Improving Homework Completion in Students with ADHD; The Effectiveness Organizational and Planning
Tools Plays in Middle School Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Presented By: Ami Yeiser
Why This Subject Area?•Currently there are 20 students at Mclean
County Middle School that have the diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, otherwise known as ADHD.
•Out of this, 65% of them struggle to complete homework.
Step 1: Identify Problem•The overall percentage of students with a
diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; being sent to the Alternate Education Program (AEP) room for incomplete homework assignments has increased by 15% since the 2012-2013 school year.
Step 2: Educators must have an understanding of ADHD and how it is
linked to incomplete homework assignments
•Punishment will not change disorganized behaviors that are related to brain pathology.
• It's confusing to teachers and parents when students with ADHD are inconsistent in their ability to organize because it may seem like the child is just "sloppy" or "lazy.“
Step 2: Educators must have an understanding of ADHD and how it is linked to incomplete homework assignments
• If a child handles one task in an organized way, it's tempting to believe he could always be organized if he wanted to, but that's not necessarily the case.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Up Close
• The neurological process that lets us organize, prioritize, and analyze is called "executive function."
•Children with attention deficit disorder (ADHD) have impaired executive function skills due to abnormal dopamine levels in the frontal lobe of the brain.
Why Is Homework Completion Difficult for this Particular Group of Students?
• ADHD causes the student to have poor focus, poor concentration, and poor memory.
Why Is Homework Completion Difficult for this Particular Group of Students?
•Students with ADHD lack the organizational skills and/or the memory capacity needed to be successful in these areas.
•The act of copying down assignments, bringing home the correct text book, and keeping track of due dates all require these three areas of weaknesses. In fact, causing this to be very difficult to achieve successfully.
Step 3: Let’s Examine How Organizational and Planning Tools Are Significant for Students with ADHD?
•During the course of the day; students have to work their way through many tasks including listening to and recording what needs to be done, doing the assignment, and turning it in. It's very easy for ADHD children to get interrupted along the way and forget where they are in the process.
Step 3: Let’s Examine How Organizational and Planning Tools Are Significant for Students with ADHD?
•Mental disorganization causes students with ADHD to be inconsistent, leading adults to believe the lapse is intentional. When teachers respond by giving zeroes or bad grades, it only discourages the child and doesn't solve the problem.
What Are Some Examples?Organizational
Tools Planning Tools
• Graphic organizers• Multi-step
Assignments• More space to write
answers out • Color code books and
supplies by subject• Individualized folder
system to keep up with materials
• Daily agenda check• Give student copy of
homework assignment written down
Research Begins!
•Research Question:▫How can the number of incomplete
homework assignments be improved in middle school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?
Data Source 1: Teacher Survey 1 2 3 4 5Checking students’ agendas for accuracy on a daily basis does not take a long time.
Students completed homework assignments more often due to the use of organizational and planning tools.
The organization and planning tools were too time consuming in my classroom in order to incorporate on a daily basis.
I received adequate training and support to effectively use the tools.
The organization and planning had positive effects on homework completion by students with ADHD in my classroom.
My students’ performance improved with the use of the tools utilized in my classroom.
There were less classroom distractions once I began to use the organization and planning tools with my students with ADHD.
The tools improve my overall classroom demeanor
Students are more engaged in their studies because of the organizational tools
graphic organizers useful for my classroom content
The organization and planning tools have benefited my classroom
I plan on continuing the use of the organization and planning tools for students with ADHD in my future classes
The organization and planning tools have proven to be effective in my classroom
Data Source 2: Reflective Journal•Adequacy of the organization and planning tools in the classroom
• Support in utilizing tools
• Effectiveness of the organization and planning tools
• Concerns teachers may have that are using the tools
• Future use of the organization and planning tools
• Overall, opinions and facts that the teachers see pertinent in the research of the effectiveness of the organization and planning tools
Data Source 3: Infinite Campus•Information will be de-identified by Kendell
Hayden, vice-principal of Mclean County Middle School before it is handed off to Ami Yeiser, investigator of the research.
•Data consists of write-ups from students who have a diagnosis of ADHD from the last school year of 2012-2013 and this school year 2013-2014 to date.
Enrollment Statistics at Mclean County Middle School
2012-2013 School Year•373 Students enrolled in school•7 students with 504 Plans•39 students with IEP Plans•6 students in the 6th grade with a
diagnosis of ADHD•5 students in the 7th grade with a
diagnosis of ADHD•11 students in the 8th grade with a
diagnosis of ADHD
Enrollment Statistics at Mclean County Middle School
•389 Students enrolled in school•15 students with 504 Plans•45 students with IEP Plans•9 students in 6th grade with diagnosis of ADHD•6 students in the 7th grade with a diagnosis of
ADHD•5 students in the 8th grade with a diagnosis of
ADHD
2013-2014 School Year
Incomplete Homework Assignments in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder (ADHD)2012-2013 School Year
Months # of Students with ADHD in AEP for incomplete Homework
August - September
11
October - November
15
December - January
13
February - March 12April - May 11
* Indicates implementation of organization and planning tools.
Incomplete Homework Assignments in Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD)• 2013-2014 School Year
Percentages of AEP use for Students with ADHD for Incomplete Homework Assignments
Aug.-Sep.
Oct.-Nov.
Dec. - Jan.
Feb. - Mar.
April
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2012-20132013-2014
Results Are In!
•Organization and Planning Tools were very effective, in fact they improved homework completion by an overall 20% decrease of incomplete assignments for students with a diagnosis of ADHD.
Results Are In!
•This decrease could continue to do so, if the tools are utilized effectively in the classroom.
•The tools were utilized for 5 consecutive weeks. The possibilities are endless!
