Making Homework Central to Learning

If grading homework sends the wrong signal about its purpose, what can teachers do instead?

Last year, a Texas high school decided it was no longer going to grade homework. Students, focusing only on their grades, thought that meant they no longer needed to do homework. They failed to realize that neglecting homework might affect how well they did on their exams. At midterm, many more students than normal received Ds and Fs on their report cards. Parents were upset, and the school was forced to revisit its decision.

This cautionary tale reveals two flaws in U.S. schools' typical practice of grading homework. First, both students and teachers tend to view homework grades as rewards for working rather than as feedback about learning. Second, students fail to connect homework to assessments, not realizing that homework is "practice for the game."