Child Trends identified evaluated after-school programs in Ohio that: were 501 c3 organizations; served over 50 children; served children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 16; had an operating budget of $340,000 and higher; and were evaluated. Programs were excluded if they were large institutions such as schools, juvenile detention centers, residential group homes, religious organizations and hospitals.

To compile a list of programs that might meet these criteria, a standardized process was used:

GuideStar Scan: *GuideStar, (the national database of non-profit organizations filing 990s) was used to identify relevant programs based on the criteria specified by Atlantic Philanthropies. A standard set of search terms were used to allow for consistent searching. The search terms used were: children, youth program(s), and child programs. *GuideStar was also searched under the category of “youth development.” Once the relevant program information was identified, it was included in the description of the program.

After-School Program Scan: If information in Guide Star indicated that the program had been evaluated, then the program web-site was scanned for relevant evaluation information.

Phone Interviews with Program Managers: Where individual program web-sites did not yield detailed evaluation information, phone interviews with program sites managers were conducted. In the case of Cincinnati, Program Directors at Girls!Can, the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, Youth Opportunities United, and the Center for Peace Education, among others, were interviewed.

Phone Interviews with Research Centers Community Foundations and Experts: Phone interviews were conducted with major youth programs and initiatives, research centers at universities, community foundations, and other community experts.  In the case of Cleveland, research centers at several universities that might have worked with local youth organizations were contacted.  The centers provided important information and insights about local youth programs and provided helpful references.  Several research centers at Case Western Research University were contacted. These included: Youth Philanthropy and Service of Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations, Center on Urban Poverty and Social Change, and Center for Adolescent Health.  Additionally, Urban Child Research Center, and the Center for Non Profit Policy and Practice at Cleveland State University as well as Bureau of Research and Training Services at Kent State University were contacted.  Conversations with these research centers led to contacts with local consulting organizations such as TRANS.FORM and Community Solutions that provided technical assistance including program evaluation for non-profit organizations.   

Web-Based Searches: Internet web-based searches of government and city and state level web-sites were also conducted. In the case of Ohio, important supplemental evaluation information was obtained from sites such as the United Way of Greater Cincinnati (http://www.uwgc.org/), the Family and Children First Council (http://www.hamilton-co.org/hcfcfc/), the Cincinnati Recreation Commission (http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/crc/pages/-4993-/), and the United Way of Greater Cleveland.

National Umbrella Organizations: To obtain additional evaluation information, a series of searches of national umbrella organizations were conducted. These Internet, web-based searches of national umbrella associations included the AfterSchool Alliance Lights on Event (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/loa_2004/lightsstate2.cfm?state=OH). This search yielded important evaluation studies, often multi-site studies, which may or may not have had Ohio as a site.

Evaluation Research Databases:  Evaluation information was also obtained from evaluation research databases. These research databases included but were not limited to Manpower Demonstration Research Corps, and Public/Private Ventures.  Evaluations included in these databases yielded important information for Ohio.

Peer-Reviewed Journals: We also used several databases containing evaluation research articles to complete an evaluation literature search. The data bases used include PsycINFO, Sociofile, EBSCO, and Web of Science. This literature search allowed us to identify several well-known journals that contained articles on after-school program evaluation. Some of the journals used in this search include Prevention Science and Drugs and Society. The evaluation reports used in these articles were identified, sourced, and incorporated into the program evaluation summaries.

Directory of Youth Organizations:  Directories of non profit organizations published by local youth organizations and research centers were useful resources for identifying youth programs in Ohio.  The directories used include: Report on Youth Service in Greater Cleveland published by Case Mandel Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Case Western University, Directory of Youth Workforce Development Organizations in Northeast Ohio, published by Youth Opportunities Unlimited, and Directory for Nonprofit Organizations compiled by the Center for Nonprofit Policy and Practice at Cleveland State University.