Homework is often a hot-button issue for schools. Even with a school homework policy, the homework practices of teachers vary in quality, with some teachers applying best practice standards, while others assign homework too difficult for some students, or collect homework without providing feedback to students. In addition, families in which parents work and children participate in an array of after-school activities provide an environment where homework time and parental assistance is often scarce. Thus, principals need to address parents' concerns about excessive homework--or teachers' concerns when too many students fail to complete it. Principals and teachers can use research about homework to address two important questions: Does homework support higher levels of student learning? What are characteristics of effective homework practices? This brief overview of the current research and practices related to homework highlights the complexity of the issue. For homework to be effective, it should be carefully planned to support specific educational goals, take into account the specific abilities and needs of students, and strengthen the link between home and school. (Contains 3 online resources.)