Research by thought leaders designed to share the latest findings, trends and knowledge with families, practitioners, lawmakers and funders.

“Sustaining 21st Century Community Learning Centers: What Works for Programs and How Policy Makers Can Help,”(pdf) is a new report from The Finance Project that synthesizes what we have learned through interviews with grantees and grant administrators.

Afterschool and Community Based Programs Research and Resources.
   
Information and Research on Afterschool Programs.

Afterschool Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart. Information and research on afterschool programs, the potential of programs, components of quality programs and community impact.

Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation: Tools for Action. How do you know if your afterschool program is working and if it’s meeting the expectations of students, staff, parents and community partners? Through surveys, focus groups, and other data sources, administrators are able to gain valuable information.

Research and Policy News. Reports on how afterschool programs make a difference.

High/Scope Youth Program Quality Assessment. A scorable set of best practice standards that guide program improvement as well as answer critical questions for researchers and program evaluators. Youth PQA—Program Quality Assessment.

The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) Out-of-School Time (OST) Program Evaluation Database is a compilation of profiles written by HFRP of OST program and initiative evaluations. The database provides accessible information about evaluation work of both large and small OST programs to support the development of high-quality evaluations and programs in the out-of-school time field.

Getting It Right: Strategies for Afterschool Success. Ten years of findings from Public/Private Ventures, and other research on creating programs that produce specific, policy-relevant outcomes. The report explores effective recruitment strategies and qualities that make activities engaging and encourage regular attendance, as well as the importance of staffing, management and activity monitoring. It includes information on how program administrators can maximize their budget potential while enhancing services.

Documenting Progress and Demonstrating Results: Evaluating Local Out-of-School Time Programs. This brief by Harvard Family Research Project and The Finance Project describes out-of-school time programs with the evaluation resources necessary for improvement, demonstration of results, and sustainability.

Afterschool Alliance Backgrounder: Formal Evaluations of Afterschool Programs. The Afterschool Alliance summarizes several formal evaluations of afterschool programs that show they help kids achieve in school, keep children safe, and help working parents. Among others, programs such as LA’s Best, The Afterschool Corporation, and San Diego’s "6 to 6" are featured.

Comparison of Afterschool Program Evaluations by Mathematica and Policy Studies Associates. An in-depth comparison of Mathematica’s National Evaluation of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers and Policy Studies Associates’ Evaluation of the TASC after-school program. Available through the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Programs.

America’s Afterschool Choice: Juvenile Crime or Safe Learning Time. This Fight Crime: Invest in Kids report asserts that afterschool programs are proven to cut crime and reduce risky behavior.

A Good Time: Afterschool Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy (pdf). The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy provides detailed descriptions of afterschool programs that have been shown, through careful research, to have a positive impact on adolescent sexual behavior. In addition to providing results from program evaluations, the report contains practical information on the costs and availability of program curricula, and lengthy descriptions of what is covered in each curriculum.

Shared Features of High-Performing Afterschool Programs: A Follow-Up to the TASC (pdf). This study conducted by Policy Studies Associates for The After-School Corporation (TASC) and the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) finds that afterschool programs can contribute to increased student achievement, and that programs that helped lead to improved achievement do not necessarily focus on academics. Successful programs included a variety of arts, recreation, and literacy activities and allowed the students free time
as well. The study focused on 10 high-performing TASC-supported
after-school programs in New York City.

Harvard Family Research Project. For more than 20 years, Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has helped philanthropies, policymakers and practitioners develop strategies to promote the educational and social success and well-being of children, families, and their communities. HFRP’s Out-of-School Time (OST) Program Evaluation Database is a compilation of profiles written by HFRP of evaluations of OST programs and initiatives. The database provides accessible information about evaluation work of both large and small OST programs to support the development of high quality evaluations and programs in the out-of-school time field.

The National Institute on Out-of-School Time. This institute focuses on research, policy and practice in an effort to ensure that all children, youth, and families have access to high-quality programs, activities, and opportunities during non-school hours.