Henrico poised to scale back homework
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Henrico County School Board is considering major changes to its homework policy, including capping the amount teachers can assign and reducing the effect it can have on grades.
Why it matters: Our former school-age selves are rejoicing.
The big picture: Henrico's proposal reflects a shift away from homework that's playing out across the country as educators grapple with students' post-pandemic mental health needs and the rise of AI, Axios' April Rubin reports.
State of play: The proposed policy — which the board formally introduced at its recent work session — shifts the role of homework in Henrico from obligatory, nightly assignments to an optional tool teachers can use to enhance classroom learning.
- Under the revised guidelines, homework cannot count for more than 15% of middle and high school students' final grade.
- For elementary school students, it can't be graded at all. And homework cannot be assigned as a disciplinary consequence.
- Homework, if assigned, should be directly connected to a specific instructional objective, and teachers must provide "meaningful feedback" on the work they assign.
The intrigue: The amount of time students have after school to complete homework is given specific attention in the new policy, which is designed to ensure homework is "purposeful" and that students aren't overloaded.
- As such, the new policy institutes caps for the amount of at-home time homework should take, broken down by grade. That's a change from the current policy, which presents homework time allotments as nightly targets.
- Middle schoolers get the biggest break, with assignments to not exceed 20 minutes per "content area," as opposed to 30 minutes per subject now.
- Kindergarteners, who currently have no time allotment, are capped at 20 mins.
Zoom in: Grades 1 and 2 stay the same (30 mins. max); as do Grade 3 (40 mins.), Grades 4 and 5 (40 mins.) and high schoolers (40 mins. per content area)
- Yes, but: The proposal makes it clear that homework assignments are optional.
- AP, IB and other accelerated learning courses are exempt from the new policies.
Context: Henrico's proposed policy had already been through the district's internal committees, advisory groups, and public and staff reviews before it was introduced.
- It's also been endorsed by district superintendent Amy Cashwell
What's next: The school board is scheduled to vote on the proposal on June 11.
What we're watching: How many Richmond and Chesterfield students start house hunting for their parents in Henrico.