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After-School Programs

The likelihood of youth exposure to drug use and other criminal behavior increases dramatically in the hours after school ends. RAND research has shown that the availability of quality after-school activities can reduce participation in and victimization as a result of illicit activities, and can boost academic performance.

Report

What are the Costs and Benefits of Out-of-School-Time Youth Programs?

Evaluation of youth programs offered during the time that students are not in school shows that the programs that are costlier and provide more-intense resources to youth perform the best.

Feb 11, 2008
Journal Article

Commercial Venues as Supports for Physical Activity in Adolescent Girls

The findings suggest that commercial PA facilities are important contributors to the accumulation of PA among adolescent girls.

Aug 1, 2007
Report

Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act: Fiscal Year 2005-2006 Report

Success of intervention programs for probationers and participating youths is measured by the following outcomes: successful completion of probation, restitution, and community service; arrests; probation violations; and incarcerations.

Jul 29, 2007
Report

Students Benefit from Supplemental Education Under No Child Left Behind

Students in underperforming schools generally made statistically significant gains in math and reading after participating in supplemental educational services such as tutoring and remediation.

Jun 21, 2007
Journal Article

School Playgrounds Untapped Resource in Fight Against Childhood Obesity

School playgrounds and athletic facilities can be important tools in the fight against childhood obesity, but many are locked and inaccessible to children on weekends — especially in poor and minority neighborhoods.

Apr 30, 2007
Report

Los Angeles County Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act: Fiscal Year 2004-2005 Report

Success of intervention programs for probationers and participating youths is measured by the following outcomes: successful completion of probation, restitution, and community service; arrests; probation violations; and incarcerations.

Apr 1, 2007
Journal Article

Availability of High School Extracurricular Sports Programs and High-Risk Behaviors

Opportunities for participation in high school extracurricular sports are limited. Future studies should test whether increased opportunities will increase physical activity and impact the increasing overweight problem in youths.

Jan 1, 2007
Journal Article

Pilot Test of Project CHOICE: A Voluntary Afterschool Intervention for Middle School Youth

The current study reports findings from a pilot evaluation of a voluntary alcohol and marijuana intervention for young teens.

Jan 1, 2007
Journal Article

Impact of a Positive Youth Development Program in Urban After-School Settings on the Prevention of Adolescent Substance Use

Positive youth development (PYD) emphasizes a strengths-based approach to the promotion of positive outcomes for adolescents.

Jan 1, 2007
Report

Examining Child Care Need Among Military Families

Describes and analyzes the results of a 2004 military family survey of child care need and child care choices, defining outcomes of potential interest to DoD and their effect on readiness and retention.

Oct 10, 2006
Research Brief

Making Out-of-School Time Matter

This research brief describes work documented in Making Out-of-School Time Matter (MG-242-WF).

Nov 25, 2005
Report

Evidence Mixed on Demand and Impact of Out-of-School Programs

Publicly funded before- and after-school programs have seen unprecedented growth in the past 20 years, but evidence is mixed on whether they influence academic achievement.

Jan 21, 2005
Journal Article

After School Activities, Overweight, and Obesity Among Inner City Youth

The authors examined the association of adolescent obesity with participation in sports among 5489 low-income, inner city public high school students.

Jan 1, 2004
Commentary

Monitor After-School Programs Carefully

Now that California schools have access to up to $550 million in new assistance annually under Proposition 49 to fund after-school programs, wise choices need to be made to ensure the money will be used for programs that give children the maximum benefit, writes Megan Beckett in an commentary.

Jan 2, 2003
Journal Article

When and Where Do Youths Have Sex? The Potential Role of Adult Supervision

When and where youths have sex and whether there is a relationship between unsupervised time and sex, STDs, and substance use.

Jan 1, 2002
Research Brief

Evaluating After-School Care

This research brief describes work documented in Accountability for After-School Care: Devising Standards and Measuring Adherence to Them (MR-1411-SSCCP).

Jan 1, 2002
Report

Accountability for After-School Care: Devising Standards and Measuring Adherence to Them

This book offers a set of 18 model practices against which after-school programs can be evaluated.

Jan 1, 2001
People

Gabriela Alvarado

Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND; Ph.D. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School
Education M.D., University of Costa Rica; M.Sc. in public health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine; M.A. in anthropology, Georgia State University; M.Phil. in policy analysis, Pardee RAND Graduate School
People

Susannah Faxon-Mills

Senior Policy Analyst
Education B.A. in community studies, University of California, Santa Cruz; M.A. in education policy, Stanford University
People

Katie Tosh

Adjunct Policy Analyst
Education M.P.H. in public health, Tulane University; B.A. in environmental studies, University of North Carolina; B.A. in Spanish, University of North Carolina; Certificate in nonprofit management and leadership, Tufts University

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RAND Topic:
After-School Programs

Research conducted by

RAND Education and Labor