All homework assigned by teachers should have a completion grade.

A completion grade is a grade assigned to students if they have completed the assignment. This grade does not consider the amount of homework that is correct or the amount of time the student put into the work. Thus, the completion grade does not reflect the student’s understanding of the concept, it just confirms that the student completed the homework and turned it in.

I believe that completion grades are necessary for students because it gives them a boost in their grades, it helps students get ready for higher classes, and it relieves some of the stress students have surrounding tests.

When students finish their homework, they get completion points. These points can have a percentage anywhere from 15% to 50% out of the total grade in that class. If a student does poorly on a test, they will still have that percentage of the homework to raise his grade. This may elevate the grade by only a couple of points, but it may be enough for the student to get their grade from a B to an A. If students’ homework were not graded for completion, the students will have lost the grade inflation they would have had.

Completion grades for students’ homework will help students get ready for higher classes. When students are getting completion grades, they have the motivation to do their homework. Doing this can prepare them for higher classes since they will have learned the material better. According to Vittana, “The time allotted for each area of study in school, especially in K-12, is often limited to 1 hour or less per day. That is not always enough time for students to be able to grasp the core concepts of that material. By creating specific homework assignments which address these deficiencies, it becomes possible to counter the effects of the time shortages. That can benefit students greatly over time.” This shows how homework can help students learn and understand the material taught in school better. This will, in turn, lead to students being prepared for higher classes.

Finally, having homework graded for completion will relieve some of the stress students have about tests. Some students are not very good test-takers. They can’t cope with the stress, which leads to an unhealthy life. When homework gets a completion grade, the students will receive a good grade, which will lead to their grades being raised. This can take some anxiety out of tests because students will have a bigger safety net. For example, if a student gets 3 problems wrong on a test, it will lower their grade. However, if that student had gotten completion grades for their homework, the damage to their grade will be less severe.

If homework did not have a completion grade, students would not have the motivation to do it. Students mainly complete homework because they expect a completion grade to be given to them. If a student’s homework was not completed, they would get a zero. This is why students generally would try their best to finish their homework. However, if students did not get grades for their homework, they would not care to do it, since they only do the homework for points.

Another reason why homework should get a completion grade, and not an accuracy grade, is because homework is for students to learn. When students are first learning the concept, they may make mistakes. That is okay since when they correct the homework, they will find out the mistakes they made. Then, when a test comes, that student will remember the mistakes he made on his homework, and will not make the same mistakes on the test. If teachers grade the homework based on accuracy, students lose the opportunity to make mistakes. For example, if a student’s teacher grades the homework based on accuracy, that student will try to not get the homework problems wrong. If he is having trouble with a concept, he will get stressed out, since the teacher only cares if the answer is correct, and may resort to cheating to get all answers correct. However, if the same student’s teacher graded the homework on completion, the student will not cheat to get the correct answers. He will try his best, and when the teacher goes over the answers, he will correct his homework.

All these points prove the point that homework should have a completion grade. This is because it gives them a boost in their grades, it helps students get ready for higher classes, and it relieves some of the stress students have surrounding tests. If all teachers implemented the system of completion grades for homework, it would help all students immensely.