One day I witnessed my grade in math drop down two points. Along with that, I witnessed my chances of getting into an important class crushed. I thought about my scores; I was achieving higher grades than many of my peers, so how, with all my effort, could this have happened? The newly inputted grade read “homework week 3”, in which I had scored in the low 70’s. There, right in front of me, was my answer. Clearly, to my school, my test grades do not determine my proficiency; my homework does. And, to my school, it was acceptable to count something so minuscule and unremarkable towards a student’s future.

I know and have heard from other students that their homework scores have, similarly to myself, prohibited them from being put into an advanced class. In a survey conducted from October 2018 to January 2020, students reported doing an “average of 2.7 hours of homework per weeknight.” When high schoolers are averaging nearly three hours of homework daily, they should not be expected to complete after-school assignments in classes in which they are already succeeding. In other words, students should focus on work that they understand would benefit their learning the most, and be excused from homework that they themselves deem as unnecessary.

Oftentimes students will focus on homework that impacts their grades the most. If schools remove homework from students’ final grades, they would be secure in their test scores and exams would solely determine their mastery.

Students all learn differently, and it is obvious that people may need more or less practice in a topic to be educated in it. But why are students who may only need the time provided in class to learn something, whether that may be a formula or a theory, penalized? Research has been done that reveals “private study does not automatically mean they learn better.” In many schools, the learning speed of the students shows and matters in final grades in the form of homework. Focusing on tests, quizzes, and other grades from work assigned during the class period in schools would convey their knowledge in the subject more than something that is easily forgettable and often useless.

The heavy impact of a single homework assignment on grades is a common frustration shared by many students. Rethinking a system that prioritizes final and in-class work would better reflect students’ understanding and cater to different learning styles. It’s time to shift towards a fairer way to represent students’ academic career.

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