Homework varies widely in importance among both teachers and students, as well as in subject areas. In mathematics, it is generally expected that it plays a critical role in students' understanding of mathematics and will be assigned daily. However, it is also understood that whether students take homework seriously can be difficult to ascertain. Thus, teachers vary greatly in their approach to grading it, leading to concerns that, in some cases, students' grades are not necessarily indicative of their mathematics achievement. Some educators still view homework as worthy of significant weight in students' grades as both a motivation and a reward. Others argue that homework serves no purpose in grades, or should have at best a minimal impact, since it does not always reflect mastery of concepts. This ex post facto quasi-experimental quantitative study examined the effect of reducing the weight of homework in students' grades for honors mathematics students at the junior and senior level at a medium-sized high school in northeast Illinois. In particular, the effect this reduction had on the mathematics achievement of juniors and seniors in Pre-Calculus, Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus, and AP Statistics, as determined by classroom assessments and standardized tests, was analyzed. This study also examined whether there was a gender difference in the effect on students' achievement. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]