The Effects on African American Students Attending an After School Homework Club on Reading Comprehension

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of an after school homework club on improving the reading decoding and comprehension scores of African American students in grades kindergarten and one on the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Learning Skills (DIBELS) Next assessment and in grades two through five on the Anne Arundel County Public School Reading and Language Arts Benchmark Assessments. The results of this study indicate that there was no change for African American students in grades kindergarten and 1st compared to their peers who were assessed using the DIBELS Next benchmark scores. In grades 2 through 5, although there were slightly improved scores for African American students who participated in the homework club, the overall data did not reflect a statistically significant difference on the AACPS Reading and Language Arts Benchmark Assessments. Further research is needed to determine if extended student participation with consistent attendance in the homework club would increase reading achievement for African American students.