Organization Interventions Improve Academic Functioning through Improved Homework Completion

Introduction: The Challenging Horizons Program (CHP) is a school-based training intervention for adolescents with ADHD (Evans et al., 2016). Adolescents receive training, guidance, and feedback that improves organizational abilities through the use of checklists, coaching, and repeated practice. Studies investigating organization interventions have indicated beneficial effects related to academic functioning (Evans et al., 2011; Langberg et al., 2008). Because organization abilities mediate the relationship between treatment and academic outcomes (Margherio et al., 2017), we examined whether group differences existed for GPA and rates of homework completion based on different levels of organization skills and generated hypotheses related to possible mechanisms of change.

Methods: A total of 326 students in grades six through eight who were diagnosed with ADHD participated in the study and were randomized to treatment or control groups. CHP interventions occurred over one academic year. Trained research staff and teachers assisted students in materials management using a nine-point organization checklist (1 point per item; range 0-9). Adherence to the organization checklist was checked, feedback provided, and the student corrected errors in organization.

Results: Students in the CHP interventions were separated into three groups based on their average scores on the binder organization checklist (mastery = 8 or above, borderline = 6-8, developing = under 6) at quarter 2 and quarter 3 of the school year. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to examine the differences between GPA and percentage of homework turned in between the different groups as well as a control group sample at these two time points during the school year. There was a significant overall difference between groups on GPA (F(3, 204) = 2.81, p =.041) for quarter 2 of the academic year. Post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test indicated that the mean GPA for the mastery group (M = 2.55, SD = .92) was significantly different than the developing group (M = 1.94, SD = 1.09, p = .05). Homework completion percentages also differed within the three treatment groups and in comparison to the control group sample (F(3, 203) = 3.06, p = .029). In post hoc comparisons the mastery group completed a significantly higher percentage of their homework (M = 82.10, SD = 14.44) than the developing group (M = 69.47, SD = 24.69, p= .046) and the control group (M = 72.01, SD = 23.11, p = .057). For quarter 3 of the academic year, there was not a significant difference between groups for GPA (F(3, 208) = .04, p =.988) or for homework completion rates (F(3, 188) = .624, p = .60).

Conclusions: Studies have indicated that organization abilities mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and academic outcomes (Langberg et al., 2013). The present study suggests that level of organization skills is associated with significant differences in GPA and homework completion rates. The authors hypothesize that differences in GPA between groups are the result of organization abilities influencing homework completion rates. The results described above will be presented along with a mediation analysis examining the extent to which homework completion mediates the effect of the organization intervention on GPA.