Afterschool Alliance Research
Informing providers, advocates, and policymakers for 20 years
Delve into our vast collection of research resources that show afterschool programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and helping working families across the country.
An integral component of Afterschool Alliance’s mission to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs is research that assesses and examines the ways children spend their time during the afterschool hours, the opportunities afterschool programs provide the children and families in their communities, and the public support for these programs.
This section contains research materials the Afterschool Alliance has produced over the past 15 years. Find the resource that best fits your needs by searching by document type or by issue area. If you are interested in learning more about afterschool programs, explore Afterschool Essentials, or find out how many children are in afterschool programs by visiting the America After 3PM page. You can also search by issue topic and learn more about afterschool programs supporting young people in variety of areas and subjects, ranging from the arts to health and wellness to STEM.
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5 Facts about Rural School Districts’ Pandemic Relief Spending on Afterschool and Summer Programs (March 2024) Following up on the report “Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts’ Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities,” this fact sheet takes a closer look at if and how rural school districts have allocated their American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds toward afterschool and summer programming. Federal Funding Federal Policy Rural COVID-19 |
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Investments in Student Recovery: A Review of School Districts' Use of American Rescue Plan Funding to Support Afterschool and Summer Opportunities (October 2023) Federal funds distributed to school districts across the nation to aid in pandemic-related recovery represent a unique opportunity to support students through afterschool and summer programs. This brief illustrates how school districts allocated their American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds toward afterschool and summer learning opportunities and the strategies districts used to support students’ learning recovery. It also provides recommendations to maximize future investments in afterschool and summer programs to help young people learn, be healthy, and thrive.
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Then and Now: A Retrospective on the Afterschool in the Time of Covid-19 Survey Series - Waves 1-9 (July 2023) Over the course of the past three years, the U.S. has gone through a tumultuous time, from statewide stay-at-home orders in March 2020 to the recent end of the national and public health emergency declarations. We are grateful to the afterschool community for being generous with their time and responding to our series of surveys in the midst of this challenging time. This dashboard provides an overview of the afterschool field’s changing landscape as it responded to the immediate needs of the children and families they served. Surveys |
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Recent Evaluations of 21st Century Community Learning Centers Illustrate Wide Range of Benefits (July 2023) This brief highlights a cross section of recently conducted statewide evaluations on 21st CCLC programs to illustrate the impacts of this initiative, which is accelerating academic growth, improving students' engagement in school and behavior in class, fostering well-being, and helping students thrive both in school and out. 21st CCLC |
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Afterschool Supports Children’s Well-Being and Healthy Development (May 2023) Recent studies describe the rise in young people across the country experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness, stress, and aggression. At the same time, research has found that this time period during adolescence is “the second most critical period of development” in a person’s life and is shaped by the environments that they move through. This fact sheet highlights the essential role that afterschool and summer programs play to support the healthy development of young people, serving as a safe space that fosters belonging, develops supportive relationships with peers and adult mentors, encourages healthy behaviors, and helps young people build and cultivate the skills necessary to navigate through the struggles and challenges they may come up against in life. Health and Wellness |
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21st CCLC Facts and Figures (May 2023) The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to before-school, afterschool, and summer learning programs. In addition to providing an updated overview of 21st CCLC, including the number of students and families served and activities and supports provided by programs, the brief highlights the impact programs have on students’ academic and behavioral outcomes and addresses the current state of funding for the initiative. 21st CCLC |
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Afterschool Programs Open, but Still Recovering Post-Pandemic (February 2023) In a survey of 1,016 afterschool program providers, conducted between October 24 and November 30, 2022, more than 9 in 10 report that they are open, with majorities providing their students with opportunities for academic enrichment, collaboration and connection with their peers, building foundational skills, and leadership opportunities. However, while providers are increasingly reporting that they have been able to return to pre-COVID capacity limits, there are still nearly 1 in 4 providers who say that they have not been able to return to their regular operational capacity. Surveys COVID-19 |
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Parents and Voters Support Afterschool and Summer for All (February 2023) In a second brief highlighting results from an online poll of registered voters, conducted by Lake Research Partners November 9-14, 2022, this document includes both voter and parent opinions on afterschool and summer programs. It finds strong support for afterschool and summer programs, as well as high levels of agreement that programs are a valuable partner for schools. Surveys |
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Voters Agree: Afterschool Programs are a Priority (January 2023) A new poll of voters, conducted November 9-14, 2022, finds united support for afterschool programs. This brief highlights voter trend data regarding attitudes toward afterschool programs and illustrates the strong approval rating afterschool programs have from voters across political affiliations, races, ethnicities, and ages. Surveys |
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Afterschool: A Bipartisan Solution to Help Young People Thrive (October 2022) At a time of deep partisan divides, Afterschool Alliance surveys of parents of school-age children before and during the pandemic have found an area of consensus around support for afterschool and summer learning programs. Across the political spectrum, parents identifying as Democratic, Independent, and Republican strongly agree that afterschool and summer learning programs are keeping kids safe, inspiring learning, and providing peace of mind to working parents, with overwhelming majorities in favor of public funding for such programs. Parents and Families Surveys COVID-19 |
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The Afterschool Alliance is working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met. Learn more
