New California bill pushes for schools to give less homework
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SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — How much homework is too much homework? A new California bill introduced in the State Assembly asserts that giving elementary school students hefty amounts of homework does not result in higher academic achievement.
Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo presented the the Healthy Homework Act, AB 2999, in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday. The legislation is aimed at developing updated homework guidelines across California school districts. It would mandate school boards to establish homework policies that support and consider impacts to students’ mental and physical health.
Assemblywoman Schiavo said, “As a single parent, I know how stressful homework time can be for our kids and the entire family. The Healthy Homework Act is about ensuring that our homework policies are healthy for our kids, address the needs of the whole child, and also support family time, time to explore other extra-curricular interests, and give students and families time to connect and recover from the day.”
The assemblywoman’s office said research studies found:
For elementary school pupils, there was no correlation between the amount of time spent on homework and achievement. Students who completed more homework were no more likely than their peers to earn higher grades and scores in school.
For middle and high school students, research found an increase in academic performance when middle schoolers did up to one hour of homework, and high schoolers did up to two hours daily. These effects began to fade as students did more than two hours of work, and more time spent on homework did not necessarily equate to higher academic achievement.
Research findings in AB 2999 state, “The quality of homework assignments is more important than the quantity of work assigned, and that when pupils find homework interesting, relevant, and valuable, they are more likely to complete it.”
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AB 2999 encourages school districts to enact policies that are developmentally appropriate based on grade level, and consider if homework should be optional or not graded in order to reduce pressure.
Schiavo said, “We know homework is a top three stressor in kids’ overall lives. We are in the middle of a student mental health crisis. It’s critical we incorporate homework practices into this discussion to relieve student stress, especially with something we could profoundly impact almost overnight.”
Schiavo announced the bill during a news conference held outside the Capitol Building with teachers on Wednesday. Teacher Casey Cuny, who was named 2023 California Teacher of The Year, said, “This bill will create the space for districts and teachers to have intentional conversations about best practices for homework.”
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