Denise Huang

Academic Enrichment in High-Functioning Homework Afterschool Programs

Abstract As part of afterschool programs with homework assistance, students are provided with a location and time to complete their homework, as well as instructional assistance. This mixed-method study investigated the program content and delivery processes of seven high-functioning homework programs. Results of this study revealed that in addition to providing students with ample time and resources to complete their homework, these programs also focused on teaching students particular study skills that were perceived as essential across content areas. Furthermore, all the homework programs under study employed such motivational strategies as positive and nurturing environments, and mentoring and reward systems, to encourage students to complete their homework. Finally, communication with school teachers was perceived as a critical element toward homework program success.

An After-School Evaluation System for Middle and High School Programs

This article introduces an evaluation system that will enable after-school programs for middle and high school students to monitor and reflect on their program progress and to improve on the quality of program implementation. Key indicators of quality and success are identified and an indicator system is designed, which focuses on four main components of after-school programs: environment, program organization, instructional features, and student outcomes. By using this system, educators can analyze their program’s strengths and weaknesses and plan for improvement.

Keeping Kids in School: A Study Examining the Long-Term Impact of Afterschool Enrichment Programs on Students' High School Dropout Rates

Despite the potential benefits of afterschool programs, much of the related research has been limited to an examination of only their immediate or short-term effects. The LA’s BEST afterschool program has been in operation for more than 20 years, providing researchers with a unique opportunity to explore the long-term effects of afterschool programming. This study examined the dropout rates of the LA’s BEST afterschool participants and compared them to a stratified random district sample that was matched to the characteristics of the afterschool students. The results indicated that students who had participated in the afterschool program for at least three years showed a significantly lower dropout rate than the district students overall.

Using Entropy Balancing to Reduce the Effects of Selection Bias in Afterschool Studies: An Example in Studying the Relationship between Intensity of Afterschool Program Participation and Academic Achievement

Abstract Every since the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) in the United States, achievement gains resulting from afterschool participation have been of particular interest. However, findings have been inconsistent. The challenge for researchers is partly due to the wide variation of program goals, difficulty in obtaining valid control groups, difficulty in obtaining clean records of data, the high transience rates of the students, and in particular, the failure to ifferentiate among the dosage students receive and the inherent potential of selection bias in the afterschool population. This study draw on a large dataset and allows for the analysis of effects over the course of several years. Using LAs BEST afterschool program as an example, this study employed advanced methodology to reduce selection bias in examining the relations between afterschool program participation and academic achievement. Keywords: afterschool program, participation, academic achievement, selection bias, LAs BEST ----- Bibliography: Huang, Denise/Leon, Seth/La Torre, Deborah: Using Entropy Balancing to Reduce the Effects of Selection Bias in Afterschool Studies: An Example in Studying the Relationship between Intensity of Afterschool Program Participation and Academic Achievement, IJREE, Vol. 5, Issue 1-2017, pp. 5-25. https://doi.org/10.3224/ijree.v5i1.01