Contact information:
After School Matters
72 E. Randolph Street, 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60601
Website:
www.afterschoolmatters.org
Mission/Goals: The mission of After School Matters (ASM) is to
create a network of out-of-school opportunities, including apprenticeship
and drop-in programs, for teens in underserved communities. ASM achieves
its mission by aligning and maximizing neighborhood physical and
programmatic resources, solidifying partnerships between citwide agences
and organizations, and mobilizing creative, coordinated, and sustainable
investment in teens.
Source(s):
www.guidestar.org;
www.afterschoolmatters.org |
Serves over 20,000 children each year (14,000
in school programs, 6,000 through internships) |
14-18 |
Type of Evaluation: Outcomes
Monitoring.
Objective: To provide information for planning, collect data about
certain aspects of the program over time, and feed back information and
analysis into ongoing planning and practice.
Sample: 4,450 youth who applied for the After School Matters (ASM)
apprentice program in Spring 2003 and 4,502 youth who had been apprentices
in ASM in 2001-2002 and 2002-2003.
Methodology: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of
Chicago conducted self-report surveys of some participants and some
non-participants. Data from the Chicago Public Schools and ASM were used
for comparison.
Measurement Instruments: Self-report surveys collected from
participants at application and follow-up, Chicago Public Schools data,
and participant payroll data collected by ASM.
Impact/Outcomes:
ASM students had significantly higher
standardized test scores in math and reading than the school population.
Students receiving special education were significantly less likely to
participate in ASM, though they were no less likely to apply to ASM
programs than other students.
Other evaluation information: The comparison group of
non-participants has been expanded for the research report updated through
Spring 2004, which should allow more thorough comparisons of youth
outcomes. Chapin Hall will also examine rates of school attendance,
dropouts, and grade retention to determine if ASM participation leads to
stronger school attachment. A qualitative observational study on teen
learning in the apprenticeship program is currently underway at ASM and is
being conducted by Robert Halpern of the Erikson Institute.
Study: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the
University of Chicago. (2004). Research report: Updated through Spring
2003. Unpublished report for After School Matters. Chicago: Chapin Hall.
|
No fee: some paid internships |
