Homework Experiment Draws Mixed Reactions

eighth-graders didn't exactly have no homework.

But for about a month, they had less of it.

As , half the eighth-grade class wasn't given written math or science homework.

The other half wasn't assigned written history or language homework. Students were expected to do readings and study at home, but the readings weren't accompanied by the usual written assignments.

The newspaper, the Madison Dodger, published a report about the experiment on its website Tuesday.

Interim Junior School Principal Tom Liss said Wednesday one of the goals of the trial was to have teachers reflect on giving meaningful homework. He said teachers were turning in results from tests taken during that time to see how students fared academically.

Liss said homework isn't going anywhere. And calls from parents about the experiment seemed to suggest more parents favored having homework assignments, he said. Some students also see homework as a plus because completing homework assignments can be a way to boost their grades.

But some people also see benefits to having less homework, as it can give students more time to develop emotional and social skills doing other activities, and also focus on reading comprehension, he said.