Difference between revisions of "After school programs"

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Cosden et al. 2001
 
Cosden et al. 2001
  
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Gardner, M., Roth, Jodie L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Can after-school programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged youth? Equity Matters: Research Review No. 4. New York: The Campaign for Educational Equity
  
 +
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Halpern, R. (2002). A different kind of child development institution: The history of after-school programs for low-income children. Teachers College Record, 104(2), 178-21
 +
 +
Gardner, M., Roth, Jodie L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Can after-school programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged youth? Equity Matters: Research Review No. 4. New York: The Campaign for Educational Equity
  
 
Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2010). Afterschool program participation and children’s development. To appear in . Meece, & J. Eccles (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Schools, Schooling, and Human Development. Routledge.
 
Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2010). Afterschool program participation and children’s development. To appear in . Meece, & J. Eccles (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Schools, Schooling, and Human Development. Routledge.
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Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2009). Afterschool Programs in America: Origins, Growth, Popularity, and Politics. Journal of Youth Development. Volume 4, Number 3, Fall 2009.
 
Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2009). Afterschool Programs in America: Origins, Growth, Popularity, and Politics. Journal of Youth Development. Volume 4, Number 3, Fall 2009.
  
 +
Schwartz, W. (2003). After-school and community technology education programs for low-income families. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Retrieved on July 15th, 2005 at http://www.eric.ed.gov.
  
 
Vandell, D.L., Pierce, K.M., & Dadisman, K. (2005). Out-of-school settings as a developmental context for children and youth. In R. Kail (Ed.) Advances in Child Development. Volume 33. Oxford: Elsevier.
 
Vandell, D.L., Pierce, K.M., & Dadisman, K. (2005). Out-of-school settings as a developmental context for children and youth. In R. Kail (Ed.) Advances in Child Development. Volume 33. Oxford: Elsevier.
  
 
Vandell, D.L & Shumow, L. (1999). After-school child care programs. The Future of Children, 9(2), (pp. 64-80), Los Altos, CA: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
 
Vandell, D.L & Shumow, L. (1999). After-school child care programs. The Future of Children, 9(2), (pp. 64-80), Los Altos, CA: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Revision as of 15:51, 20 October 2014

After school programs as a specialized setting for youth have existed in the U.S. society and culture since the end of the 19th Century. The context of after school, however, have received particular attention in academic circles during the last two decades and several studies and publications have been appeared.


when classes are not being held


extended hours for the enrichment of the children and the sustenance of the family


After School at FHS

The after school world at FHS was very diverse and active. It provided several enrichment opportunities for students, a safety space for creative agency, youth autonomy, and programs for the pursue of interest-driven learning. Students were able to not only join existing programs but also, with the support of teachers, start their own.

After-school programs address one or more of the following functions: increase safety and supervision, enhance cultural and community identification and appreciation, develop social skills and increased competency, and improve academic achievement and skills. (Cosden et al. 2001)

"Given the broad range of program goals, it follows that activities offered in after school programs vary widely. they include academic enrichment, tutoring, mentor- ing, homework help, arts (music, theater, and drama), technology, science, reading, math, civic engagement and involvement, and activities to support and promote healthy social/emotional development." (Harvard family project)


For low-income minority youth, the after school programs have become very important given their precarious access to technology at home, and the lack of academic support in their families. Structural inequalities limit the creative engagement and learning of marginalized young people during after school hours.


Students of color found pathways towards interest-driven learning and communities thanks to the existence of the After School world at FHS.

freedom to participate in different after-school activities such as team sports and clubs, as well as to play with friends after school.


Research

After school programs have been the focus of research and evaluation studies during the last two decades. Scholars have assessed and analyzed these kind of programs across all its variety of goals, structure, and participants. There is potential in these extracurricular activities, but not everything works. Several factors influence the success of after school programs in terms of learning, opportunities, and development. A range of academic, social, and other skills are acquired through participation in after school programs. Researchers have asked how does participation in after school programs make a difference and have tried to figure out what are the conditions necessary to achieve the potential and positive results.

complex challenge of measuring the effects of program participation on outcomes—on children's development.


studies contrast the social adjustment and school success of children who attend programs with outcomes for children who spend their afternoons in other care settings


a broader context of family and community influences the after-school arrangements that are available to particular children and conditions children's responses to their after-school experiences.

"after-school programs may be more beneficial for children in low-income families and high-crime neighborhoods than for children in suburban neighborhoods and middle-income families."

SEveral studies have found that Formal after-school programs can serve as a safe haven within neighborhoods in which crime rates are high and the time after school exposes youngsters to deviant peers, illegal activities, and violence

variable program effects according to families, class, neighborhoods, child development. Context matter for this programs. Might be more beneficial for low income youth and for immigrants.

General agreement among scholars that supervised after school time help in academic development, socialization, and cultural competencies. (Hayes, Palmer & Zaslow 1990)

Since 1991, an increasing number of research studies on ASPs have been conducted and available data on their outcomes is available. The interest in ASPs has grown.

evidence reviewed below suggests that after-school programs do have the potential to boost academic performance somewhat, particularly among disadvantaged children.

potential role that formal after- school programs can play in narrowing achievement gaps for youth from different sociodemographic backgrounds.


Specifically in relation to digital media and learning:

  • How have digital media and technology been incorporated into youth programs within afterschool programs?
  • What types of participation and learning do digital media and technology support and/or complicate within after school programs?
  • How can research in the area of digital media and learning contribute to better integration of technology within after school program?

History

The origins of after school programs (ASP) can be traced back to the turn of the 19th century in the U.S. and to a context of rapid industrialization and urbanization that transformed the nature of work and public schooling. Changes such as the disappearance of children labor, public health and safety concerns about children, the creation of universal and compulsory education, urbanization and the perception of dangerous neighborhoods, and the believe that children required supervision during the free time that followed formal schooling (supporting learning, well being, etc) contributed to the emergence of ASPs. (Halpern 2002, Kleiber & Powell 2005, Mahoney et al. 2009, 2010).

It is related to the creation of the category of youth as a transitional period between children and adulthood, as well as to the emergence of youth cultures.

The first programs to appear in the late 1800s were called "boy clubs" with the intention of filling the free time and providing child care. However, they were not structure as the ones that appeared in the first decades of the 20th century, with clear goals such as provide support to working families, develop social and academic skills, etc. (Mahoney et al. 2009).

Since its origins, transformation in family and labor force participation have been related to the growth of ASP. Rise of women labor, parental employment (particular maternal), single-parent families, and economic necessity (particularly in low income working class families) created a need for child care outside home and family. (Halpern, 2002; Kleiber & Powell, 2005).

Urbanization and changes in the neighborhood, especially in relation to the safety of children play's environment raised concerns about safety and health, exposure to violence, gangs and crime, and the effect on academic and social development.

The increasing numbers of maternal employment, single parent families, around the 1970s and 1980s, put the topic of child self-care at the center of the needs.

Child care and after school programs support have been the subject of political debates since the 1960s, given the needs of working families and low-income families, and the institutionalization of child care policies.

One of the most successful legislation according to researchers has been the one the 21st-Century Community Learning Center’s (21CCLCs) afterschool initiative developed during the Clinton administration’s. (Halpern 2002, Mahoney et al. 2009, 2010)

Since 1991, the interest in ASPs has grown consistently given social and political factors, and the federal support increased during Clinton administrations and the 21CCLCs. During Bush administration funding has been reduced and the demand of programs can not be met.The topic of child care has become important even in presidential campaigns given its popularity among voters.

The reduction of Federal funding since the bush administrationhave pushed state and city goverments to create their own initiatives to support ASPs.

As a result ASPs remain under funded. Several scholars agree that the demand for ASPs exceed the supply (Halpern, 1999; Hayes et al., 1990).

Several social and political factors during the past 15 years help to account for the recent growth.

Harvard Family Research Project

The Harvard Family Research Project has been one of the most compelling efforts to systematize the research findings produced in the last 10 years. One of the conclusions of this study is that participation in after school programs does make a difference and its outcomes could be analyzed according to four categories.

Academic achievement

When activities foster the development of good attitudes towards school, higher educational aspirations, higher school attendance, less disciplinary actions, and lower drop-out rates, better grades and test scores, improved homework completion, and engagement in learning.

Social and developmental outcomes

This is related to the behaviors, social and communication skills, and relationships with others (peers, parents, teachers, etc)


Prevention

Health

References

Cosden et al. 2001

Gardner, M., Roth, Jodie L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Can after-school programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged youth? Equity Matters: Research Review No. 4. New York: The Campaign for Educational Equity


Halpern, R. (2002). A different kind of child development institution: The history of after-school programs for low-income children. Teachers College Record, 104(2), 178-21

Gardner, M., Roth, Jodie L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Can after-school programs help level the playing field for disadvantaged youth? Equity Matters: Research Review No. 4. New York: The Campaign for Educational Equity

Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2010). Afterschool program participation and children’s development. To appear in . Meece, & J. Eccles (Eds.). Handbook of Research on Schools, Schooling, and Human Development. Routledge.

Mahoney, J.L., Parente, M.E., & Zigler, E.F. (2009). Afterschool Programs in America: Origins, Growth, Popularity, and Politics. Journal of Youth Development. Volume 4, Number 3, Fall 2009.

Schwartz, W. (2003). After-school and community technology education programs for low-income families. New York: ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education. Retrieved on July 15th, 2005 at http://www.eric.ed.gov.

Vandell, D.L., Pierce, K.M., & Dadisman, K. (2005). Out-of-school settings as a developmental context for children and youth. In R. Kail (Ed.) Advances in Child Development. Volume 33. Oxford: Elsevier.

Vandell, D.L & Shumow, L. (1999). After-school child care programs. The Future of Children, 9(2), (pp. 64-80), Los Altos, CA: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation