homework detention letter

Richard James Rogers

Educational articles and advice for teachers. www.amazon.com/author/rogersrichard

When Kids Don’t Return Homework – What can we do?

An article by  Richard James Rogers  ( Author of  The  Quick Guide to Classroom Management ).

Illustrated by my new illustrator! : Tikumporn Boonchuayluea

NEW: Second Edition of ‘ The Quick Guide to Classroom Management’ available on Amazon now! Purchase the book here.  

The organizing of homework can be a real nightmare, especially for inexperienced teachers.

I was no exception.

I thought I knew it all when I got my first teaching job in North Wales, at 23-years-old. However, I soon found it a real challenge to….

• Set homework regularly
• Remember to collect homework in
• Mark homework promptly
• Return it to the the kids and………..
• …… the real killer – dealing with kids who didn’t hand-in their homework on time

I used to be one of those teachers who would deal with each of the above five challenges separately: not realizing that they are, in fact, very intimately connected – the way we set homework, for example, affects the frequency at which it is handed-in.

Using this holistic approach to the management of homework I’ve discovered a few simple techniques to get our students compliant with regards to handing it in. I’ve also discovered some ways to make up for any gaps in knowledge that arise when work hasn’t been done on-time.

So buckle up, grab a coffee and make some notes (that’s your homework for this week, by the way)!

Having too-strict an approach can cause major problems for you and your students. Whilst I’ve never, ever heard the classic ‘the dog ate my homework’ , kids can and do:

• Leave their homework at home by accident
• Write the homework on paper and lose the paper
• Submit it electronically but lose the work/forget to save it

Our kids are learning basic organizational skills, and we must understand that. Don’t be too strict. Allow another day to hand it in. However, if homework lateness becomes persistent then……..

Homework busting tip #2 – give a detention

It’s not nice for the teacher or the student (you lose your free time and so does the kid), but it’s definitely worth it. We simply can’t allow our students to fall behind.

I wrote some months ago about the effective use of detentions . I mentioned that detentions must always have a distinct purpose. In the case of a ‘homework detention’, the purpose isn’t to punish the kid – the detention time should be used for the student to complete the missing homework.

When detentions for homework lateness are used to complete the homework, there’s a sense of fairness in it all – you’re doing this because you care about the student and you want him/her to understand the concepts being covered in the homework.

When this approach is consistently applied, you’ll soon find that kids will hand-in their homework. They don’t want to sit in a detention just as much as you don’t want to supervise it.

Homework busting tip #3 – use recurring homework tasks

Set homework on the same day/days each week. Collect it in on the same day/days each week. It really is that simple.

This builds a routine into your schedule and your kids’ schedules, making it less likely that they will forget about their homework.

When I first started teaching I would get my KS3 students (11-14 years old) to actually write, on the first page of their notebooks, their homework schedule:

“I will receive homework every Monday. I will hand-in my homework every Thursday”

…..or whatever their schedule was.

You may also want to consider using a Learning Journals system with your kids (read more about tha t here ).

Homework busting tip #4 – share the news with key colleagues

Have you got some kids who consistently don’t hand homework in on-time? Share that info with the kids tutor/homeroom teacher. He/she can contact parents and reinforce your message – that homework must be completed on-time.

Homework busting tip #5 – contact parents

For consistent offenders it may be necessary to call parents as ask them to come into school for a chat. However, the conversation you have must be dealt with very delicately.

The aim of such a parent-meeting should be to find solutions to the problem of incomplete homework. You may want to discuss:

• The difficulty of the homework being set
• The student’s schedule and ways in which time can be set aside for homework completion
• Things that you can do to support the student

With a relentless and consistent approach you’ll soon find that even the ‘toughest nuts’ can be cracked.

Homework busting tip #6 – offer support and help

Some students are simply too shy to ask their teachers for help. We must combat this.

When you set a piece of homework, make it clear to the students that they can see you for help between now and the deadline. Tell them that it is your pleasure to help them: that you’re happy to help them when they get stuck.

Crucially, tell your students exactly when you’re available to help. You may be busy on Tuesday lunchtime, but after-school on a Wednesday you’ll be in your room doing marking so your students can see you then.

When we encourage our students to seek help from us we are showing them that we care, and that we are approachable. It also solves the classic excuse you’ll get – “I couldn’t do my homework because I didn’t understand the questions”. Really? If you didn’t understand the homework, then why didn’t you come to see me for help like I told you to?

Further reading

I’ve written a number of blog posts that deal with the subject of homework. You may find them useful:

Tips for Organizing Homework

Should We Set Homework for the Summer Vacation?

Homework: A Headache we can all Easily Cure

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Author: richardjamesrogers

High School Science and Mathematics Teacher, Author and Blogger. Graduated from Bangor University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Molecular Biology and a PGCE in Secondary Science Education. Richard also holds the coveted Certificate in Mathematics from the Open University (UK). Richard is the award-winning author of The Quick Guide to Classroom Management: 45 Secrets That All High School Teachers Need to Know View All Posts

One thought on “ When Kids Don’t Return Homework – What can we do? ”

Homework issues become even more complex in high school. All of your suggestions have the possibility of success. The crucial element is: do students care? Many start developing apathy and they truly don’t care about school or turning in their assignments. That one isn’t an excuse—it’s a choice.

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Teaching with Detention

Introduction

Far too often, students and educators struggle to see eye to eye. Teachers regularly disagree on methods of disciplining their students. Controversy arises, even, with the question of whether or not teachers should apply any discipline to their students, or leave it up to the parents. One of the most common practices in dealing with misbehaving students is holding after school detention. But by keeping students after school hours, are teachers exercising their rights, or going too far? Is detention an effective solution to class disruptions, or would it spur future problems?

Free resources across the internet allow for teachers to weigh detention and all of its possible alternatives.

• Lesson Plan
•   Behavior Worksheets : Here, Worksheet Place provides dozens of worksheets for students that assist them in assessing their behavior and emotions. The worksheets include behavior contracts, bullying analyses, conflict resolutions, goal setting, and more. The page also includes resources for teachers, including classroom management checklists, and class rules that teachers can display on their walls. These tasks can be used as opportunities for reflection in place of punishment or can serve as activities to be completed during detention. These worksheets are mostly intended for younger students and can be completed inside or outside of regular class time.
• Reflection Document : Pivotal Education provides this reflection worksheet to give to detention-serving students. The document is meant to outline an activity more productive than what is normally presented for students, and to prevent further behavior issues in the future. The questions on the worksheet force the student to identify and reflect on the people affected by their actions and ideas for preventing future issues. The open-ended questions within the document allow for flexibility for the worksheet to be used with virtually any age range.
• Discipline Packet : This online packet from Teacher Beacon provides worksheets and for responding to misbehavior. The packet includes printable warning slips, a behavior contract, and a sample letter to parents. Also included are writing assignments to be completed by students who break classroom ground rules. Most of these assignments serve as consequences for minor infringements such as gum-chewing, tardiness, and disruptive behavior. The writing assignments can serve as lesser consequences to stop the behavior before further action becomes necessary. Teachers can utilize items within this packet to establish ground rules and to keep track of recurring offenses.
• Do Detentions and Suspensions Work? : Here. Education World interviewed Annemarie Hillman, a policy fellow at Connecticut Voices for Children, to analyze whether detentions and suspensions prove themselves effective in schools. She classifies suspensions as ineffective since students tend to view them like vacations. Detentions, however, can work “if done right.” They can serve as an incentive to keep students from repeating misbehavior. When students serve detention during lunch, they miss out on a social opportunity and in turn will be less likely to act up in the future. 
• New Direction : James Paterson from District Administration Media examines ways that adults are trying to implement disciplinary action into their schools. The article establishes that African American and special needs students face disproportionate rates of exclusionary punishment. According to a number of cited studies, students who receive detentions are more likely to drop out of school altogether. This article highlights alternatives that teachers have found to the standard sit-silently style of confinement. Allowing students to reflect on their actions and for teachers to coach struggling students proves much more productive. Teachers can read this article to determine improvements for the established practice.
• Student-Run Courts : This article from The Guardian acknowledges the disproportionality of detentions in school systems and outlines a recent alternative to the custom: mock court systems. Rather than serve detention for certain offenses, students are to stand before a committee of their peers, make their case, and ultimately face fair consequences for their actions. The article praises this new approach, arguing that it prevents student-teacher discrimination in disciplinary systems and consequently fights the impelling school-to-prison pipeline.
• Informational Sites
• Defining Detention : Queensland Government provides a foundational understanding of detention and the common practices associated with it. The site outlines parameters for responsible behavior in a linked study, titled “Safe, Supportive and Disciplined School Environment Procedure.” This page can serve helpful for those who may desire a better understanding of what detention is, or for educators unfamiliar with how to lead a session.
• Responding to Bad Behavior : University of Florida’s College of Education lists possible ways in which educators can respond to bad behavior. The items on this list can serve as alternatives to detention, a practice which may be the first thing that comes to mind. The actions can be applied to students of most ages. The approaches range from keeping a behavior log, to requiring a writing assignment, to revoking parking privileges for older students. While detention is one of the listed consequences, teachers can choose from any item on the list to enforce in their own classrooms.
• Task Ideas : Study.com provides this list of tips and ideas for teachers choosing to hold students after school. The goal of the article and the tradition is to provide students with tasks that will prevent future mishaps and improve classroom behavior. The site lists tactics that teachers can employ, such as dialogue journals and reflection sheets, and links supporting articles for each strategy. The site lists four strategies for teachers, all of which can be stretched to fit students of almost any age range.

Young people often rave about how educational institutions take up so much of their time and teach them no real-life skills. They are, after all, full-time students by the age of six. Perhaps by making the time spent with students, detention included, more productive, teachers can allow students to further appreciate their education and apply themselves more in the future. Educators should make sure that any disciplinary measures they take have the students’ best interests in mind. Schools should weigh circumstances to decide what method of discipline would be most fair for the students’ and teacher’s time.

Additional Resources

• Middle-School : This neaToday article criticizes forms of discipline for middle-school-aged children. Author Sabrina Holcomb references the school-to-prison pipeline, a theory that correlates higher rates of suspensions and expulsions with a higher likelihood of those same students becoming unemployed and going to prison. When a student’s learning is interrupted by such punitive measures, they are more likely to drop out of school and rely mainly on government-provided welfare programs. Holcomb acknowledges that the issue is not the fault of the teachers, but rather that of the broader school disciplinary system.
•   Detention Is Not The Answer : This literature review by Stephanie McCann from Northwestern College examines practices of institutional discipline, especially detention, and attempts to determine the most productive method for everyone involved. In the past, the practice has discriminated harshly against certain students. The author gathers that students for whom detention becomes a pattern experience major social and emotional consequences that affect them “for the rest of their life.” She acknowledges alternatives for the penalty and suggests that schools find a consensus for what works for their students. 

Example Guidelines : This site lists the guidelines for after-school detention at Lakewood Junior High School in California. The page delineates the school’s specific regulations, including commonly broken rules, expectations for those serving detention, and principles of conduct for future reference. Teachers can utilize this site to gain a better understanding of how one school approaches its academic disciplinary system. Should they choose to administer detentions, educators can look to these clear-cut guidelines when crafting their own system.

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After school detentions and giving notice/informing parents.

freddiefrog · 16/10/2013 11:51

Are there any procedures for after school detentions and informing parents/giving notice that should be followed, or is it up to school/teacher? DD1 (year 7) was given a half hour after school detention on Monday for forgetting her homework - detention was given Monday morning, for after school Monday afternoon. All fine, she should have remembered, school issue after school detentions for late homework, she knows that, hopefully she won't forget it again (it's not the first time she's handed in homework late for this teacher). However, DD had an appointment Monday afternoon, the plan was that I would pick her up in the car from school and we'd go straight to the appointment and at no point during the day did the school inform me that DD had been given an after school detention. School do not allow mobile phones during the day - they have to leave them in a box with their form tutor in the morning, and collect them after school so she doesn't bother taking one and had no way of informing me herself and she says the teacher was quite overbearing when she tried to explain about her appointment Ended up having a minor panic as she didn't arrive home/we weren't able to find her before finally tracking her down in detention. School have all our contact details - DH and I both work from home and they have home/mobile numbers, email addresses and we are registered for their parent text service. Now, I'm not arguing about the actual detention, she behaved in a way that earned her a detention and she has to suck it up, but surely school have an obligation to inform parents if their children are going to be significantly later leaving school.

Our school sends a note home on the day to be signed to acknowledge receipt and returned the following day. Detentions held on Friday after school or, if in serious trouble, Saturday morning.

Yes, my friend's children's high school does the same. They send out a slip which the parent has to sign, giving a date later in the week, or if the child has an appointment/commitment they'll change the detention date. It's happened to a few of my DD's friends - given a detention for the same day without parents being informed. Your way sounds much better

They are not obliged to. But schools which are good at (and value) communication with parents do indeed inform parents before detaining a pupil outside school hours.

I think I remember my teacher telling me he could keep us after school for so many minutes without notice, but they never really did because so many people had to get the bus. I don't think they should get after school detention for forgetting homework, they should lose a bit of lunch time or something. Sorry OP know that's not what you were askin. I wouldn't sign the slip unless DD had done something really bad.

Oh and that's not because I'm one of those parents that critisizes the school, just think a lot of year 7 kids walk or bus to school and would rather them be able to come home at a time with lots of other pupils, not on their own

DDs school gives 24hrs notice. I've no idea what happens if you have something on then, but presumably it can be discussed. I'd be really worried if they were late home from school by that much without knowing why.

Not signing the slip won't make any difference, schools don't need parents' permission to detain. The slip is just for info. Schools don't have to give notice, however the DofE advice is: 26. School staff should not issue a detention where they know that doing so would compromise a child's safety. When ensuring that a detention outside school hours is reasonable, staff issuing the detention should consider the following points: Whether the detention is likely to put the pupil at risk Whether the pupil has known caring responsibilities which mean that the detention is unreasonable. Whether the parents ought to be informed of the detention. In many cases it will be necessary to do so, but this will depend on the circumstances. For instance, notice may not be necessary for a short after school detention where the pupil can get home safely. Whether suitable travel arrangements can be made by the parent for the pupil. It does not matter if making these arrangements is inconvenient for the parent.

There used to be a requirement for 24 hours notice but that has now been scrapped. Having said that, what happens comes across as very poor practice, especially for a year 7. You sound utterly reasonable and I would be discussing it with the head of year / house as appropriate to explain that whilst you support the punishment it did cause you problems.

At my DC's school they get early morning detentions that parents are not informed about formally. After school and we get a letter informing us. (No slip to sign). Could your DD not have emailed you from the library at lunchtime though?

DS1's school does not give notice of detentions either. DS1 is 16, so this wouldn't be a problem if he a) made his own way home and b) didn't have aspergers. Time & time again I have politely asked to be informed of detentions. On a couple of occasions (on normal days, not following detentions) I have been a little late to pick DS1 up from school & he has decided to walk along to meet me - however, he cannot remember which way to go and ended up getting lost on both occasions. Therefore, if I am waiting outside school & DS does not come out I assume that I have missed him (they sometimes get let out a little early) and then spend 20 minutes scouring the neighbourhood for him! Quite apart from that he totally struggles to understand why he has been given a detention & 24 hours notice would enable me to explain that to him & make him more likely to behave in the detention itself.

My DCs school gives at least 24 hrs notice of after school detentions (because a lot of pupils travel by school bus). Your DCs school should have a well published policy on detentions. I would inform your DD that if something similar happens again, she needs to go to see her Head of Year and ask them to contact you. Usually schools are quite happy to postpone detentions for genuine medical appointments (I have known some parents try to get their children out of detentions by always having a "medical appointment").

Thanks! It's not a question of refusing to sign a slip or give permission, I didn't receive a slip to sign in the first place. DD knows the rules regarding homework and perhaps it will help stop her being so forgetful Appointment or not, I'd just like to know where my child is. School finishes at 3:15, we live a 5 minute walk away from school so I expect to see her by 3:30. A half hour after school detention is a fair amount of time for a parent not to know where their child is, especially for an 11 year old It has had implications. Her appointment on Monday was at 3:45pm (appointment time was given to us and I was unable to rearrange it for later) for something we've been on a waiting list for for about 6 months. As a result of us being 20 minutes minutes late, we missed the appointment and will now have to go back on the waiting list School aren't great at communication to be honest. I've rung twice about this and each time "someone will get back to me" and I've emailed a couple of times but no response

Sorry, crossed posts. I suppose she had assumed that school would inform me that she was in a detention, I doubt it would have crossed her mind to email me from school to be honest, although I will suggest it to her if it happens again. And also to speak to her head of year. Thanks

For Gods sake was all that fuss really worth it over a bit of later homework from an 11 year old. Ridiculous. Yes your DD probably could have said but I've got to be somewhere or tried to email or whatever, but sounds like her school are pretty strict and she probably didn't want to argue.

Sorry just read last post

She says she did try and tell her teacher that she had an after school appointment but he wouldn't listen. I don't think she would have thought to have spoken to a different teacher about it, but I'll tell her that she needs to speak to her HoY or form tutor if it happens again. On the whole, she's settled in really well, but stuff like this is all quite new to her and she's still finding her feet a bit. She's never been in trouble before and this is the first after school detention she's had so she wouldn't know the ropes

I think that it is poor practice to give an after-school detention for the same day. Ds1 had a few - mainly for the same thing as your dd - forgetting homework - at his selective grammar school, and it was always done on the basis of sending home a slip, telling us he was due in after school detention on X day. We signed the slip to acknowledge receipt. On one occasion, that I recall, we contacted the school to ask if he could do the detention on a different day, as he had an appointment after school, and the school agreed. Of course we as parents should support the school's disciplinary policies - but the school should also respect the parents too. I felt that ds1's school had the balance right, as demonstrated above. I don't think your dd's school has got it right, freddie.

Of course we as parents should support the school's disciplinary policies - but the school should also respect the parents too. Definately. I do support the school, I back them up in their discipline procedures, I support their expensive uniform policy, even if I do think making kids wear their blazers in 30 degree heat is mad, I just wish they'd help me out a bit. A quick parent text to inform me that my child is in detention for half an hour won't kill them

24 hours notice here and very sensible too imo.

Thanks! I'm actually really surprised they're not obligated to inform parents when something like this happens, learn something new every day. The school still haven't bothered to return my calls or reply to my emails, so I suppose that just shows just how little they value communication and keeping parents on side.

I always give at least 24 hours notice. Many of my students have a long way to travel on public transport and so would need to make arrangements. I would always rearrange the detention for a student who had an important appointment.

The DSs school does 1/2hr same day detentions without informing parents, but they did inform us that they did this from the very beginning. They're also flexible if it will cause problems with appointments - DS2 says that one time his whole class was being kept behind, his friend had a hospital appointment and the teacher checked with the parents and rearranged the detention for a different day. It might be the case that the OP's school should do that, it's just that that particular teacher was being a bit arsey that day It's definitely out of order that the school hasn't got back to her about it.

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After school detentions are only given in more serious occasions at DD's secondary school. Lunchtime detentions are given after two missed homeworks or other issues. Many children live a long way from the school and many are on school transport, so it really is used only when lunchtime detentions or other sanctions are not work. The written policy is: Only Heads of Year and members of SLT may give a formal after school detention. If [a teacher] feel that the girl’s behaviour merits this, please talk to her Head of Year. A slip is sent to parents informing them of the reason as well as the time and date of the detention. After school detentions are held in M2, they start at 3.30pm and may finish at any time between 4.15-5.15pm depending on the seriousness of the offence. A member of SLT will supervise this detention. Pastoral Care must be made aware if an after school detention has been set. To set an after school detention enter the girl’s details in the detention book at reception and fill in the detention letter, including the reason the detention has been given. Tell the girl to go to the office for her letter, which she must to take this to the Headmistress for signature and then take it home. Her parents sign it and send it back to school. Allocate the girl a punishment task to be done during the detention and make sure that the girl knows where to go and what she is expected to do.

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

To be honest, I'm not terribly fussed about notice I just want to know where my child is when she's not where I expect her to be If they had informed me, I would have had the opportunity to explain about the appointment I can't find any policies about it anywhere, nothing on their website

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• Title II, Part A Resources and Guidance

Dear County and District Superintendents and Charter School Administrators:

State Guidance for New Laws on Discipline

We are writing to you today regarding the implementation of new laws regarding disciplinary practices, consistent with our shared view that all students—particularly African American students and others overrepresented in suspension statistics—deserve a school environment that fosters their social-emotional well-being and academic success.

As we now know, suspension can do more harm than good. Sending a student home from school does not address the root cause of a student’s behavior; it removes students from the learning environment; and it has a disproportionate impact on African American students and students with disabilities, among other marginalized groups that are underperforming academically and overrepresented in our criminal justice system. Legislation in recent years, reflecting extensive research, has sought to minimize the use and impact of suspension. The state’s new accountability system reports suspensions and incentivizes minimizing the use of punitive discipline. With this guidance, we update the field about recent legislative changes and suggest alternatives to suspension and other punitive practices. Great work is happening in this area, and we applaud your leadership in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline through the implementation of Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), positive behavior intervention systems, implicit bias training, restorative practices, and engaging academics. Research has established that systemwide implementation of these practices will lead to improved academic outcomes and long-term postsecondary success for all students, particularly our highest-need students.

State Law and Suspension

Recent legislation was enacted to prevent students from losing learning opportunities for disciplinary reasons.

• Ending Suspensions for Willful Defiance in Grades Kindergarten Through Eight: In 2013, the Legislature approved Assembly Bill 420, which prohibited suspensions on willful defiance or disruption grounds for students in grades kindergarten through three. According to data collected by the California Department of Education (CDE), suspensions for willful defiance significantly decreased upon passage of this measure. In 2019, the Legislature extended this prohibition to students in grades four through eight through Senate Bill 419 ( https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB419 ). Research indicates that students of color; students with disabilities; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual students are more likely to be suspended for low-level subjective offenses such as willful defiance. We support the goals of this legislation and have included the resources below to support implementation of school-wide and district-/county-wide policies to better support students facing social-emotional and academic struggles.
• Homework for Students Suspended for Two or More Days: Assembly Bill 982 ( https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB982 ), also enacted in 2019, requires local educational agencies (LEAs), including charters, to provide homework assignments to students upon the request of the parent, guardian, or student during a suspension of two or more school days.

In recent years there have been other statutory provisions designed to limit the use of suspensions and promote alternatives to suspension. These provisions aim to address the root causes of the student’s behavior and to improve academic outcomes:

• Minimize Suspension for Attendance Issues: California Education Code ( EC ) Section 48900(w)(1) states that it is the intent of the Legislature that alternatives to suspension or expulsion be imposed against a pupil who is truant, tardy, or otherwise absent from school activities.
• Instead of Suspension, Support: EC Section 48900(v) provides that a superintendent of the school district or principal is encouraged to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion, using a research-based framework with strategies that improve behavioral and academic outcomes, that are age-appropriate and designed to address and correct the pupil’s specific misbehavior as specified in EC Section 48900.5.
• EC Section 48900(w)(2) adds that the MTSS, which includes restorative justice practices, trauma-informed practices, social and emotional learning, and schoolwide positive behavior interventions and support, may be used to help students gain critical social and emotional skills, receive support to help transform trauma-related responses, understand the impact of their actions, and develop meaningful methods for repairing harm to the school community.
• Suspension as a Last Resort: And finally, EC Section 48900.5 provides that, except for specified exceptions, suspension, including supervised suspension, shall be imposed only when other means of correction fail to bring about proper conduct, and then continues to provide an extensive list of suggested positive, non-exclusionary alternative practices. Other means of correction may include additional academic supports, to ensure, for example, that instruction is academically appropriate, culturally relevant, and engaging for students at different academic levels and with diverse backgrounds.

Replacing Suspension with Support

Collectively, we must do more to reverse the reality that our most vulnerable students are disproportionately removed from their classes. Research on student engagement, academic success, dropout, and graduation rates has shown the need to replace punitive discipline practices with targeted student supports such as those referenced in state law above. The CDE and California’s System of Support are your partners in establishing and strengthening LEA and school-level networks of support. Key resources include the following:

• The CDE Behavioral Intervention Strategies and Supports web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/behaviorialintervention.asp outlines where LEAs and schools can learn about Fix School Discipline, suspension data on Dataquest and the California School Dashboard, and Restorative Justice programs. These practices and policies that many schools and districts are putting in place to address discipline issues proactively support students whose behaviors may signify a call for help.
• The CDE MTSS web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/ri/ provides a research-proven framework aligned to address students’ academic, behavior, and social success. It brings together the Response to Instruction and Intervention and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports to support the whole child through a data-driven tiered approach to academic and social emotional supports. An MTSS approach can ensure instruction and interventions meet student needs, to address the reality that African American students and students with disabilities—two of the groups most often suspended—have lower literacy and math scores than other ethnic groups and students without disabilities.
• There are also resources on the CDE Mental Health web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/cg/mh/index.asp , which includes strategies, resources, and training in psychological and mental health issues, including coping with tragedy, crisis intervention and prevention, school psychology, and suicide prevention.
• The CDE Attendance Improvement web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ai/ provides resources to address attendance improvement through prevention, early identification, and intervention instead of using punitive discipline.
• The CDE Asset-Based Pedagogies web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/pd/ee/assetbasedpedagogies.asp has resources on culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogies, which focus on the strengths that diverse students bring to the classroom and school community. These approaches engage all learners through curriculum that connects to students’ cultural and linguistic identities. Asset-Based Pedagogy is also a key feature in California’s State Literacy Plan, and aligned literacy resources are available on the California Educators Together web page at https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/groups/comprehensive-literacy-state-development-grant-resource-repository .
• Addressing bias of educators is an important piece of the puzzle. In 2019–20, African American students made up 5.4 percent of public school students in California but comprised 15 percent of students who were suspended. Evidence shows that this is not because of worse behavior, but because of harsher treatment for minor offenses such as talking in class and other nonviolent behavior. LEAs are encouraged to invest in implicit bias training for their educator workforce: https://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr20/yr20rel77.asp .

Data-Driven Continuous Improvement to Strengthen Supports

Our state’s focus on equity means addressing students’ holistic needs, whether they are struggling with trauma, disability, or the effects of socio-economic disadvantage. Since the passage of the Local Control Funding Formula, the state has engaged in the data-driven continuous improvement process, with actions to address student needs informed by robust stakeholder input and thorough root-cause analysis. Tackling suspensions is part of this framework, with suspension data reported in the California School Dashboard and school climate as one of the eight state priorities. Every year, school and district communities should consult their suspension data and analyze the underlying causes and adjust programming as needed to better support students, especially students of color disproportionately impacted by unneeded suspensions. Our partners at the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) are also resources in the System of Support. The CCEE website is available at https://ccee-ca.org/ .

CDE resources include the following:

• The CDE Local Control Accountability Plan web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/lc/ includes references to the eight state priorities, the continuous improvement process, stakeholder engagement, and the whole child resource map.

Particularly as we grapple with the immediate and post-pandemic effects of COVID-19, students and families face unprecedented challenges that will inevitably affect students’ stress levels, behaviors, and their ability to participate in school. Like suspensions, these challenges fall disproportionately on students of color and other marginalized groups. Separate and apart from the pandemic, our communities are crying out for support and education, not suspension. In this moment of extraordinary need, the most successful schools will partner with communities to better understand and support students’ mental and physical health needs so they are able to engage in accelerated learning at school.

Systemic and targeted approaches can help realize our shared goals of making equity real.

If you have any questions regarding suspensions and how to minimize reliance on this disciplinary tool, please contact Dan Sackheim, Education Programs Consultant, Educational Options Office, by phone at 916-445-5595 or by email at [email protected] .

Tony Thurmond State Superintendent of Public Instruction California Department of Education

Linda Darling-Hammond President California State Board of Education

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How to Deal With Detentions

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 References

This article was co-authored by Alicia Oglesby . Alicia Oglesby is a Professional School Counselor and the Director of School and College Counseling at Bishop McNamara High School outside of Washington DC. With over ten years of experience in counseling, Alicia specializes in academic advising, social-emotional skills, and career counseling. Alicia holds a BS in Psychology from Howard University and a Master’s in Clinical Counseling and Applied Psychology from Chestnut Hill College. She also studied Race and Mental Health at Virginia Tech. Alicia holds Professional School Counseling Certifications in both Washington DC and Pennsylvania. She has created a college counseling program in its entirety and developed five programs focused on application workshops, parent information workshops, essay writing collaborative, peer-reviewed application activities, and financial aid literacy events. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 33,361 times.

Most students will receive a detention at some point in their education. [1] X Research source Whether you are guilty of the infraction you’re accused of or not, detention can be embarrassing and create lasting resentment. By putting your punishment in perspective and maintaining a constructive attitude, you can get through your detention and easily move on.

Understanding the Rules

• If you believe you didn’t break any of these rules, politely explain that the rule is not properly stated or should be clarified.

• Empathizing with your teacher can help you accept your situation and not take it personally.

• Consider your tone when asking or you may come off as combative and make the situation worse. Say something like "Excuse me. I understand you think I broke a rule but I can't seem to find it in the handbook. Can you explain which rule I violated?" to start the conversation. Make sure to have a copy of the rules on hand.
• If asked sincerely, this can demonstrate that you’re interested in avoiding issues in the future. [3] X Research source

Dealing with Your Guardians

• Even if your school doesn’t require a signature, your guardians will likely find out anyway so being forthright with them is your best chance at controlling the situation.
• Start the conversation by saying something simple like “Hey, I have to tell you something.” Avoid alarming introductions like “I have some bad news” because it may set a more negative tone for the conversation.

• They will likely be more upset if they find out you are not being honest about the situation.

• Try to deliver the news calmly. Make sure you’re not too emotional.
• If you tell them at the wrong time, they may react in anger and it will be more difficult for you to tell your side of the story. [5] X Research source

• Even if you are maintaining that you did nothing wrong, explain how you will avoid putting yourself in bad situations in the future. For example, by avoiding students that are known to get in trouble or creating a better relationship with your teacher. [6] X Research source

• Finding out their child has a detention can be stressful for your guardians. Try to understand that their first reaction will most likely be a disappointment and it’s your job to improve their perception by demonstrating you’re responsible and mature.
• If there is a punishment, accept it gracefully.

Dealing with the Teacher Who Gave You Detention

• Even if it’s an administrator, you’re likely to see them in the hallways or cafeteria.
• Find a constructive way to either repair your relationship with them or avoid further confrontations.

• Even if you don’t intend to create any problems, simply remaining angry can lead to negative confrontations in the future. Holding a grudge can also be bad for your health. [8] X Research source

• Approach your teacher before or after class and be direct. Say something like “I understand why you had to give me detention. I didn’t mean to cause any disruption. I’m ready to get back to work.”
• It may surprise you how quickly a teacher can go from having a negative attitude toward you to a positive one when you demonstrate maturity.

• This is also the best way to deal with any awkwardness between you and the teacher.

Making the Best of It

• The silence of a detention room can provide the perfect opportunity for you to get your work done. [13] X Research source
• Plan your work ahead of time. Make sure your textbooks, class notes, calculator, worksheets or anything else you’ll need to get something done during detention.

• Even if you aren't a particularly artistic person, practicing art on a regular basis can build your creativity, improve your mental acuity and relieve stress. [14] X Research source

• Creative writing during detention improves student behavior and academic outcomes. [15] X Research source
• You can use your experience getting or being in detention for inspiration.

• If you feel that you were punished by an unfair rule, ask if other students have had similar experiences and see if you can start a conversation with the administration to change it.

Expert Q&A

Other wikiHows

• ↑ http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin329.shtml
• ↑ Alicia Oglesby. Professional School Counselor. Expert Interview. 29 October 2020.
• ↑ http://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/clarification.html
• ↑ https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/establishing-credibility.htm
• ↑ http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15752/1/Best-Ways-to-Break-Bad-News.html
• ↑ https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/problemstudent.html
• ↑ http://www.wholechildeducation.org/blog/set-an-authentic-and-respectful-tone-at-the-top
• ↑ http://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/let-go-grudge
• ↑ https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/how-to-apologize.htm
• ↑ http://www.towardsmaturity.org/article/2016/06/13/focus-making-impact-demonstrate-value/
• ↑ http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/303516-can-somebody-explain-detention-to-me/
• ↑ http://bebrainfit.com/the-health-benefits-of-art-are-for-everyone/
• ↑ http://jjie.org/healing-words-creative-writing-programs-as-therapy-for-kids-detention/99293/
• ↑ https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/headshrinkers-guide-the-galaxy/201108/life-isnt-fair

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• Classroom Management

Homework Detention

• Thread starter kms116
• Start date Aug 1, 2008

Junior Member

• Aug 1, 2008

Our school started a homework detention policy last year for 3rd-6th graders. If a student has a late or missing assignment, they must stay after school for 30 min. that same day if possible. Needless to say, this has caused countless problems with parents. Many of them work out of town and have to take time off to come pick up their kids, and most are upset about the short notice we give them. The policy is here to stay, so does anyone have any suggestions about dealing with parents?  

Senior Member

hw See, that's an easy solution to me - the parents need to make sure their child does their homework! Easy enough. Sorry if I sound uncaring, but I get tired of parents acting like we're inconveniencing them by making them become a responsible parent. Of course, I wouldn't necessarily say those words - maybe something like, "I'm sorry it's inconvenient for you. Did you not check their homework last night? Maybe you can come up with a homework routine that works in your home."  

We do ours during the lunch recess time. They eat their lunch without talking and then finish their homework. If they get it done before the end of recess they may go out.  

Full Member

Here is an interesting article you may want to share with your principal. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6397407.html Here is another: http://teachers.net/gazette/FEB08/kohn/  

thanks Great articles! I'll pass them on.  

detention We have a form that covers missing homework, signed papers not returned, unprepared for class, no supplies, etc., called a Work Deficiency. After 5 of these, the student has to come to a detention on Thursday morning from 7:30-8:00. Doesn't incovenience the parents as much if they are going to work. Your system has immediate consequences (I kind of like that!).  

I too get tired of parental excuses, but given detention the same day AFTER SCHOOL does seem unfair to me, and if I were a parent I would be hot headed over it as well. There are many students I have who occasionally miss assignments, and the parent IS ON TOP OF THINGS. One time a girl who had been so responsible, told her dad she was doing her homework. This had never been an issue in the past, so dad didn't question her. When I pushed the issue a little, she finally admitted the truth. She made herself look busy when she wasn't. Her mom and dad were horrified, she served several days of detention ( ours is held during recess time). The middle schools and high schools here have after school detention, but you serve on certain days the next week for infractions. This allows the parents to make the appropriate arrangements. You say this is here to say, so I would suggest students have homework logs or agendas that get signed every afternoon by you once homework is written in there, and by parents once they have seen the finished product. Other than that, my only advice is make sure parents and students know upfront about the policy. When you give short notices like that, there will be problems not everyone works at jobs were they can rearrange their schedule on a 4-5 hour notice. That most certainly does not mean that parents are making excuses for their children, or aren't doing their part in their children's education. In my district, if a principal made this decision and the parent could not come til 6:00 because of work, then someone at our school would just have to sit and wait til the parents could get there. You have to be reasonable in your policies if you want parental support.  

I hold our after school DT. However, in order to get assigned to an after school, the student has to have missed three assignments and the DT is assigned after the 4th. It is not the same day. Our detention is held on Monday and Tuesday and a form is sent home notifying the parent and making sure the student has a ride home. The parent signs the letter and student returns it. When a responsible student ends up in DT , I get an apology for having to stay and 99.9% of the time I'm told that I won't see them again. The student will do the work. However, I always get frequent-flyers" and generally their parents are late picking them up and they have to be called again..  

• Aug 2, 2008

At our school, detention slips are sent home to the parents. (Our detention is "third strike you get detention" with warning slips sent home after each offense. The detentions does not come as a surprise.) The parents are given a choice between two dates within the next week for their child's after school time. There have been no confrontations on picking up children. Our school has done this for many years.  

Terrence/CA

This year, we are starting an after school homework detention. At the beginning of every period, the teacher marks who hasn't done their homework, and the sheet gets sent to the office. Each class period, the office sends an automated phone call to the parents telling them that the child did not do homework and will need to come to homework detention that day after school. The parents can get up to 6 phone calls a day! I love it because the parents can no longer put it off on the teacher. Plus, the kids are walking distance from home, and there are no buses anyway, so they can stay after school the same day. If they don't come, then there will be further consequences.  

homework and punishment I have been a teacher and i am returning to teaching after being a stay-at-home mom for some years. I disagree with the idea that you need to punish parents for not being responsible by punishing their children. Where is the attitude of "I am here to help children to learn and to love learning?" If my child were in a school where they would be given detention for not turning in homework (do you have any idea what is going on in the home? NO!), I would immediately withdraw my child and homeschool them. They don't need that kind of stress in elementary school. I don't think it's a teacher or principal's job to enforce parental responsibility. What if that child's family has a family member just diagnosed with cancer? Or another child in the family who is in and out of the hospital (this happened to us this year, and my son was so stressed that he couldn't concentrate and I certainly couldn't either)? Or parents going through a divorce? Or maybe the child is struggling and just doesn't want to admit how hard the work is for him? I would not want to be a teacher in that kind of a school either, because I just think it's wrong. I would be as stressed as the kids, and I think this would create a very hostile environment between the school and home. I think home reading, spelling and math fact practice is important, but not to the detriment of family life. People are not irresponsible just because homework doesn't get done. I think the vast majority of "education" should happen in school, with just a little supplementing at home. After all, we have the kids for more than 6-6 1/2 hours a day, add in the 30 minutes to an hour getting back and forth to school and you don't leave families much time to anything!  

Homework club By the way, our school handles this much more positively. We have an afterschool homework "club" instead of detention. It is voluntary. But if one of our students is not completing homework, then we can call the parents and let them know their child is not completing their homework and that I'd love to have him attend homework club where he can get the extra help he needs to finish it. In this context, they're usually grateful to avail themselves of the opportunity. The child doesn't necessarily want to attend of course :-), and if that's the case they'll start doing their work on time so they don't have to go. Again, it's voluntary and presented as a "we're helping you" instead of a punishment and that makes all the difference.  

Lefty you had many good points but your arguing about extreme circumstances, and I think most of us would work with students in those instances. The difficult part of being a teacher is balancing that compassion with the structure that students need. In my school, many students have parents serving in Iraq, however, their parents will be the first to tell you that homework is to be completed every night- no exceptions. They don't want their students to begin to take advantage of the situation. Their are special circumstances like returning home that they student will be excused for the night, but usually it is their parents who make them do it later anyhow. Many students will be able to pick up on what they are to learn from simply participating in class, many more need extra time to work with the material and practice outside of school. I agree family time is important. It's a shame teachers often give so much of theirs up for their students, and no one comes to defend us about it.  

• May 20, 2009

"being responsible" sometimes when you're trying to keep a foor over their head (and their siblings) and provide food on a daily basis its not always possible to check homework every night because when i come in at night i hjave to cook and clean and do washing before bathing smaller children and putting them to bed. sometimes i have to put trust in the other child to do their homework on their own! so sorry if i dont seem to care about what the teacher thinks about me when i am doing my best but i suppose thats me not being a responsible parent!  

• May 22, 2009

School has to be a shared partnership. But, I would hestitate to say that a parent is uninvolved if their child does not do homework, because there really are times when life just gets in the way. However, if work is not being completed in school, then the school needs to provide a time for them to do it. We also need to keep in mind that such short notice can create an unreasonable burden on a parent. The noon study hall pretty much works for us. Before we went to the noon studyhall, we gave them until the next day to finish it, along with a form that needed to be signed by the parents to show that they were aware that homework was not completed. If we did not receive the homework and form back the next day, they had to stay after school that day to catch up.  

• Dec 14, 2009

Working Lunch We conduct a Lunch/Homework time. Students get their lunches 5 or 6 minutes earlier and go to another room within the school and do their homework as soon as they are finished eating lunch. It's a working lunch.  

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Letter to the editor: Schools give too much homework

The increasing volume of homework assigned to students is a growing concern that requires immediate attention.

I believe it is a big issue due to it stressing students out and causing them to crunch their time every day after school trying to fit in after-school activities like sports and extracurricular activities and also other things they may have to do every day. It has affected students in many different ways and even causes them to cheat or not actually try on their homework due to their busy schedule, not being able to fit in all their homework as well. 

The article “This is why we should stop giving homework” from the Human Restoration Project explains how families feel crushed by their children's work overload and trying to help them and figure it out. This issue is important because it's causing children to get in the habit of cheating and just trying to find answers from their classmates because they're doing it every day as a daily habit. It stresses out parents and makes their home life harder. 

I believe that everything that students need to learn should be taught and practiced at school. I think there should be no such thing as homework, and most school-related things other than studying should be done at school.

A way that could help this issue is teachers teaching and practicing everything in class to make it where kids don't need to bring their schoolwork home. 

Jason Thain, Green

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What the New Overtime Rule Means for Workers

One of the basic principles of the American workplace is that a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Simply put, every worker’s time has value. A cornerstone of that promise is the  Fair Labor Standards Act ’s (FLSA) requirement that when most workers work more than 40 hours in a week, they get paid more. The  Department of Labor ’s new overtime regulation is restoring and extending this promise for millions more lower-paid salaried workers in the U.S.

Overtime protections have been a critical part of the FLSA since 1938 and were established to protect workers from exploitation and to benefit workers, their families and our communities. Strong overtime protections help build America’s middle class and ensure that workers are not overworked and underpaid.

Some workers are specifically exempt from the FLSA’s minimum wage and overtime protections, including bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees. This exemption, typically referred to as the “EAP” exemption, applies when: 

1. An employee is paid a salary,  

2. The salary is not less than a minimum salary threshold amount, and 

3. The employee primarily performs executive, administrative or professional duties.

While the department increased the minimum salary required for the EAP exemption from overtime pay every 5 to 9 years between 1938 and 1975, long periods between increases to the salary requirement after 1975 have caused an erosion of the real value of the salary threshold, lessening its effectiveness in helping to identify exempt EAP employees.

The department’s new overtime rule was developed based on almost 30 listening sessions across the country and the final rule was issued after reviewing over 33,000 written comments. We heard from a wide variety of members of the public who shared valuable insights to help us develop this Administration’s overtime rule, including from workers who told us: “I would love the opportunity to...be compensated for time worked beyond 40 hours, or alternately be given a raise,” and “I make around $40,000 a year and most week[s] work well over 40 hours (likely in the 45-50 range). This rule change would benefit me greatly and ensure that my time is paid for!” and “Please, I would love to be paid for the extra hours I work!”

The department’s final rule, which will go into effect on July 1, 2024, will increase the standard salary level that helps define and delimit which salaried workers are entitled to overtime pay protections under the FLSA. 

Starting July 1, most salaried workers who earn less than $844 per week will become eligible for overtime pay under the final rule. And on Jan. 1, 2025, most salaried workers who make less than $1,128 per week will become eligible for overtime pay. As these changes occur, job duties will continue to determine overtime exemption status for most salaried employees.

The rule will also increase the total annual compensation requirement for highly compensated employees (who are not entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA if certain requirements are met) from $107,432 per year to $132,964 per year on July 1, 2024, and then set it equal to $151,164 per year on Jan. 1, 2025.

Starting July 1, 2027, these earnings thresholds will be updated every three years so they keep pace with changes in worker salaries, ensuring that employers can adapt more easily because they’ll know when salary updates will happen and how they’ll be calculated.

The final rule will restore and extend the right to overtime pay to many salaried workers, including workers who historically were entitled to overtime pay under the FLSA because of their lower pay or the type of work they performed. 

We urge workers and employers to visit  our website to learn more about the final rule.

Jessica Looman is the administrator for the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. Follow the Wage and Hour Division on Twitter at  @WHD_DOL  and  LinkedIn .  Editor's note: This blog was edited to correct a typo (changing "administrator" to "administrative.")

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