CFK reports from: The Rayburn House Office Building
Event: Making Out-of-School-Time Matter: Evidence for an Action Agenda
Organized by: The RAND Corporation
Where/When: Washington, D.C., March 14, 2005
By Whitney Robie
In conjunction with a series of research briefings, the RAND Corporation presented Making Out-of-School-Time Matter: Evidence for an Action Agenda. Research was conducted by RAND and supported by The Wallace Foundation. The researchers identified and assessed various methods that could potentially improve support for before- and after-school programs.
Susan Bodilly and Megan Becket, co-authors of Making Out-of-School Time Matter: Evidence for an Action Agenda led the research teams in their systematic examination of Out-of-School-Time (OST) literature in hopes to ultimately improve OST programs. Research has shown that between the afternoon hours of 3 and 6 p.m., children are more likely to participate in or be victims of risky behaviors, including violence, drug use, and sexual behaviors.
The five major issues areas of OST programs that were addressed by Susan Bodilly in today's briefing included:
- Unmet demand.
- Potential effects of programs.
- Program factors associated with positive outcomes.
- Improving participation.
- Improving capacity.
OST Programs are group-based programs that exist outside of the regular school-day schedule. They are intended to provide care for students, ages 6-18 or in grades k-12, however attendance is voluntary. A few examples include programs run by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts chapters, Upward Bound, and Big Brothers and Big Sisters of America. The RAND researchers discovered that many programs have significant numbers of open slots and absentees. What is the reason behind this? Are the current programs too expensive for many families? Do children not find them appealing? Are they being offered in inconvenient locations or during inopportune times? These issues need to be addressed in order to understand the current participation rates and how to improve them.
Potential effects of such programs range from improved academic achievement to better social behavior. Furthermore, children who choose to attend OST programs often leave with higher motivation and aspiration for future success, including continuing education.
Researchers found that the following factors were associated with positive outcomes for participating children:
- A clear mission
- High expectations
- A safe and healthy environment
- Supportive emotional climate
- A small total enrollment
- Trained personnel who remain with the program
- Age-appropriate content
- Integrated family and community partners
- Frequent assessment
Other factors that can have an influence on the program's success include whether one-on-one tutoring is offered and how many times the child actually attends the program.
Once a quality program has been created it's important to increase participation in that program. There are several ways in which programs can foster involvement, and much of the research that was conducted focused on using strategies from the fields of job training and military recruiting to increase enrollment. Programs need to identify possible participants, determine a method of recruitment, and then locate their recruitment efforts in areas where youth congregate. Furthermore, environmental and/or social barriers need to be removed in order for more children to have access to these programs. Location, availability of transportation, and cost are all examples of barriers that could prevent a child from participating.
The final issue that was addressed was how to build capacity. The researchers suggest that at the local level programs need to involve parents more directly, provide recognition to current supporters and promote the programs through the media. On the national level, programs can argue for standards and federal funding.
Statistics indicate that 30% of U.S. families with school-age children would participate in an OST program if it were available to them. Susan Bodilly and Megan Beckett have attempted to understand why programs are not available to these families, and how to make them become available in the future. Bodilly warned, however, against compromising quality in order to increase capacity.
View the PDF for more information on this research briefing. [1]