New homework policy is fair for students

By Elora Brow

Online Opinion Editor

During the first semester, in an attempt to reduce student stress and workload, Mira Costa science teachers Jessica Bledsoe, Yoon Hearn, and Teresa Nielsen have decided not to count all homework throughout the first semester. These teachers’ efforts are designed to create a positive impact on the students’ everyday lives by reducing the amount of student stress regarding homework.

Costa created the Social Emotional Wellness Committee, a committee comprising Costa students, teachers, parents and counselors, to discuss the social and emotional wellness of students and propose means of reducing stress faced by students.

Students are commonly overburdened with stress from school, and even small changes by teachers can help make major differences in reducing stress, according to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, an educational leadership organization. Only teachers have the ability to grant greater independence in students’ homework, which will prove beneficial in reducing stress and fostering responsibility.

Click here to find out what The Atlantic’s opinion on student stress is. 

The teachers’ major concern with this plan is that if students don’t put in the effort to do the given work, then they will not comprehend the information as well, Bledsoe said. If students don’t put in any effort for their work because they are no longer receiving points for it, their grades could potentially suffer on exams, but it is important for students to develop responsibility so that they complete the work necessary to properly understand the assigned information.

Trusting students to complete worksheets and watch assigned videos is a constructive policy because it prepares them for college where teachers don’t keep track of student work, Nielsen said. This new technique is beneficial for students because it can help build responsibility and time management skills, therefore preparing students for the future.

Labs specific to Costa science classes are crucial to students’ education and are weighted at 25% of a student’s grade. They typically requiring work at home, so they will still be counted for homework points, Nielsen said. It is important for students to still have occasional homework, such as the labs, in order for students to understand the material without getting overwhelmed.

According to NBC News, teens are more stressed out than adults. 

According to a survey of 200 Costa students, 64% believes that not grading homework will negatively affect students’ ability to grasp the material. As many Costa students are flooded with homework nightly, students will most likely choose not to complete optional assignments as homework that will be counted for credit, Bledsoe said. Students in AP science classes in particular are expected to have developed sufficient study habits that will allow them to understand their course material regardless of whether homework is graded.

These three Costa teachers are taking positive steps in helping reduce student stress while also teaching them lessons for the future.

Students who ultimately  choose not to do the work they are given will be negatively impacted by this plan, but students who continue to stay on top of their work and focus on understanding the course material will greatly benefit because they will develop valuable skills while enjoying reduced stress.