Homework revisited

Guests: Harris Cooper, Brian Gill, Jessica Rosenworcel

It’s a continuous complaint: too much homework! It comes from kids, parents, and sometimes even teachers.  But are children really spending too much time on assignments out of school?  What are the benefits of having children continue their studies after class?  This hour we look at what the research says about homework and the role parents should play helping their kids deal with it.  Mary Cummings-Jordan talks with one of the leading researchers on homework, HARRIS COOPER, professor of psychology at Duke University.  We’ll also learn about the history of the homework debate which has been raging for over a century from Mathematica Policy Research’s BRIAN GILL. And these days, most assignments are online but five million families with school-age kids don’t have access to high-speed Internet.  We’ll talk to FCC Commissioner JESSICA ROSENWORCEL about the “homework gap” and how to close the digital divide.