Eliminate homework from being computed into the final grade by Chris Wallace

Homework Homework Homework! It's such a dreaded term that often creeps into the vocabulary of school-aged students who have every bit of the desire to do it as they do to doing chores around the home. It's a term that once uttered, children often fret or use negative body language to show just how much they "appreciate" doing the homework. And while I was never really the biggest fan of homework in school, I am a humongous advocate of requiring homework of students in school. It reinforces learned behaviors in teachings that were taught during that day, week, month or year. Additionally, it provides teachers and educators with snapshots of whether the child is actually capable of learning the work. However, in being an educator and an advocate for the empowerment of today's children, I think the immense value which is placed on homework has actually been misplaced. Homework should NEVER be computed into a child's final grade, particularly in subjects such as reading and math.

Placing emphasis on such often times misleads teachers, educators, students and parents about the capability of the students in those particular subject areas for a number of reasons. One of which includes situations where parents actually complete homework for the students. How fair is that? How do we know that the students are actually doing their OWN homework? And how do we measure a student's academic performance by failing them for not completing and submitting homework? What kind of sense does THAT make?

When Little Johnny brings home that report card that has a "C" on it in reading but he has aced all of his tests/exams/assessments but has yet to complete a homework assignment, what do we do? We look at that "C" and say "well little johnny is a average reading student so how can we help him?" Or better yet, we look and make excuses for why Johnny has a "C" in reading but eliminate the fact that Johnny is probably reading well above grade level. On the flip side, if Little Johnny has a "C" in reading but completes ALL homework with flying colors but fails most or all of his tests/exams/assessments, are we sending Johnny and his parents a false message that he is actually a "C" student in reading?

It's probably not "educationally ethical" to eliminate homework being computed into a student's final grade, but perhaps add a category that says "Homework Completion" and go from there. If we're continuing to mislead ourselves into thinking that the grade on the report card is ALWAYS the actual capability of the student, then we're in for quite a ride.