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Research Bulletin

Phi Delta Kappa Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research
September 1997, No. 18

Involving Parents in Homework in the Middle Grades
By Joyce L. Epstein, Beth S. Simon, and Karen Clark Salinas

Of all the types of school and family partnerships, most parents want to know how they can help their child do better in school. This kind of parent involvement requires teachers to contact all their students' families to give information about the curriculum and about how to "help" their children with homework. Many teachers feel overwhelmed by such a prospect. In the middle grades, teachers may have up to five classes with over 125 students.

In response to parents' and teachers' needs, researchers at Johns Hopkins University and teachers in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia have developed the Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) Interactive Homework process. Originally designed for the elementary grades in math and science, the process was extended to the middle grades to create homework assignments in language arts, science, and math.(1,2) This Research Bulletin reports the effects of TIPS-Language Arts on middle-grades students' writing skills, language arts report card grades, and attitudes toward TIPS, and parents' reactions to interactive homework.

ABOUT THE TIPS PROCESS

Interactive homework is one of six types of family involvement for schools' programs of partnerships.(3) The TIPS process enables teachers of any grade level or subject to design homework that requires children to talk to someone at home about something interesting that they are learning in class. TIPS interactive assignments require students to demonstrate or discuss some work with a family member.(4) For example, TIPS-Language Arts assignments ask students to share a variety of skills in writing, reading, vocabulary, grammar, and other language activities. The students may interview family members, ask for reactions, discuss real-world applications of language arts, elicit parents' experiences about when they were in the middle grades, read aloud stories they write, and exchange other ideas.

Parents monitor, interact, and support their children, but they are not asked to teach school subjects or read or direct the assignments that are the students' responsibilities. All TIPS activities include a section for home-to-school communication in which parents indicate whether the student was able to discuss the homework, whether they enjoyed working on the activity together, and whether they learned something about what the student is learning in class. Parents may add observations, comments, or questions for the teacher.

TIPS activities may be assigned once a week, every other week, or on some other regular schedule. Teachers usually give students more than one day to complete the activities (e.g., two weekdays or a weekend) to accommodate families' busy schedules. The TIPS process is designed to keep all families aware of what their children are learning in school, including parents who work outside the home, have little formal education, speak languages other than English, have many children at home, or others whom teachers sometimes find hard to reach.

Through the TIPS process, parents should gain information about the school curriculum and their children's work; students should gain mastery of skills in academic subjects by practicing school lessons and receiving encouragement from home; and teachers should gain an appreciation of parental support for the academic success of students.

ABOUT THE STUDY

This study explores whether TIPS interactive homework contributed to students' writing scores and report card grades over one school year, beyond what would be predicted by the students' initial skills, and how students and families reacted to the TIPS process.

Participants included students, teachers, and parents. The sixth- and eighth-grade students were in 16 classes taught by eight teachers in two Baltimore, Maryland, middle schools. The teacher participants had effectively implemented TIPS for at least one year. Two of each teacher's classes were selected that varied in average student ability.

The two schools were attended by predominately African-American students; over 70% of the students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch, and over 15% received special education services. There was high mobility in both schools, with 12-15% of the students entering and 20-27% withdrawing during the school year. Both schools served economically distressed families and were among the lowest achieving middle schools in the city. As in many middle schools, prior to this project there was little family involvement in students' academic learning at home.

Three TIPS writing samples were collected from 683 students during the fall, winter, and spring of the 1994-1995 school year, along with records of student attendance and report card grades. The collected assignments were coded by an independent consultant who had experience in judging writing samples. Short surveys were administered to 413 students during a class period at the end of the year about their experiences and attitudes toward TIPS. Additionally, surveys of 218 parents were conducted at the end of the school year about their experiences with and attitudes toward TIPS.

Information on family socioeconomic status, family participation, student, family, and teacher attitudes, and other variables were coded and merged with the students' records for analyses at the individual student level.(5)

KEY VARIABLES

On average, the students in these inner-city middle schools had very low writing skills. Ratings ranged from (0) non-responsive to (1) minimal skill, (2) some skill, (3) good skill, and (4) excellent skill in five writing categories: holistic score, organization, development, language richness, and language mechanics. The students' scores ranged from an average of 1.1 to 2.4 on these categories, with the highest scores for sixth- and eighth-graders on language mechanics (spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation). For example, on the holistic or overall quality of writing, students in sixth grade averaged 1.35 on the first writing sample and 1.55 on the third writing sample. Only some students improved their raw scores over the school year as the writing samples became more complex and challenging.

First-quarter and fourth quarter-language arts report card grades averaged in the mid 70s (C), with grades ranging from 50% (F) to 99% (A). Student absences ranged from 0 days to over 100 days, with an average of 19.4 days absent over the school year.

Students' scores on their TIPS writing samples correlated with other variables. Students who were absent often tended to have lower writing scores, lower report card grades, and lower parent participation than did other students. For example, absence in the fourth quarter was significantly negatively correlated with spring writing sample scores (r = -.22), fourth-quarter report card grades (r = -.51), and likelihood of parent participation on TIPS activities at home (r = -.19).

Students' socioeconomic status (SES) was gauged by school records indicating the extent of social service support. About 34% of the sample received welfare support; 33% more received free lunch; 8% received reduced-price lunch; and 24% were above these poverty levels. SES was significantly correlated with scores on the fall writing sample (r = .16) but not the spring writing sample (r = .11, NS), indicating some equalization of skills over the school year. SES was significantly correlated with report card grades (r = .14). Students from more advantaged families tended to earn higher grades, on average, than those from economically disadvantaged families. Importantly, SES was not significantly correlated with parent participation on TIPS by the end of the year (r = .11, NS), signing homework (r = -.01, NS), or student absence (r = .04).

EFFECTS OF TIPS

Multiple regression analyses were conducted to statistically control for students' family background, school, grade level, attendance, prior report card grades, prior writing skills, and other variables in order to identify the independent effects of TIPS and family involvement on students' writing skills, report card grades, and student and family attitudes toward TIPS at the end of the school year. Four major research questions were addressed.

Question 1. Do TIPS activities and family participation influence students' writing scores? Parents' participation on TIPS positively influenced the quality of students' holistic writing on the winter assignment, even after SES, grade level, school, attendance, fall report card grades in language arts, and scores on the first, fall TIPS writing sample were taken into account. The same positive effects of parent participation were seen on students' spring writing scores, along with grade and school effects. Sixth-grade students made greater gains in writing scores by spring than did eighth-graders, in part because their scores on the first writing sample in their new school in the fall were very low. Students in school #2 made greater gains in writing by spring than did students in school #1, in part because the teachers in school #2 were more consistent in implementing TIPS through the end of the school year.

Students' winter and spring writing scores were influenced most by their prior writing scores. That is, students who wrote better at one point in time were more likely to write better later in the year. Even with this important variable controlled, however, parent participation on TIPS added significantly to students' writing scores as the year progressed. The results for students' holistic writing scores were duplicated for the other ratings of organization of writing, development, language richness, and language mechanics.

Question 2. Do TIPS writing activities help students improve their language arts report card grades? Some students were more consistent in completing their homework than were others. When TIPS writing samples were collected in the fall, winter, and spring, some students turned in all three assignments while others turned in fewer. We used the total number of writing samples submitted as an indicator of homework completion to examine whether students who completed more activities did better in their language arts report card grades by the end of the school year.

Table 1 summarizes the main results of these and other analyses in the full report. The most dramatic predictor of language arts report card grades in the spring was report card grades in the fall. Good students tended to be successful all year. However, even with this important variable accounted for, doing more TIPS homework positively affected language arts report card grades at the end of the school year.

Question 3. What influences students' positive or negative attitudes toward TIPS? Students who liked school liked TIPS. Attitudes toward TIPS were not influenced by students' social class, school, number of adults or children at home, absence rate, or the average amount of homework. These non-effects help focus attention on the importance of students' positive attitudes toward school as a factor that motivates schoolwork and homework. Importantly, teachers' attitudes toward TIPS (measured by teachers' reports that their "students know that I think TIPS homework is important") also significantly affected students' attitudes toward interactive homework. That is, if teachers conveyed the belief that TIPS is important, students had more positive attitudes about interactive homework. By the end of the school year, after accounting for students' attitudes toward school, teachers' attitudes, and other background measures, students with lower report card grades were more positive about TIPS than were more successful students, indicating that TIPS may help keep some of these students engaged in homework even if they do not like school very much.

Question 4. Which parents are most positive about TIPS? Parents overwhelmingly appreciated the TIPS activities and the opportunity to interact with their early adolescents about their homework. Data from parents were analyzed to learn which families liked TIPS activities the most. Importantly, family socioeconomic status, family structure (number of adults at home), and student ability were not significant determinants of whether parents liked TIPS. Responsive parenting (based on students' reports of whether their parents keep close watch on how they do in school) and the frequency of participation influenced parents' attitudes toward interactive homework. That is, regardless of family and student background, parents who monitored their children's grades and who participated more often with their children liked the TIPS process more than did other parents.

Linking the Goals of TIPS Interactive Homework To Results of This Study

Goal for families:

• To increase family awareness of their children's schoolwork.

Result of study for families:

• Nearly 100% of the parents agreed that TIPS gave them information about what their children were learning in class, and about 90% advised the school to continue TIPS next year.

Goal for families:

• To increase family involvement in children's learning activities at home linked to academic classes.

Results of study for families:

• Over 80% of the families liked the TIPS process (44% a lot; 36% a little). Most were involved every week (40%) or every other week (23%).
• Parents who participated with their children on more TIPS activities liked TIPS better than did other parents, even after accounting for other parental monitoring of schoolwork.

Goal for students:

• To increase students' ability to talk about schoolwork at home and the frequency of interactions with family members about homework.

Result of study for students:

• About 60% of the students said TIPS activities are better than regular homework; 70% reported their parents liked TIPS; 82% believed TIPS "gives me a way to show my parent what I am learning in class"; and about 70% recommended that the school continue to use TIPS next year.

Goal for students:

• To improve students' homework completion in specific subjects.

Result of study for students:

• Students' attitudes about TIPS were most influenced by their attitudes toward school and by their teachers' attitudes toward TIPS.

Goal for students:

• To improve students' skills in specific subjects.

Results of study for students:

• Students' writing skills increased with more family involvement on TIPS, even after prior writing skills were taken into account.
• Students' language arts report card grades improved when more TIPS assignments were completed, even after prior report card grades and attendance were taken into account.

Goal for teachers:

• To enable teachers to assign interactive homework designed to encourage students to share their ideas with family members.

Result of study for teachers:

• Six of the eight teachers liked the TIPS process and reported that they could continue its use without assistance or supplies from the researchers.

Goal for teachers:

• To increase teachers' understanding of families' interest in their children's work.

Result of study for teachers:

• Seven of the eight teachers agreed that TIPS "helps families see what their children are learning in class."

The study of the effects of TIPS on students and families goes beyond simple measures of minutes spent on homework to address questions about teachers' design of homework and the interactions of parents and students. New information emerged on the benefits for students, parents, and teachers of involving middle-grades parents with their children on interactions about schoolwork. Three conclusions stand out:

Families of middle-grades students can be involved in learning activities at home. The study documents the feasibility and effectiveness of TIPS-Language Arts in the middle grades. With interactive homework designed by teachers and conducted by students, most families in inner-city middle schools were informed about and involved in their children's education on a regular schedule, including many who would not have become involved otherwise. The national dissemination of TIPS-Language Arts, Science, and Math indicates that the process is similarly helpful across grades in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

Students' writing scores, language arts report card grades, and attitudes improve when students conduct interactive homework with family members. Even after accounting for highly predictive variables such as initial scores and grades, parental participation, more consistent homework completion by students, and teachers' attitudes, we found that interactive homework helped boost students' writing skills and success in school. Other analyses establish strong links between students' and teachers' attitudes toward TIPS and students' completion of more homework assignments, which, as reported above, contributes to higher report card grades.

Students, families, and schools need more than homework to help students meet their goals for learning and success. Helping students succeed in school is an ongoing process, requiring attention every year -- from preschool through high school -- from teachers, families, and the students themselves. In this and other studies, we find that most middle-grades students and their families have high aspirations for postsecondary education and know that education is important for success in life. They need to make the small but important and continuous commitments to school attendance, classwork, and homework to help reach their goals. The schools, too, need to improve curriculum, instruction, communication with students, and the involvement of families across the grades in order to promote and maintain students' positive attitudes, behaviors, and success in school.

In this study, interactive homework that involved family members influenced or increased students' homework completion and helped students improve their skills and report card grades somewhat, but classroom teaching must improve dramatically to increase students' writing skills and progress to meet high standards. Motivating and challenging lessons and activities are needed every day of every year in school for students to gain and maintain language arts skills.

ENDNOTES

1. We gratefully acknowledge the Baltimore middle school teachers who helped design the TIPS-Language Arts activities and who tested the implementation process. They include: Sonya Davis, Carrolyn Glascoe, Ellen Logan, Tamara Moore, Theresa Myers, Meredith Schwartz, Carolyn Cole, Joan Hammonds, Pamela McNeill, and Joan Taylor. Thanks also are extended to the many teachers, students, and families who participated in this study and to the school principals who supported it. We appreciate the support and assistance of Vivian Jackson, who was the field director for TIPS in the middle grades, and Jerry Baum, retired executive director of the Fund for Educational Excellence in Baltimore, who was a partner in the development and implementation of TIPS.

2. This work was supported by grants from the U. S. Department of Education/OERI and the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. The information and opinions are the authors' and do not necessarily represent the policies or positions of either funding source.

3. Joyce L. Epstein, "School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share." Phi Delta Kappan 76 (May 1995): 701-12.

4. Information on the TIPS manuals for teachers and packets of prototype homework activities may be obtained from the Publications Office at the Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University (410/516-8808).

5. For a complete report of this research, see Joyce L. Epstein, Beth S. Simon, and Karen Clark Salinas, Effects of Teachers Involve Parents in Schoolwork (TIPS) Language Arts Interactive Homework in the Middle Grades, Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk Report (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University/CRESPAR, in press).