Making the grade

Why not grade homework?

Many studies have shown that homework does not have a significant measurable impact on younger student’s academic performance. This impact only starts to show up around 7th grade, and even then, it is a small positive impact. Taking the grades off of homework can help manage expectations for all involved.

Benefit Families

Homework that is open-ended and lacks rigidity benefits the whole family. Graded homework increases stress for students as well as their caregivers.

Promote Equity

Grading homework can further drive academic inequity between students who receive much help at home from family, and those who receive little or none.

Next: Homework For Equity

Make a Swap

Instead of grading homework, let the students grade themselves with a self-assessment. This can be a brief fill-in-the-blank for shorter assignments and longer for bigger projects. Self-assessing helps students practice metacognition

Teacher Homework Survey

All answers are optional, I’d love to hear about your homework practice, consider it a kind of self-assessment :)

What grade level do you teach?

How often do you assign homework?

Do you grade homework?

Yes

Do your students participate in self-assessment in the classroom? Around homework or otherwise?

Yes, regularly

No, never

Very rarely

What method do you use regularly to contact parents?

Do you feel pressured by your school site or district to provide homework that you might not otherwise?

Yes

Do you differentiate homework? Why or why not?

Is there anything else you want to share about homework?

Name

First Name

Last Name