The effects of homework programs and after-school activities on school success

Theory Into Practice, Summer, 2004 by Merith Cosden, Gale Morrison, Lisa Gutierrez, Megan Brown

The role of homework needs to be considered within the context of the broader developmental needs of children. This article focuses on how children spend their time after school and how homework, as well as other activities, can contribute to school success. Children differ in their after-school experiences, from "latchkey" children who lack supervision and structure, to the overextended child engaged in multiple extracurricular activities with little time for unstructured play. The authors summarize research on the impact of after-school activities--including homework programs--on school performance and make recommendations with regard to best practices for children who differ in their resources, abilities, and interests. Balancing homework with other aspects of the child's home life to promote positive developmental outcomes is recommended.

*********

NATIONAL CONCERNS HAVE BEEN raised about the number of children who do not have supervised activities after school. The U.S. Department of Justice (1999) reported that the peak time for juvenile crime is between 3:00 and 7:00 p.m. on school days, the period after school until parents typically return from work. The results of the Juvenile Offenders and Victims: 1999 National Report suggest that after-school programs have greater potential for reducing juvenile crime than imposition of a juvenile curfew.

Structured after-school activities have also been associated with higher educational outcomes. Jordan and Nettles (2000), in their analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988, found that student participation in structured activities, religious activities, and time with adults during 10th grade had a significant positive impact on educational outcomes for those same students in 12th grade. Conversely, students who spent more unstructured time (e.g., hanging out with peers) were at greater risk of negative educational outcomes. The authors provide a model reflecting that in addition to student characteristics and factors inherent in the school context, the investments students make during their off hours in themselves and in their community affects their investment in schooling and, consequently, their performance in school. It is important to note that the extracurricular activities examined in the study were broad-based, and did not specifically include homework assistance programs.

Clearly, how children and adolescents spend their time after school is a critical determinant of both school and societal outcomes. The impact of after-school homework assistance programs will be examined next. The strengths and weaknesses of these types of programs relative to alternative after-school activities will also be considered.

Review of Research on After-School Academic Assistance Programs

Cosden, Morrison, Albanese, and Macias (2001a) summarized the outcomes of 10 studies on structured after-school programs that offered students assistance with homework and other academic needs. Nearly all of the studies focused on children considered at risk for school failure as a result of low income, limited familial resources, and/ or poor grades. Further, these after-school programs offered a broad range of activities in addition to academic support (Beck, 1999; Halpern, 1992; Posner & Vandell, 1999). While the nature of the academic support varied, each program provided children with structure and adult contact. The full impact of these programs on the student's academic performance appeared to be mediated by other child and teacher factors, such as increases in the child's self-esteem and school bonding and changes in teacher perceptions regarding the effort and capabilities of the student.

Both Beck (1999) and Halpern (1992) conducted qualitative evaluations of the dynamics of large, urban after-school programs. Beck studied a program that served youth from kindergarten though 12th grade. The author reported that the factors integral to the program's success were the provision of a structured time and location for doing homework and instructional support. Beck suggested that academic outcomes of this program were mediated by changes in the student's self-confidence as well as changes in teacher perceptions of the student's efforts. Halpern conducted a qualitative evaluation of a program that provided after-school homework assistance to younger children (5-12 years old). Similar to Beck, Halpern found that participation gave students greater confidence in their abilities and provided an opportunity to develop positive, school-related, adult attachments. Although the findings of these two studies are descriptive and do not identify causal relationships between homework completion and academic performance, they suggest that homework completion can affect students' perceptions of themselves and teachers' expectations of students in meaningful ways.

In their study of 400 elementary school children in several different after-school programs, Ross, Saavedra, Shur, Winters, and Felner (1992) provide support for using these programs to build self-esteem, while also finding that self-esteem can be a mediator of academic performance. Participation in an after-school program designed to build self-esteem had positive effects on standardized test scores in math and reading, while receiving extended school time to complete homework did not have the same positive effects on self-esteem or achievement. These findings strengthen the idea that after-school academic support does the greatest good when it enhances the students' perceptions that they can be successful at school.