Homework Centers – A Communal Solution Supporting Student Success

When I started my job as the assistant to the director of the Lafayette Public Library Homework Center I didn’t realize I would be continuing my own education.  I had just finished graduate school and needed work.  The purpose of the Homework Center drew me in.  I have known for a long time that that my work needs to be meaningful.    At the same time, I began substitute teaching in the Boulder Valley School District.  The combination of my recent masters in Peace Education and these two jobs led me to appreciate and understand the kind of support that our students and youth warrant and that as a community it is in everybody’s interest to provide.

It is no secret that our societal structure is in need of some serious maintenance.  Actually, it has gotten to the point where I wonder if the structural damage is so deep that we need to do a tear down and complete rebuild.  Our educational system has been in the news and at the top of our nations concerns for a long time yet suitable and effective solutions remain elusive.  Many current solutions tend to be ‘one size fits all’, controversial and add to the workloads of our teachers.   Trends in updated mission statements and initiatives in school districts target engaging families as part of the solution.  The homework center is a promising answer to meeting student needs, increasing student success, helping teachers by helping their students and supporting families.

The Lafayette Public Library Homework Center has been in operation for 12 years.  It has grown to be a treasured part of the library and community.  Its success can be measured by student attendance, loyal volunteers, grateful families, student success, continued funding and awards received.  The homework center is free for all students and even provides an after school snack.  The most impressive fact about the homework center is that volunteers fill the essential role of tutor.   All 24 of the tutors who assist students on a weekly schedule are volunteers from the surrounding community.  They offer assistance in every subject including foreign languages.  Four of the tutors are dedicated to a separate room for advanced math and physics help.  The homework center operates from 3:30pm to 6:30pm Monday through Thursday while school is in session.

A survey was taken in spring of 2011 to assess the work of the homework center and as a tool for continual improvement.  Throughout the school year 235 students visited the homework center a total of 2,362 times.   The gender of the students was almost equally balanced with 51% female and 49% male.  The bulk of students seeking assistance were in grades 4^th through 7^th however the homework center is open to students in grades third through twelfth.  Students whose primary language spoken at home is Spanish accounted for 34%.

Overall parents found the homework center to be extremely useful.  In response to stress levels at home 80% of parents found there to be much less stress at home.  They also reported better grades, better focus, improved study habits, less arguments at home, and students engaging in other interests at home.  In regards to their students attitude about homework they reported their children being more relaxed, having increased confidence, less stress and being more interested in learning.

Students reported feeling better about doing homework when they attended the homework center.  89% reported getting better grades.  Students said they liked coming to the homework center because the tutors help them, good snacks, being with friends, having the supplies they need readily available and the prizes they receive (a motivator for signing in each visit).

If these results aren’t convincing enough, I wish you could come in and experience the magic of the homework center.  Everyday the tables are filled with students who choose to come and do homework.  That is what is so powerful.  The homework center does not work by appointment and no one is making the students stay.  There are rules against unruly behavior and personal technological devices such as phones and iPods as well as the stipulation that students must be reading or doing homework to be in the homework center.  The environment is focused and students are working either independently or with a tutor.  Parents are not allowed to watch their students do homework.  It is a dedicated student space.  The following is a framework for a homework center based on the Lafayette Public Library Homework Center, which I hope we all can agree, is a successful model.

Framework for a Community Homework Center

A dedicated homework center director

This person is going to make the magic happen and be responsible for the rest of the elements in the framework such as tutor acquisition and training and setting the tone for the center.  It helps if this person understands education, young people, and/or child development.

They should be compassionate and a good listener.

The Lafayette Homework Center Director was a former teacher, believes in community, is an excellent communicator and has a big heart.

A dedicated space

A place where students feel comfortable and families feel good about letting their students frequent.  Libraries are great hosts and offer abundant resources.

Having it outside of the school keeps it separate, gives students a greater feeling of independence and encourages community involvement.

Accessibility is important.  One middle school bus makes a stop at the Lafayette Public Library.

Tutors

Tutors volunteer for various reasons.  Lafayette Homework Center Tutors were recently surveyed and reported volunteering because they like working with kids, they want to give back to the community, to share their expertise, to gain experience and to fulfill volunteer hours.

Some tutors have been there for twelve years!  1/3 of the tutors have been here ten or more years. Tutors report continuing to tutor because it is gratifying and they can see the difference that they are making, they enjoy seeing children smile when they finally understand something, they feel valued and because helping feels good.

Tutors occupations range from high school, college and graduate students to retired professionals.  Occupations of some of the Lafayette tutors are design engineer, physicist, large scale IT systems implementation technician, office manager, retired lawyer, retired marketing professional, engineer and students.

Tutors were found by running ads in local papers and advertising at the library.

New tutors receive training.

Tutors participate in professional development once a year and may participate in another optional training offered during the year.

Tutors are given a sounding board and are encouraged to participate in the development of the homework center.  It is their place, too.

Tutors are treasured and made to feel important and valued through tutor appreciation days, dinners and end of year evaluations.

Create a purposeful culture

It took several years to develop the culture of the homework center.  Creating a culture for a productive study environment is an intentional endeavor.  The director and tutors should discuss and agree upon the culture of the center and how it will be implemented. 

Rules should be established and prominently displayed.  Each student that assists the Lafayette center is given a contract that they read and sign along with their parents.  The contract sets the expectation for behavior in the homework center as well as what the students can expect in terms of support.  

Tutors and staff must be ready to enforce the rules.  At the Lafayette center students are asked to leave the homework center if they do not comply with the rules.  They are given a warning first but if their behavior does not change, they are asked to leave.  The homework center is strictly for doing homework or academic work.  If student behavior needs to be addressed, they are taken out of the center to have a conversation with the tutor and the director.  Respect for tutors and other students at all times is a must.

Parents are also reminded of the sanctity of the center and that it is a parent-free zone.  If parents linger they are redirected to outside of the center and politely asked if they have a concern or something they would like to discuss with a tutor or the director.  Parents sometimes forget and when reminded of this rule, are more than happy to oblige.

Supplies and Budget

The Lafayette Homework Center was first funded by grants.  There are many grants for education, community development and after school programs available.

There are 3 computers in the homework center for students to use.  No gaming, email or social sites are permitted in the homework center.

Textbook companies, libraries, schools and parents are great sources for stocking the center with the textbooks used at local schools, dictionaries and other resource books.  Manipulatives for math, reading and spelling can also be obtained through these sources.

Supplies such as markers, pencils, calculators, paper, rulers and other scholastic necessities are about $4,000 annually.  This number may be slightly higher at the outset as the center is set up.

The homework center spends $250 annually to be a member of community food share.  The food share provides all of the snacks and drinks for the homework center.  Here is the website: http://www.communityfoodshare.org.  Check to see if something similar is offered in your area and be sure to follow the requirements for membership.

$1,000 should be set aside for tutor trainings and luncheons.  The director generally provides the training for tutors however it is also nice to have an outside professional provide special training in teaching math skills and working with students with learning disabilities.  Often students need support in organization.  It is important for tutors to know how to provide assistance and not just answers.

Create a safe and welcoming space for everyone

The Lafayette Homework Center Assistant is bilingual.  If the director is bilingual, this is not necessary.  If your community has a large Hispanic population it is important to provide contracts and other written materials in Spanish.  It is also nice to have someone who knows how to connect with the Latino population.

When parents sign up their students they are given personal attention and an introduction to the center.  The director and tutors are all capable of providing this service.  It is important that they understand the purpose of the center, the rules and what it does and does not offer.

Keeping Records

Record keeping is very important especially if you are relying on grants.  A database should be kept of all students who use the center as well as homework center visits.  See the contract in the appendix for the type of information kept.

It is also important to have contact information for student’s parents to disperse information, to communicate student issues or in case of an emergency.

The motivation for students to complete their registration is a prize.  When students turn in their signed registration they collect a prize from a prize shelf.  The prizes are often donated and quite inconsequential but students love them.  Prizes on the Lafayette Center prize shelf include book covers, boxes of tea from the food share, pencils, stuffed animals, rubber bouncy balls and other trinkets.  There is also a bookshelf stocked with new books that students may choose from.

Students are required to be signed in by a tutor each time they visit.  On the first visit they are given a color-coded sign-in card, shown how to use it and where to store it.  Student’s motivation for signing in is at the end of each month when student visits are tallied and the 20 or 30 students with the highest number of visits receive prizes.  They get to pick one prize and one book or 2 books.  At the Lafayette center the top ten students receive an extra prize of either a recreation center day pass or a free slice of pizza from a local pizzeria.  If a student has not turned in their contract, they may not collect their prizes until they do!

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The Lafayette Homework Center has been well established and is a smooth running operation.  It took a serious investment of time, caring and community.  Expect the outset to be a little difficult.  Culture is created over time.  When expectations are continually enforced, voices are heard and people appreciated; the results are what we first created with our intention.  Remember, the Lafayette center is fueled by caring and compassionate volunteer tutors.  People want a chance to help and to be a part of the community.  Creating a homework center is also creating community.  The age old saying “it takes a village to raise a child” rings true.  Putting energy into our greatest resource, our future, is a worthwhile cause that many will rise to when given the opportunity.  Creating a homework center creates opportunity and support for the entire community from the tutors to the teachers and from the students to the parents.  Creation is a process.  Creating something meaningful yields many returns.  If your community could benefit from a homework center, endeavor to find a way to make it happen. It is possible.