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A study of middle school participants in New York City 's Beacon Initiative, which served 21,000 middle schoolers during the 2008-2009 academic year. Student survey responses indicated that the Beacon program supported students academically by improving their homework completion, grades, reading comprehension, and math performance. Students participating in the program also overwhelmingly agreed that they felt safe and that they belonged at the Beacon Center, and that the program taught them how to help others. Students also reported that they felt it was important to be involved in their community.
A multi-year evaluation of New York City 's Out-of-School Time (OST) initiative, which was launched in 2005 to provide free, quality afterschool and summer learning programs to New York City students and served 181,000 children between 2005 and 2008. The evaluation found that participants in the program reported high levels of academic motivation and moderate levels of academic benefits. Additional findings include that students in the program reported that they felt that they belonged and were safe in the program, and among parents surveyed, 74 percent agreed that the program made it easier for them to keep their jobs and 73 percent agreed that they missed less work than they had previously because their children attended the OST program.
This quasi-experimental study examined 75,000 Chicago After-School All-Stars (ASAS) participants from 2012-2014, comparing them to non-participating students in Chicago Public Schools. The study found that Chicago ASAS students saw improvements in their school day attendance and school day behavior compared to their non-participating peers, where Chicago ASAS students saw an 18 percent decrease in school day absences and were 22 percent less likely to be suspended than students not in the program.
A 30-month longitudinal evaluation of 322 Boys & Girls Club members from 10 Clubs across the country, beginning in seventh and eighth grade. Student survey responses indicated that participants who attended the program more often had increased academic confidence, community service involvement, integrity, and academic confidence, and decreased school absence rates, aggression,and police interactions.
This Public/Private Ventures evaluation studied the Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL) project, an eight-year, $58 million afterschool initiative in cities across California designed by the James Irvine Foundation aimed at providing academic enrichment and support to primarily elementary school students in the lowest performing schools, who are often living in low-income families. The evaluation found that students participating in the CORAL program, a majority of whom were English language learners and reading below grade level, saw literacy-related gains. CORAL participants who were English language learners and those who were furthest behind in reading experienced greater gains in their reading performance while in the program compared to their peers who entered the program reading at grade level or who were English proficient. Children who began the CORAL program two or more grade levels behind in reading, based on the individualized reading assessments, gained just as much as their higher-achieving counterparts over the same period of time. The study also found that CORAL students reported having a positive experience in the program. Close to 90 percent of CORAL students reported that they felt safe in the program, and 71 percent agreed that they felt that they belonged in the program. Parents of students in the program also reported a positive experience for their children, with more than 90 percent of parents reporting that the program helped their child to do better in school.
An evaluation of high-quality afterschool programs serving low-income elementary and middle school students across diverse community types in eight states. Data collected through standardized test scores, as well as teacher and student surveys indicates regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs provide low-income youth significant gains in math test scores and work habits and reductions in behavioral problems.
This Chapin Hall study examined Chicago 's After School Matters (ASM) program, which offers paid internships in the arts, technology, sports, and communications to high school students in some of the city 's most underserved schools. The study found positive impacts on students participating in the program when looking at academic performance and school day attendance. Compared with non-participants from the same high schools, ASM participants were more likely to graduate high school and less likely to miss school, fail courses, or dropout. The study also found that the higher the participation in the afterschool program, the greater the positive impact on students ' graduation rates, school day attendance, and course completion.
An analysis of the effects of the Young Scholars Program on students in schools throughout North Carolina. Academic and attendance data collected on Young Scholars over the course of five years shows that participation in the program led to gains in math and reading proficiency, improved grade promotion, increased school day attendance, and increased parent involvement.
A meta-analysis of 35 evaluations examining the academic impact of out-of-school time (OST) programs, specifically programs serving students at risk for school failure, a population that includes students who were not performing well academically in school or students who had characteristics associated with dropping out of school. The meta-analysis found that programs have a statistically significant positive impact on both the reading and math achievement of students participating in the program.
This study of 1,755 working parents of school-age children at one of three Fortune 100 companies focused on assessing parental stress. Based on parents surveyed, the study estimates that approximately 50 million parents are potentially over-stressed by parental concern about afterschool time (PCAST)—which is when parents are worried about what their children are doing during the hours after school—and are likely to bring their concerns to the office. The study found that parental worries about what their children are doing after school makes mothers and fathers less productive at work and contributes to employee stress, costing businesses between $50 billion and $300 billion annually in lost productivity.
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The Afterschool Impacts Database is a project of the Afterschool Alliance.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.
Afterschool Impacts Database