Question 119·Medium·Inferences
Some educators argue that assigning homework every day is essential for retention. In a pilot program at several middle schools, daily worksheets were replaced with twice-weekly projects that students could choose from. Over the term, teachers recorded fewer missing assignments and saw more thorough explanations in submitted work; students who often left homework incomplete participated more during class discussions. Average test scores stayed the same. Therefore, educators evaluating homework policies should infer that ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
For SAT Reading & Writing “complete the text” inference questions, first underline the key evidence given just before the blank, then paraphrase what a reasonable, modest conclusion would be. Look for an option that restates that conclusion without adding new ideas, extreme wording, or stronger claims than the evidence supports. Quickly eliminate answers that (1) introduce topics not mentioned (like penalties or test validity), (2) contradict specific details (like claiming scores rose when they stayed the same), or (3) use absolute language such as “always,” “never,” or “inevitably” that the passage does not justify.
Hints
Focus on the results of the pilot program
Reread the sentences describing what happened during the pilot: what changed about assignments, and what happened to missing work, the quality of explanations, participation, and test scores?
Think about what “Therefore” means
The blank should contain a conclusion that directly follows from the specific outcomes of the pilot program—not a new topic or a guess about something the passage never mentioned.
Check for overly strong or unrelated claims
Look for answer choices that add ideas like trust, penalties, or the value of standardized tests. Ask: did the passage actually give evidence about that, or is the choice going beyond what we know?
Compare the strength of the language to the evidence
Be careful with words like “unreliable,” “cannot be trusted,” or “inevitably.” Do the pilot results support such absolute claims, or do they support a more limited, cautious statement?
Step-by-step Explanation
Understand what the evidence shows
First, summarize the key results of the pilot program:
- Daily worksheets were replaced with twice-weekly, student-choice projects.
- Teachers recorded fewer missing assignments.
- Teachers saw more thorough explanations in submitted work.
- Students who often left homework incomplete participated more in class discussions.
- Average test scores stayed the same.
So, achievement (as measured by test scores) did not decrease, and multiple signs of engagement (turning work in, thoroughness, participation) improved.
Identify what “Therefore” is asking for
The word “Therefore” signals that the blank must state a conclusion that logically follows from the pilot program results.
- The conclusion should match the scope of the evidence: it should be about homework policies similar to the pilot program (frequency and student choice) and about both achievement and engagement.
- The conclusion should be moderate, not absolute or extreme, because the evidence comes from a limited pilot program, not all schools everywhere.
Eliminate choices that are unsupported or too strong
Now compare each option to the evidence:
- Any choice that claims something caused higher test scores is suspect, because scores only stayed the same.
- Any choice that introduces ideas not mentioned (like standardized tests being bad measures, or strict penalties) is not supported.
- Watch for extreme words like “cannot be trusted” or “inevitably”; these usually go beyond what the passage proves.
Match the conclusion to the evidence
The only option that (1) stays within the evidence, (2) acknowledges that test scores did not go down, and (3) reflects improved engagement (fewer missing assignments, better explanations, more class participation) is A) reducing the frequency of homework, when paired with student choice, need not lower measured achievement and may improve engagement.
This matches the pilot results: less frequent, choice-based homework did not reduce test scores and correlated with higher engagement, so that is the most logical inference for educators evaluating homework policies.