Abstract
Research on the relationship between after-school program participation and student outcomes has been mixed, and beneficial effects have been small. More recent studies suggest that participation is best characterized as a multidimensional concept that includes enrollment, attendance, and engagement, which help explain differences in student outcomes. The present study uses data from a longitudinal study of after-school programs in elementary schools to examine staff ratings of student engagement in after-school activities and the association between engagement and school outcomes. The factor structure of the staff-rated measure of student engagement was examined by exploratory factor analysis. Multiple regression analyses found that student engagement in academic, youth development, and arts after-school program activities was significantly related to changes in teacher ratings of academic skills and social competence over the course of the school year and that students with the greatest increase in academic skills both were highly engaged in activities and attended the after-school program regularly. The results of this study provide additional evidence regarding the benefits of after-school programs and the importance of student engagement when assessing student outcomes.
Highlights
Recent reports indicate that over eight million K-12 children participate in after-school programs [1]
Hierarchical regression was used to examine whether student engagement in after-school programs was positively associated with change in academic skills and social competence from fall to spring of the school year
An exploratory factor analysis was performed on staff ratings of student engagement from spring 2010 to identify latent constructs within the 24-item Staff-Rated Student Engagement Survey
Summary
Recent reports indicate that over eight million K-12 children participate in after-school programs [1]. Other studies have found more positive results though, with meta-analyses indicating small but significant effects of after-school program participation on reading and mathematics achievement [3] and on personal and social skills [2]. Given this mixed bag of findings and overall small effects, researchers have focused on identifying factors that may explain the ways in which participation in after-school programs affects student outcomes. These studies have examined program and individual student factors and suggest that a combination of individual, program, and contextual factors is important when assessing the impact of after-school programs [2,3,4]
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