).

If you have a history of missing assignments, turning things in late, procrastination or know that you struggle with Executive Function, then dedicating yourself to spend time planning is extra important.

Since planning is a task that needs time and energy, we prefer that it be setup as something that needs to be "completed" each week.

Once a week, you should have a time to look at your upcoming week, think about what it will take to be successful, and add additional tasks to myHomework.

We recommend adding a "Homework" that Repeats Every Week at a time where you'll take twenty to thirty minutes looking at the next two to three weeks and figuring out what additional tasks are needed.

In addition to this weekly task, many students find it helpful to go through a similar step when they get home from school every day to plan for the work they will do that night.

Depending on your age, you should have a general idea of how much time per evening is going to be needed working on homework.

With extra-curricular activities, it's important to think ahead about when you will spend the time each week and each night working on homework so that you can stay on track or even get ahead.

For example, following the rule that it should take about 10 minutes a night to do homework, a 6th grader or Year 7 student, should be expecting to do 60 minutes of homework per school night.

Think about when your extra-curriculars are, what time of night you get home on most nights, and when you are able to most effectively focus and get work done.

Then schedule into your week using Events that Repeat Weekly when you will try to work on homework. It is understood that in many cases, this exact time won't be able to be used but seeing all of those hours in the schedule helps the mind see what it's going to take to be successful.

Making the plan and thinking through how much work is going to be needed is the important part.

You may want to consider putting myHomework information on your main calendar so that you can more easily see when or if "Homework Time" is supposed to happen.

Daily planner usage is the heart of being successful with myHomework.

Each day, visit your planner to see what you need to be working on and adjust the priority of the most important task or two to "high" to remind you that you have to get those done well.

As you finish each item, mark it complete. Take a short break. Then, begin work on the next highest priority item.

The widgets for iOS and Android can be particularly helpful with making sure academics are always at the top your mind.

Tips for Task Size and Backwards Planning

The ideal task size is different for everyone, but it is suggested that 20 minutes is the longest someone can stay completely mentally focused on a task. Therefore, we recommend trying to get "Homework" tasks to definitely be less than an hour each while targeting 10 to 20 minutes.

In the typical class, there are a few important grades that make up the majority of the course. Exams and projects commonly fall into this bucket. During your weekly planning time, in addition to looking at what is going to happen this coming week, it is extra important to take note of any projects or exams coming up in the next two or three weeks.

Then, create new "Homework" to break down the overall effort it will take to get a good grade on the project or exam starting well ahead of time. When you decide to put off a task because the project's not due for two weeks, you'll see it turn to red and show as Late. This gives an extra bit of motivation to get started.

Depending on your age and academic status, it may be extremely beneficial to have your parents directly involved in helping you enforce a solid routine including Planning Time and Homework Time.

Visit myhomeworkapp.com/parents for more information on how parents can follow along.

Need a Fresh Start?

We've seen millions of students use myHomework to plan and organize their tasks and not one student uses it the exact same way as another.

If it's the middle of the semester and you're already struggling to plan ahead and organize your time, try setting yourself up for by following some of the advice at myhomeworkapp.com/help/starting-fresh .

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Muslim students face tough challenges during Ramadan. Here's what teachers can do to help.

Last year during Ramadan , Zara Ahmad’s school in southern Maryland hosted a waffle day. The smells of batter and syrup wafted through the campus hallways. Ahmad did everything she could to ignore the aromas, but the decision to hold the event then felt insensitive given she and other Muslim students were fasting .   

“Even if they know, they just don't care and they're not as considerate as they could be,” said Ahmad, 16, reflecting on how teachers and administrators handle day-to-day operations during the Islamic holy month of fasting, prayer and community. 

Several times in the past couple of decades , the U.S. Education Department has issued guidance about affirming students’ right to pray and express their religion at school. Last year, the department released the guidance again – specifically alluding to protections related to Ramadan, which began last week and runs through April 9. The latest guidance came as a growing number of school districts have taken steps to better accommodate students who observe Ramadan, including by making one of the major holidays following the month an official day off for all students. 

At a time of rising anti-Muslim discrimination, however, advocates say U.S. schools aren’t doing enough to raise awareness and ensure that students feel supported when practicing their religion. Teachers are often unaware that the holiday is taking place, putting the onus on kids or parents to request exemptions from certain activities or a place where students can pray.

The Education Department’s civil rights arm separately issued a letter on Thursday reminding schools of their obligation to protect such students from discrimination, highlighting the heightened Islamophobia after war broke out in Gaza.

USA TODAY spoke with Amaarah DeCuir, an education researcher and expert on Muslim student experiences about best practices for supporting Ramadan in schools. Here's what she said: 

Lunchtime accommodations and places to pray

A key tenet of Ramadan is fasting from dawn to sunset, which means people observing the holiday often don’t eat lunch. Schools should ensure children have a place to go during lunchtime other than the cafeteria, with its food smells and boisterous noises, said DeCuir, a lecturer at American University in Washington, D.C. 

Often that place is the library. Experts recommend schools staff this lunchtime room or area with at least one adult to monitor children and ensure they have what they need, whether it's quiet time for reflection or a game to play and recharge. 

Kids who choose to pray will also need a place to do so without being bothered. Ahmad, who has been sitting in the cafeteria and doing her schoolwork since Ramadan began, had to ask the guidance counselor earlier this school year if she could pray in her office. “But nothing really special has been done,” she said. This year, as with years before, “it’s definitely on the students to figure out what they want to do" during school, she said.

Flexible homework and testing

DeCuir stressed that Ramadan is a time of joy and reflection, when families may pray late at night and early in the morning. With fasting and limited sleep, students are sometimes low on energy. That’s especially true for younger students still figuring out how to navigate and manage the physical aspects of Ramadan. (Fasting typically isn't expected until followers reach puberty.)

That can make it difficult to concentrate on schoolwork at certain times of the day. DeCuir suggested that educators keep this in mind and be flexible with students who need leeway. Kids who feel their brains are most active during the morning can do any tests or important assignments early; students who feel most energetic in the afternoon can do the bulk of their work later in the day. 

DeCuir said it's important to check in with students and see what works best for them. She noted that the holy month coincides with high-stakes testing this year in many states and said schools should be flexible about timing with students who need consideration. 

At colleges and universities, it's typically up to faculty members to decide whether to accommodate Muslim students' needs during Ramadan, she said. Many professors aren't proactive about being flexible with students, penalizing them for turning in assignments late or refusing to let them take an exam at a different time than their peers.

When is Ramadan 2024? What is it? Muslims set to mark a month of spirituality, reflection

Alternatives in PE, music class and extracurriculars

Because of the physical limitations that sometimes come with fasting, DeCuir stressed the importance of exempting students from high-intensity cardiovascular activities. Instead, teachers can offer strength training or another low-intensity exercise.

Some people also abstain from singing and listening to music during Ramadan. Those students should be allowed to opt out of music class or engage in alternative activities during that time. 

Special consideration should also be made for children involved in after-school sports, DeCuir said. 

Ahmad is an avid tennis player and has often had to contend with matches scheduled on Eid al-Fitr, the holy day that marks the end of Ramadan. Ahmad’s parents have had to push the district to allow her to participate in the competitions after she missed class to attend Muslim events. Administrators typically bar students from playing on days they are absent from school.

Her parents have also had to request permission for Ahmad to be picked up from matches early, rather than take the bus back with her teammates, so she'll be home in time to break the fast at night with her family. 

“All these things can happen if the kids and parents ask for it,” said Omar Ahmad, Zara’s father. “But high school’s a tough time for children as it is, and there’s been a rise in Islamophobia and a backlash if you’re different.

"So many kids aren’t going to ask for it. Many parents might not even ask for it.”

Proactive support for students

Allowing Muslim students to exercise their right to pray is just a first step, DeCuir said. Schools should also be proactive about offering support. 

The Education Department guidance indicates that schools should excuse students from class so they can fast is such an allowance is requested.

Policies with this kind of language place a heavy burden on children and families, DeCuir said: “It requires a family or student to come before a school leader or classroom teacher to say: ‘I’m Muslim. I’m observing Ramadan.'” Since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and the war in Gaza, expressing something like that can be "extremely difficult and risky for many Muslims across the nation,” she said.

It can also be logistically tricky, particularly for immigrant families who do not speak English as a first language or know how to navigate school bureaucracy.

A better practice, DeCuir said, would be for schools to distribute a districtwide message outlining support that's available. It's important to remember that while a small percentage of students are Muslim, Islam is the third-largest religion in the U.S.

Campus politics: Harvard under scrutiny for discrimination. This complaint comes from Palestinian students

Don’t do this : Rejecting Ramadan celebrations to avoid politics  

DeCuir shared the story of a person she knows whose daughter wanted to bring Ramadan goodie bags to school for her classmates, including cards, stickers and fidget spinners. That's similar to how kids bring treats for Christmas or Easter, but the principal rejected the idea. 

The effect crushed the child's spirit, she said, and the family has since challenged the decision.

Muslim students have faced stigmas for years, particularly since 9/11. It's important to dedicate classroom time to teaching about issues involving Muslims in an accurate and responsible way, but teachers often avoid them.

It’s understandable why school leaders are wary of that, DeCuir said, “but when it’s done to silence the expression of the joy that young children have at the beginning of the month of Ramadan, that act creates a sense of exclusion and isolation.”

Ahmad, the student, says she has noticed a similar chilling effect at her school, where Muslims make up a small percentage of the campus population. When conversations about Islamic countries come up in government class, for example, she sometimes feels compelled to minimize her identity. 

At the very least, she said, “I just wish school would mention (Ramadan) and make all the students aware of it.”

“I wish I didn’t have to feel awkward.”

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March 12, 2024

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The numbers do not add up for mathematics homework, according to a new study

by University of South Australia

Supporting kids with math homework is a common afterschool activity. But beyond the basics, new curricula and teaching strategies are making it harder for parents to help and it's taking a serious toll on children's confidence and learning.

In a study from the University of South Australia, researchers have found that mathematics homework can sometimes cause more harm than good.

Exploring how homework policies and practices affect families, researchers found that mathematics homework could inadvertently affect a child when it often:

• was too difficult for a child to complete independently, and/or with the support of a parent
• required significant support from parents and seeped into family time
• resulted in a negative experience for the child and their parent, leading to negative associations with mathematics and potentially students' disengagement from the subject
• generated feelings of despair, stress, and negativity among parents who were unable to help
• made students feel inadequate when they struggled with the work.

UniSA researcher Associate Professor Lisa O'Keeffe says such negativity around mathematics has broad implications.

"Homework has long been accepted as a practice that reinforces children's learning and improves academic success," Assoc. Prof. O'Keeffe says.

"But when it is too complex for a student to complete even with parent support, it raises the question as to why it was set as a homework task in the first place. We know that parents play a key role in supporting their children with schooling and homework. When children need help, their parents are often the first people they turn to.

"But many parents are unsure of the current mathematics strategies and approaches that their children are learning as these have changed a lot since they were at school. Like many things, mathematics teaching has evolved over time. But when parents realize that their tried-and-true methods are different to those which their children are learning, it can be hard to adapt, and this can add undue pressure. When children see their parents struggle with mathematics homework, or where mathematics homework becomes a shared site of frustration for families, it can lead to negativity across generations.

"For example, we might hear adults saying things like, 'I wasn't very good at math, so my child won't be either.' Negative interactions with mathematics, and negative discourses like these can lead to reduced confidence, reduced self-efficacy, and can negatively affect children's resilience, persistence, and ultimately their inclination to continue with mathematics."

Any decline in STEM subjects such as math can have long-term impacts for Australia's future. Statistics show that fewer than 10% of students are studying a higher level of math, with math capabilities declining more than 25 points (15-year-olds in 2022 scored at a level that would have been expected of 14-year-olds, 20 years earlier).

Co-researcher, UniSA's Dr. Sarah McDonald, says the research also identified gendered biases.

"Our research showed that it was overwhelmingly mothers who were responsible for managing children's homework. And they often experience frustration or despair when they were unable to understand the math problems," Dr. McDonald says. "When mothers find math hard, there is concern that this may demonstrate to their children , especially their girls, that this is not an area in which they would naturally excel.

"The last thing teachers want to do is disadvantage girls in developing potentially strong mathematical identities. We need a greater understanding of homework policies and expectations.

"The experiences of the families in our study do not support the often-quoted claim by researchers that that homework has potential non-academic benefits such as fostering independence, creating positive character traits, developing good organizational skills, or virtues such as self-discipline and responsibility."

Provided by University of South Australia

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