Current facts about after-school in Texas
(provided by Afterschool Alliance)
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- 26% take care of themselves after school
- 15% participate in after-school programs
- 74% spend some portion of the hours after school in care of a parent or guardian
- Other care arrangements include child care centers (12%); sibling care (15%) and non-parental adult care such as grandparent, neighbor (37%)
- 51% not in after-school programs would likely participate IF programs were available
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*Based on Texas students in grades K-12
After School Keeps Students on the Right Track*:
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Students who spend time in extracurricular activities are:
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- Less likely to have used drugs
- Less likely to be teen parents
- Less likely to drop out of school
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They also have
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- Better school attendance
- Higher aspirations for their future (intent to graduate; attend college)
- More positive attitudes toward school
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*2001 Afterschool programs fact sheet. Available: http://www.safeyouth.org; 2000 Keeping children safe and smart. U.S. Department of Education; 2002 Promoting learning and school attendance through after-school programs. Washington, D.C.: Policy Studies, Inc.; The impact of after-school programs that promote personal and social skills. Chicago, IL: Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.
After school hours are critical...
Source: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
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A two year study* following 3,000 students found significant gains in:
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- Math achievement
- Work habits
- Task persistence
- Social skills
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As well as reductions:
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- Aggressive behavior
- Misconduct (skipping classes)
- Likelihood to use drugs and alcohol
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*2007 Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool Programs: Longitudinal Findings from the Study of Promising Afterschool Programs. Policy Studies Associates, Inc.
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Several studies have been conducted on the cost-benefit on afterschool, and report the return to be between $2.508 and $12.009 for every dollar invested in afterschool*.
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Cost savings come in the form of:
- Child care costs
- Crime costs
- Schooling Costs
- Improved School Performance
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*2007 The long-term effects of after-school programming on educational adjustment and juvenile crime: A study of the LA's best after-school program. California Afterschool Network Research Brief and 2002 The costs and benefits of after school programs: The estimated effects of the after school education and safety program act of 2002 Claremont, CA: The Rose Institute.
Additional Resources:
www.afterschoolalliance.org - Works to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs.
www.raiseyourhandtexas.org - Advocacy organization with a single focus: supporting the more than 4.5 million students in the Texas public education system.
www.childrensdefense.org - Provides a strong, effective and independent voice for all the children of America who cannot vote, lobby, or speak for themselves. Check out their very powerful Cradle to Prison Pipeline Report here.
www.afterschoolzone.org - Houston's best source for what's happening after 3:00pm!
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