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NEW YORK -- Working parents
and teachers see after-school programs no longer as
optional, but as an essential support for children as they
grow and develop, according to a new national study of
after-school programs, released today by the
Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds. Nearly 80 percent of parents
surveyed in the study said that after-school programs helped
their children cope with behavioral problems and helped them
obtain new skills to meet increased demands in school.
At a time when states and the federal government are
pressing harder than ever for improved academic achievement
by all children, a three-year study shows that after-school
programs, particularly in low-income communities, are an
effective and affordable way not only to keep children safe
and out of trouble, but also to keep them engaged in
school. The report concludes that children in school-based
after-school programs benefit both academically and socially
in programs that offer a diverse set of activities. The
report findings are significant given the emerging debate
over whether or not basic skills can be effectively taught
only in programs that exclusively focus on academics or
whether such skills can be taught in a variety of program
activities such as art, sports, book and chess clubs.
Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), Philadelphia, PA, and the
Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., New York, NY produced
the study, Multiple Choices After School: Findings From the
Extended-Services Schools Initiative, which was commissioned
by the Wallace Funds and was based on an evaluation of
after-school programs supported by the Funds over the past
decade.
"Given the challenges to children's lives and the complex
set of skills needed for work in the 21st century, we need
to prepare our nation's children to develop a broad range of
core competencies from basic skills to leadership and team
building skills," said Jean Baldwin Grossman, lead
researcher of P/PV. "We found that these after-school
programs, which are not strictly focused on developing basic
skills, appeared to help participants develop multiple
talents and abilities that they'll need for their future."
Extended Service Schools (ESS) are school-based programs
that provide a variety of academic and enrichment activities
for young people during non-school hours, from homework help
to career awareness. The facilities typically operate before
and after school, on weekends and over the summer
months. Well-designed programs support families,
too. "Parents with children in ESS programs said that their
children's attitudes and behaviors in school changed and it
kept their children out of trouble. As a result, their
children's attendance improved. Parents were also able to
manage their work schedules better, attend classes and get
better jobs," Grossman said.
The ESS study involved four national models of after-school
programs in 17 communities across the country. The models,
Beacons, Bridges to Success, Community Schools and WEPIC
(West Philadelphia Improvement Corps), differed in
organizational structure and management, but all sought to
promote positive youth development during out-of-school
hours. Each ESS site was located in a school and operated by
a community-based organization. All the programs focused on
a mix of academics, cultural and recreation activities. The
study sought to answer four key questions about after-school
programs:
- Which children and youth come to after-school programs and
why? Are the programs attracting the young people who could
benefit most from participation?
- What do high-quality activities in after-school programs
look like?
- What benefits do the youth and their families gain from
participation?
- What is the cost to operate after-school programs, and how
to finance them? The study showed that:
- Effective after-school programs positively affect student
attitudes and behaviors in school and their ability to
achieve learning goals. Eighty to 90 percent of ESS parents
said their children obtained new skills and became more
confident learners, while 85 percent of parents said their
children enjoyed school more and as a result their school
attendance improved.
- Effective after-school programs help students stay out of
trouble. Over 70 percent of parents surveyed said the
programs help their children stay out of trouble and learn
to settle arguments without fighting. After-school
participants were less likely to start drinking or skipping
school.
- Effective after-school programs helped families. Three
quarters of parents said the programs helped their child get
along with family members better; 80 to 90 percent said they
were less worried about their child's safety after school
and learned to appreciate their child's talents; and half
said their child's participation in after-school activities
helped them to manage their jobs better, such as adjust work
schedules and take advantage of classes or job training.
Practical lessons from the report, such as cost and program
design, are highly relevant to local program managers
providing after-school services and to state agencies that
are administering 21st Century Community Learning Centers
for the first time this year.
"This study can help communities create effective
programs that have positive outcomes for children," said
M. Christine DeVita, president of the Wallace Funds. "It
demonstrates that there are ways to develop educational and
developmental services out of school that can help children
be successful in school and in life." The Funds supported
nearly 60 such ESS programs in communities across the
country to help transform underused public schools into
neighborhood centers.
A complete copy of Multiple Choices After School: Findings
From The Extended Service School Initiative is available
online by visiting the Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds website
www.wallacefunds.org, Public/Private Ventures www.ppv.org or
MDRC website www.mdrc.org. Printed copies are available
through P/PV.
The Wallace-Reader's Digest Funds seek to create
opportunities for people to enrich themselves through better
schools, enhanced community activities and participation in
the arts.
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