Issues and Trends in Afterschool: PSAYDN Web-Based Survey Summary

In August, Pennsylvania Statewide Afterschool/Youth Development Network conducted a survey of its members regarding afterschool and youth development trends. 219 Network members replied, representing over a 50% response rate. The following is a summary of responses regarding the current state of afterschool and youth development services and support in Pennsylvania. Read Complete Report.

Groundbreaking Study Confirms
BELL Summer Increases Children's Reading Skills

Urban Institute study validates need to invest in summer learning. Researchers from the Urban Institute and Mathematica Policy Research completed a rigorous evaluation of the BELL Summer Program and its impact on children's academic achievements and parental involvement. In comparing the academic achievements of children enrolled in BELL Summer program sites in New York City and Boston against a control group not enrolled in the program, researchers found:

"Scientifically rigorous evidence regarding the ability of the BELL Summer program to improve the reading skills of low-performing elementary school children." "Evidence of positive impacts on the degree to which parents encouraged their children to read" and the degree to which they read with their children.
"The results are of particular importance given the long-standing public policy focus on raising achievement levels of low-income students."

If you like to read the full Institute Study, click here.

Connect With Kids!
Founded in 1998, CWK Network, Inc. produces the Emmy® award-winning Connect with Kids television series – 10 programs each year, targeted to parents about the issues kids face everyday. These inspiring half-hour specials feature real kids sharing their true stories, broadcast on 60 television stations throughout the country — ABC, NBC, CBS and FOX affiliates – reaching 65 percent of U.S. households. Stations air the Connect with Kids programs in quality time slots, which the programs often win in audience viewership. Click on the icon, if you would like to view their full video library.

New Article! Afterschool in Pittsburgh – A+ Schools Report
A+ Schools is pleased to be sharing with you a comprehensive report analyzing the programming and providers of out of school time services in the city of Pittsburgh. A+ Schools collected data from out of school time providers between March and October 2005 in order to share this information with parents and others. This report tries to answer some of the following questions:

How many out of school time programs are there in Pittsburgh?
Are there gaps in access to services?
Are at-risk children being reached?
Can we begin to understand what quality looks like for out of school programs?

The report raises just as many questions as it answers, but is a step toward understanding the challenges and opportunities that out of school time offerings hold. Read more...

What Are Kids into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of -School Time Participation

This research brief provides reliable estimates of the numbers and characteristics of youth across the country who participate in structured OST programs and activities. It uses two nationally representative data sets, the Panel Study of Income Dynamics—Child Development Supplement and the National Survey of American Families, to examine whether there are differences in participation in a variety of OST contexts among youth from varying family income levels and youth from varying racial and ethnic groups. It also examines whether any such differences have changed over recent years. It considers participation in any structured OST context, including before and after school programs, other structured OST programs (e.g., community programs and recreation programs), and other structured OST activities (e.g., school-based extracurricular activities and religious clubs and activities). Read More...

Building an Evaluation Toolkit for Professional Development

The need for effective professional development for out-of-school-time (OST) staff is well documented. Researchers and practitioners have shown increasing interest in finding and utilizing methods that effectively evaluate professional development for this population. In the summer of 2004, we at the Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC), housed within the Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy (CRYSP) at the University of Pennsylvania, attempted to locate research based survey instruments used to evaluate OST professional development.
Read More..