PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — Yes, homework still exists for Pasco County students.
“If your child told you we are doing away with homework, they are sadly mistaken," said Pasco School District spokesperson Steve Hegarty.
But district officials said they have tightened up their policy on how much it counts when figuring out students' final grades.
The district is recommending that 70% of grades are determined by mastering the standards of required learning. The other 30% is left up to the teacher's discretion.
That means homework doesn’t count toward the grade at all.
But the district said a sports analogy works to explain why it’s still important.
“If you are on the football team you gotta practice. You gotta learn the plays and work together as a team. You need to get in shape. However, what you do in practice does not determine whether you get a W on Friday night. But you really ought to practice. You really should do your homework to get better at long division or whatever the case may be. And it also gives your teacher an idea of what you need to work on," said Hegarty.
The district said research shows homework should be a time for students to practice “for free” without a grade attached and get valuable feedback from their teachers.
“As long as you learn the material and you do well on the tests, there really shouldn’t be a problem with no homework," said 10th grader Sebastian Marquez.
The district said students can receive below minimum proficiency on some tasks of required learning and still pass the class.
The added flexibility involves second-chance learning opportunities.
While homework isn’t a part of grades, the district said there are times when students should be working on larger projects outside of class that could be given a grade.
