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Survey of Students
Reinforces Need for
Quality After-school
Programs That Provide
Homework Assistance,
Academic Goal-Setting
for Students
Young People Say
Teachers Assign Too Much
Homework, Television is
#1 Homework Distraction
A new survey supports
the need for quality
after-school programs
that offer students
homework assistance and
academic goal-setting.
While students accept
the need for homework,
they say they get too
much each night.
Television is the #1
homework distraction,
and while most students
get homework help from
their parents, many get
no help at all and need
access to after-school
homework assistance
programs to compete and
succeed.
The survey asked
students their opinions
on homework and on
graduating high school.
The
results of the “Boys &
Girls Clubs of America/JCPenney
Afterschool Fund Survey”
show:
Survey Results: Homework
1.
67 percent say teachers
should assign homework,
but 54 percent say their
teachers assign too
much homework.
2.
52 percent say
television distracts
them most from
homework. Friends (22
percent),
extracurricular
activities (17 percent)
and family obligations
(9 percent) are other
homework distractors.
3.
Parents help kids most
with their homework (56
percent). 19 percent
say no one helps them
and 17 percent get help
from mentors and tutors.
4.
74 percent say they
complete their homework
every night
5.
71 percent say they have
1-2 hours of homework
each day, 20 percent
have 3-4 hours a day and
nine percent have more
than four hours of
homework daily.
Survey Results: Graduating High School
1.
89 percent say
graduating high school
is very important and
almost all (98 percent)
expect to graduate high
school and attend
college (94 percent).
2.
77 percent say their
parents are the
strongest influence in
driving them to succeed
in school.
3.
87 percent of young
people surveyed say they
strive to do their best
at school every day.
4.
61 percent say going to
college is their primary
ambition after high
school, followed by
getting a job (22
percent).
5.
42 percent say the
negative influence of
peers is their greatest
challenge to finishing
high school.
“The results of
this survey complement
what other studies have
found
regarding after-school
programming and the
benefit it provides.
Numerous studies have
shown that
children involved in
quality after-school
programs, including
those that offer
homework assistance,
have better grades,
higher school
attendance, better
attitudes towards
school, higher
educational aspirations
and less need for
disciplinary action,”
says Julie Berkhouse,
Afterschool Specialist,
the JCPenney Afterschool
Fund.
After-school Programs -
By the Numbers
·
Every day, more than 14
million children in this
country are unsupervised
between the hours of 3
p.m. and 6 p.m. That
leaves them in great
danger of becoming
victims or perpetrators
of crime or delinquent
behavior.
·
Another 43
million children could
benefit from
after-school activities
with increased access
and awareness of
programs provided by
Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and other
organizations like the
YMCA, 4-H and Junior
Achievement.
·
Research shows
after-school programs can have positive effects on students’
performance in school,
including improved math
and reading performance,
improved attendance,
reduced dropout rates,
decreased involvement in
crime, improved behavior
at school, and a
heightened interest in
learning.
-more-
Boys & Girls Clubs of
America / 2
“Research shows
that without significant
educational support,
many young people are
likely to accept low
standards of academic
achievement, leading to
unrealized potential and
locking them into
limited opportunities
for employment and
life,” says Anne Pope,
President of the Boys &
Girls Clubs of Citrus
County. “Through our
partnership with the
JCPenney Afterschool
Fund, we are able to
provide after-school
programs that complement
the instruction children
receive during the
school day and open the
door to new levels of
achievement and
fulfillment.”
Throughout the year, the
JCPenney Afterschool
Fund supports
BGCA’s Power Hour and Goals for Graduation programs.
Power Hour is an
interactive after-school
homework assistance
program for children
ages 6 – 18 that helps
them view homework as an
opportunity to learn how
to work independently,
successfully complete a
project on time, and
feel good about their
accomplishments. Goals
for Graduation, an
innovative after-school
program for
Club members ages 6 –
15, provides one-on-one
activities to support
academic goal-setting,
learning and success in
school. Club members
practice setting both
short- and long-term
goals with the
leadership, guidance and
encouragement of Club
staff.
The online survey
of more than 800 Boys &
Girls Clubs of America
members aged 6 – 18 was
conducted in August 2005
by Boys & Girls Clubs of
America and the JCPenney
Afterschool Fund.
About the JCPenney
Afterschool Fund
The JCPenney Afterschool Fund (www.jcpenneyafterschool.org)
is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization that
supports programs
designed to keep kids
safely and
constructively engaged
during out-of-school
time. The Fund’s
contributions allow for
the creation and
continuance of
afterschool programs
aimed at the academic,
physical, and social
development of children
throughout the U.S. The
JCPenney Afterschool
Fund also works to raise
awareness of the
benefits of afterschool
programming, and is
committed to ensuring
that every child has
access to the world of
opportunities that
awaits them after
school.
About Boys & Girls Clubs
of Citrus County
For almost 14
years, the Boys & Girls
Clubs of Citrus County
has been providing
quality youth programs
to neighborhoods that
have a greater need for
community involvement.
The 4 locations in the
Citrus County area serve
more than 600 youth each
year. For more
information call
621-9225 or visit our
website at
www.citrusbgc.com. |