No homework

There are good arguments to be made both for assigning homework and for concentrating instruction in classrooms with teachers available to guide the learning process. Bloomfield Middle School is embarking on a trial to see if increasing hands-on classroom instruction will help students who otherwise would struggle with homework.

School officials say their investigation into the reasons some students struggle or fail found that a large portion of poor grades were the result of low homework scores or failure to complete homework assignments.

To deal with this situation, these school officials want to see if an emphasis on completing homework with a teacher's help produces better results.

Parents who struggle to help their children with homework while juggling after-school activities will likely welcome the Bloomfield experiment. Others are apt to lament the loss of discipline and regimentation afforded by homework assignments.

Let's see what happens. The Adequate Yearly Progress report shows Bloomfield schools are making a good effort to meet state assessment goals. Now the middle school can see if emphasizing in-class instruction helps more students achieve passing grades in their course work.

Focusing on the students' grasp of what they are being taught is a good step in the right direction.