Math homework creates a dilemma. Grade it for accuracy and you're grading copied answers and help from older siblings. Grade it for completion and some students write anything on the page. Neither feels right.
What homework is for
In most math classes, homework is practice. Practice is where mistakes are supposed to happen. Grading it heavily for accuracy punishes the mistakes that practice exists to catch, and nudges students to look up answers instead of struggling.
The case for completion grading
- Rewards doing the practice
- Fast to check
- Lower pressure, so students attempt hard problems
The risk: students fill pages with low-effort work. That's manageable with a clear definition of "complete": work shown, every problem attempted, answers checked against the key.
The case for accuracy grading
- Signals that correctness matters
- Gives a more direct measure of understanding
The risk: accuracy is inflated by help and answer sites, and it can take a long time to grade.
Hybrid approaches that work
- Self-check and correct. Post answers (not solutions). Students check their work and fix errors in a different color. Grade the completion and the corrections.
- Spot check. Grade two problems for accuracy, chosen after collection, and the rest for completion.
- Homework quiz. A short quiz with one problem taken directly from the homework. It rewards actually doing the practice.
- Auto-graded practice. Online practice with immediate feedback and multiple attempts; see Google Forms quizzes.
Keep the weight modest
Whatever method you use, 10 to 20 percent of the grade is typical. That's enough to matter, and not so much that homework compliance outweighs what students show on assessments. See total points vs weighted categories for how the weight actually plays out.
Use homework data
The most useful part of homework isn't the grade; it's knowing which problems tripped up the class. A quick show of hands on the hardest problem, or the error pattern from a spot check, should shape the next day's warm-up, much like an exit ticket.