Afterschool programs have attracted a strong and growing constituency among both academic theorists and policy makers. Yet participation in afterschool programs is extremely sparse at the high school level. Clearly there is a need to develop more attractive afterschool programs for high school youth, which makes After School Matters (ASM), one of the country’s largest programs for this group, an important program to study.
The Wallace Foundation did a rigorous evaluation which compares results for teens in Chicago’s After School Matters apprentice-like program to results for similar students, finding statistically significant benefits for After School Matters students on some measures of youth development and reduced problem behaviors, but no differences in job skills or school performance.
To read the full evaluation click here. Afterschool programs are important, no matter what grade the kids are in.
National AfterSchool Association • 2961A Hunter Mill Road, #626 • Oakton, VA 22124 • info@naaweb.org
