When homework is not home work: After-school programs for homework assistance

Homework does not always occur at home. With the perceived demand for highe r 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 after-school activities, after-school programs have become a venue for helping students with their homework. This article examines the potential of after-school homework-assistance program s within the larger context of after-school programs in general. There is l imited data on the outcomes associated with programs that offer homework as sistance. The data suggest that after-school homework-assistance programs c an serve a protective function for children at-risk for school failure, par ticularly those who do not have other structured after-school activities or those whose parents do not speak English at home. In general, the availabi lity of homework assistance at home, the quality of the after-school homewo rk program and the nature of the homework assigned will mediate the effect of these programs. Questions for future implementation and evaluation effor ts are raised.