A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Chapter 1:
The Potential of After-School Programs

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We must make sure that every child has a safe and enriching place to go after school so that children can say no to drugs and alcohol and crime, and yes to reading, soccer, computers and a brighter future for themselves.

--President Clinton

Working families increasingly find it difficult to care for their children during the afternoon and early evening hours. Although over 28 million children have parents who work outside the home, many of these children do not have access to affordable, quality care during the hours before and after school.^[1] To meet this demand, communities are creating quality after-school programs.

As this chapter shows, school-age children and teens who are unsupervised during the hours after school are far more likely to use alcohol, drugs, and tobacco, engage in criminal and other high-risk behaviors, receive poor grades, and drop out of school than those children who have the opportunity to benefit from constructive activities supervised by responsible adults. In a 1994 Harris poll, over one-half of teachers singled out "children who are left on their own after school" as the primary explanation for students' difficulties in class.^[2]

However, there is a chronic shortage of after-school programs available to serve children. Demand for school-based after-school programs outstrips supply at a rate of about 2 to 1. Seventy-four percent of elementary and middle school parents said they would be willing to pay for such a program, yet only about 31 percent of primary school parents and 39 percent of middle school parents reported that their children actually attended an after-school program at school. ^[3]

The lack of affordable, accessible after-school opportunities for school-age children means that an estimated five to seven million "latchkey children" go home alone after school. About 35 percent of twelve-year-olds are left by themselves regularly while their parents are at work. ^[4] Millions of parents--and their children--are being shortchanged.

Quality after-school programming can fill many needs of families, children, and communities. Such programs can meet family needs for adult supervision of children during after-school hours, and they can provide children with healthy alternatives to and insulation from risk-taking and delinquent behavior. According to the YMCA of the USA, nearly 100 percent of Americans agree that it is important for children to have an after-school program that helps them develop academic and social skills in a safe and caring environment. ^[5]

Wellesley College's National Institute on Out-of-School Time has identified four desired outcomes for after-school programs and the children who participate in them: Relationships with caring, competent, and consistent adults; Access to enriching learning activities; Access to safe and healthy environments; and Partnerships with families, schools, and communities

Quality after-school programs can provide positive environments and enriching age-appropriate activities. School-age children attending these programs can build on what they have learned during the regular school day, explore further areas of skills and interest, and develop relationships with caring adults, all of which are factors related to their success as adults.^[6] Quality after-school programs develop children's abilities so that they may grow into healthy, responsible adults.

While past research has focused on how children spend their time after school and what level of supervision is provided, current research has begun to examine the various types of after-school activities and their effects on the cognitive and emotional development of children. Researchers have identified three major functions of after-school programs: providing supervision, offering enriching experiences and positive social interaction, and improving academic achievement.^[7] Different programs may focus more strongly on a particular area. More and more, practitioners and parents are turning to after-school programs as an opportunity to prevent risky behaviors in children and youth and to improve student learning. In other words, practitioners and parents want after-school programs that are safe and smart.

The after-school activities included in this report were selected because they showed evidence of success--whether empirical or anecdotal--and were identified by local, regional, and national experts as particularly innovative or promising. To date, evaluation of after-school activities has been limited. Often, the information available about a program is based on the opinions of experts instead of on formal evaluations.^[8] This chapter showcases promising independent and self-reported evaluation data on after-school activities. It also indicates the critical need to fund and conduct more extensive, rigorous evaluations of after-school activities and their impact on the safety, social development, and academic achievement of children.^[9]

Keeping Children on the Right Track

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This period of time between the school bell and the factory whistle is a most vulnerable time for children. These are the hours when children are more likely to engage in at-risk behavior and are more vulnerable to the dangers that still exist in too many neighborhoods and communities.

--Vice President Gore

About 29 percent of all juvenile offenses occur on school days between the hours of 2:00 p.m.--when young people begin to get out of school--and 8:00 p.m. Indeed, the hour immediately following the typical time of release from school--from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.--yielded more than twice as much violent crime as the preceding hour, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Compare 6.5 percent from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. versus 2.8 percent from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.).^[10]

• A recent study of gang crimes by juveniles in Orange County, California, shows that these crimes typically occur on school days, with their incidence peaking at 3:00 p.m. Data from the study shows that 60 percent of all juvenile gang crime occurs on school days and that, like other juvenile crime, it peaks immediately after school dismissal.^[11]

Children are also at a much greater risk of being the victim of a violent crime (e.g., murder, violent sex offense, robbery, and assault) during the hours after school. For young people, ages 6 to 17, this risk peaks at 3:00 p.m., the end of the school day. For children, ages 6 to 11, the risk declines after 3:00 p.m., but for older children and teens, ages 12 to 17, the risk remains relatively constant from 4:00 p.m. to midnight.^[12]

Quality after-school programs can meet family needs by providing responsible adult supervision of children during non-school hours. By offering young people rewarding, challenging, and age-appropriate activities in a safe, structured, and positive environment, after-school programs help to reduce and prevent juvenile delinquency and to insulate children from injury and violent victimization. After-school programs give children and teenagers positive things to say "yes" to.

Preventing crime, juvenile delinquency, and violent victimization. The following studies show that quality after-school programming can have a positive impact on children and youth at risk for delinquent behaviors.

Decrease in juvenile crime

• In Waco, Texas, students participating in the Lighted Schools program have demonstrated improvements in school attendance as well as decreased juvenile delinquent behavior over the course of the school year. Juvenile crime has dropped citywide by approximately 10 percent since the inception of the program.^[13]
• New York City housing projects with Boys and Girls Clubs on site experienced a juvenile arrest rate that was 13 percent lower than that of similar housing projects without a Club, according to a recent study by Columbia University. In addition, drug activity was 22 percent lower in projects with a Club.^[14]

• After the Beacon Program in New York City increased youth access to vocational arenas, therapeutic counseling, and academic enrichment after school, police reported fewer juvenile felonies in the community.^[15]

• Canadian researchers found that at the end of a year-long after-school skills development program in a public housing project, the number of juvenile arrests declined 75 percent while they rose by 67 percent in a comparable housing development without a program over the same period of time.^[16]

Decrease in violent victimization

• The Baltimore Police Department saw a 44 percent drop in the risk of children becoming victims of crime after opening an after-school program in a high-crime area. A study of the Goodnow Police Athletic League (PAL) center in Northeast Baltimore, the first center to open in May 1995, also indicated that juvenile arrests dropped nearly 10 percent, the number of armed robberies dropped from 14 to 7, assaults with handguns were eliminated, and common assaults decreased from 32 to 20.^[17]

• While children in the LA's BEST program and those not in the program both reported feeling unsafe in their neighborhoods, children in the program felt significantly safer during the hours after school than non-participants.^[18]

Instead of locking youth up, we need to unlock their potential. We need to bring them back to their community and provide the guidance and support they need.

--Mayor Daley,
City of Chicago

Decrease in vandalism at schools

• One-third of the school principals from 64 after-school programs studied by the University of Wisconsin reported that school vandalism decreased as a result of the programs.^[19]

• Schools running an LA's BEST program showed a 40-60 percent reduction in reports of school-based crime.^[20]

Preventing negative influences that lead to risky behaviors, such as drug, alcohol, and tobacco use. After-school programs can provide young people with positive and healthy alternatives to drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, criminal activity, and other high-risk behaviors during the peak crime hours after school.

• One study found that eighth-graders who were unsupervised for eleven or more hours per week were twice as likely to abuse drugs or alcohol as those under adult supervision.^[21]

• Another study concluded that latchkey children are at a substantially higher risk for truancy, poor grades, and risk-taking behavior, including substance abuse.^[22]

• Almost one-fifth of children who smoke said they smoke during the hours after school.^[23]

• Parents overwhelmingly agreed that The 3:00 Project, which provides after-school programs for middle school students in Georgia, reduced their children's exposure to high-risk situations.^[24]

• A 1995 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that students who spent no time in extracurricular activities were 49 percent more likely to have used drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than those students who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities.^[25]

• A 1995 study gauged the "healthiness" of communities by the prevalence of problem behaviors among youth, grades 9-12, such as drug and alcohol use, sexual activity, depression, and school problems. The communities with structured activities in which most youth participated (e.g. extracurricular sports, clubs, community organizations) were five times more likely to be ranked among the healthiest communities. In healthy communities, over one-half of all youth participated in such activities whereas only 39 percent of youth participated in structured activities in the least healthy communities.^[26]

• In a 1995 study of eighth- and ninth-grade students, the activities associated with the least desirable outcomes for drug use and attitudes were car rides, "hanging out" with friends, and parties while other after-school activities such as volunteer work, sports, and spending more time on homework were associated with healthier student outcomes.^[27]

• By age 18, the average child has seen 200,000 acts of violence, including 40,000 murders, on television.^[30]

• Three-quarters of a million children--ages 12 to 17--watched the Jerry Springer show after school, according to Nielsen ratings, which means that many latchkey kids were watching the talk show.^[31]

Enhancing Children's Academic Achievement

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Better grades and higher academic achievement. Students in after-school programs show better achievement in math, reading, and other subjects.^[33] Preliminary research indicates an increase in student achievement when compared to past performance and to control groups made up of similar students not involved in the programs.

• P.S. 5, a New York community school with an active extended learning program supported by the Children's Aid Society, showed impressive gains in math and reading over the past three years, far surpassing the performance of similar city schools. At I.S. 218, another Children's Aid Society community school, twice as many students as at similar schools are performing at grade level in math and reading.^[34]

• Of the 40 schools involved in the Chicago Lighthouse Program, a citywide after-school program run by the Chicago Public Schools, 30 schools showed achievement gains in average reading scores and 39 schools showed gains in average mathematics scores.^[35]

• Students at the Beech Street School in Manchester, New Hampshire, home of the Y.O.U. after-school program, improved in reading and math on the state test. In reading, the percentage of students scoring at or above the basic level in reading increased from only 4 percent in 1994 to almost one-third of students in 1997 and in math, the percentage of students scoring at the basic level increased from 29 percent to almost 60 percent. Teachers in Manchester, New Hampshire, reported that over half of students participating in the Y.O.U. after-school program earned better grades than before.⁽³⁶⁾

I used to hate math. It was stupid. But when we started using geometry and trigonometry to measure the trees and collect our data, I got pretty excited. Now I'm trying harder in school.

--Teen, Y.O.U. Program
Manchester, New Hampshire

• Students who participated in Louisiana's Church-Based After-School Tutorial Network, a program that operates in sites throughout the state and targets at-risk children in grades K-8, increased their grade point average in math and language arts by 1.5 to 3 points, depending on the number of years they attended.^[37]

• According to a UCLA evaluation, students in LA's BEST citywide after-school program made academic gains far beyond those of students in the comparison group.^[38]

• In the Lighted Schools program in Waco, Texas, two sites experienced a 38 percent decrease during the 1996-1997 school year in the number of program participants failing two or more classes.^[39]

• Over one-half of the students in The 3:00 Project, a statewide network of after-school programs in Georgia, improved their grades in at least one subject.^[40]

• In Memphis, Tennessee, students who participated on a regular basis in an after-school program with group tutoring and a language arts curriculum showed higher achievement than their peers according to state assessment.^[41]

• In a study of an after-school program with a predominantly Hispanic, low-income student population, findings showed that high involvement in after-school activities (at least three activities per week) had the greatest impact on academic performance.^[42]

• In a 1995 study, high school students who participated in extracurricular activities were shown to be three times more likely to score in the top 25 percent on math and reading assessments than their peers who did not. In North Carolina, high school student athletes had higher grade point averages than non-athletes.^[43]

Increased interest and ability in reading. After-school programs that include tutoring in reading and writing as well as reading for pleasure can increase reading achievement for students. Research indicates that reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for their future success in reading. Opportunities for students to practice reading and writing to achieve fluency increases their level of reading achievement.

Literacy development through practice and experience
After school, students experience what has been referred to as an "informal curriculum," which greatly impacts children's literacy development. When the informal curriculum exposes children to an environment rich in language and print, students show increased ability in reading and in math. Students need the opportunity to practice and develop their literacy skills through intelligent discussions with adults, storytelling, reading and listening, games, and other activities and interactions that extend learning beyond the regular school day.^[44]

Quality, research-based tutoring programs, which fit well into after-school programs, produce improvements in reading achievement.^[45] Tutoring can also lead to greater self-confidence in reading, increased motivation to read, and improved behavior.^[46]

• In a major research study on preventing reading difficulties, the National Academy of Sciences found significant increases in reading achievement for students participating in programs that provided extra time in reading instruction by tutoring children individually.^[47]

• In a study of after-school programs receiving cooperative extension assistance, teachers said that one-third of participating children earned better grades and developed a greater interest in recreational reading.^[48]

• Teachers in Manchester, New Hampshire, reported that 63 percent of students participating in the Y.O.U. after-school program developed an interest in recreational reading.^[49]

• Elementary students in the Los Angeles 4-H after-school program made significant progress in language arts.^[50]

• An after-school tutoring program in which low-achieving second- and third-graders were tutored one hour, twice each week, by university students, retirees, and mothers generated strong improvements in reading skills.^[51]

Decrease in amount of television watching
Studies show that children who watch excessive amounts of television perform poorly on literacy-related activities when compared to their peers.^[52] Children typically learn far less from television than they do from a comparable amount of time spent reading.^[53]

Unfortunately, the most common activity for children after school is television watching. After school and in the evenings, children watch, on average, about 23 hours of television each week, and teens watch about 22 hours per week.^[54]

• In a 1995 survey of eighth- and ninth-graders, 34 percent reported spending less than an hour a day on homework while 78 percent reported spending an hour or more on television, videos, or computer games.^[55]

• Fifty-three percent of children in the Los Angeles 4-H after-school program said they would watch more television if they were not at 4-H.^[56]

On being a latchkey kid:

Sometimes there are so many things you can't do. I can't have company or leave the house. If I talk on the phone, I can't let anyone know I'm here alone. But I really think they've figured it out, you know. Duh.

--Amy, 14

Development of new skills and interests. After-school programs often offer activities in which children would not otherwise be involved during the school day or at home. They give children the opportunity both to develop new skills and to pursue existing interests in greater depth.

• When asked to name a new talent or skill developed in their after-school program in Manchester, New Hampshire, 44 percent of students named an educational area. Teachers reported that three-fourths of participating children developed an interest they would not otherwise have in new topics and activities.^[57]

Improved school attendance and reduced drop-out rate. After-school programs can help children develop greater confidence in their academic abilities and a greater interest in school, both of which have been shown to lead to improved school attendance.^[58]

• At four sites of the Lighted Schools program in Waco, Texas, 57 percent of participating students improved their school attendance.^[59]

• Seventy percent of parents and teachers agreed that attendance had improved because of middle school students' participation in The 3:00 Project in Georgia.^[60]

• The Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program, a cross-age tutoring program which trains older students to tutor younger students, has effectively reduced dropout rates. The dropout rate for students who participate in this program is 1 percent, while a comparison group's rate was 12 percent. (The national average is 14 percent.)^[61]

A parent was telling the teacher that their child was begging to go to school even though she had a fever because she was so excited about what she was doing in the after-school program.

--Sister Judy Donovan, Valley Interfaith
ISD, Brownsville, TX , an organizer with the
Industrial Areas Foundation

Turning in more and better quality homework. Most after-school programs offer some type of homework assistance, whether it is a scheduled daily homework time, one-on-one tutoring, or a homework club or center. Staffed by teachers, paraprofessionals, older students, and volunteers, participating children can draw on a variety of resources to tackle difficult homework. Also, the structure of an after-school program can make homework part of students' daily routine, which helps to explain why children in after-school programs display better work habits than their peers.^[62]

• Over 70 percent of students, parents, and teachers agreed that children received helpful tutoring through The 3:00 Project, a statewide network of after-school programs in Georgia. Over 60 percent of students, parents, and teachers agreed that children completed more and better prepared homework because of their participation.^[63]

• In the Los Angeles 4-H after-school program, over 85 percent of students reported that they received help with homework, and 90 percent said they finished their homework while attending the program each day. Over one-half of teachers rated the students' homework completion as improved or much improved.^[64]

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service Youth-at-Risk Initiative study, teachers said one-third of children were completing more and better quality homework assignments due to their participation in the program.^[65]

I just used to hang out after school before coming to The 3:00 Project. Now I have something to do and my school work has improved!

--7th-grade student

More time on task. Some students take three to six times longer than others to learn the same thing.^[66] After-school programs offer more time for learning in new, fun ways for all students, especially those who may need extra help or individualized assistance.

• Studies suggest that increased student achievement can result from additional instructional time when the time is well structured and activities are tailored to individual needs and abilities.^[67]

Reduced retention in grade and placement in special education. Some school districts, such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., are making concerted efforts to provide students at risk of non-promotion with after-school and summer extended learning opportunities. These programs give children the extra help they need to improve achievement in reading and math so that they not be kept behind.

A recent report by the National Academy of Sciences concludes that many reading disabilities are preventable. Children without literature-rich environments and strong reading instruction are much more likely to show delayed or impeded development of their reading ability. One major recommendation in the report is to increase the opportunities for children to engage in independent reading, an activity well-suited to after-school programs.^[68]

• In 1996, over one-half of the students who attended Chicago's summer program raised their test scores enough to proceed to high school.^[69]

• Sixteen percent of children participating in programs supported by United States Department of Agriculture's cooperative extension service assistance avoided being retained in grade.^[70]

• According to teachers in Manchester, New Hampshire, several students avoided being retained in grade or placed in special education due to their participation in the Y.O.U. after-school program.^[71]

Higher aspirations for the future, including intention to complete high school and to go to college. Caring adults can make a big impression on the way a child thinks about his or her future. By giving children role models and the tools they need to succeed in school, after-school programs can help children realize their full potential. Research shows that appropriate after-school programs for middle school children contribute to increasing rates of high school graduation.^[72] Students who spent as little as one to four hours a week in extracurricular activities were almost 60 percent less likely to have dropped out of school by the time they were seniors than their peers who did not participate.^[73]

• Ninety percent of students in ASPIRA, a nationwide after-school education and leadership program for Hispanic youth, have continued their education beyond high school, whether in college or in technical training. This percentage far exceeds the national average for 45 percent of Hispanic students pursuing postsecondary education.^[74]

• The San Antonio Pre-Freshman Engineering Program [San Antonio PREP] is a summer and after-school program that targets low-income, minority students, helping them develop reasoning and problem solving skills through mentoring in the fields of math and science. Of the students who participated, 99.9 percent graduated from high school, and 92 percent were either college students or graduates. Eighty percent of college attendees graduated, and 53 percent of college graduates were science or engineering majors.^[75]

Supporting Children's Social Development and Their Relationships with Adults and Peers

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Improved behavior in school. Research shows that children who participate in after-school programs may behave better in class, handle conflict more effectively, and cooperate more with authority figures and with their peers.

Fewer behavioral problems. Children who experience positive emotional climates in their after-school programs exhibit fewer behavioral problems at school.^[76]

• In one study, over one-third of principals reported that children were showing fewer behavior problems because of their participation in after-school programs.^[77]

• In the Manchester, New Hampshire, after-school program, teachers reported that almost one-half of participating students demonstrated fewer behavioral problems.^[78]

• In Georgia, a majority of parents and children agree that middle school youth learned to handle conflicts better and were getting along better with people since they began attending an after-school program.^[80]

• In the New Hampshire program, teachers reported that almost 40 percent of participating students learned to handle conflicts better.^[81]

• In one program in Los Angeles, over 60 percent of teachers and 85 percent of parents rated children who participated as making some or much improvement in being cooperative with peers.^[83]

• Nearly one-half of school principals and one-third of teachers reported in another study that after-school programs caused some children to become more cooperative with adults.^[84]

• In an evaluation of eight sites in the Save the Children Out-of-School Time Rural Initiative, 86 percent of participating youth, ages 12-18, showed improvement in attitude and behavior and 72 percent showed improvement in social skills.^[86]

• Eighty-three percent of school-age child care staff in 71 programs said that some children who had been socially rejected by peers learned healthy ways to make new friends because of their participation in an after-school program.^[87]

• In a survey of after-school programs in Georgia, approximately 60 percent of students and teachers and over 80 percent of parents agreed that the after-school program enhanced students' interpersonal skills.^[88]

Improved self-confidence through development of caring relationships with adults and peers. Youth organizations have indicated that the single most important factor in the success of their programs is the relationship between participants and the adults who work with them. Research identifies a common characteristic of "resilient" children as having stable relationships with one or more caring adults.^[89] Children, especially adolescents, say that they want and seek caring adults they can trust, who listen to and respect them.^[90] Research shows that children need four to five hours of discussion weekly with knowledgeable adults or peers to support personal growth and development, a finding which the Boys and Girls Clubs of America have incorporated into the operation of their Educational Enhancement Sites in housing developments.^[91]

We need someone to listen to us--really take it in. I don't have anybody to talk to, so when I have a problem inside, I just have to deal with it myself. I wish there would be more adults that ask questions because that shows that they care and want to know more.

--Cindy, 16

• One hundred percent of youth participating in the Y.O.U. after-school program in Manchester, New Hampshire, said that the program helps them feel proud of themselves. Youth in the program cited staff as a popular source of advice when they have a problem, second only to a family member.^[92]

Strengthening Schools, Families, and Communities

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More effective use of funding. After-school programs can help school districts save money over the long term because of decreased student retention and special education placements. Where there is a decrease in juvenile crime due to a program, communities also save resources.

• Manchester, New Hampshire, saved an estimated $72,692 over a period of three years because students participating in the Y.O.U. after-school program avoided being retained in grade and being placed in special education.^[93]

• ChildCare ActioNews recently reported that preventing one youth from becoming a lifelong criminal saves $1.3-1.5 million dollars. According to the newsletter: "The savings could easily pay for a quality after-school program for 125 children during four years of high school!"^[94]

Greater family and community involvement in children's learning and schools. Many after-school programs depend on and draw upon parent and community volunteers. Research shows that when families are involved in schools, students do better. We can also expect that when family and community members make an investment, however large or small, in a school-based after-school program, they will tend to be more interested and involved in their own children's learning, in the learning of all children in the program, and in the life of the school as a whole.

Increase in capacity to serve children

• Meeting the great demand by families for quality, affordable after-school programs is one of the major goals of the MOST Initiative. Through community collaboration, the Boston MOST Initiative succeeded in subsidizing 754 additional spaces for children in after-school programs and 300 new spaces in before-school programs. Chicago MOST helped the Chicago Park District to add 10 additional spaces for children to each of 40 promising programs, for a total of 400 new slots. And Seattle MOST created 250 new spaces in both after-school and summer programs.^[95]

Increase in business support and involvement

• In Murfreesboro, Tennessee, schools stay open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. for an extended learning program. The City Schools reported increased support from business and industry due, in part, to a schedule for children that better matches the employee work day.

• Through the leadership of the non-profit organization T.H.I.N.K. Together, Southern California Edison and other corporations have teamed up with two Episcopal churches and a Catholic church in downtown Santa Ana, California, to provide tutoring, homework help, and mentoring to over 400 children and teens at the Noah Project Learning Center. Each of the five T.H.I.N.K. Together Learning Centers utilizes a team of 75-100 volunteer tutors, many of whom are employees of the sponsoring corporations. At the Highland Street Learning Center, almost 50 volunteers signed up before the volunteer drive had even begun.^[96]

• In Los Angeles, the 4-H ASAP [After-School Activity Program] serves over 1,200 youth in 24 sites with the help of an extensive network of community partners. Since 1993, Unocal, a natural gas company, has paid for 11 percent of the annual operating budget of 4-H ASAP in Los Angeles County.^[97] In addition, fourteen area colleges and universities along with businesses, parents, community volunteers, and federal, state, and local agencies support 4-H ASAP by providing transportation for field trips and special events; career exploration opportunities; expertise in management, educational technology, marketing, and public relations; and by donating computers and software, supplies for arts and crafts and learning projects, and nutritious snacks.^[98]

Increase in parental involvement

• At the Challenger Boys and Girls Club in South Central Los Angeles, parents agree to volunteer eight hours a month in the after-school program when they enroll their child. Parent volunteers coordinate transportation, assist in administration, chaperone field trips, and help with homework.^[99]

• The Y.O.U. program in Manchester, New Hampshire, helps parents gain confidence in their own abilities through volunteering and other means. Ninety-five percent of parents reported that they have learned how to be a better parent by observing staff interact in positive ways with the children.^[100]

• The Chicago Lighthouse After-School Program offers programs in some schools to teach parents how to help their children with homework. These efforts have sparked renewed community involvement in the schools and are part of a renewed effort to create community schools.^[101]

• I.S. 218 in New York City offers English as a second language classes nightly to over 350 adults and a Saturday program that draws in 150 adults and 100 children for family activities, such as aerobics, computer lab, and additional English as a second language classes.^[102]

Growth in children's personal sense of community

• Teenagers say they feel pride and a sense of accomplishment when they help others, whether they care for the elderly or tutor a younger child.^[103] A majority of youth in Georgia's 3:00 Project reported that they enjoyed doing volunteer work, that they planned to volunteer in the future, and that they felt they were making a contribution to the community.^[104] Service learning can be an important part of after-school programs, strengthening the connection between children and the community.

Development of community schools. Often, after-school programs involve parents, volunteers, and others in the schools. As they become involved, the schools become a center for the community. There are many models for community schools and many groups involved in their nurturing. These include the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the National Center for Community Education, the National Community Education Association, the Children's Aid Society, the National Center for Schools and Communities at Fordham University, the Center for Community Partnerships of the University of Pennsylvania, Beacon Schools and its expansion through the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, United Way's Bridges to Success, Schools of the 21st Century, Missouri's Caring Communities, Communities in Schools, and the Institute for Educational Leadership's Community Schools Coalition. In addition, many states and local school systems have adopted the community schools model.

Replication
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, associated with Community Schools for more than 60 years, brings extended learning, recreation, and social activities into school buildings under the auspices of local education systems. It is estimated that 10,000 schools in the country have at one time or another adopted some aspects of this model.^[105]

Parent and community involvement
The West Des Moines Community School District includes parents and community members, teachers, business people, and representatives from city government on site improvement teams that set the direction for each of the District's 15 schools. In addition, a community education advisory council conducts a needs assessment every few years to determine whether facilities and programs offered to all members of the community are still current. Due to the schools' outreach and offerings, 95 percent of parents and community volunteers flow in and out of the schools daily.^[106]

Improved student performance
The Children's Aid Society has adopted a "settlement house" approach to schools in New York City, integrating school restructuring with "one-stop" social services, cultural opportunities, and recreational activities. The schools focus intensively on improving educational outcomes for children and youth by offering extended learning programs that complement the regular school day. Evaluation evidence indicates that children in these schools out perform similar students not enrolled in this type of community school model.^[107]
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[Introduction]

[Chapter 2 What Works: Components of Exemplary After-School Programs]