homework passes for students

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Printable Homework Passes | Free Homework Pass Template

Teachers, if you want to make a few homework passes to hand out to a few hardworking students, please take a look at the printable homework pass templates I have drawn.

For best results, print the homework passes on sturdy construction paper. Then carefully cut them out with scissors or an x-acto knife. If you want to reuse the same passes multiple times, simply leave the “for” and “date” lines blank and laminate the pass.

Homework Pass Template

Black & white version.

Please click the template image below to go its download page in the Printables Library.

Color Version

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Free Printable Homework Pass

Homework can often be a daunting task for students of all ages. The hours spent poring over textbooks and completing assignments can sometimes feel overwhelming. But what if there was a way to alleviate some of that stress? Well, lucky for you, I have found some fantastic options for free homework passes that you can use to your advantage!

FREE homework pass printables by MsJBird | Teachers Pay Teachers

Homework-Pass-Template - Tim’s Printables

i teach. i create.: Homework Pass

Free Printable Homework Pass - Activities For Kids | Homework pass

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Get Out Of Homework Free Pass Printable | Free Printable

FREE MISC. LESSON - “Homework Passes Free” - Go to The Best of Teacher

You don’t have to be a teacher to recognize the benefits of these free homework passes. If you have children or know someone who does, these passes can make a thoughtful gift. Encourage the students in your life to take breaks, relax, and enjoy themselves. Balancing academics and leisure time is essential for their overall wellbeing.

So, why not give it a try? Download these fantastic homework pass printables and let your students experience the joy of taking a break from their assignments. Remember, a little reward can go a long way in motivating and inspiring our young learners. Happy teaching!

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Homework Pass EDITABLE

$ 2.00 Multi-licenses $ 1.80

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These are ready-to-print homework passes ( 8 passes per sheet ) for your students, perfect to use with your classroom management system. There are  three  versions:

• PDF Print & Reuse Version  – This has wording already embedded into the homework pass. This version would be useful if you plan on reusing the homework passes after students redeem them. Just print multiple copies on colored card stock, laminate, and cut.
• PDF Print & Use Version  – This has fill-in-the-blank wording already embedded into the homework pass. This version would be useful if you plan on handing out personalized homework passes for students to redeem. Just print multiple copies on colored paper and cut.
• Editable Version   – This version includes a text box with wording already typed in. Just click in the text box to change the text and font as needed.  Please note that the title “Homework Pass” is not editable .

Quick Tip:   If you want to maximize the margin space when printing (so you have less to cut off around the edges), save the editable PowerPoint version as a PDF. Then depending on your printer, you can set the printing setting to “Actual Size” or “Custom Scale” it to around 95%, give or take. By doing this, the homework passes will print as close to the edge of the paper as possible.

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Neag School of Education

How to use homework to support student success.

• by: Sandra Chafouleas
• January 13, 2022
• Community Engagement

Editor’s Note: Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Sandra Chafouleas shares insights on supporting students’ homework during the pandemic in the following piece, which originally appeared  in Psychology Today , where she publishes a blog.

COVID has brought many changes in education. What does it mean for homework?

School assignments that a student is expected to do outside of the regular school day—that’s homework. The general guideline is 10 minutes of nightly homework per grade level beginning after kindergarten. This amounts to just a few minutes for younger elementary students to up to 2 hours for high school students.

The guidance seems straightforward enough, so why is homework such a controversial topic? School disruptions, including extended periods of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, have magnified the controversies yet also have provided an opportunity to rethink the purpose and value of homework.

Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.

First, the amount of assigned homework may be much more than the recommended guidelines. Families report their children are stressed out over the time spent doing homework. Too much homework can challenge well-being given the restricted time available for sleep, exercise, and social connection. In a 2015 study , for example, parents reported their early elementary children received almost three times the recommended guidelines. In high school, researchers found an average of three hours of homework per night for students living in economically privileged communities.

“ Debates about the value of homework center around two primary issues: amount and inequity.”

Second, homework can perpetuate inequities. Students attending school in less economically privileged communities may receive little to no homework, or have difficulty completing it due to limited access to needed technology. This can translate into fewer opportunities to learn and may contribute to gaps in achievement.

There isn’t a ton of research on the effects of homework, and available studies certainly do not provide a simple answer. For example, a 2006 synthesis of studies suggested a positive influence between homework completion and academic achievement for middle and high school students. Supporters also point out that homework offers additional opportunities to engage in learning and that it can foster independent learning habits such as planning and a sense of responsibility. A more recent study involving 13-year-old students in Spain found higher test scores for those who were regularly assigned homework in math and science, with an optimal time around one hour—which is roughly aligned with recommendations. However, the researchers noted that ability to independently do the work, student effort, and prior achievement were more important contributors than time spent.

Opponents of homework maintain that the academic benefit does not outweigh the toll on well-being. Researchers have observed student stress, physical health problems, and lack of life balance, especially when the time spent goes over the recommended guidelines. In a survey of adolescents , over half reported the amount and type of homework they received to be a primary source of stress in their lives. In addition, vast differences exist in access and availability of supports, such as internet connection, adult assistance, or even a place to call home, as 1.5 million children experience homelessness in the United States

The COVID-19 pandemic has re-energized discussion about homework practices, with the goal to advance recommendations about how, when, and with whom it can be best used. Here’s a summary of key strategies:

Strategies for Educators

Make sure the tasks are meaningful and matched..

First, the motto “ quality over quantity ” can guide decisions about homework. Homework is not busy-work, and instead should get students excited about learning. Emphasize activities that facilitate choice and interest to extend learning, like choose your own reading adventure or math games. Second, each student should be able to complete homework independently with success. Think about Goldilocks: To be effective, assignments should be just right for each learner. One example of how do this efficiently is through online learning platforms that can efficiently adjust to skill level and can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.

Ensure access to resources for task completion.

One step toward equity is to ensure access to necessary resources such as time, space, and materials. Teach students about preparing for homework success, allocating classroom time to model and practice good study habits such as setting up their physical environment, time management, and chunking tasks. Engage in conversations with students and families to problem-solve challenges When needed, connect students with homework supports available through after-school clubs, other community supports, or even within a dedicated block during the school day.

Be open to revisiting homework policies and practices.

The days of penalizing students for not completing homework should be long gone. Homework is a tool for practicing content and learning self-management. With that in mind, provide opportunities for students to communicate needs, and respond by revising assignments or allowing them to turn in on alternative dates. Engage in adult professional learning about high-quality homework , from value (Should I assign this task?) to evaluation (How should this be graded? Did that homework assignment result in expected outcomes?). Monitor how things are going by looking at completion rates and by asking students for their feedback. Be willing to adapt the homework schedule or expectations based on what is learned.

Strategies for Families

Understand how to be a good helper..

When designed appropriately, students should be able to complete homework with independence. Limit homework wars by working to be a good helper. Hovering, micromanaging, or doing homework for them may be easiest in the moment but does not help build their independence. Be a good helper by asking guiding questions, providing hints, or checking for understanding. Focus your assistance on setting up structures for homework success, like space and time.

Use homework as a tool for communication.

Use homework as a vehicle to foster family-school communication. Families can use homework as an opportunity to open conversations about specific assignments or classes, peer relationships, or even sleep quality that may be impacting student success. For younger students, using a daily or weekly home-school notebook or planner can be one way to share information. For older students, help them practice communicating their needs and provide support as needed.

Make sure to balance wellness.

Like adults, children need a healthy work-life balance. Positive social connection and engagement in pleasurable activities are important core principles to foster well-being . Monitor the load of homework and other structured activities to make sure there is time in the daily routine for play. Play can mean different things to different children: getting outside, reading for pleasure, and yes, even gaming. Just try to ensure that activities include a mix of health-focused activities such as physical movement or mindfulness downtime.

The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) accredits the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Read more about CAEP Accreditation, including the programs covered and the accountability measures .

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Reward Coupons For Students: Ideas And Guide For Educators

March 16, 2024 //  by  Mhairi Sim

Student reward coupons are a fantastic classroom behavior management tool for students of any age and, if used well, can turn around even the most unruly of classes! You can hand out rewards for good pieces of work or behavior or arrange a system where students can save up counters or tokens to “buy” a reward coupon. We have come up with 30 amazing classroom reward coupon ideas to help establish this super system in your class! 

1. DJ For The Day

Let students pick around three of their favorite songs to play during class time. It’s up to you if you want this to be in the background while your students are working, or if you’d rather it was during a break. Remind your students to pick an appropriate song with clean lyrics.

2. Pen Pass

A pen pass allows students to use a pen to complete their work for the day. They can pick any unique pen as long as it is legible once they have completed their work. You could have a selection of pens in class that are suitable for students to pick from.

3. Sit Next To a Friend

Students love nothing more than to be able to pick their own seating and sit with their friends. This pass allows them to swap seats with someone or let their friend swap to sit next to them for the day.

4. Extended Recess

This reward coupon would allow the holder and a few friends to enjoy an extended recess. When it’s time for the students to come back inside to resume the lessons, they would instead be able to stay out to play for another five or ten minutes.

5. Tech Time

Allowing students free time on a computer or iPad to play a game is always a popular idea! Alternatively, this reward coupon could allow the holder to complete a classwork task on the computer. 

6. Pass on a Task

This coupon allows students to “skip” a classroom task or piece of work and do an activity of their choice instead; within reason of course! It’s perhaps necessary to put certain stipulations that certain essential learning tasks cannot be skipped if you’re covering a difficult or new concept, or doing a test for example.

7. Steal the Spotlight

Give your students five minutes of fame with this fun reward coupon. Students can have five minutes of the class’s undivided attention. They could use this time to share some news or an achievement, perform a talent, or even teach something to the class!

8. Use a Chair During Floor Time or Circle Time

Allow your students the privilege of using a chair for circle time or during other activities where they would usually be expected to sit on the floor. Students love the novelty of being able to sit on their chairs for these activities! 

9. Take a Break

This reward coupon lets your student take a break at a time of their choice, without being in trouble with the teacher for not doing their work! Students can use this coupon at any point during the day and take a five or ten-minute break to read a book, listen to music or just have a bit of quiet time. 

10. Read to the Class

If you have a class novel that you read to your students, this reward is a fantastic option. The coupon allows the holder to take over from the teacher to read from the class novel.

11. A Treat or Prize

A treat or prize coupon can be exchanged for students to take something from your prized stash. These are great to give out for outstanding pieces or work or as coupons that can be “bought” with a small number of tokens if you run your reward system this way. 

12. Sit at The Teacher’s Desk 

The thrill and excitement of sitting at the teacher’s desk is such a rush for students! The coupon allows a student to sit at the teacher’s desk for a whole day whenever they decide they would like to redeem it. 

13. Game Session With a Friend

This reward allows students to pick a few friends to play a game with at some point during the school day. Students could choose to bring a game in for this reward or play one that is already in the class. Alternatively, this reward could be redeemed for the entire class to have a games afternoon!

14. Wear Slippers Instead of Shoes For The Day

Students will love the opportunity to be cozy in class and wear their slippers or fuzzy socks for the day when they redeem this reward!

15. Whole Class Reward

A super way to reward your students is with a whole class reward, like a movie day or a field trip. This reward coupon could have certain steps for the class to be able to receive it, such as everyone finishing their work on time or students saving up tokens or other reward coupons to exchange for a whole class reward rather than individual rewards.

16. Printable Coupons to Write On

These super bright and colorful reward coupons are free to download and print and are perfect to have on hand to fill out any time you want to reward a student for some great work or behavior. 

Learn More: Square Head Teachers

17. Computer-Editable Classroom Reward Coupons

These digital reward coupons are fully editable for you to create your own cards, personalized to your class, using rewards of your choice. Edit, print, and laminate to use over and over again in your elementary classroom.

Learn More: TES

18. Printable Coupons With Redeeming Stub

These super student reward coupons are great to give to students to acknowledge when they have done something great. You can write a reward of your choice on the coupon and when students redeem their reward, you can give them back the stub at the end so they still have a record acknowledging their achievement.

Learn More: Twinkl

19. Bright Rainbow Colored Classroom Reward Coupons

These printable classroom reward coupons are free to download. Keep these nearby to write out and give to students to reward positive behaviors with special privileges! 

Learn More: Sparkle Box

Holiday Coupons

20. christmas coupons.

These festive coupons can be colored in and kept by students to give to each other! The coupons have a space to write your own chosen rewards on them so learners simply need to think up creative ideas for ways in which to reward their classmates. 

Learn More: Printables Fairy

21. Easter Coupons

This Easter coupon pack includes pre-made coupons. They’re perfect to use around the Easter period and are sure to bring motivate your little ones to behave well! 

Learn More: Mom Brite

22. Mother’s Day Coupons

These sweet coupon books are a lovely project for students to complete as a gift to take home for Mother’s Day. The black-and-white option allows students to color the coupons themselves before assembling them into a book.

Learn More: Cendu Param

23. Valentine’s Day Coupons

Spread the love with these valentines coupons. Hand them out to your students at the start of the day or week, and encourage them to fill them out to give to fellow students to reward any kind of act. 

Learn More: Life Worth the Living

24. St Patrick’s Day Coupons

These coupons are a great way to recognize positive behaviors on St Patrick’s Day by giving students “luck” instead of your usual reward coupons. Students can then choose to redeem their gift on the day or at a later stage. 

Learn More: Lee Hansen

25. Upper-Elementary Student Reward Cards

These printable classroom reward coupons have lots of different individual rewards for your upper-elementary classroom. 

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

26. Non-Colored Printable Reward Cards

These classroom reward coupons include individual rewards and group rewards for the entire class. These files print in black ink only which allows you to print onto bright card stock to make these eye-catching and even more exciting for students! 

27. Kindness Coupons

Kindness coupons are a way to reward students for kind and empathetic behavior. You can distribute them to students to give to their peers. Alternatively, use them yourself to reward your kids for the kind behavior displayed. 

Learn More: Kidlutions

28. Reward Coupons with Organizing Pack

This amazing pack includes everything you’ll need to set up your classroom incentives system! From individual student reward coupons to tools for classroom management, there’s something that every teacher will enjoy! 

Learn More: Oh Hey, ELA!

29. Homeschool Reward Coupons

These reward coupons are designed for homeschool educators to help them keep their learners motivated and engaged! These rewards are free to download and print and provide lots of great ideas to treat your learners for amazing work or having a great attitude in the classroom!

Learn More: The Planted Trees

30. Homework Pass Reward Coupons

A homework pass is a firm favorite when it comes to rewarding coupons. Students can hold on to these passes until they want to use them to get out of a homework task that they don’t want to do. The students simply hand in the homework pass instead of the completed homework.

Learn More: Activities for Kids

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Homework Passes for Students

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Customizable homework passes that can be used as a student incentive. Also, consider working with teachers to use the passes as a way to boost attendance at PTO meetings (parents may be more inclined to attend if they're not needed for helping with homework!).

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Homework Pass

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This Printable Homework Pass is great for teachers and homeschool moms .  This pass is a fun way to reward your students for a job well done by giving them a little relief from homework.

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The Magic of a Homework Pass for Classroom Management

I surprised all of them this morning with a HAPPY NEW YEAR homework pass. I rarely hand out paper homework passes because I am trying to cut down on my class’ paper consumption. This year students have received only three paper homework passes Welcome Back, Birthday and Happy New Year. 

Students get so excited when they get a homework pass. The majority of my students do not use them. They like to collect them throughout the year to see how many they can collect and not use. I taught some of my current students last year in my 7/8 split. They asked me on the first day of school if their homework passes carry over. 

Do you use homework passes in your classroom? What is your procedure? Please share your ideas in the comments section below.  Try reward passes in your classroom. Find this resource on Shopify CAD and Teachers Pay Teachers USD .

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1 thought on “The Magic of a Homework Pass for Classroom Management”

K-Hope you are feeling better soon! I love the idea for the passes! I don't do this because I expect homework to be done and I give students plenty of time to get it finished and handed in on time. I do use something similar to you though..I stopped having a prize box this year and I have a set of cards…I got the idea from PINTEREST..and I laminated them. Things like, Special Supply Box, Specialty Seating, Wear a Hat in Class, Wear your IPOD in class. The kids LOVE it. I keep track of them in a method similar to yours…but I do hand out the pass…the kids love picking one out and then they have to submit it when they want to redeem it. I guess I don't worry too much because I laminated them, so they will get used again and again. This has motivated my students much more than the regular "pull something out of the prize box" and it has cost me next to nothing! Get better soon!

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This FREE persuasive writing unit is

• Perfect for engaging students in public speaking and persuasive writing
• Time and energy saving
• Ideal for in-person or online learning

By using highly-engaging rants, your students won’t even realize you’ve channeled their daily rants and complaints into high-quality, writing!

Why I stopped giving homework passes & my students loved it!

For years (literally, like 7 of them), homework passes were my go-to reward. Had a birthday, I gave you a Birthday Pass.

Did something above and beyond? I rewarded you with a pass.

Get the picture? It was pretty bad…or good, depending on your viewpoint. About a year ago, I had an epiphany.

As I am sure you know, there is a plethora of research on homework.

There are those in the Alfie Kohn camp , who argue homework has no educational purpose. Then there are those who suggest that without it, there just isn’t enough time in the day to build all the necessary academic skills.

However, neither of these camps actually swayed my decision. Keep reading to find out why I no longer give homework passes & what I do instead.

Why I stopped giving homework passes

So why did I give up on passes?

While they weren’t causing any major issues, they also weren’t serving any purpose. In fact, they were working against my goals.

I stopped giving these passes because it gave the impression that I didn’t see the homework as purposeful or valuable.

Why am I giving it if I am willing to let you skip it?

A homework pass tells students that homework doesn’t matter. They can skip it on a whim just by trading in a ticket. Some students used these appropriately – when they forgot an assignment or had a busy night and couldn’t quite finish. However, most did not.

Homework passes tell students that the assignment itself is a punishment.

Instead, I want my students to be getting value from their assignments…perhaps even (GASP!!) enjoying it.

How do I handle things now that I quit giving homework passes?

At my campus, homework is required for all students starting in first grade so eliminating homework wasn’t an option. While I may have wanted to, it just wasn’t a choice for me. Instead, I decided to take a different route.

I decided to incorporate choice . I believe that choice is one of the biggest transformational factors we can incorporate into our classrooms. So the first thing I did was change the assignments to give students options.

For me, this came in the form of homework choice boards, which we called Homework BINGO .

Homework choice boards offer me the opportunity to differentiate while being sure students were practicing the essential skills required by my school – like math facts and consistently reading at home.

When I introduced the new homework format, the students LOVED it! It was the first time they felt like they had any control over their school assignments.

How do Homework Choice Boards work?

I knew homework should focus on practicing skills that students have already learned. Many students don’t have a parent to help them with homework, and they don’t need to be trying to master new skills without support.

I also don’t want to set families up for added stress because they aren’t available to help as much as they would like. It just isn’t great for building home-school relationships , you know?

That’s why I set up the assignments in each square of the choice board to be something they should already know how to do independently.

Reading, writing, math – the basics. I knew if my students continued to build on the basics at home they could do the more challenging tasks at school more easily.

I created the options on the Homework BINGO boards to be familiar but to push students slightly out of their comfort zone. For example, about half of the squares on the board were reading and writing activities, but each square is different.

The option in one square might be 15 minutes of reading about a famous person.

Another square is reading a book of your own choice. They are both reading, but now the students have options and parents can be in control of differentiating based on what works for their lifestyle.

I did the same thing for writing, math, and spelling (all our required homework components).

So what are the rules of Homework BINGO?

I urge the students to make a variety of choices in order to earn BINGO each week. However, I do not make this a requirement. Instead, each student must finish 10 of the 25 squares.

I offer an incentive for those earning BINGO – a chance to earn line leader the following week. Since this is a pretty hot commodity in my classroom, I get many students trying to enter the competition.

Regardless of whether they get BINGO, students have their choice board signed by an adult and return it on Friday. That’s it! I pass out a new board on Monday, and students glue it into their take-home journal and we start the process again.

And what do your students and parents think about it?

You wouldn’t believe how many students describe their homework as fun!

And the parents?

Let’s just say I get a LOT less parent communication about homework now.

Over the years, I’ve heard it all.

“You give too much homework.”

“Can you give us some extra assignments? We need more homework.”

With the Homework BINGO boards, parents can differentiate for their children. The ball is in their court with how much homework to give beyond the minimum expectations.

I even get comments during parent conferences about how much they like the homework and how they see their children challenging themselves to try something new.

Definitely not something I ever imagined happening.

My replacement for homework passes – Choice Boards

Of course, I still have rewards in my room. I’ve adjusted them so they don’t undermine the joy of learning as the passes did.

Popular choices these days include:

• Shoes off math – a carry-over from my own 2nd-grade teacher, Mr. Hammer, who was WAY ahead of his time
• Use markers or crayons instead of pencils on an assignment
• Flashlight reading

Basically, I have decided to give other choices that are exciting to the students. The funny thing is, I don’t miss homework passes…and neither do my students. My homework process is smoother, and my students are interested in participating.

Want to try the BINGO choice boards in your classroom?

Want to give this differentiated homework option a try? It is currently available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

You can get Homework BINGO here .

It contains weekly homework sheets aligned with a September to May school year. Each week has a slightly different set of options that go with monthly themes and holidays.

Homework BINGO is also editable to allow you to align tasks to your unit plans and practice your students need to be successful. This means you can provide differentiated homework menus to fit your classroom each year.

I’d love to hear more about homework in your classroom. Do you still use homework passes?

Looking for more articles on how to differentiate for your students?

Check out the links below:

• 5 simple strategies to support struggling learners in science & social studies
• How to differentiate reading for struggling learners

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Will less homework stress make California students happier?

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A bill from a member of the Legislature’s happiness committee would require schools to come up with homework policies that consider the mental and physical strain on students.

Lea esta historia en Español

Update: The Assembly education committee on April 24 approved an amended version of the bill that softens some requirements and gives districts until the 2027-28 school year. Some bills before California’s Legislature don’t come from passionate policy advocates, or from powerful interest groups.  

Sometimes, the inspiration comes from a family car ride. 

While campaigning two years ago, Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo ’s daughter, then nine, asked from the backseat what her mother could do if she won.

Schiavo answered that she’d be able to make laws. Then, her daughter Sofia asked her if she could make a law banning homework.

“It was a kind of a joke,” the Santa Clarita Valley Democrat said in an interview, “though I’m sure she’d be happy if homework were banned.”

Still, the conversation got Schiavo thinking, she said. And while Assembly Bill 2999 — which faces its first big test on Wednesday — is far from a ban on homework, it would require school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to develop guidelines for K-12 students and would urge schools to be more intentional about “good,” or meaningful homework. 

Among other things, the guidelines should consider students’ physical health, how long assignments take and how effective they are. But the bill’s main concern is mental health and when homework adds stress to students’ daily lives.

Homework’s impact on happiness is partly why Schiavo brought up the proposal last month during the first meeting of the Legislature’s select committee on happiness , led by former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon .   

“This feeling of loneliness and disconnection — I know when my kid is not feeling connected,” Schiavo, a member of the happiness committee, told CalMatters. “It’s when she’s alone in her room (doing homework), not playing with her cousin, not having dinner with her family.” 

The bill analysis cites a survey of 15,000 California high schoolers from Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education. It found that 45% said homework was a major source of stress and that 52% considered most assignments to be busywork.  

The organization also reported in 2020 that students with higher workloads reported “symptoms of exhaustion and lower rates of sleep,” but that spending more time on homework did not necessarily lead to higher test scores.

Homework’s potential to also widen inequities is why Casey Cuny supports the measure. An English and mythology teacher at Valencia High School and 2024’s California Teacher of the Year , Cuny says language barriers, unreliable home internet, family responsibilities or other outside factors may contribute to a student falling behind on homework.

“I never want a kid’s grade to be low because they have divorced parents and their book was at their dad’s house when they were spending the weekend at mom’s house,” said Cuny, who plans to attend a press conference Wednesday to promote the bill.

In addition, as technology makes it easier for students to cheat — using artificial technology or chat threads to lift answers, for example — Schiavo says that the educators she has spoken to indicate they’re moving towards more in-class assignments. 

Cuny agrees that an emphasis on classwork does help to rein in cheating and allows him to give students immediate feedback. “I feel that I should teach them what I need to teach them when I’m with them in the room,” he said. 

The bill says the local homework policies should have input from teachers, parents, school counselors, social workers and students; be distributed at the beginning of every school year; and be reevaluated every five years.

The Assembly Committee on Education is expected to hear the bill Wednesday. Schiavo says she has received bipartisan support and so far, no official opposition or support is listed in the bill analysis. 

The measure’s provision for parental input may lead to disagreements given the recent culture war disputes between Democratic officials and parental rights groups backed by some Republican lawmakers. Because homework is such a big issue, “I’m sure there will be lively (school) board meetings,” Schiavo said.

Nevertheless, she says she hopes the proposal will overhaul the discussion around homework and mental health. The bill is especially pertinent now that the state is also poised to cut spending on mental health services for children with the passage of Proposition 1 .

Schiavo said the mother of a student with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder told her that the child’s struggle to finish homework has raised issues inside the house, as well as with the school’s principal and teachers.

“And I’m just like, it’s sixth grade!” Schaivo said. “What’s going on?”

Lawmakers want to help California be happy

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Lynn La Newsletter Writer

Lynn La is the WhatMatters newsletter writer. Prior to joining CalMatters, she developed thought leadership at an edtech company and was a senior editor at CNET. She also covered public health at The Sacramento... More by Lynn La

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Will less homework stress make California students happier?

Some bills before California’s Legislature don’t come from passionate policy advocates, or from powerful interest groups.

Sometimes, the inspiration comes from a family car ride.

While campaigning two years ago, Assemblymember Pilar Schiavo ’s daughter, then nine, asked from the backseat what her mother could do if she won.

Schiavo answered that she’d be able to make laws. Then, her daughter Sofia asked her if she could make a law banning homework.

“It was a kind of a joke,” the Santa Clarita Valley Democrat said in an interview, “though I’m sure she’d be happy if homework were banned.”

Still, the conversation got Schiavo thinking, she said. And while Assembly Bill 2999 — which faces its first big test on Wednesday — is far from a ban on homework, it would require school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to develop guidelines for K-12 students and would urge schools to be more intentional about “good,” or meaningful homework.

Among other things, the guidelines should consider students’ physical health, how long assignments take and how effective they are. But the bill’s main concern is mental health and when homework adds stress to students’ daily lives.

Homework’s impact on happiness is partly why Schiavo brought up the proposal last month during the first meeting of the Legislature’s select committee on happiness , led by former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon .

“This feeling of loneliness and disconnection — I know when my kid is not feeling connected,” Schiavo, a member of the happiness committee, told CalMatters. “It’s when she’s alone in her room (doing homework), not playing with her cousin, not having dinner with her family.”

The bill analysis cites a survey of 15,000 California high schoolers from Challenge Success, a nonprofit affiliated with the Stanford Graduate School of Education. It found that 45% said homework was a major source of stress and that 52% considered most assignments to be busywork.

The organization also reported in 2020 that students with higher workloads reported “symptoms of exhaustion and lower rates of sleep,” but that spending more time on homework did not necessarily lead to higher test scores.

Homework’s potential to also widen inequities is why Casey Cuny supports the measure. An English and mythology teacher at Valencia High School and 2024’s California Teacher of the Year , Cuny says language barriers, unreliable home internet, family responsibilities or other outside factors may contribute to a student falling behind on homework.

“I never want a kid’s grade to be low because they have divorced parents and their book was at their dad’s house when they were spending the weekend at mom’s house,” said Cuny, who plans to attend a press conference Wednesday to promote the bill.

In addition, as technology makes it easier for students to cheat — using artificial technology or chat threads to lift answers, for example — Schiavo says that the educators she has spoken to indicate they’re moving towards more in-class assignments.

Cuny agrees that an emphasis on classwork does help to rein in cheating and allows him to give students immediate feedback. “I feel that I should teach them what I need to teach them when I’m with them in the room,” he said.

The bill says the local homework policies should have input from teachers, parents, school counselors, social workers and students; be distributed at the beginning of every school year; and be reevaluated every five years.

The Assembly Committee on Education is expected to hear the bill Wednesday. Schiavo says she has received bipartisan support and so far, no official opposition or support is listed in the bill analysis.

But she does acknowledge that, if passed, the measure’s provision for parental input may lead to disagreements given the recent culture war disputes between Democratic officials and parental rights groups backed by some Republican lawmakers. “I’m sure there will be lively (school) board meetings,” Schiavo said.

Nevertheless, she says she hopes the proposal will overhaul the discussion around homework and mental health. The bill is especially pertinent now that the state is also poised to cut spending on mental health services for children with the passage of Proposition 1 .

Schiavo said the mother of a student with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder told her that the child’s struggle to finish homework has raised issues inside the house, as well as with the school’s principal and teachers.

“And I’m just like, it’s sixth grade!” Schaivo said. “What’s going on?”

This article was originally published by  CalMatters .

New California bill pushes for schools to give less homework

S AN FRANCISCO (KRON) — How much homework is too much homework? A new California bill introduced in the State Assembly asserts that giving elementary school students hefty amounts of homework does not result in higher academic achievement.

Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo presented the the Healthy Homework Act, AB 2999, in the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday. The legislation is aimed at developing updated homework guidelines across California school districts. It would mandate school boards to establish homework policies that support and consider impacts to students’ mental and physical health.

Assemblywoman Schiavo said, “As a single parent, I know how stressful homework time can be for our kids and the entire family. The Healthy Homework Act is about ensuring that our homework policies are healthy for our kids, address the needs of the whole child, and also support family time, time to explore other extra-curricular interests, and give students and families time to connect and recover from the day.”

The assemblywoman’s office said research studies found:

• For elementary school pupils, there was no correlation between the amount of time spent on homework and achievement. Students who completed more homework were no more likely than their peers to earn higher grades and scores in school.
• For middle and high school students, research found an increase in academic performance when middle schoolers did up to one hour of homework, and high schoolers did up to two hours daily. These effects began to fade as students did more than two hours of work, and more time spent on homework did not necessarily equate to higher academic achievement.

Research findings in AB 2999 state, “The quality of homework assignments is more important than the quantity of work assigned, and that when pupils find homework interesting, relevant, and valuable, they are more likely to complete it.”

AB 2999 encourages school districts to enact policies that are developmentally appropriate based on grade level, and consider if homework should be optional or not graded in order to reduce pressure.

Schiavo said, “We know homework is a top three stressor in kids’ overall lives. We are in the middle of a student mental health crisis. It’s critical we incorporate homework practices into this discussion to relieve student stress, especially with something we could profoundly impact almost overnight.”

Schiavo announced the bill during a news conference held outside the Capitol Building with teachers on Wednesday. Teacher Casey Cuny, who was named 2023 California Teacher of The Year, said, “This bill will create the space for districts and teachers to have intentional conversations about best practices for homework.”

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