The impact of afterschool program attendance on academic outcomes of middle school students

This evaluation examined the effects of afterschool programs-supported by an afterschool system intermediary organization (ASIO)-on middle school students' academic performance and examined how those effects varied by student characteristics and program engagement. In this longitudinal, quasi-experimental matched comparison group evaluation, propensity score matching was used to create demographically balanced samples of ASIO-supported afterschool program participants and nonparticipants. Students enrolled in the afterschool programs did not differ from non-participants in growth over time on most academic outcomes. Students attending the afterschool programs showed less growth on certain state test scores compared to nonparticipants. Student demographic characteristics did not consistently influence participant outcomes. Among program participants only, students who were enrolled more than 1 year demonstrated a 7-percentile-point increase in state test scores per year of program engagement. There was no consistent evidence that ASIO-supported afterschool program participation was associated with improved student academic outcomes. However, study results support increased emphasis on afterschool program retention, given that longer duration of participation in the afterschool programs was associated with more growth on multiple academic outcomes.