Bill Text: CA AB2999 | 2023-2024 | Regular Session | Amended
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Pupil instruction: homework policy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-08-19 - Read second time. Ordered to third reading. [AB2999 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2999-Amended.html
Bill Title: Pupil instruction: homework policy.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Engrossed) 2024-08-19 - Read second time. Ordered to third reading. [AB2999 Detail]
Download: California-2023-AB2999-Amended.html
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Amended
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Senate
July 03, 2024 |
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Amended
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Senate
June 24, 2024 |
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Amended
IN
Senate
June 10, 2024 |
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Amended
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Assembly
April 29, 2024 |
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Amended
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Assembly
March 21, 2024 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2023–2024 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2999
| Introduced by Assembly Members Schiavo, Lowenthal, and Pellerin (Coauthors: Assembly Members Jackson, Lee, and Blanca Rubio) (Coauthor: Senator Ashby) |
February 16, 2024 |
An act to add Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, relating to pupil instruction.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2999, as amended, Schiavo.
Pupil instruction: homework policy.
Existing law grants pupils, parents, and guardians certain rights regarding the delivery of educational services, including, among others, rights regarding primary supplemental instruction materials. Existing law provides that none of these rights shall be construed as restricting teachers in the assignment of homework.
This bill, the Healthy Homework Act, would require each school district, county office of education, and charter school to (1) develop a homework policy for all grades maintained by the local educational agency, as specified, by the start of the 2027–28 school year, (2) formally adopt a final homework policy by the end of the 2027–28 start of the 2028–29
school year, and (3) update the adopted homework policy at least once every 5 years. years, as provided. The bill would authorize a local educational agency to first pilot the homework policy, including during the 2027–28 school year, as specified. The bill would, among other things, require the adopted or updated homework policy to be annually distributed at the beginning of the school year to all certificated staff and administrators, to all pupils and parents or legal guardians, as specified, and by publication on the local educational agency’s internet website and on the internet websites of the individual schools operated by the local educational agency.
For a local educational agency that formally adopted a homework policy on or before July 31, 2024, the bill would require the local educational agency to update its adopted homework policy before the start of the 2028–29 school year or within 5 years of its adoption, whichever is later, and would require the updated homework policy to comply with the bill’s provisions. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would require the State Department of Education, by January 1, 2026, to develop and post on its internet website, guidelines for local educational agencies to use in developing the homework policy, as provided.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: YESBill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
This act shall be known, and may be cited, as the Healthy Homework Act.SEC. 2.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) Research has established that effective homework assignments state clear objectives, are relevant to pupils, and are age appropriate in difficulty and time required for completion.
(b) Research has also found that the quality of homework assignments is more important than the quantity of work assigned, and that when pupils find homework interesting, relevant, and valuable, they are more likely to complete it.
(c) For elementary school pupils, research has found no correlation
between the amount of time spent on homework and achievement; that is, pupils who completed more homework were no more likely than their peers to earn higher grades and scores in school. For middle and high school pupils, research has found an increase in academic performance when middle school pupils did up to one hour of homework and high school pupils did up to two hours daily. But, significantly, these effects began to fade as pupils did more work, and more time spent on homework did not necessarily equate to higher academic achievement. Other studies have further challenged the assumption that more time spent doing homework leads to higher achievement, including research that investigated whether time spent on math homework in particular would lead to higher scores on a standardized math achievement test. In a study of nearly 5,000 15-year-old pupils, researchers found that, after controlling
for prior math achievement, pupils who did more math homework on average earned worse scores on the standardized test, as more time spent on homework in this case correlated with lower achievement.
(d) Other research has found that too much homework is associated with:
(1) Greater stress, where 45 percent of the pupils considered homework a primary source of stress, according to the survey data, and 56 percent viewed tests as a primary stressor, while 33 percent put the pressure to get good grades in that category. Fewer than 1 percent of the pupils said homework was not a stressor.
(2) Reductions in health, as many pupils, in their open-ended answers,
said homework load is associated with less sleep, and said stress, which is heavily impacted by homework load, was associated with physical health issues such as headaches, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, weight loss, and stomach problems.
(3) Less time for friends, family, and extracurricular pursuits, as both the survey data and pupils’ responses indicate that spending too much time on homework meant that pupils were “not meeting their developmental needs or cultivating other critical life skills,” according to the researchers, and pupils were more likely to drop activities, not see friends or family, and not pursue hobbies they enjoy.
(e) Well-designed homework may support learning in different ways. Reading assigned as homework may help
pupils master this critical skill. Some activities cannot be done effectively or efficiently in class. There are also many instructional programs and settings that may require pupil work outside of school hours, including project-based learning, dual enrollment, independent study, career technical education, and other applied forms of learning. Pupils may also have unique needs, such as those needing intervention, which require work outside of school hours.
(f) When completion of homework depends on parental involvement or access to technology, it has the potential to exacerbate inequities and achievement gaps. Lack of access to technology to complete homework is sometimes known as the “homework gap.” A 2018 analysis of United States Census Bureau data by the Pew Research Center found that 17 percent of all teens, and 25 percent of
Black teens, report that they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection.
(g) To promote effective homework practices which support pupil learning and well-being, as well as consistency and clarity in homework practices, there is a need for each local educational agency to adopt an evidence-based homework policy which is responsive to the needs and desires of pupils, parents, and educators in each community.
SEC. 3.
Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 52000) is added to Part 28 of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Education Code, to read:CHAPTER 6. Homework Policies
52000.
(a) Each local educational agency shall do all of the following:(1) By the start of the 2027–28 school year, develop
a homework policy for all grades maintained by the local educational agency. The goal of the policy shall be to promote evidence-based homework practices to support pupil learning and well-being, and to ensure consistency and clarity in assigning of homework. The development of the policy shall involve significant stakeholder participation in order to ensure that the policies are responsive to the unique needs and desires of pupils, parents, and educators in each community, consistent with subdivision (b).
(2) Formally adopt a final homework policy by the end of the 2027–28 start of the 2028–29 school year, consistent with subdivision (c).
(3) Update the adopted homework policy at least once every five years. years, consistent with subdivisions (b) and (c).
(b) In developing and updating the homework policy, the governing board or body of the local educational agency shall convene stakeholders, including, but not limited to, pupils, parents, teachers and education specialists, administrators, and other school staff, to do all of the following:
(1) Examine and collect data on the current homework
practices of schools in the local educational agency, including the nature of assignments and the time required at each grade level.
(2) Reflect on the effectiveness of these practices and identify strengths and weaknesses of current practices.
(3) Solicit stakeholder feedback.
(c) (1) The homework policy and any updates to the homework policy shall be publicly discussed, with public comment, and considered for adoption at a minimum of two separate regularly scheduled public meetings conducted pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act (Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 54950) of Part 1 of Division 2 of Title 5 of the Government
Code).
(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a local educational agency may first pilot the homework policy, including during the 2027–28 school year, after at least one public meeting with public discussion and comment, and collecting stakeholder feedback pursuant to subdivision (b), before adopting a final homework policy before the end of the 2027–28
start of the 2028–29 school year at a subsequent public meeting with public discussion and comment.
(3) A local educational agency may adopt its final homework policy before the start of the 2027–28 school year if the local educational agency has otherwise met the requirements of
subdivision (b) and paragraph (1).
(d) In developing and updating the homework policy, the governing board or body of the local educational agency shall consider all of the following:
(1) Research on effective homework practices, including the quality of assignments and quantity of work assigned, which support pupil learning and well-being, including, but not limited to, mental and physical health.
(2) Elements of a homework policy that ensure the use of effective homework practices to support pupil learning and well-being, including the quality of assignments, quantity of work assigned at each grade
level, and days on which homework is assigned.
(3) Equity in homework practices, including, but not limited to, the availability of supports needed to successfully complete homework, such as parental support and access to technology.
(4) Different types of homework, including for practice, completion of in-class work, preparation, and extension.
(5) Different educational placements and programs in which pupils are enrolled, including, but not limited to, independent study, honors courses, Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, dual enrollment courses, accelerated pathways, music programs, credit recovery programs, continuation schools, block scheduling, and project-based learning.
(6) Individual pupil needs, including, but not limited to, pupils with individualized education programs adopted pursuant to the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. Sec. 1400 et seq.), pupils with a plan adopted pursuant to Section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794(a)), and English learners.
(7) Developmental appropriateness of homework assigned in primary, intermediate, and secondary grades.
(8) Grading practices for homework, including whether homework should be optional and whether it should be graded, and opportunities to complete makeup work for missed assignments.
(9) The need for
professional development and collaboration
time for teachers to coordinate and implement effective homework practices.
(10) The roles and responsibilities of all pupils, parents, teachers, and administrators in implementing the homework policy.
(e) Local educational agencies shall annually distribute the adopted or updated homework policy at the beginning of the school year to all certificated staff and administrators, to all pupils and parents or legal guardians as part of the notification pursuant to Section 48980 or upon enrollment, and by publication on the local educational agency’s internet website and on the internet websites of the individual schools operated by the local educational agency.
(f) The department shall, by January 1, 2026, develop and post
on its internet website guidelines for local educational agencies to use in developing a local homework policy, as described in subdivision (a), which includes the processes described in subdivisions (b), (c), and (e), and the considerations listed in subdivision (d).
(g) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of subdivision (a), a local educational agency that has formally adopted a homework policy on or before July 31, 2024, shall update its adopted homework policy before the start of the 2028–29 school year or within five years of its adoption, whichever is later, and the updated homework policy shall comply with the requirements of this section.
(g)
(h) For purposes of this section, “local educational agency” means a school district, county office of education, or charter school.
