Research shows that youth benefit from participation in after-school in a variety of ways:

• Academic Support and Enrichment
• Building Positive Relationships with Peers and Adults
• Helping Develop Social Skills
• Increasing the Likelihood of Participating in Positive Social Behavior

 

Evidence of Success for the Middle School After-School Program (MSASP)

Outcomes are tracked and correlated with how often a student attends after-school.  The following statistics were collected from the latest annual surveys of parents, teachers and students from every FCPS middle school and from correlations of daytime academics, absenteeism, and behavior with after-school dosage. (FY19)

Teachers agree, or strongly agree for MSASP:

  93% - offers assistance that relates to school day

  86% - feel well-informed about the MSASP

  96% - offers meaningful enrichment activities

  95% - students benefit academically

  98% - students benefit socially and emotionally

 Parents agree, or strongly agree for MSASP:

   87% - satisfied with activities and programs

   93% - satisfied with days and times

   82% - adequate physical activity

   86% - has quality activities for their child’s interest, talents, or gifts

Parents agree, or strongly agree, for their child’s experience:

   95% - enjoy attending MSASP

   96% - comfortable with staff

   89% - seem happier/less stressed

   94% - have friends in MSASP

   79% - have developed better work habits

   86% - have a better attitude towards school

   75% - doing better academically

When asked how they felt about MSASP, students report:

   90% - enjoyed attending MSASP

   94% - interesting, fun things to do

   86% - learn about new things

   87% - get help with homework

   95% - respected the rules

   93% - felt safe

   89% - adults happy to see them there

   82% - tell friends to attend

On Connectedness Measures, students, on average, report that the MSASP helped them to:

   84% - do better in school

   78% - care more about their school

   75% - have a stronger connection to their community

   85% - get along better with their peers and adults

   80% - become better at solving problems

   82% - work better with others on a team

   72% - become more of a leader

   82% - learn to do things they couldn’t do before

   80% - become better at asking adults for help

   80% - learn things in the MSASP that help in school

These responses varied by how often a student attended the MSASP.  The graph below shows those responses as a function of dosage in after-school (from less than one day/week to 4 days/week).

Daytime academics, absenteeism, and behavior correlated to participation in MSASP:

Students who attended less than 30 days of after-school in a school year:

            Received 87% of the Fs awarded across all subjects

            Received 82% of the Ds awarded across all subjects

 

94% of the students who were chronic absentees (10% or more daytime absences (18 or more days)) attended less than 30 days of after-school in a school year.

 

Students who attended less than 30 days of after-school in a school year:

            Received 78% of the discipline infractions against another student

            Received 79% of the behavior infractions