"Is homework an essential component of rigorous schooling or a harmful practice that alienates and discourages a significant number of students? The debate over homework has gone on for decades, but schools and families have changed in many ways, and, as author Cathy Vatterott notes, 'There's a growing suspicion that something is wrong with homework.' Rethinking Homework: Best Practices That Support Diverse Needs examines the role homework has played in the culture of schooling over the years; how such factors as family life, the media, and the 'balance movement' have affected the homework controversy; and what research - and educators' common sense - tells us about the effects of homework on student learning."