After-school programs have grown rapidly in recent years, spurred by rising employment
rates of mothers, pressure to increase academic achievement, and concerns about risks to
children who are unsupervised during after-school hours. The percentage of public schools
offering “extended day” programs (which include before- and after-school programs) more than
tripled from 1987 to 1999, from about 13 percent to 47 percent.

The federal government’s investment in after-school programs has grown rapidly as well.
Funding for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, created in 1994, rose from
$40 million in 1998 to $1 billion in 2002. The program now provides funding to 2,250 school
districts to support school-based programs in 7,000 public schools.
Some studies of after-school programs have found that these programs increase academic
achievement and student safety, as well as reduce negative behaviors such as drug and alcohol
use. However, other studies have found that after-school programs have no effect on—and even
worsen—certain outcomes, leading to debate over whether the evidence supports increased
investment in after-school programs.

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Education contracted with Mathematica Policy Research,
Inc., and Decision Information Resources, Inc., to evaluate the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers program. The evaluation team collected student outcome data in five areas:
after-school supervision, location, and activities; academic performance and achievement;
behavior; personal and social development; and safety. Because the purpose of the 21st Century
Community Learning Centers program by law is safe and drug-free learning environments for
students that support academic achievement, this evaluation focused on student and school
outcomes. It did not explore the full range of parental needs and satisfaction that might be
affected by the availability of after-school programs. It did collect parent outcome data on
involvement in school activities and employment status.