State lawmakers are attempting to pass an assembly bill that would limit the amount of homework students have. A.B. 2299 increases oversight on homework distributed by holding “[two] public meetings” within the local education agency. Although the bill sets forward progress in limiting the amount of stress and anguish that students experience from long hours of homework, it isn’t the best way to solve the larger problems of low graduation rates and summer learning gaps students face. In order to maximize educational productivity, it would be more effective to lengthen the academic school year.
Extending the school year would be a major beneficiary to many students and help alleviate the pressure of many issues that the educational system faces. In 2022, more than 15% of Californians were not able to graduate high school. Reasons as to why students don’t graduate vary wildly. The student might have felt overwhelmed with the workload or had a rough situation at home that prevented him/herself from attending school frequently. Limiting the amount of homework that a student has can solve one of those two problems. Expanding the number of school days gives the students more opportunities to complete their work assigned.
Year-round schooling has been proven to be the most effective tool for tackling high school dropouts, as year-round schools have a 2% dropout rate. With more space in between to complete the school work, students are better equipped to tackle the workload that they face in front of them.
Expanding the school year is not only more beneficial for K-12 schools but is also more valuable for students pursuing an undergraduate education. Pupils who are given less homework may be less prepared for the work and stress that comes from an education at a university. Unlike high school and middle school teachers, professors are much less lenient and college courses are significantly more challenging. Even though the graduation rate among high schoolers in California is over 80%, the graduation rate among students pursuing a bachelor’s degree is about 52.8%. In order to be prepared for the work assigned in a college class, students must first be able to handle the academic workload — including daily homework — that comes out of high school.
Cutting down on homework may seem like the most important action toward improving the quality of academic success for California students. However, there are more effective ways to improve California’s educational system. Expanding the school year should be the next step forward.
