Dive Brief:

• P.S. 116 in New York City will no longer give students homework. 
• Last month, the school's principal, Jane Hsu, sent home a letter to parents explaining how research has shown that afterschool time would be better spent playing or reading at one's own pace and that there is no link between homework and academic success.
• While a 2012 Indiana University study found little correlation between homework and grades, it did find a link between homework and standardized test scores.

Dive Insight:

In Chicago, Hamilton High School got rid of homework for grades K-2, and according to the Huffington Post, parents have been very supportive of the decision. Homework is often considered a given in most school settings, but there is often little thought over how meaningful the work is. Parents, for example, sometimes complain if their child doesn't seem to have enough homework, which may make teachers give students busy work. In this scenario, nobody is benefiting. In any situation—classroom time or homework—a good rule of thumb is to just make sure every assignment has a purpose.