Afterschool Research and Policy Implications

1. Afterschool Research andPolicy Implications Presentation to Wisconsin State Prevention ConferenceJune 11, 2009Ramada Hotel, Stevens Point, WI

2. Defining Afterschool… The Who, What, Where and Why?

3. Who? • 6.5 million children and youth in K-12 • Nearly 1 million in 21st Century Community Learning Center programs • In about 10,000 school and community based centers

4. What is Afterschool? • Safe, structured programs that provide youth in K-12 a range of supervised activities intentionally designed to encourage learning and development outside the school day • Can also be called… • School age child care • Out of school time • Expanded learning opportunities

5. Where is Afterschool? • Occurs is variety of settings • Schools, • Museums • Libraries • Parks • Faith based organizations • Youth service agencies, • Health agencies • And many other community based organizations.

6. When? • Before and after school • Weekends • School holidays • Summer • During the school year • usually run 2-3 hours/day • 4-5 days/week

7. Why do Afterschool? • Educators, researchers, advocates and policy makers alike are rethinking how to best educate our nation’s young people and prepare them to be productive citizens in the 21st Century • Most agree this includes sustained participation in well-structured and well-implemented after school programs and activities

8. Put a Face on It Activity – Part 1

9. What does research say? • Does participation in after school programs make a difference, and if so, • What conditions appear to be necessary to achieve positive results?

10. A seminal research study… • After School Programs in the 21st Century, Their Potential and What it Takes to Achieve It, Number 10, Feb. 2008, by Pricilla Little, Christopher Wimmer and Heather B. …… Weiss • This Harvard Family Research Project research brief summarized 10 years of research

11. A Resounding YES! A decade of research and evaluation studies, confirms that children and youth who participate in after school programs can reap a host of positive outcomes in a number of related areas such as: • Academic • Social/emotional • Prevention • Health & Wellness

12. ACADEMIC OUTCOMES Afterschool programs can improve academic achievement outcomes such as: • Better attitudes toward school & higher educational aspirations • Higher school attendance rates & less tardiness • Less disciplinary action (e.g., suspension) • Lower dropout rates • Better performance in school, as measured by achievement test scores and grades • Greater on-time promotion • Improved homework completion • Engagement in learning

13. Key Study SupportingAcademic Outcomes Longitudinal Findings from the Study of Promising After-School Programs by • Deborah Lowe Vandell, University of California, Irvine • Elizabeth R. Reisner, Policy Studies Associates, Inc. • Kim M. Pierce, University of California, Irvine • 2008

14. Conclusions on Improved Academic Outcomes • Elementary & middle school students who regularly attended high quality afterschool programs demonstrated significant gains of 12 to 20 percentiles in standardized math test scores. • Elementary & middle school students who regularly participated in high-quality afterschool programs had significant gains in self-reported work habits. • Classroom teachers of the elementary students also reported gains in work habits & task persistence. • Vandell, D,. Reisner, E. & Pierce, K. (2007)

15. Conclusions on Improved Social and Behavioral Outcomes • Elementary program participants exhibited gains in social skills with peers & pro-social behavior & reductions in aggression • Both elementary and middle school program participants demonstrated reductions in misconduct (e.g., skipping school, getting into fights). • Middle school program participants reported reduced use of drugs & alcohol • Vandell,D,. Reisener, E. & Pierce, K. (2007)

16. Study Insights • After school programs can improve academic achievement… however, dozens of studies underscore the powerful impact of supporting a range of positive learning outcomes, by providing youth opportunities to learn and practice new skills through hands-on, experiential learning in project-based afterschool programs.

17. Common Threads • It’s not just that the programs intentionally tried to improve academic performance and therefore offered academic support, but they combined it with other enrichment activitiesto achieve positive academic outcomes.

18. SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL OUTCOMES Afterschool programs can improve youth social and developmental outcomes. Outcomes include: • Decreased behavioral problems • Improved social and communication skills and/or relationships with others (peers, parents, teachers) • Increased self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-efficacy • Lower levels of depression and anxiety • Development of initiative • Improved feelings and attitudes toward self and school

19. Key Study Supporting Social/Emotional Development The Impact of After-School Programs That Promote Personal and Social Skills • Joseph Durlak, Loyola University, Chicago, • Roger Weissberg, University of Illinois, Chicago • Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), 2007

20. Findings • Youth who participate in after school programs improve significantly in three major areas: • Feelings and attitudes • Indicators of behavioral adjustment • School performance • Effective programs use evidence based skill training approaches

21. Evidence Based Training Approaches (SAFE) • Sequential (set of activities focused on outcomes) • Active (forms of hands on learning) • Focus (on personal or social skills • Explicit targeting of specific personal or social skills

22. PREVENTION OUTCOMES Participation in after school programs can have a positive impact on a range of prevention outcomes. • Avoidance of drug and alcohol use • Decreases in delinquency and violent behavior • Increased knowledge of safe sex • Avoidance of sexual activity • Reduction in juvenile crime

23. Key Study Supporting Prevention Outcome • Longitudinal study of effect of participation in LA’s BEST programs on juvenile crime • Tracked students from 1994 – 2003 • Comparing LA’s BEST participants to two control groups

24. Results of Study • Participation in LA’s BEST was significantly related to lower incidences of juvenile crime. • Researchers estimate this translates into average savings to society of $2.50 for every dollar invested in the program. • While participation rates were a key factor in crime reduction this is powerful evidence of potential long-term effects of and benefits to society from after school programs!

25. HEALTH AND WELLNESS OUTCOMES Participation in after school programs can contribute to healthy lifestyles and increased knowledge of nutrition and exercise. Outcomes associated with participation in after school programs include: • Better food choices • Increased physical activity • Increased knowledge of nutrition and health practices • Reduction in BMI • Improved blood pressure • Improved body image

26. Key Study Supporting Health and Wellness Outcome Summertime and Weight Gain Study (Paul von Hippel) • Children gain body mass index (BMI) nearly twice as fast during the summer as during the school year. (2007) • Black and Hispanic children and children who are already overweight experience healthier BMI gain during the school year (2007) • Only 1 in 5 children in 2006 who received free or reduced meals during school did so in the summer (2007)

27. Put a Face on Your Partners Activity

28. Three Critical Factors to Achieve Successful Outcomes • Access to and sustained participation in programs • Quality programming, particularly • Appropriate supervision and structure • Intentional programming • Strong partnerships with families, other community organizations and schools

29. Supporting Student Outcomes Through Expanded Learning Opportunities NEW report by Harvard Family Research, http://www.hfrp.org/

30. Principles of Sustainable Partnerships • Shared vision with focus on supporting academics • Blended staffing models that enable crossover between school, afterschool and summer staff • School/Afterschool/summer partnership at multiple levels • Regular and reciprocal collection and sharing of info on student progress • Intentional and explicit contrast between school and afterschool

31. Using Research for Policy Change • Expand definition of student success • Use knowledge about how students learn best • Integrate various approached to acquiring and reinforcing knowledge • Collaborate across local, state and national sectors • Provide new leadership and professional development opportunities • A Report from the Time, learning and Afterschool Task Force, 2007

32. Join Afterschool Alliance • Host a Lights on Afterschool Event on October 22, 2009 • Free resources at afterschoolalliance.org

33. What is ?

34. ~Vision ~ All Wisconsin school age children and youth have the opportunity to attend a high quality afterschool program.

35. ~Mission~ Support schools and community partners in delivering high quality afterschool programs to diverse school age children and youth that… • Increase academic achievement • Enhance youth development & • Encourage family involvement.

36. Partnership Goal • Create a sustainable structure of statewide, regional, local and school-community partnerships focused on supporting high quality afterschool programs and influencing policy development. • Policy Goal • Support the development and growth of statewide policies to secure resources needed to sustain new and existing afterschool programs. • Program Quality Goal • Support statewide systems to ensure programs are of high quality.

37. Supporting Student Success (S3) Grant • Goal • Establish sustainable cross agency funding to maximize existing revenue • Adoption of statewide quality regulations and program standards for extended learning opportunities

38. Connect to UW-Extension 4-H Youth Development • Visit county staff http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/ • Wisconsin 4-H Afterschool website http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/afterschool/

39. Making Your Case Activity • Refer to Outcomes handout for ideas • Draft a 2 min. pitch to a key stakeholder, funder or legislator • Introduce self & say who you are representing • Say why you are here in one sentence • Make your case in 2 minutes • Ask for something specific • Leave handout & send thank you

40. What’s Next?…Converge for a common cause with…

41. Adapt and Share This Training • PowerPoint & handouts posted on my webpage at • http://www.uwex.edu/ces/4h/afterschool/partnerships/links.cfm

42. Keep Connecting…For it’s all about the Kids!