Jane Carroll, Associate Managing Editor Graphic by Will Frieders
Three more assignments due, one math quiz in the morning, and all of a sudden the clock hits midnight. Caffeine intake is not helping enough for the amount of workload, and attention span shortening as the hours of homework continue to grow.
AP and honors classes make up a large part of high school and an even larger part of a day’s hours. When students sign up for an AP or honors course, the workload, course rigor and time constraints are always a factor to consider. However; in terms of productivity, mental health and overall necessity, should AP/honors classes have a homework limit?
Time Constraints
For students at NCHS, studying for a test or preparing for an exam may take hours. On top of that preparation, students may still be expected to complete nightly assignments, projects and readings for multiple classes.
Senior Nila Thirumalai, is currently enrolled in several advanced classes “After taking four AP classes and two honors classes I found myself with a heavy workload on top of my busy schedule,” she said. I set up a plan that worked for me in order to stay on top of assignments. After school, I would take at least a half-hour break in between my work, such as, participating in a club or an extracurricular. When the half hour is done, it’s really important for me to narrow in and get my work done.”
For students taking multiple advanced classes, managing homework can become less about the difficulty of one individual assignment and more about the amount of work assigned across every class. A student may be able to handle a large assignment in one class, but when several classes assign work at the same time, the hours quickly add up.
History teacher Amy Rothschild assigns her freshman history classes roughly thirty minutes of homework, which is due during the following class two days later. AP World class receives 45 minutes of homework per night. “Homework in my ninth grade classes is used as building blocks for the lessons in the next class, and in my AP World classes, homework is sometimes used to both cover content when necessary and often reflects writing assignments which are then reviewed in class,” Ms. Rothschild said.
Junior Sean Deasy talks about his experience in AP World and other other advanced classes he is taking. “When I took AP World my sophomore year, I found myself with a decent amount of homework per night,” he said. “The bulk of that time was spent taking chapter notes. This year, taking AP Calculus BC, most of the homework consists of teaching yourself concepts you don’t understand well so that class time can be spent working on assignments or follow up questions.”
A different approach to homework
Math teacher Jennifer Lee does assign homework to her students in High Honors Multivariable Calculus. “This high-level math class is meant to give students a reward and a bit of a break,” she said. “In this class we aren’t moving towards a high stake at the end-of-year assessment, like a lot of the AP classes do, because of this, we have a bit more freedom in the curriculum.”
On top of High Honors Multivariable Calculus, Ms. Lee also teaches Honors Algebra II. “In the course of Algebra II, I assign practice problems and review rather than busy work to be done at home. The homework can be used as a tool to keep concepts fresh in students minds,” said Ms. Lee. “With the block scheduling, I find that students need to keep practicing between our classes of the rotating schedule. I do not expect students to get everything correct on their homework. In fact, I give feedback and corrections at the beginning of class.”
Down to the Minutes
At NCHS, there is a surplus of resources available to help students stay on top of work and sustain their positive mental health.
In the NCHS Student Handbook, it states that in all academic courses, students should expect 0–45 minutes of homework per class. Students in advanced and college-level courses may expect increased workload as is appropriate with their course designation and weighting.
According to Nila, she has had a very different experience with homework than her peers and classmates “I knew a lot of classmates who would spend hours in the night cramming for AP and honors tests the next day, and with homework assignments due, people would pull all-nighters just to finish their work,” she said.
When students spend hours completing assignments, the effectiveness of that work may depend on how focused they are. After a certain point, students can become tired or distracted, potentially making the work less productive. Stanford University conducted a study regarding productivity levels depending on the number of hours spent on homework.
“To maintain peak productivity, high school students should limit their homework to between 90 and 150 minutes.”
Stanford graduate student
Another reason why students may have multiple hours of homework a night is self discipline. Whether it be students letting work pile up or not using free time productively, students often do not manage their workload effectively. The volume of homework that teachers assign is in relation to the student handbook and the needs of the pacing of the class. Students with an IEP or a 504 may struggle to keep up with the pace of the other students. “All of my students and their accommodations are taken into account and I work with them to arrange extended due dates and extra time,” said Ms. Rothschild.
Implementing a homework limit for advanced classes would provide more personal time for students to spend with family, participating in trying a new extracurricular activity. However, if a homework limit were put into place, it is possible that teachers wouldn’t be able to teach the full curriculum in time for the AP exams, and the AP/honors weight for grading may be unjust.
Still, the larger question remains: how much work is necessary for students to succeed, and when does additional homework stop contributing to that success?
As AP and honors courses continue to be a significant part of the academic experience at NCHS, the conversation surrounding workload is unlikely to disappear. Students want to be challenged, but they also have responsibilities outside of the classroom. Finding the balance between academic rigor and a manageable workload may be just as important as the work itself.
