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Maria Anchondo

Professor Erin Lebacqz

English 219-027

19 November 2017

After School Programs Benefit the Children of Tomorrow

Introduction

When it comes to our kids we want them to have the best education, but the resources

that we provide for our kids makes a big difference. In 2014 1 in 4 American families had a child

enrolled in an afterschool program. (America After 3PM) Afterschool programs provide benefits

for both working parents and a childs education. Studies have shown that students who are

enrolled in an afterschool program show improved attendance and engagement in learning as

well as improved test scores.

Above all afterschool programs help working families, provide parents with the peace of

mind that their kids are safe, healthy, and on track for success and keep their kids from being at

risk for negative behaviors including the following. (1) performing below grade level or having

low scores on academic achievement tests; (2) engaging in high-risk behavior, such as truancy,

running away, substance use, or delinquency ( Lauer et al. 2006).

Afterschool programs have extended hours making it convenient for parents that work

later in the afternoon. Not all school in the Albuquerque area have this resource available to them

and kids all over the Albuquerque area would benefit from this resource. The Albuquerque

public schools afterschool programs provide engaging learning opportunities for kids, they also

address major issues kids are currently facing, and provide a practical solution for families in

under resourced communities. (After-School All-Stars) In this final report I would like to explain
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the differences that students show academically as well as socially when they are involved in

after school programs ersus those who are not in such programs.

Methodology

To examine the differences between students who were enrolled in an afterschool

program to their counterparts who received no academic help. I will be analyzing differences in

attendance class engagement in learning as well as test scores. The data will then be compare to

how their school is being graded, and of

course whether parents are able to help

student with homework. The sources I will

use for the report will be secondary sources

The predicted results from the

research conducted was that the students

who are enrolled in afterschool programs

would show a significant difference from

their counterparts. This was measured

through positive social behaviors, reduction in problem behaviors, achievement test scores, and

school grades as seen on the image above. (APS grades) The map shows the grades of the

schools from New Mexico mainly the Albuquerque area, currently after testing proving that help

is needed in this area.

Results

From the data that was collected it was found that students who were enrolled in an afterschool

program showed improved learning through better test scores, it was also found that students

enrolled had an easier classroom experience meaning that they were more engaged, willing to
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answer questions, and had a better grasp of what they were learning. Away from the structure of

the classroom, after-school activities help kids develop socialization skills, says author and

practicing clinical psychologist Dr. John Mayer. After-school activities provide kids with more

time to interact freely, they have the opportunity to practice and experiment with socialization

skills. They are allowed to fail, and then learn from their failures and establish successful

socialization skills, which are vital experiences for them, as explained by Mayer.

Overall, parent reviews of after-school programs have concluded with mixed and

inconclusive findings of effects on various outcomes. From the findings, we have concurred that

more rigorous evaluations of after-school programs are needed.

Data also found that up to 11 million children whose parents work outside the home have

come home to an empty house which gives children more time to get into trouble and in turn

have negative outcomes. It was also concluded that children from low-income neighborhoods

gained the most from afterschool programs. They showed improved behavior, working habits, as

well as academic performance.

In a meta-analysis of after-school programs (Durlak et al. 2010) found an overall positive

and statistically significant effect of after-school programs across all outcomes examined (d =

0.22, CI 0.16, 0.29). Positive and significant effects were found for child self-perceptions, school

bonding, positive social behaviors, reduction in problem behaviors, achievement test scores, and

school grades, but no significant effects on drug use and school attendance. As to those kids who

are in afterschool programs it was also found that those most at-risk may be less likely to attend

the afterschool program regularly. Overall this meta-analysis found that after-school programs

had a positive effect on school aged children. They found that children involved in these

programs were more likely to show positive self-perception meaning that they saw their
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achievements more positively and were more satisfied with their academic progress and where

they stand in comparison to their peers. They also scored high in social behaviors which is their

likeliness in approaching other students to talk or play outside of their friends or regular

playmates. Lastly it found that academically students in after-school programs had better grades,

did better on tests and reported less behavior problems than their counterparts who do not attend

an after-school program.

Importance

Nationally, 11.3 million children are alone and unsupervised after the last school bell

rings. 1 in 10 children who are in self-care are in elementary school and 1 in 4 are in middle

school. 56 percent of

unsupervised children are

boys and 44 percent are

girls. Nationally 85% of

working parents rely on

afterschool programs.

Afterschool programs

supply parents with the support of child care for their ids while they work. Agreement on this

statement is also extremely high among all working mothers (80 percent), African-American

parents (80 percent) and Hispanic parents (76 percent)

Conclusion
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Children in afterschool programs benefit from a wide variety of essential supports and

activities that encourage healthy behaviors, increase knowledge and skills, provide learning

opportunities, and offer homework

assistance, snacks and/or meals and

opportunities for reading or

writing. Sunshine Kids cares

afterschool program recommends

afterschool programs to all

elementary aged students due to

the fact that statistics show that

students are better off academically when they are involved in afterschool programs.

New Mexico has been rated one of the worst states education wise and afterschool

programs have the potential to better understand and better perform in school. 159,851 children

in New Mexico are eligible to participate in a 21st Century Community Learning Centers

(CCLC) program, but only 8,730 students attend a 21st CCLC program due to a lack of federal

funding. ( 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Programs)

Works Cited

Afterschool Programs: Making a Difference. Afterschool Alliance :: Afterschool Programs:

Ageno, Marinna Prod. Legislative Education Study Committee. SSRN Electronic Journal, 18
Sept. 2013, pp. 120., doi:10.2139/ssrn.1222497.

America AFTER3PM.
www.bing.com/cr?IG=6E883C532CBD40E9844CD4916E6DFD9A&CID=18FC365273
B46ADD01613D1272B26BCE&rd=1&h=4UetTGsXt1YRv-
AoAtcqKWO2Yb5Ng6m8GXUwRiwuzIk&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fafterschoolalliance.
org%2fdocuments%2fAA3PM-
2014%2fAA3PM_National_Report.pdf&p=DevEx,5066.1.

Durlak JA, Weissberg RP, Pachan M. A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to
promote personal social skills in children and adolescents. American Journal of
Community Psychology. 2010;45:294309.

Kremer, Kristen P., et al. Effects of After-School Programs with At-Risk Youth on Attendance
and Externalizing Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of youth
and adolescence, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2015,
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4597889/.

Lauer PA, Akiba M, Wilkerson SB, Apthorp HS, Snow D, Martin-Glenn ML. Out-of-school-
time programs: A meta-analysis of effects for at-risk students. Review of Educational
Research. 2006;76:275313.

School Ratings. Albuquerque Public Schools, www.aps.edu/schools/adequate-yearly-progress-