One of the most contentious topics in school, administrators and teachers strive to find a balance in the amount of homework being assigned. 

“Students should have one-two hours of homework every night no matter what grade and level classes they are taking,” said Assistant Principal Anthony DiBenedetto. 

According to a 2017 study in the Review of Education Research, “students in classes that were assigned homework outperformed 69% of students who didn’t have homework on both standardized tests and grades.” 

The study also concluded that “students who spent between 31 and 90 minutes each day on homework scored about 40 points higher on the SAT-Mathematics subtest than their peers, who reported spending no time on homework each day, on average.” 

However, despite the established benefits of homework, some students feel overwhelmed by the amount of work they are given. 

“I’m taking all Honors classes,” said freshman Jacob Kaminski. “I have two to three hours of homework almost every night. I have barely any free time.”

Freshman Anderson Kadis agreed.

“I’m taking four Honors classes. I have so much homework compared to last year at Paxton Center School that I don’t know how to handle it,” said Kadis.

According to the National PTA and the National Education Association, “freshmen should have no more than 90 minutes and seniors no more than 2 hours of homework.”

Additionally, the amount of homework assigned varies daily.

“The homework is very inconsistent,” said senior Alyssa Boone. “I have teachers that don’t consider the fact that I have other homework. I’ll have two hours of homework one night, and none the next.”

History and Psychology teacher Chelsea Blasco said she doesn’t like to give a lot of homework.

“I know my students get a lot of homework,” said Blasco. ”I like to get feedback from them, and to have open communication from them about their workload. I like to give my students multiple days to do their homework.”

School Counselor Cari Baker said she had an idea for improved homework planning for both teachers and students.

“I like the idea of having certain days be designated for different subjects,” said Baker. “For example, have all math tests/quizzes on Friday, science tests/quizzes on Thursday, and ELA tests/quizzes on Wednesday. That way, all teachers know when their students have tests and quizzes in other classes without knowing what class, at what level and what teacher each student has.”

Baker emphasized the need for changes to be made in homework policy. 

“So many students come to me, stressed and struggling with homework,” she said. “It’s an issue that I would like to be solved.”