Somerville Limits Homework Load For Younger Students

SOMERVILLE, MA – The public school system recently adopted a policy that places limits on the amount of time and number of days younger students can spend on homework. The work load for high school students will vary by subject, but the policy lays out maximum ceilings for K-8 students.

Homework for grades K-2 is optional and should not exceed 20 minutes a day for no more than two days per week. If assigned, it will not factor into a student's final grade.

Homework for grades 3-5 should not exceed 30 minutes and should be limited to 2-3 nights per week. A 60-minute limit has been put on homework for grades 6-8, and students should not spend more than 2-3 days per week on it.

No homework will be assigned over weekends, holidays or school vacation weeks for K-8 students, according to the policy.

Reception to the new policy has been mixed. Teachers who spoke at a Feb. 25 school committee meeting raised concerns over what they felt was a lack of notice before implementing the policy and its potential impact on preparing students for more difficult course loads, according to the Somerville Journal. Many parents, meanwhile, said they supported the new policy.

The superintendent is in favor of suspending the policy until she can discuss its implementation with each principal, the Journal reported.