Resources on Afterschool

Research and Evaluation Studies

	A Review of Out-of-School Time Program Quasi-Experimental and Experimental Evaluation Results A report providing an overview of what the quasi-experimental and experimental evaluations in the database reveal about the impact of out-of-school time programs on an array of academic, prevention and youth development outcomes. (12 pages)
	Add It Up: Using Research to Improve Education for Low-Income and Minority Students A guide explaining how low-performing schools can become high-achievers with a focus on lessons learned from earlier research on schools and poverty. (70 pages)
	Adolescents' Activities and Feelings at After-School Programs and Elsewhere A presentation focusing on the program study that contrasted students' activities, social partners, levels of engagement and emotions at programs and elsewhere during the afterschool hours. (24 slides)
	After School Programs in the 21st Century: Their Potential and What it Takes to Achieve It This research brief draws on seminal research and evaluation studies to address two primary questions: (a) Does participation in after school programs make a difference, and, if so (b) what conditions appear to be necessary to achieve positive results? The brief concludes with a set of questions to spur conversation about the evolving role of after school in efforts to expand time and opportunities for children and youth in the 21st century. (12 pages)
	After-School Initiative Evaluation A study providing information about the overall impact of the Colorado Trust Initiative and helping grantees increase their ability to evaluate their own programs. (48 pages)
	After-School Programming in Colorado: Needs Assessment Highlights A report summarizing the results of a survey of 1001 youth-serving agencies, supplemented by interviews with 50 individuals involved in afterschool programs. (4 pages)
	After-School Programs and Academic Impact: A Study of Chicago’s After School Matters This study finds that the students who participated in ASM, on average, had better prior attendance records and fewer course failures than students who did not enroll in the program. However, the study finds that after taking prior levels of attendance and educational achievement into account, ASM participants still had significantly better outcomes than students who did not participate in ASM.
	Afterschool Evaluation Practices in California: Site-Level Perspectives A study focusing on the issues and challenges that site-based program leaders face in conducting program evaluations and using them to inform their practice. (41 pages)
	Afterschool Learning: A Study of Academically Focused Afterschool Programs in New Hampshire A report on the positive effects of academically focused afterschool programs on middle school students. (53 pages)
	Afterschool Program Participation and the Development of Child Obesity and Peer Acceptance A longitudinal study assessing the role of afterschool program participating in the development of child obesity and peer acceptance in a sample of 439 children. (14 pages)
	America's After-School Choice A report outlining the importance of afterschool as a method of youth crime prevention. (35 pages)
	Boosting Achievement and Changing Life Trajectories Phase II highlights from a comparative study of performances between Citizen School apprentices and a matching group of Boston Public School students. (2 pages)
	Building Quality, Scale and Effectiveness in After-School Programs: Supplementary Papers to Accompany The Summary Report of the TASC Evaluation A supplemental report on The After-School Corporation (TASC) evaluation describing the overall goals and mission of TASC, their afterschool service approach, their resources and partnerships and efforts to develop an afterschool workforce. (148 pages)
	Building Quality, Scale, and Effectiveness in After-School Programs A paper on The After-School Corporation (TASC) evaluation describing the overall goals and mission of TASC, their afterschool service approach, their resources and partnerships and efforts to develop an afterschool workforce. (148 pages)
	Can After-School Programs Help Level the Playing Field for Disadvantaged Youth? As this review of research suggests, rates of participation in after-school programs remain relatively low among disadvantaged and minority youth – the very youth who may be most in need of academic assistance. The overarching aim of this paper is therefore to highlight potential reasons for these low participation rates, and to examine the proposition that increasing access among economically disadvantaged, minority students will lead to more equitable academic outcomes.
	Champions of Change A group of studies demonstrating how involvement with the arts provides unparalleled opportunities for learning, enabling young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement. (114 pages)
	Delivery of Technical Assistance Services 2004 Results A report on the staff and partner evaluation conducted in 2004 focusing on the survey profile, technical assistance services and outcomes. (20 pages)
	Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Activity Participation This research paper, in the Journal of Youth Development: Bridging Research and Practice, describes research findings showing that demographic differences in OST participation exist not merely in getting youth “in the door” of activities, but also in the number of activities and the amount of time youth spend in activities once they are there. (15 pages)
	Elements of Quality in After-School Programs: A Review of the Research Literature The purpose of this review is to gain an understanding of key elements of quality in after school programming and to organize information in a way that could guide improvement of Nebraska's afterschool programs. (21 pages)
	Enhancing School Reform Through Expanded Learning This report aims to further the conversation of how school reform and improvement strategies can take full advantage of expanded learning opportunities to promote student learning, development, and engagement. (69 pages)
	Establishing a Foundation for Progress Toward High School Graduation This report outlines the findings from Phase V of the Citizens Schools Evaluation (54 pages)
	Evaluating After-school Programs As the interest in after-school programs grows, so does the need for reliable information about what works. Several studies offer preliminary indications that these programs do make a positive difference in participants, according to program staff with the Mott Foundation. (5 pages)
	Evaluation Exchange Volume 6, Number 1 A newsletter issue addressing the challenges and possibilities for evaluating afterschool programs in the new era of accountability. (16 pages)
	Evaluation Exchange Volume 7, Number 2 A newsletter issue featuring a conversation with Jane Quinn about the out-of-school time field, descriptions of current national and local evaluations, a discussion of developmental research, a description of practices that involve youth in evaluation and research and practical advice about using logic models in evaluating afterschool programs. (16 pages)
	Evaluation Exchange: Building and Evaluating Out-of-School Time Connections This double issue of The Evaluation Exchange focuses on creating and evaluating connections between OST programs and the other settings in which children and youth live, learn, and play. (40 pages)
	Evaluation Study of the Tiger Woods Learning Center An qualitative assessment of the first two years of the Tiger Woods Learning Center, including interviews, collection and assessment of student work, and an in-depth examination of the experiences of 25 case study students who reflected the cultural and linguistic diversity of the Center. (9 pages)
	Experience Corps in Urban Elementary Schools: A Survey of Principals A survey designed to capture principals' observations and perceptions for use as a source of information on what educators see when Experience Corps operates in their schools. (13 pages)
	Experiencing Success: A Review on the Effectiveness of Experience Corps A review of the recent scientific research studies on afterschool programs. (7 pages)
	Finding Fortune in Thirteen Out-of-School Time Programs: A Compendium of Education Programs and Practices A report outlining out-of-school time (OST) programming, research evaluations and recommendations to the youth policy field. (72 pages)
	Highlights From the Out-of-School Time Database This Research Update synthesizes findings from the profiles of 15 research and evaluation reports added to the Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database in December 2006. It highlights strategies for assessing program processes as well as key outcomes and features of programs that promote positive outcomes. (7 pages)
	Hunger Doesn't Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report A report outlining findings from a Summer Food Service Program and the National School Lunch Program. (37 pages)
	Hunger Doesn’t Take A Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2009 This report outlines the benefits of Summer Nutrition Programs, and looks at what must be done to increase the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs to give children access to the healthy food they deserve. (17 pages)
	Implementing Randomized Controlled Trial Studies in Afterschool Settings: The State of the Field The purpose of this research brief is to summarize the challenges that have been raised by the proposal review process and the implementation of these studies during the first year of the project. This research brief seeks to highlight challenges to the field of afterschool research as the need for rigorous approaches to addressing questions of program impact and efficacy in applied settings increases. (8 pages)
	Instructional Partnerships in Urban High Schools: Lessons from New York and Boston Research process and key findings from four sites New York and Boston about intra- and inter-school collaboration. (4 pages)
	Lasting Consequences of the Summer Learning Gap This study examines the long-term educational consequences of summer learning differences by family socioeconomic level. (14 pages)
	Learning Around the Clock: The Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth This report summarizes 22 evaluations of high-quality ELOs to give policymakers and practitioners a quick understanding of the research findings on effective programs, along with a description of why these programs work.
	Learning from Small-Scale Experimental Evaluations of After School Programs This issue brief reviews small-scale experimental evaluations of after school programs, highlighting these studies' evaluation strategies and results. (8 pages)
	Making Out-of-School-Time Matter Evidence for an Action Agenda This report summarizes current knowledge of quality, effectiveness, and capacity-building for out-of-school programs to help providers, policymakers and others move ahead to improve programs. The report also identifies areas in significant need of further evidence-based research. (152 pages)
	More than homework, a snack, and basketball: Afterschool Programs as an Oasis of Hope for Black Parents in Four Cities This study aims to gain a better understanding of what black parents want and think about afterschool programs (ASPs). Benefits include the following: • Empowering low-income and working-class Black parents with information about the benefits of ASPs; • Informing policy decisions regarding the design and implementation of appropriate educational opportunities in ASPs for urban families; and • Advancing research in the fields of public education, extended-day learning, and ASP activities. (10 pages)
	Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool Programs: Longitudinal Findings from the Study of Promising Afterschool Programs A new study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Policy Studies Associates, Inc. finds that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. These gains help offset the negative impact of a lack of supervision after school. The two-year study followed almost 3,000 low-income, ethnically diverse elementary and middle school students from eight states in six major metropolitan centers and six smaller urban and rural locations. About half of the young people attended high-quality afterschool programs at their schools or in their communities. (8 pages)
	Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool Programs: PowerPoint Presentation This PowerPoint presentation highlights a study finding that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. (16 pages)
	Parents' Views on School Wellness Practices A survey report capturing parents' views on the wellness policy. (15 pages)
	Phase I of the Family Participation in After-School Study A report on the Family Participation in After-School Study research initiative about family involvement in afterschool, outlining goals, activities and challenges. (41 pages)
	Public School Students' Out of School Time Study: Measuring the Impact of Colorado's 4-H Youth Development Program A study that measures the impact of the Colorado 4-H Youth Development Program. (30 pages)
	Quality of Relationships with After-School Program Staff and Child Developmental Outcomes A presentation focusing on adult-child relationships and their effects on academic, social and behavioral outcomes. (19 pages)
	Research and Practice: A Two-Way Street Proceedings from the National AfterSchool Association's research and evaluation leadership day. (16 pages)
	Research Update 1: Highlights from the OST Database This Research Update synthesizes findings from the profiles of 15 research and evaluation reports added to the Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database in December 2006. It highlights strategies for assessing program processes as well as key outcomes and features of programs that promote positive outcomes. (7 pages)
	Research Update 2: Highlights from the OST Database Synthesizes findings from the profiles of 13 research and evaluation reports added to the OST Program Research and Evaluation Database in August 2007. (8 pages)
	Research Update 3: Highlights From the Out-of-School Time Database This publication explores how OST programs use evaluation to inform their programming and serve older youth and their families. (9 pages)
	Rising to the Challenge: Are High School Graduates Prepared for College and Work? A research piece outlining the need of greater high school student engagement in school-based programs. (14 pages)
	Safe Haven Program Evaluation (1997-98) A Safe Haven afterschool report for the City of Madison and the Madison Metropolitan School District focusing on determining the demographic profile of children, an examination of program enrollment across year, a limited examination of children experiences and tests of program effects on children's development. (20 pages)
	Shared Features of High-Performing After-School Programs: A Follow-Up to the TASC Evaluation A study examining high-performing afterschool projects to determine what characteristics these projects share. (69 pages)
	Sports as a Hook: An Exploratory Study of Developmentally Focused Youth Sports Programs A study on ways to develop profiles of developmentally focused youth sports programs and the organizations that support them. (6 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs A study examining the effects of high-quality afterschool programs on developmental and learning outcomes among children and youth who are at high risk of school failure.
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Descriptive Report of the Promising Programs A research study longitudinally examining the effects of high-quality afterschool program on various outcomes among economically disadvantaged youth in both the elementary and middle school years. (129 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Examination of Intermediate Outcomes in Year 2 A research study longitudinally examining the effects of high-quality afterschool program on various outcomes among economically disadvantaged youth in both the elementary and middle school years. (70 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Parent Survey Glossary A sample study from the parents' perspective of students' involvement in structured and unsupervised activities outside of school. (7 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Program Staff - Student Report Glossary A sample study from the program staff's perspective of students' involvement in structured and unsupervised activities outside of school. (8 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Student Survey Glossary A sample study of students' involvement in structured and unsupervised activities outside of school. (19 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: Teacher Survey Glossary A sample study of young children's aggressive, withdrawn and pro-social behaviors. (10 pages)
	Study of Promising After-School Programs: What Does Prior Research Suggest Regarding Essential Program Features Associated with After-School Quality? A study testing the hypothesis that disadvantaged youth between the ages of eight and 14 who participate in high-quality afterschool programs achieve significantly greater developmental and learning gains than disadvantaged youth who do not participate in similar programs. (6 pages)
	Study of Promising Afterschool Programs: Key Findings from New Research on the Benefits on High-Quality Afterschool Programs Key findings from a study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Policy Studies Associates, Inc. finds that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged students. (2 pages)
	Supporting Student Outcomes Through Expanded Learning Opportunities The purpose of this brief is to shine a spotlight on the role of afterschool and summer learning programs in supporting student success and to help bridge the divide between afterschool and summer programs and schools by offering some research-derived principles for effective expanded learning partnership efforts. (16 pages)
	The Arts and Education: New Opportunities for Research Essays and summaries discussing cognitive processes in research on afterschool programs. (43 pages)
	The Costs of Out-of-School Time Programs: A Review of the Available Evidence The Finance Project and Public/Private Ventures are studying the costs of high-quality out-of-school-time programs. To inform this work, the project team reviewed the literature on costs and quality in out-of-school-time programs and in related fields. This report presents the findings of the literature review on costs and includes bibliographies of resources on costs and quality. (28 pages)
	The Federal Role in Out-of-School Learning: After-School, Summer Learning, and Family Involvement as Critical Learning Supports This review examines existing research on the contributions of out-of-school learning supports to school success and examine the implications of the research for future federal education policy. The review strongly indicates that it is time for the federal government to lead and support a major effort to reframe the definition of learning—what it is, who enables it, and when it takes place—to encompass all of the places where children and youth learn. (54 pages)
	The Impact of After-School Programs That Promote Personal and Social Skills The study evaluates systematically the impact of after-school programs that attempt to enhance youths’ personal and social skills, identifies the nature and magnitude of the outcomes of such programs, and describes the features that characterize effective programs. (50 pages)
	The Impact of Participation in Service-Learning on High School Students’ Civic Engagement This study compared more than 1,000 high school students who participated in service-learning programs with those who did not participate in schools matched for similar demographics and student achievement profiles. The intention was to estimate the effects of service-learning compared to more traditional ways of teaching similar subject areas. The outcomes measured ranged from civic knowledge, behaviors, and dispositions to school engagement factors, such as attachment to school and enjoyment of coursework, that generally predict academic success. Students came from sites in the southeast, north central, and western parts of the United States. (59 pages)
	The Learning Season: The Untapped Power of Summer to Advance Student Achievement This report shows that summer enrichment opportunities have a profound impact on the academic achievement of young people and argues that children experience learning loss over the summer months, losses much greater for children from low income families. (76 pages)
	Time for a Change: The Promise of Extended-Time Schools for Promoting Student Achievement A report detailing the work of a select number of "extended-time schools," describing and analyzing their effective practices. (40 pages)
	Understanding and Measuring Attendance in Out-of-School Time Programs This brief reviews developmental research and out-of-school time program evaluations to examine three research-based indicators of attendance—intensity, duration, and breadth—offering different models for how attendance in out-of-school time programs can influence youth outcomes. (12 pages)
	Understanding the Market for Arts Education in Afterschool Settings This study indicates that arts education providers now have a unique and exciting opportunity to expand arts participation, inspire, innovate, and cultivate the creative talents of a new generation of young people by developing afterschool partnerships. (9 pages)
	Urban Institute Report of BELL Summer Key findings from a two-year evaluation of BELL Summer by the Urban Institute show the program's impact on reading skills (4 pages)
	Watch Study Report A report summarizing the study that compared a group of middle school students who were involved in afterschool programs to students who were not active in any such programs. (2 pages)
	What Are Kids Getting Into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation This research brief describes findings from a nationally-representative study showing that disadvantaged and minority youth are less likely than their peers to participate in a wide range of OST programs and activities. It includes implications for practitioners, policymakers, and researchers. (21 pages)
	What We Can Learn From High School Students A survey on high school student engagement. (14 pages)
	What Works in California A report making the case that serving the mental health needs of youth in the juvenile justice system will promote public safety. (10 pages)
	When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program A report on the findings from the national evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers with a particular focus on student and school outcomes. (190 pages)
	Why, When, and How to Use Evaluation: Experts Speak Out An issue brief providing commentaries from researchers, evaluators and practitioners about new directions for research and evaluation in order to reframe the current system into one of learning for continuous improvement and accountability. (8 pages)
	Youth Program Quality Assessment and Improvement: Celebrating Progress and Surfacing Challenges A report on proceedings focusing on progress, sharing and learning across roles, sectors and organizations within the field. (44 pages)

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