ProCon’s Homework Quiz

Question: Opponents of homework highlight which of the following?

Answer: These are all common arguments used by opponents of homework.

Question: Which of the following reflects the 10-minute rule about homework?

Answer: The widely accepted 10-minute rule of homework argues for 10 minutes of daily homework for each grade reached, so 10 minutes of homework for 1st graders and 120 minutes (2 hours) for 12th graders.

Question: Which 19th-century figure introduced an emphasis on homework to the United States?

Answer: Reformer and politician Horace Mann (1796–1859), called the “Father of American Education” for his commitment to public education, was influenced by the public schools he saw in Prussia in 1843; these schools emphasized homework as an educational tool.

Question: As reported in 2020, what was the average amount of homework given in high-performing schools?

Answer: The Washington Post reported in 2020 that “high-performing schools” were requiring about 2.7 hours of homework per night, which is about three times as much as the average amount of homework across all schools as reported by other outlets.

Question: Which of the following is not an argument in favor of homework?

Answer: Opponents of homework claim that it increases the digital divide, meaning the gap between those with access to computer technology and the Internet and those with limited or no access. This gap can cause social, economic, and educational inequities.

Question: Which major development spurred an increase in homework in the United States in the 1950s?

Answer: The Cold War rivalry in science and technology between the Soviet Union and the United States spurred an emphasis on education and homework in the 1950s.

Question: How did the COVID-19 pandemic affect student test scores and homework?

Answer: All of these developments resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–23.

Question: What did the 1983 report A Nation at Risk conclude about homework in the United States?

Answer: The 1983 report A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform warned of a crisis in American education and an urgent need to raise academic standards. It argued that homework is good and that more of it is better.