After-School Programs in Public Elementary Schools: First Look

摘要

How school-age children spend their time after school is a topic of interest among educators, policymakers, researchers, and parents. Many parents choose to have their children attend after-school programs, which may provide diverse services such as academic instruction, cultural enrichment, safe places to stay, and adult supervision for children (Carver and Iruka 2006; James-Burdumy et al. 2005; Kleiner, Nolin, and Chapman 2004). Prior research on the topic indicates that before- and after-school day care programs were more prevalent at elementary schools than secondary or combined schools in 2004 (44 percent versus 5 and 14 percent, respectively), and half of all public elementary schools offered after-school academic instruction programs for students who needed academic assistance (Strizek et al. 2006). This study provides a national profile of various types of formal after-school programs physically located at public elementary schools in 2008. Examples of formal after-school programs include extended day care programs, academic instruction/tutoring programs, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Formal after-school programs exclude clubs or activities that are offered as school-sponsored extra curricular activity. In this report, stand-alone programs refer to after-school programs that focus primarily on a single type of service (e.g., only day care) while broad-based programs refer to after-school programs that provide a combination of services (i.e., multiple activities such as academic enrichment and cultural activities).