Academic Enrichment in High-functioning Homework Afterschool Programs

Article #1
Bib. Information Huang, D., & Cho, J. (2009). Academic enrichment in
(APA
high-functioning homework afterschool
Formatting):
programs. Journal of Research in Childhood
Education, 23(3), 382+. Retrieved from http://proxywcupa.klnpa.org/login?
url=http://ic.galegroup.com.proxywcupa.klnpa.org/ic/bic1/AcademicJournalsDetailsPage/
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bdf19
Author(s)
Cho, Jamie University of California
Affiliation:
Huang, Denise University of California
Type of
Resource:
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of
essential
information:

Way in which
this source
influences the
field related to
your inquiry (ex.
Math
teaching/learnin
g elementary)
Potential
relevance to
your research
topic and study:

Scholarly article that represents a research study

This article discusses the results of a study done on seven highfunctioning homework programs. These programs are held in
several different settings, including after school programs and
programs specifically for homework assistance. The study found
that effective programs provided students the opportunities to learn
study skills, practice time management skills, as well as teaching the
children how to use reference materials.
This source gave me more areas of focus to look at during my study
and interviews, as well as some thought to how I am going to run the
study itself. The results of the study align with my original thoughts
on the topic.

Provides information for another similar study for comparison and

additional information.

Stage of action
research where
the source will
be used:

Background/Design: This source could be used

during preparation for the study and during the study
itself, it provides information on how the previous
study was done that could help in structuring my
study.
Findings/Conclusions: This source could also help
support any findings that come up during the course
of the study because of the detailed information
provided about the findings of the previous study.
Implications/Action Planning: This source could be
used to assist in planning for changes made to my
program and in forming an informational document to
provide to the other Site Directors at my program.

Quotes related to study:

In general, the literature is in consensus that some essential components of effective
homework programs are: 1) pre-set time for homework completion, 2) structured settings that
provide materials and space that are devoid of distractions for homework completion, 3)
instructional support for students, and 4) allotting sufficient time for homework completion as
part of a routine daily schedule. Afterschool programs that provide students with optimal
environments and support to complete their homework generally have students demonstrate
positive gains in academic achievement through increases in student self-confidence and changes
in school teachers' perceptions of student efforts (Beck, 1999).
Reward systems were also frequently used by these afterschool programs to motivate students
to complete their homework. Reward systems included incentives such as prizes after having
garnered a certain number of points, stars, or tickets. Another type of reward system was
immediate, whereby students who had completed homework were allowed to engage in other
activities.

Article #2
When Homework is not Home Work: After-School Programs for Homework Assistance
Bib. Information
Cosden, M., Morrison, G., Albanese, A., & Macias, S. (2001).
(APA Formatting):
When Homework is Not Homework [Abstract]. Educational
Physchologist, 36, 211-221. Retrieved September 10, 2016, from
http://web.stanford.edu/dept/SUSE/projects/ireport/articles/afters
chool/homework is not enough.pdf
Author(s)
All Authors are from the Department of Education, University of California,
Affiliation:
Santa Barbara
Type of Resource:
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of
essential
information:

Way in which this

source influences
the field related to
your inquiry (ex.
Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance
to your research
topic and study:
Stage of action
research where the
source will be used:

Scholarly Article, summarizes and interprets the results of 10 studies done on

after school programs.
The article describes items that after school programs need to have in place to
appropriately assist students with their homework and academic achievement.
These items include, but are not limited to, the following:
Teachers who have the skills to assist students effectively
A teacher/student ratio that allows more personalized assistance
According to the article, after school programs suffer limitations and down sides,
such as limiting childrens access to leisure activities and teachers and assistants
being overwhelmed with the number of children enrolled.
This source influences my topic of homework time in an afterschool program by
including information about what the studies covered in their research that
negatively impacted student outcomes (such as an extended homework time).

This article relates to my study as it contains information about previous similar

studies carried out on a variety of after school programs.
Background- This article gives information about what a
successful homework program needs, as well as previous study
information.
Findings/Conclusions- This article contains results of previous
studies, and can then be used to compare my findings to when
my study is complete.

Quotes related to the study:

Homework does not always occur at home. With the perceived demand for higher academic
performance has come an increase in the amount and complexity of assigned homework. Given
the number of parents who work outside the home, and the need for safe and structured afterschool activities, after-school programs have become a venue for helping students with their
homework (pg 211)
A review of the literature suggests that after-school programs can serve four major functions:
(a) increase safety and supervision, (b) enhance cultural and community identification and
appreciation, (c) develop social skills and increased competency, and (d) improve academic
achievement. Pg 212
The homework-intervention components that were viewed as integral to the success of the
program were the provision of (a) time, (b) a structured setting for homework completion, and
(c) instructional support for students pg 213

Bib. Information
(APA Formatting):

Article #3
Afterschool Programs.
Durlak, J., & Weissberg, R. (n.d.). Afterschoool Programs...
[Abstract]. Expanded Learning & Afterschool: Opportunities for
Student Success. Retrieved September 10, 2016, from
http://www.expandinglearning.org/docs/Durlak&Weissberg_Final.
pdf

Author(s)
Affiliation:

Joseph A Durlak : Loyola University Chicago

Rodger P Weissberg : University of Illinois at Chicago

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of
essential
information:

Trade article, part of a compendium on expanded learning

Way in which this

source influences
the field related to
your inquiry (ex.
Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance
to your research
topic and study:
Stage of action
research where the
source will be used:

This article covers four practices that after school programs should follow to be
successful.
1 Sequenced step by step training approach
2 Active forms of learning
3 Focused specific time and attention on skill development
4 Explicit in defining skills that were being promoted
These four principles can help shape how teachers in an afterschool program act
and handle lesson planning in the program. The article (and its longer full
research report), can help Site Directors when setting up or revamping a program.

Focusing on those four steps can be used to shape possible methods of planning
homework time and the program as a whole.
This source can be used in all stages of the action research project, as it simply
provides information related to the best way of running an effective after school
program.

These four evidence based practices formed the acronym SAFE and are explained further in our
full research report. In brief, our procedures identified whether or not program staff used a
sequenced step-by-step training approach (S), emphasized active forms of learning by having
youth practice new skills (A), focused specific time and attention on skill development (F)
Afterschool Programs That Follow Evidence-Based Practices to Promote Social and Emotional

Development Are Effective 3 and were explicit in defining the skills they were attempting to
promote (E). Pg 2-3
SAFE programs were associated with significant improvements in self-perceptions, school
bonding and positive social behaviors Pg 3

Article 4:
Prevention and Intervention Programming: Lessons from an Afterschool Program
Bib. Information
Beck, E.L. The Urban Review (1999) 31: 107. doi:10.1023/A:1023200500215.
(APA Formatting):
Prevention and Intervention Programming: Lessons from an Afterschool
Program
Author(s) Affiliation: Elizabeth L. Beck is assistant professor, Department of Social Work, Georgia
State University
Type of Resource:
This article is a scholarly article that discusses the result of a research study
(Scholarly
conducted on a large after-school program.
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential The article speaks about six major factors that makes MYDC a successful
information:
program: structure and autonomous space are provided, academic achievement
is supported, the program is culturally consistent, there is a large core of
committed authoritative adults, the leadership is child-centered, and it is a safe
place.
Way in which this
This article contains a lot of information about what worked really well in the
source influences the MYDC after-school program. It can help shape programs that are either just
field related to your
forming, or struggling and looking for ways to improve their services.
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to This article speaks about the space homework is held and how the adults
your research topic
running the homework space allow the children to move, talk, sing, and interact
and study:
how they feel they need to without being hushed or told to be still. According to
a staff member, at that site they feel that the more loose structure of homework
time lets them get to know the children better, because they arent chasing
after the children all the time. This influences the way I might approach some
aspects of my active research, specifically the current thought process of having
a silent or near silent homework time.
Stage of action
research where the
source will be used:

This article will be useful during my planning period, and will help me form
more strategies to test either during the classs study period or after.
This article will also be useful after collecting my data and forming my
conclusions; to either back up or refute my conclusions.

The six elements found as salient were that both structure and autonomous space are provided;
academic achievement is supported; the program is culturally consistent (in the present case,

African-American cultural patterns are evidenced); there is a core of committed authoritative

adults; the leadership is child-centered; and the environment is safe pg 107

Article #5
Managing Student Behavior in Urban Classrooms: The Role of Teacher ABC Assessments
Bib. Information
McKinney, S., Campbell-Whately, G., & Kea, C. (2005).
(APA Formatting):
Managing Student Behavior in Urban Classrooms: The Role of
Teacher ABC Assessments. The Clearing House, 79(1), 16-20.
Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxywcupa.klnpa.org/stable/30182100
Author(s) Affiliation: Sueanne E. McKinney is an assistant professor and Gloria D. CampbellWhately is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte.
Cathy D. Kea is a professor of special education at North Carolina A&T State
University in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Type of Resource:
This is a trade article as well as a scholarly article, as it presents the results of a
(Scholarly
study and informs teachers how to act in their classrooms.
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential This article speaks about how to respond to children in a classroom or program
information:
that have behavioral issues. It speaks about ABC assessments, and how to
refocus from thinking of a child as a problem child to focusing on how to best
help this child.
Way in which this
This article gives me some more information to give to empower assistants in
source influences the after-school programs to best handle a child who is acting out. When we look at
field related to your
a child as someone who we can help rather than a problem that needs to be
inquiry (ex. Math
fixed, we can relate to that child and form a relationship much easier.
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to This article relates to my study in that (at least in my personal site) homework
your research topic
time is one of the times where I have been noticing children struggling with
and study:
making the right choices. I can use this information to modify my behavior and
the behavior of the assistants at my site and the track the results during
homework time.
Stage of action
This article will be used both in the designing stage of the study and the
research where the
actually data collection stage where I am implementing the strategies.
source will be used:
Haberman explains: Most teachers, if asked how they would solve a discipline problem,
describe the next level of escalation in some control scheme: talk to the offender, talk to the
parent, talk to the principal, talk to the psychologist! Stars, on the other hand, describe the next
level in terms of work: find something the student is interested in, find something else the

student can do, find something else the student can share. Stars view discipline primarily as a
natural consequence of their ability to interest and involve learners. P. 18
teachers must respond to the needs of their students by creating culturally responsive
classrooms that spotlight a variety of instructional practices, methodologies, and behavioral
interventions in an effort to reduce the risks of behavior problems. P 18

Homework Help in Afterschool Programs: Literature Review

Article #6
Bib. Information
Johnson, T. S., & McComb, E. M. (2008, June). Homework
(APA
Help in Afterschool Programs: Literature Review. Retrieved
Formatting):
October 8, 2016, from
http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/toolkits/homework/pdf/hw_l
it_rev.pdf
Author(s)
Affiliation:

Tina S Johnson, MA and Errin M. McComb, Ph.D from the SERVE

center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Type of
Resource:
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of
essential
information:

Trade article

Way in which
this source
influences the
field related to
your inquiry
Potential
relevance to
your research
topic and study:
Stage of action
research where
the source will
be used:

This article speaks about homework in the afterschool programs,

specifically about the practices that have proven to be effective. The
article covers involving the school, families, and communities;
organizing the homework environment, monitoring and
communication about student progress, and building study skills.
This article gathered information from the limited research done on
homework in after school programs and places it into a format that
is useful for after school practitioners to use in bettering their
program.
This article covers many of the topics that I will be paying attention
to and researching during my study.
Findings/Conclusions: This source could also help
support any findings that come up during the course
of the study because of the detailed information
provided about the findings of the previous study.
Implications/Action Planning: This source could be
used to assist in planning for changes made to my
program and in forming an informational document to
provide to the other Site Directors at my program.

When parents guide their children's homework with helpful and

appropriate support, children perform better in the classroom (Walker et al, 2004). Finally,
when parents use homework as an opportunity to teach study skills, children are more likely to
believe that homework will help them learn (Cooper, Jackson, Nye, & Lindsay, 2001). When
parents do not have the skills or the time to assist with homework, afterschool programs can
provide the needed support. P 12
Afterschool staff must effectively use time, space, and materials during homework time. The
proper management of time, space, and materials ensures that homework time is truly devoted to
supporting academic achievement. Staff should develop a consistent schedule for homework
time; ensure the space is adequate for learning; and provide the necessary materials needed for
homework. P 16
Establishing and communicating the schedule will allow parents and students to know what to
expect. Having a routine plan for the program provides students with expectations for each day.
Routines help create safe environments for younger students and reduce behavior problems p 16
Many authors state that the first minutes of homework time are often wasted due to a lack of
organization and expectation (Goldstein & Zentall, 2005; Rathvon, 1996; Rosemond, 1990;
Schumm, 2005). Materials needed to complete homework assignments should be organized and
ready for use each day. It is important for programs to anticipate material needs and to create a
well-stocked and organized materials system p 18
Afterschool staff have an active role during homework time in an afterschool program. Cooper
(2003) emphasizes the needs for afterschool staff to motivate, mentor, model, and monitor their
students during homework time to support academic achievement Staff who 25 SERVE Center
at UNCG create warm and accepting atmospheres during homework time will promote persistent
effort and favorable attitudes toward learning. P 24-25

Bib. Information
(APA Formatting):
Author(s) Affiliation:
Type of Resource:
Summary of essential
information:

Way in which this

source influences the
field related to your
inquiry
Potential relevance to
your research topic
and study:
Stage of action
research where the
source will be used:

Article #7
Homework Tips to Help Kids Succeed in School
Homework Tips to Help Kids Succeed in School. (2010). Curriculum Review,
50(2), 6-7.
The author Cari Diaz runs a successful tutoring company
Trade Article
The article provides several homework tips for students from Cari Diaz of the
home tutoring company Club Z! Tutoring. The article outlines ways for parents
to improve student's study skills including ways to organize calendars, school
supplies, and work spaces, advice for successfully using time management
skills, and tips on keeping the student engaged during study time.
This article speaks about work space and supplies, as well as organization and
study habits.
This article has tips and tricks about improving a childs experience during
homework time. This is useful as it backs up what I have learned through the
study and from my own prior experience.
List all stages of the action research process where this source will be used
and briefly describe how it has informed your work.
Findings/Conclusions-to support or refute your findings, suggesting how your
findings are similar to or different than what is presented in the professional
literature. Specifically, it will back up my findings on the need for enough
supplies, the right space, and the right mentality from the children.
Implications/Action Planning- This article will go into my action plan as a
goal to obtain more supplies for my soft space homework area for next year.

Choose an ideal study location in the house that offers plenty of space for books, has good
lighting, and is free from distractions, such as the television.
* Keep their school materials organized in a planner and use a calendar to mark exams and
project due dates.
* Make sure children are well prepared with all the necessary resources they need, such as
pencils, paper and a dictionary.
* Have children take breaks when they become frustrated. As much as you may want to do the
work for them, it's better if they complete the work on their own.
Concentration --Here are a few tips you can use to boost your child's concentration during study
time:

* Choose a quiet, distraction-free location for studying.

* The study area should be well-lit and at a comfortable temperature.
* Concentration is easiest when your child is well-rested.
* Regularly scheduled, consistent study time helps train your child's brain to learn at that time.
* Concentration is difficult if your child is hungry. A healthy snack before study time can do
wonders.

Article #8
Helping Children Understand Routines and Classroom Schedules
Bib. Information
(APA Formatting):

US Department of Health and Human Services. (2007, December). Helping

Children Understand Routines and Classroom Schedules. Retrieved November
19, 2016, from http://csefel.vanderbilt.edu/kits/wwbtk3.pdf

Author(s) Affiliation:

This article has multiple authors who worked together with the Child Care and
Head Start Bureaus in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
It is a trade article meant to train child care professionals

Type of Resource:
(Scholarly
/Trade/Other)
Summary of essential
information:
Way in which this
source influences the
field related to your
inquiry (ex. Math
teaching/learning
elementary)
Potential relevance to
your research topic
and study:

Stage of action
research where the
source will be used:

This article is meant to train childcare professionals on how to set a routine and
the importance of setting the routine correctly and sticking to it consistently.
This article gives useful and valid information to inform child care
professionals how to best do a routine that is valid and works for the children in
their programs.

This article gives tips and information on setting a routine, which is something
that I have come across in the data from the surveys received and my own
observations. A routine (and the inherent behavioral expectations) and
important for children as they can know what is happening next and what is
expected of them.
List all stages of the action research process where this source will be used
and briefly describe how it has informed your work.
Findings/Conclusions-to support or refute your findings, suggesting how your
findings are similar to or different than what is presented in the professional
literature. Specifically, it will back up my findings on the importance of an
established routine and expectations of behavior.

Implications/Action Planning- This article will go into my action plan to keep

to an established and predictable routine in the future.
Rather than assuming that all children will pick up on center routines and schedules, service
providers should teach students each activity in the schedule and all of the smaller steps needed
to complete routines
Why are schedules and routines important? Because they are repetitive, schedules and routines
help children learn classroom activities. Children are able to predict what will happen next and
this helps them feel secure and prepared. Classrooms with consistent schedules and routines
facilitate childrens understanding of the learning environment expectations. Children who are
familiar with classroom schedules and routines are more likely to be engaged, attentive, and
learn new knowledge.