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.

This compendium contains evaluation briefs on 49 youth programs that were assessed by the American Youth Policy Forum. The programs were selected because they demonstrate that careful application of the following principles can lead to powerful results for youth.

Over 10 years, the researchers studied community-based organizations (CBO) for young people, eventually examining the work of approximately 120 youth-based organizations in 34 different cities. A look at these organizations and the young people they serve shows that CBOs offer a means of reaching at-risk youth, and that they can have a significant impact on the skills, attitudes, and experiences of young people. Surveys of CBO participants show that they express a sense of personal value, hopefulness, and agency far greater than peers in their communities, and even greater than the attitudes of youth growing up in more representative U.S. circumstances. Follow-up studies with more than 60 participants in youth CBOs show that the majority of these young people are firmly set on positive pathways as workers, parents, and community members. Research reveals that effective CBOs are intentional learning environments. CBOs cannot be effective, however, without support from community members and other community organizations. Long-term and short-term strategies to promote involvement in CBOs are outlined.

Report from Fight Crime: Invest in Kids that outlines the necessity for after-school programs and effectiveness in positive youth development.

Hosted by the National Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University, the Summer Changes Everything (April 16-17, 2009 in Chicago) covers how to build and strengthen summer programs. Preconference cost: $175

The American Institutes for Research (AIR) seeks an early childhood education or child development practice leader to join our Palo Alto, CA office.

Here are some useful, age-appropriate “cheat sheets” to help parents and caregivers get the most out of their time with their children, boosting reading skills and enjoyment.

A recent NACCRRA survey found that parents look for quality when they seek child care, but until now it has been hard to find out if a program has been inspected and licensed. A research study in Florida has found that quality of care, especially for low-income children, improved when licensing and other standards were available online. Check the NACCRRA map to find inspection information for a program in your state.

Zero to Three offers a searchable database with information on state policies and initiatives that impact infants, toddlers and their families.

Kids’ Carpentry is a year-round after school program designed especially for boys and girls, kindergarten through the sixth grade. Since 1982 we have been teaching kids the safe use of woodworking hand tools. Children work together and independently on boats, trucks, bird feeders, clocks, doll furniture, airplanes, games and many other projects. In addition to the fun these kids have, they also gain quality experiences in measuring, applied mathematics such as fractions, and hands-on experience with a variety of carpentry tools. By visualizing, planning and building projects, children develop valuable abstract reasoning capabilities and fine motor skills. Children can select from a wide range of project choices supplied by the teacher and are also encouraged to design and build based on their own needs and imaginations. Our Socratic style of teaching empowers the children to become good problem-solvers and independent thinkers!