Sorry, kids, homework in the Pittsburgh Public Schools is about to get more rigorous. And for some students, there's liable to be more of it.

Saying it's become stale and perfunctory, district officials want to reinvigorate homework assignments, use them to advance the district's academic renewal agenda and help students develop the self-discipline they'll need to survive college.

Students shouldn't be too glum, though. Officials said they're open to ideas for making homework more interesting.

A committee of teachers, administrators and parents is studying everything from the amount of homework students are given, to the quality of the assignments, to how technology might play a role.

"What if homework involved using a cell phone?" Linda Lane, deputy superintendent for instruction, assessment and accountability, said at a school board Education Committee meeting Tuesday.

A new homework policy would require board approval.

Some teachers have complained that students fail to do homework or don't give it the attention it deserves. The district is concerned that parents pay too little attention to homework, even though it's an important window on the classroom and their children's progress. And some assignments, officials acknowledged, are merely busywork, contributing little to academic excellence.

"The first thing is, we have to communicate the importance of homework" to teachers, parents and students, Derrick Lopez, assistant superintendent for secondary schools, said.

Dr. Lane and Mr. Lopez said they want to ensure that homework assignments are tied to the new curriculum implemented over the past few years for grades six through 12. But Mr. Lopez said they shouldn't be a bland repetition of the day's lesson.

Rather, Mr. Lopez said, homework should deepen or extend the day's work. He said assignments could vary by student, serving as remedial exercises for the child who's behind and enrichment for the child who's ahead of peers. Also, homework might take the form of a team project to be completed over several nights, or it could allow students to explore special interests.

Like the new curriculum, the district's new principal-training program and longer hours introduced at some schools, officials see homework as a way to boost student achievement. But they also see it as a way to prepare students for college.

If a college student lacks the discipline to attend class and work independently, "you're home by the end of first semester. It's that simple," Dr. Lane said.

For a 2006 study, Duke University researchers reviewed more than 60 homework studies and concluded that the right amount has a positive effect on student achievement. But too much, they said, is counterproductive.

The district's current homework policy was developed in 1985 and never revisited, Mr. Lopez said.

It called for giving occasional homework to kindergarten students; 30 minutes of homework four evenings a week for grades 1-3; an hour's homework four nights a week for grades 4-8; and 90 minutes of homework four nights a week for high school students.

The homework committee has proposed no changes in the amount of homework time for kindergarten and high school students.

But it's considering changes for the other grades -- 15 to 30 minutes of homework four times a week for grades 1-3; 30 to 60 minutes four times a week for grades 4-5; and four to eight hours a week for grades 6-8.

The after-school program at Pittsburgh Lincoln K-8 allots time for homework; gives students access to computers if necessary; and includes a homework review by faculty members. Students must complete homework before moving on to other activities and, if they tend to lose completed work, the staff will collect it before they leave the building.

Homework practices vary from school to school, and officials say that's part of the problem. "We think it's an equity issue," Mr. Lopez said.

The study committee wants the amount of homework to be consistent at each grade level from school to school. It's also considering guidelines for the design and evaluation of homework assignments and for the grading weight given to homework.

The Lincoln students said some of their friends don't do homework because they're unwilling to lug books home. The point isn't lost on school board member Thomas Sumpter, who suggested Tuesday that homework be conducted via e-mail, flash drives or computer disc.

But administrators said efforts to enhance homework must be sensitive to students varying' family situations.

Some children have access to a computer and a quiet place to study. To level the playing field, Mr. Lopez said, the district may encourage social-service agencies to make homework a priority of their after-school programs. He also raised the possibility of a homework hot line that students could call to speak with a tutor.