Students Under Stress - k12.com

1 Students Under StressDo schools assign too much homework?The average homework load for first- through third-graders has doubled over the past two decades,even though research shows homework doesn tbenefit such young children. Indeed, some schoolsrequire preschoolers to tackle academic subjects like reading andwriting. In response a parents movement has arisen mainly inmiddle- and upper-income suburbs protesting excessive home-work and other forms of academic pressure, including so-calledhigh-stakes testing.

2 Parents say the added pressure robs childrenof needed play and family time and can cause Stress , sleep depri-vation, depression and family strife. Some schools have respondedby limiting homework for the youngest children and downplayingstress-causing programs, such as academichonor rolls. At the sametime, however, high school Students spend less time in classthan Students in most other countries, and their homework loadsremain far below the two hours per day that research shows isoptimal for college-bound NEXT Aisha Jones does her homework inBolingbrook, Ill.

3 A growing number of parents opposethe trend toward homework for young by CQ Press, a division of Congressional Quarterly Researcher July 13, 2007 17, Number 25 Pages 577-600 RECIPIENT OFSOCIETY OFPROFESSIONALJOURNALISTSAWARD FOREXCELLENCE AMERICANBARASSOCIATIONSILVERGAVELAWARD57 8CQ ResearcherTHEISSUES579 Are Students today undermore academic pressure? Are schools assigningtoo much homework? Do high-stakes testscause too much pressure?BACKGROUND586 Schooling ExpandsEducation is seen as thepath to VisionsBest learning practices forstudents are War FearsCompetition with the SovietUnion sparks Backpacks?

4 Homework has increasedsince the Reagan HomeworkSchools are questioningthe value of the TestsSome say the No ChildLeft Behind law to TeachSchools face pressure toteach ANDGRAPHICS580 Should Students Be PushedHarder?Many parents think Do More Socializing Than StudyingAt least half spend over sixhours a week with Kids FaceMost Pressure in ClassA family atmosphere Is Top Cause of StressMany blame Say Children GetEnough Free TimeLess than a fifth say they don Homework ComplaintsParents and Students say theright amount is events since Middle-SchoolersDo More HomeworkWorkload is twice Teaching to Fitthe BrainNeuroscience overcomescognitive Cognitive

5 ScienceHelps EducatorsResearch findings are notwell IssueDo American Students gettoo much homework?FORFURTHERRESEARCH597 For More InformationOrganizations to sources Next StepAdditional CQ ResearcherSample bibliography : AP Photo/Stacie FreudenbergMANAGING EDITOR:Thomas J. MANAGING EDITOR:Kathy EDITOR:Kenneth JostSTAFF WRITERS:Marcia Clemmitt, Peter Katel CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:Rachel S. Cox,Sarah Glazer, Alan Greenblatt,Barbara Mantel, Patrick Marshall,Tom Price, Jennifer WeeksDESIGN/PRODUCTION EDITOR:Olu B.

6 DavisASSISTANT EDITOR:Darrell Dela RosaEDITORIAL INTERN:Paul ElliottA Division ofCongressional Quarterly VICE PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER:John A. JenkinsDIRECTOR, EDITORIAL OPERATIONS:Ann DaviesCONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY :Paul C. TashVICE CHAIRMAN:Andrew P. CortyPRESIDENT/EDITOR IN CHIEF:Robert W. MerryCopyright 2007 CQ Press, a division of Congres-sional Quarterly Inc. (CQ). CQ reserves all copyrightand other rights herein, unless previously specifiedin writing. No part of this publication may be re-produced electronically or otherwise, without priorwritten permission.

7 Unauthorized reproduction ortransmission of CQ copyrighted material is a violationof federal law carrying civil fines of up to $100, Researcher(ISSN 1056-2036) is printed on acid-free paper. Published weekly, except March 23, June29, July 6, Aug. 10, Aug. 17, Nov. 23, Dec. 21 andDec. 28, by CQ Press, a division of CongressionalQuarterlyInc. Annual full-service subscriptions forinstitutions start at $667. For pricing, call 1-800-834-9020, ext. 1906. To purchase a CQ Researcherre-port in print or electronic format (PDF), or call 866-427-7737.

8 Single reportsstart at $15. Bulk purchase discounts and electronic-rights licensing are also available. Periodicals post-age paid at Washington, , and additional mailingoffices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to CQResearcher, 1255 22nd St., , Suite 400, Washing-ton, DC 13, 2007 Volume 17, Number 25 CQResearcherJuly 13, 2007579 Available online: Under StressTHEISSUESWhen Nancy Kalish sdaughter was inseventh grade,she suddenly began saying, I hate school , recalls Kalish,a journalist in New York City.

9 She started saying it everysingle day. Kalish soon discoveredthat what had been a rea-sonable amount of home-work for Allison in gradeschool had mushroomed intofour hours a night in middleschool. Soon, our entire rela-tionship revolved aroundhomework, with the firstquestion when she came inthe door each afternoon, How much homework doyou have? says Kalish. Theanswer determined whetherAllison would see friends, at-tend a concert or a grandparent s birth-day party or stay home resulting family tension andtheir daughter s newfound anger to-ward school turned Kalish and herhusband once true believers inthe value of homework into ac-tivists who sought a school policy lim-iting homework at Allison s a coauthor, Kalish wrote the 2006book The Case Against is part of a new wave ofparents.

10 Many in middle- and upper-income communities, protesting whatthey say is too much homework particularly in elementary and middleschool causing Stress , sleep depri-vation, depression and family the last two decades, worriesabout global competition have prompt-ed business leaders and lawmakersto increase pressure on schools toraise achievement. Most of that pres-sure has fallen on the youngest chil-dren, however, even though it s who score lowest oninternational achievement high school homework loadshaven t increased, while first-, second-and third-graders have been gettingmore homework, even though datashow homework doesn t improve learn-ing for young children.