After School Programs in the 21st Century: Their Potential and What It Takes to Achieve It

Published in the HFRP's "Issues and Opportunities in Out-of-School Time Evaluation" (Number 10), this report critically examines one interpersonal strategy for improving the lives of children and young people in the United States: participation in after school programmes. As the authors explain, "after school" describes an array of safe, structured programmes that provide those from kindergarten through high school with a range of supervised activities intentionally designed to encourage learning and development outside of the typical school day. Given the broad range of programme goals, the activities offered in these programmes vary, and may include academic enrichment, tutoring, mentoring, homework help, arts (music, theatre, and drama), technology, science, reading, math, civic engagement and involvement, or activities to support and promote healthy social/emotional development. After school programmes take place in a variety of settings, including schools, museums, libraries, parks, faith-based organisations (FBOs), youth service agencies, county health agencies, and community-based organisations (CBOs).

The authors of the paper draw on 10 years of research on after school programmes in the United States as part of an effort to address two questions: (a) Does participation in after school programmes make a difference, and, if so, (b) what conditions appear to be necessary to achieve positive results? The 12-page brief concludes with a set of questions to designed to spur conversation about the evolving role of after school programmes in initiatives designed to provide children and youth with academic, social, prevention, and health benefits. A research companion provides in-depth information about the studies and evaluations cited in the full report.

Specifically, this synthesis of research indicates that:

• After school programmes can improve academic achievement - Evidence shows that participation in these programmes is "associated with better attitudes toward school and higher educational aspirations, higher school attendance and less tardiness, less disciplinary action (e.g., suspension), lower drop-out rates, better performance in school (as measured by achievement test scores and grades), greater on-time promotion, improved homework completion, and engagement in learning. The common thread in all these studies is that balancing academic support with engaging, fun, and structured extracurricular or co-curricular activities, which promote youth development in a variety of real-world contexts, appears to support and improve academic performance."
• After school programmes can improve youth social and developmental outcomes - The authors found that participation in these programmes is "associated with decreased behavioral problems; improved social and communication skills and/or relationships with others (peers, parents, teachers, etc.); increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy; lower levels of depression and anxiety; development of initiative; and improved feelings and attitudes toward self and school."
• Participation in these programmes can contribute to:
  
  • avoidance of drug and alcohol use, decreases in delinquency and violent behaviour, increased knowledge of safe sex, avoidance of sexual activity, and reduction in juvenile crime; and
  • better food choices, increased physical activity, increased knowledge of nutrition and health practices, reduction in body mass index (BMI), improved blood pressure, and improved body image.

This research review leads the authors to identify three primary and interrelated factors that they believe to be critical for creating after school programmes with the potential to achieve positive youth outcomes. These factors include:

1. Access to, and sustained participation in, programmes - "Sustained participation can be cultivated in a number of ways, such as by tailoring programs to youth interests, needs, and schedules, as well as providing a wide variety of enriching opportunities for youth to be exposed to new ideas, new challenges, and new people."
2. Quality programming - Beyond ensuring adequate physical and psychological safety and cultivating effective management practices, the authors find that high-quality after school programmes tend to feature appropriate supervision and structure, well-prepared staff, and programming with opportunities for autonomy and choice.
3. Strong partnerships - "Programs are more likely to exhibit high quality when they effectively develop, utilize, and leverage partnerships with a variety of stakeholders, especially families, schools, and communities."