More Parents Are Helping Kids With Their Homework

Nearly 80% of parents are spending more time helping kids with homework than previous generations, according to a recent study by Education.com.

Education.com, the nation's leading online destination for learning materials, has released new research that provides insights from parents, teachers and homeschoolers into the nature of parental involvement in homework, attitudes about the US education system and Common Core State Standards, and other current academic issues.

When asked how often parents should be helping their kids with schoolwork, 70 percent of teachers answered "sometimes," "frequently," or "most school nights." Four out of five parents are meeting these expectations-79 percent reported they spend more time helping their kids with schoolwork than their parents spent with them.

Other key survey findings include:

• More than three quarters of parents (77 percent) rated the quality of education their child is receiving at their school as good, very good or excellent; but nearly one half (45.5 percent) believe the quality of education at schools nationwide is only satisfactory, fair or poor.
• Teachers have a more positive outlook on US education, as almost nine in 10 (85 percent) rated the quality of education at the school where they teach as good or better, and a hefty majority (66 percent) believe the quality of education nationwide to be good, very good or excellent.
• Parents remain mixed on the Common Core State Standards and how it will affect their child's education: 25 percent believe negatively or very negatively; 35 percent believe positively or very positively; and 40 percent are on the fence.

While some parents may be coming around to the Common Core, many teachers still lack the support needed to properly implement the new standards. Over a quarter of teachers (26 percent) said they are receiving no guidance from their school or school district on how to implement Common Core in the classroom.