After-school programs don't teach
By George Archibald
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
More than a billion dollars a year of federal aid for after-school programs
in 7,500 public schools nationwide has not helped most children
academically, a federally funded study concluded.
Children who attend after-school activities at public elementary and middle
schools are more likely to encounter bullies, vandals, thieves and drug
users than those who do not, said the study, conducted for the U.S.
Education Department.
"While after-school centers changed where and with whom students spent some
of their after-school time and increased parental involvement, they had
limited influence on academic performance, no influence on feelings of
safety or on the number of 'latch-key' children; and some negative
influences on behavior," said a report by Mathematica Policy Research Inc.
of Princeton, N.J., and Decision Information Resources Inc. of Houston.
Middle school participants were "more likely to report that they had sold
drugs 'some' or 'a lot' and were somewhat more likely to report that they
smoked marijuana 'some' or 'a lot' (though the incidence was low)," the
report said.
The report, titled "When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of
the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program," is the result of a
study throughout in the 2000-2001 school year at 96 centers in 48
elementary school and middle school districts in all regions of the country.
"The initial findings indicate that significant work remains to be done to
develop after-school programs that improve children's academic, personal
and social skills," said Mark Dynarski, senior fellow at Mathematica and
research director for the study.
Judy Y. Samelson, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance,
criticized the report as too negative.
"It is terribly disappointing that the report highlights only negative
findings and that the Bush administration is using this study to justify a
deep, indefensible cut in the federal after-school program," she said.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program started in 1998 with a
$40 million congressional appropriation. Last year, with passage of
President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" school-reform law, it was funded at
$1 billion for fiscal year 2003, which ends Sept. 30.
Mr. Bush has proposed fiscal year 2004 funding of $600 million with reforms
to strengthen the academic focus of after-school programs.
Key findings of the study include:
•Grades and reading test scores of elementary students in most subjects
were not higher than nonparticipants. On average, programs had no impact on
whether students completed homework or assignments to teachers' satisfaction.
•For middle school students, grades in math were slightly higher, but there
was no difference in other subjects.
•Black and Hispanic students in after-school programs showed increased
effort in the classroom, reduced lateness for school, and increased math
grades. "None of those impacts was evident for white students."
•According to student questionnaires, participants were more likely than
nonparticipants to "sell illegal drugs," "smoke marijuana," "smoke
cigarettes," "break something on purpose," "punch or hit someone," "steal
from a store" and "get arrested or detained by police."
"For students with fewer behavior problems [in the baseline year], centers
increased effort in the classroom and math and social-studies grades. None
of these impacts [was] evident among students that had more disciplinary
problems," the report said.
"Participation also increased the extent to which female students were
victimized, either by being 'picked on' after school or by having their
property damaged. Among males, participation did not significantly affect
either of these outcomes," the report said.
The cost of the program at each center averaged $196,000, or $1,000 per
student — a 16 percent spending increase, according to the study. Three of
five center staff members were day-school teachers who were paid an
additional $16 to $17 per hour for their after-school services.
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