Will Homework Ban Ease Student Stress?

San Francisco Bay Area Schools Move Toward Limiting Homework Assignments

(CBS/AP)  Alarmed by indicators of student stress like cheating and substance abuse, a handful of San Francisco Bay Area schools are reducing an education staple: homework.

Oak Knoll Elementary in Menlo Park has mostly banned homework — except reading, special projects or catch-up work. Palo Alto's Addison Elementary and the Berryessa School District in San Jose are discussing the issue.

For two decades teachers have been under pressure to raise academic standards and test scores, but CBS News correspondent John Blackstone reports that many are now questioning the value of burying students in homework.

The changes have come as a University of Missouri study found high school students benefit tremendously from homework. In middle school, the results were not as strong, but homework was still found to be beneficial. But on the elementary school level, the same study found homework had no effect on students.

The principal at Oak Knoll Elementary says first-graders spend about six hours a day doing school work, and they shouldn't have to do more work when they go home.

Not all homework at Oak Knoll has been eliminated — for example, third-graders will still practice their multiplication tables at home.

Critics say homework steals time that increasingly busy children need to play or spend with family. Homework proponents argue that it teaches students to be more responsible and manage their time.

At Duke University, Harris Cooper tells CBS News his research has shown that homework does help learning.

"All students can benefit from homework, but the amount and type that is done at each age level should be different," Cooper says.

Fueled by parent complaints, the too-much-homework issue has taken root primarily in wealthy communities with high-achieving schools. Struggling schools are still trying to involve parents in their children's education.

Some schools are trying to find a balance. Ohlone Elementary School in Palo Alto assigns homework to the parents.

Oak Knoll principal David Ackerman says the majority of parents have been supportive of the change. He says other districts have contacted him and are now rethinking their homework policies.

[mtredhawk200]

As the parent of two sons on a working ranch, I used to be angry and upset at the amount of homework my boys had. They caught the bus at 6:45, and got of the bus at 4:15. When they got home they would sometimes have 2 or 3 hours of homework. I couldnt work a ranch hand that many hours in a day! I also needed my boys for ranch work, and they were too busy with make-work. Sometimes the teacher didn't even bother to grade the assignments!

[klingon69]

Back when I was in school, a teacher would tell you that only about an hour should be all that was needed for this homework. What they didn't say was that there were 6 other teachers who felt the sasme way.

[mnelsonix]

Keep dumbing down America. Good plan. Soon we'll all be ranch hands...on some foreign owned US ranch.

[mountainzen]

We are doing a huge injustice to these kids in preparing them for a stress-filed adult life without exposing them to some stress. If you learn to deal with stress when you are young, you might just be better at handling it when you're an adult. Are American kids doing so much better than their international peers to justify %u2018dumbing%u2019 them down a bit more?

[us_infidel]

This is what happens when you let liberals run the education system. They can teach them all day long how to put condoms on veggies, but don't give them homework or expect them to meet standards. That's asking too much.

[lochlan-2009]

Well most of the world doesn't get homework in their 9-5 jobs, why should kids get it? I do think school days should be lengthened, however, and the curriculum changed. Why do kids graduate without knowing how to do their taxes, or how to buy a house, or how to complain to a government official about rights violations, or how to do the everyday things that it is amazing how many Americans don't know how to do? But don't worry they know who ruled Rome 2000 years ago.

[agnim]

U.S. Urged to Reveal Whereabouts of Prisoners Held in Secret Jails

More information has come to light about the CIA's network of secret overseas prisons. A Palestinian man named Marwan Jabour has told Human Rights Watch that he was held in a secret US prison in Afghanistan for nearly two years. According to Jabour, his clothes were taken from him when he arrived at the prison. He was left completely naked for a month and a half. He was chained tightly to the wall of his small cell so that he could not stand up. He was placed in painful stress positions so that he had difficulty breathing. And he was told that if he did not cooperate he would be put in a suffocating %u201Cdog box.%u201D For two years Jabour spent nearly all of his time alone in a windowless cell, with little human contact besides his captors. Jabour said, %u201CIt was a grave. I felt like my life was over.%u201D Based in part on information provided by Jabour, Human Rights Watch has released the names of 38 men believed to have been held in secret CIA prisons who have since disappeared. The group is calling on President Bush to account for the disappeared %u2013 all of whom are Muslim men

ANY AMERICANS?

[anopinion1]

Posted by mtredhawk200 at 02:32 PM : Feb 27, 2007

your kids just pretended to have that much homework every day so they didnt have to do any grunt work...

the all of high school i never left a homework assignment to be done at home except a few papers that needed to be written and then to study for the occasional test that was gonna be hard.....

their is plenty of time to finish things in other classes or during first period which was watching channel 1 in the morning. 3. something gpa to btw

[anopinion1]

agnim u posted that in the wrong log

go away

[gunownerdan]

Many people in San Francisco are already dumb enough. They voted away a CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT for crying out loud. They need MORE homework over there, not less!!!!!

[musty2u]

Stress a student...oh my, whatever were they thinking? Oak Knoll? Isn't that where the navy had its main west coast psychiatry unit back in the 60s? Did some escapee go unreported and take over the school board?

[musty2u]

Stress a student...oh my, whatever were they thinking? Oak Knoll? Isn't that where the navy had its main west coast psychiatry unit back in the 60s? Did some escapee go unreported and take over the school board?

[agnim]

"Will Homework Ban Ease Student Stress?"

Consciousness-Based Education is available to American children to reduce stress and promote learning.

No home work is the most foolish idea since breast implants.

Home is usually less stressed than school environment.
So at home, the children should be able to REVIEW and ABSORB what was taught at the stress filled school environment!

[mitywhity]

What a crock! Kids are now taught that they are the center of their own universe. All this self-esteem hooey is getting out of hand. No wonder people do all the extreme behavior that we see nowadays. They want to continue to be noticed to keep their self esteem up.

Give 'em enough homework to last them 'til nine o' clock and spare them from the TV, video games and the 'net.

[gunownerdan]

Less Homework = More time for kids to watch "Entertainment Tonight" and "Access Hollywood". The dumbing-down of America is moving right along!

[hotks]

im a student and i like the idea of no more homework. its super stressful. and i already spend 5 1/2 hours a day learning. why do i have to do it at home? it's like the teachers shove stuff down your throat at school. then just to haunt you when you come home.
and omg iochlan. i couldnt agree more.
most kids wont grow up to be some history nerd.
what the heck?

[dvillegas43-2009]

Dumb. Very dumb. Parents are being whiny because little Johnnie can't make his football camp. They want little Johnnie to be a big strong professional athlete and make millions of dollars playing a KIDS GAME. I know my rant is on a different tangent (ooh watch out big word there might need to do some HOMEWORK to figure it out) but that's what it is. Parents are too consumed with all the outside extracurricular activities that school work and homework is not as important as it was when I was in school.

[cjkjmj]

i think less homework is good. I have 4 children in elementary and work as a single parent and can honestly say that i learn something new about my children every "weekend". they are too busy with the "16" hour school. (Homework).
School is school and home is home. My kids are not tv hounds or game hounds. they don't even like them, less family closeness is what equals the mess we have today.

[Syndicate]

I have no problem with a kid bringing home unfinished school work, but I hate it when teachers assign homework just to assign homework. My kindergartener has homework every night except friday. My 3rd grader never seems to have home work. So I asked him. He gets homework but its so easy it takes him all of 30 seconds to do it. Its rather cool to watch. Its too bad the teacher can't give him 30 seconds to do his math work.

[musty2u]

Without homework, there will be more time available to play on the "mywastespace"

[knyghtwolf]

My stepdaughter had 3 "F"s on her report card this first nine weeks. What was missing? She didn't turn in her assignments that were being done in CLASS!!! She spends about 15 minutes a night on homework and then wants to watch either WWE or that stupid soap opera channel. We have MTV, VH1, and several other channels barred due to the content of being pure stupidity and it was what she would skip school to come home and watch because school schedules interferred with some of the programs she watched. Physically and mentally she is 17 years old, emotionally she is between 10 - 12. I am trying to fix a problem that others gave up on long ago, she has been diagnosed with ODD and ADHD, but I love her just the same. Drop homework....isn't there a pill for that too?

[tvnewsguy42]

Homework should be abolished. There is really no research to prove it helps and can be counterproductive. School lasts about 7 hours a day and that is plenty of time to get everything done. Home is home and school should not be apart of it. Home is meant for family time and to give students their nightly break from school. School is not supposed to be all day, but homework makes it an all day thing.

[mamaof03]

I agree that children should have homework - in moderation. My 3rd grader came home today with over 13 pages of homework. That is just ridiculous. It wasn't a punishment - the whole class had to do this. My 5th & 7th graders do not come home with this much work. 5 1/2 hrs a day and 90 minutes of homework is fine - but he is not getting to bed until 9pm (doing homework from 3:30 until dinner then after dinner until the time he goes to bed)to wake up at 6am. He is 8 years old! Something has to be done.

[iowa7148]

I'm sorry, but I do agree with Harris Cooper. There is research to support homework. From Keith and Cool, 1992 "Regardless of student ability or prior coursework, the amount of time they devote to homework increases their achievement." What I think is the biggest issues with homework is that educators are not paying attention to two key recommendations from researchers regarding homework.

1. Ask parents to facilitate homework completion rather than help with homework content. Well-planned homework should not need parental help (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001)
2. Schools should develop and communicate a clear homework policy. Establishing, communicating, and adhering to clear policies will increase the likelihood that homework will enhance student achievement (Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001).

This policy must be clearly communicated to parents. Students must have a place to write down assignments, such as an agenda. Homework should have a clear pupose and this purpose clearly communicated to students (no busy work). If students are spending too much time (no more than 10 minutes per grade), then yes, I agree, the district needs to take a good look at their homework policy and revisit it.

[intn1]

When I go to college I'll just inform my professors that I am unable to do their homework because it interferes with mylife. Honestly, I spend anywhere from 30 minutes to 5 hours on homework on 4 of 5 nights a week. On the weekends I work a part time job, attend church, and work on my English homework. We are currently reading one play a week and doing a 5-8 page report on its content and our personal responses. This will last for another 5 weeks. When school started back in January, I had to do 2 short stories a week. I am taking two AP classes that I am getting college credit for. During the fall, I spent 2 hours after school three days a week at band practice. I had no free time. I manage school, homework, church, band practice, family time, friend time, and I have a 3.867 GPA. My ACT scores have been 26 and 28, and I'm shooting for higher in April. Homework is how I reinforce what I have learned during the day. I have to do my homework to practice math concepts and learn vocab words and biological principles, as well as the material for my AP American History. As for doing taxes, my dad taught me. Fixing minor car problems? Dad taught me. Cooking? Mom taught me. Cleaning? Mom taught me. Driving? Both parents taught me. Work ethic? Both parents taught me. I am doing fine. I'm stressed sometimes. Sometimes I feel like I could pull my hair out, but I'm making it just fine, and I'm the kid prepared for the real world.

[j0hnwi11iams]

NCLB is a farce. It is set up to make public schools fail. They want to deprive parents of a voice under the premise that they will be getting choice. Some choice.

[toolmangler-2009]

Sure; lets stop homework, better yet lets knock the schoolday down to one hour, with a 1/2 hour for lunch and 2 fifteen minute recesses. That ought to get rid of all the teenage stress. Then all we have to do is set up a trust fund to keep our 'Little Darlings' set for the rest of their 'short, useless, unproductive lives'. What a giant heap of post animal processed vegatation.

[malya11-2009]

we abolish homework and then we wonder why american education levels are so low, especially compared to european education levels....

i guess our logic has gone with the homework.

[jade881]

I belive not giving us homework is a good idea. Though like with everything there are pros & cons. I stress tremendously becuase If I have something I want to catch up on or something it gets in the way and I get anxiety attacks or so. Maybe they should lessen the homework like give us things we need to work on or so or give us a number of chapters to read because it does get in the way of going out side and spending time with family. Though europe and asia do have better schooling systems or so and we need to catch up, pros & cons.

[tvnewsguy42]

Here's an example how very very little homework helps:

Countris such as China and areas in Japan rarely give homework, and guess what, they are one of the most highest acedemic contries.

Maybe one reason we are not the best educated country is because all the work handed out is more stressful than good for students.

[sclaires]

I cannot see doing away with homework in middle and high school. Most students only go to school 180 days a year which is not enough time to learn all they need to learn. Homework in elementary school should be limited to one subject a night. The school year needs to be lengthen so that the students can learn more. Schools in Japan, China, and I don't know what other countries have longer school years then we do and look at what they have accomplished!

[logan1549]

I think that exorbitant amounts of homework can be counterproductive. At times, the completion of homework becomes the sole purpose of the assignment rather than the synthesis of information found in the assignment. Many instructors in high-achieving schools assign homework as if they teach the only subject offered in the school. It is ridiculous! I think that schools should have committees that monitor the amount of time being spent by students on homework. There is a delicate balance between abolishing homework outright and assigning ridiculous amounts of homework.

[formrusmcsgt]

***Countris*** ***such*** ***as*** ***China*** ***and*** ***areas*** ***in*** ***Japan*** ***rarely*** ***give*** ***homework***, ***and*** ***guess*** ***what***, ***they*** ***are*** ***one*** ***of*** ***the*** ***most*** ***highest*** ***acedemic*** ***contries***.


***Posted*** ***by*** ***tvnewsguy42*** ***at*** ***09***:***58*** ***PM*** : ***Feb*** ***27***, ***2007***

***I*** ***can*** ***not*** ***comment*** ***on*** ***China***, ***but*** ***after*** ***having*** ***lived*** ***in*** ***Japan*** ***for*** ***three*** ***years***, ***I*** ***will*** ***point*** ***out*** ***that*** ***Japanese*** ***children*** ***go*** ***to*** ***school*** ***11*** ***months*** ***out*** ***of*** ***the*** ***year*** ***and*** ***tutors*** ***are*** ***very*** ***common*** ***as*** ***well***.

[anopinion1]

***What*** ***the*** ***hell*** ***does*** ***a*** ***middle*** ***or*** ***high*** ***school*** ***kid*** ***have*** ***for*** ***stress*** ***anyway***!!!!!!!!!!!
***what*** ***they*** ***are*** ***going*** ***to*** ***ware*** ***tomorrow***??***does*** ***this*** ***match***??***does*** ***he*** / ***she*** ***like*** ***me*** ***hate*** ***me***??

***if*** ***they*** ***are*** ***stressed*** ***in*** ***middle*** ***or*** ***high*** ***school*** ***then*** ***they*** ***need*** ***psychiatric*** ***help*** ***nowwwww***. ***and*** ***extra*** ***homework*** ***is*** ***definately*** ***not*** ***the*** ***problem***.

[cathaleen]

The problem isn't the homework, it is what is not being taught during the school day. The kids are graduating with minimal reading skills and bad math ability. The public schools are giving bad
A's out. When these so called A students get into college, they are reading at a 8th grade level and writing at a 6th grade level. So instead of blaming it on the homework, they should focus on the what is being taught in the classroom daily and really get back to the basics.

[anopinion1]

***Posted*** ***by*** ***intn1*** ***at*** ***08***:***05*** ***PM*** : ***Feb*** ***27***, ***2007***

***Unless*** ***you*** ***are*** ***going*** ***for*** ***valedictiorian*** ***or*** ***you*** ***really*** ***think*** ***your*** ***high*** ***school*** ***will*** ***give*** ***you*** ***a*** ***few*** ***scholarships*** ***they*** ***you*** ***are*** ***wasting*** ***your*** ***time***.
***I*** ***also*** ***took*** ***the*** ***AP*** ***classes*** ***in*** ***HS*** ***to*** ***and*** ***they*** ***were*** ***just*** ***a*** ***waste*** ***of*** ***time*** ***and*** ***the*** ***college*** ***credit***, ***whoopedy*** ***do*** ***you*** ***still*** ***have*** ***to*** ***take*** ***the*** ***exact*** ***same*** ***classes*** ***in*** ***college***. ***ENJOY*** ***YOUR*** ***LAST*** ***YEAR*** ***IN*** ***HIGH*** ***SCHOOL*** ***ALREADY*** ***WITH*** ***THE*** ***FRIENDS*** ***YOU*** ***HAVE*** ***HAD*** ***YOUR*** ***WHOLE*** ***LIFE***. ***You*** ***should*** ***have*** ***taken*** ***a*** ***schedule*** ***to*** ***allow*** ***you*** ***to*** ***do*** ***this***. ***College*** ***will*** ***be*** ***their*** ***sill*** ***I*** ***assure*** ***you*** ***that***. ***Don***'***t*** ***stress*** ***about*** ***the*** ***ACT*** ***you*** ***will*** ***get*** ***into*** ***basically*** ***any*** ***college*** ***you*** ***want*** ***as*** ***long*** ***as*** ***you*** ***have*** ***the*** ***money***.
***Here*** ***is*** ***a*** ***TIP*** ***for*** ***anyone*** ***wanting*** ***to*** ***do*** ***better*** ***on*** ***the*** ***ACT***, ***just*** ***do*** ***lots*** ***of*** ***reading***. ***reading*** ***books*** ***whatever***. ***All*** ***75***% ***of*** ***that*** ***test*** ***is***, ***is*** ***how*** ***fast*** ***you*** ***can*** ***read***. ***the*** ***other*** ***25***% ***is*** ***just*** ***simple*** ***math*** ***skills***.

[gunownerdan]

***The*** ***dumbing***-***down*** ***of*** ***America*** ***is*** ***almost*** ***complete***!
***Now*** ***that*** ***we*** ***have*** ***banned*** ***homework***, ***school*** ***kids*** ***can*** ***have*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***learn*** ***about*** ***what***'***s*** ***really*** ***important***. ***They*** ***will*** ***have*** ***much*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***watch*** &***quot***;***Entertainment*** ***Tonight***&***quot***; ***and*** &***quot***;***Access*** ***Hollywood***&***quot***;!

[gunownerdan]

***The*** ***dumbing***-***down*** ***of*** ***America*** ***is*** ***nearly*** ***complete***!
***Now*** ***that*** ***there*** ***is*** ***no*** ***more*** ***homework***, ***school*** ***kids*** ***can*** ***have*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***learn*** ***about*** ***what***'***s*** ***really*** ***important***. ***They*** ***will*** ***have*** ***much*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***watch*** &***quot***;***Entertainment*** ***Tonight***&***quot***; ***and*** &***quot***;***Access*** ***Hollywood***&***quot***;! ***We*** ***sure*** ***are*** ***going*** ***to*** ***have*** ***a*** ***bright*** ***future***.......

[gunownerdan]

***The*** ***dumbing***-***down*** ***of*** ***America*** ***is*** ***nearly*** ***complete***!
***Now*** ***that*** ***there*** ***is*** ***no*** ***more*** ***homework***, ***school*** ***kids*** ***can*** ***have*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***learn*** ***about*** ***what***'***s*** ***really*** ***important***. ***They*** ***will*** ***have*** ***much*** ***more*** ***time*** ***to*** ***watch*** &***quot***;***Entertainment*** ***Tonight***&***quot***; ***and*** &***quot***;***Access*** ***Hollywood***&***quot***;! ***We*** ***sure*** ***are*** ***going*** ***to*** ***have*** ***a*** ***bright*** ***future***.......

[yoopermom]

I think Middle & High school students need homework. It also teaches them about responsability. But, when kids in 1st & 2nd grade are bringing home hours worth of homework, they teachers are going over board,

[love2bmom1]

Hooray for David Ackerman. My husband and I just had a meeting with the principal at Scott Ave. Elementary about homework. Its ridiculous and it destroying our children. Califonia needs to wake up and start listening to our children. The homework and the work load are TOO HEAVY for our elementary school children. They have school burn out by the time they reach middle school. Yeah, last time I checked California is way off base when it comes to school ciriculum.

[shrink1964]

Homework is a crazy concept in lower elementary school! I understand the need to practice basic math facts or a short list of simple spelling words but 30-45 minutes worth of homework in 1st grade leaves me wondering what my son's teacher is doing all day long if we have to continue his academics in the evening too.
Also, sending home work for kids who do not have supportive and interactive parents isn't fair to them. They just continue to fall further behind because of the lack of support for their education that they receive from their parents.

[maiingan]

Aside from my opinion that the formal educational experience should be self-contained in the school except for student-initiated outside learning, there is a problem with homework time analogous to hours of work for employees. When you add up the 'expected' homework time to time spent in school, ask, is this numerically equivalent to part-time work? Full-time work? Overtime without extra pay? There ought to be laws about how much time per day may be required of students as such, especially for the younger ones. Even for FT college students, 40 hrs./week should be the maximum total required.

[dkshoe]

Hooray! We parents have been telling the teachers for years that they give too much homework and that it is mostly busy-work, done half-hearted, of no value, and that kids need time to just be kids! Now, we have "experts" saying the exact same thing. Funny, I always thought parents were the experts regarding their own kids. When will will teachers stop acting like all-knowing gods and listen to the parents? They were wrong about whole language, the new math and now, homework.

[dkshoe]

Hooray! We parents have been telling the teachers for years that they give too much homework and that it is mostly busy-work, done half-hearted, of no value, and that kids need time to just be kids! Now, we have "experts" saying the exact same thing. Funny, I always thought parents were the experts regarding their own kids. When will will teachers stop acting like all-knowing gods and listen to the parents? They were wrong about whole language, the new math and now, homework.

[sirbass73]

Whats next. No classwork? I mean come on. Its cutting into their play time? And these are the same people that complain about how stupid the kids are these days.

[sirbass73]

Whats next. No classwork? I mean come on. Its cutting into their play time? And these are the same people that complain about how stupid the kids are these days.

[sirbass73]

Whats next? No school work? And this is coming from the same people who complain about how stupid American children are.

[sirbass73]

Whats next? No school work? And this is coming from the same people who complain about how stupid American children are.

[sirbass73]

Whats next? No school work? And this is coming from the same people who complain about how stupid American children are.