School Readiness
Create strong foundations for early learning.
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Out-of-School Programming
High-quality out-of-school programs can be a powerful complement to children’s in-school learning, extending and supporting their academic growth and overall development. Research suggests that participating in high-quality out-of-school programs can improve academic outcomes and spark curiosity and joy, making learning fun and meaningful. We invest in research to better understand how out-of-school programming can create supportive, stimulating environments to boost children’s learning and development.
Completed
Bridging the Summer Gap: What District Leaders Say About Learning Beyond the School Year
The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) and School Superintendents Association (AASA) partnered with Gallup to survey U.S. school district superintendents to better understand the summer learning opportunities their districts offer, including the types of activities provided in 2024 and the activities planned for 2025.
Completed
Voters Say Afterschool Programs are a Necessity
Afterschool Alliance commissioned a national poll of registered voters to understand public support for afterschool programs.
Completed
Summer Learning for All
A research team from Gallup conducted a nationally representative survey of nearly 7,000 parents across the U.S. Parents reported on their children’s learning experiences during the summer of 2023. Parents also provided demographic information on themselves and their child.
Completed
Expanding Afterschool Opportunities: Connecting STEM Afterschool Providers and Schools
This is a mixed methods descriptive survey, which aimed to understand how district and school leaders partner with external organizations to provide STEM afterschool programs.
Completed
Afterschool Rising to the Challenges Brought on by the Pandemic
This reports on an online survey of between 914 and 1,445 afterschool program providers regarding the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic affected afterschool programming for school-age children.
Completed
Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families
This reports on a nationally-representative survey of 1,489 adults who are the parent or guardian of a school-age child who lives in their household regarding access to and satisfaction with afterschool programs in their community.
In Progress
Evaluating the Influence of OST STEM Participation Pathways on Student Outcomes
This study examines whether and how cumulative participation in out-of-school Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs shapes students’ STEM identity, motivation, and long-term educational and professional trajectories.
In Progress
Identifying Effective Workforce Strategies for High-Quality Out-of-School-Time STEM Programming
This study examines workforce recruitment, training, and retention strategies associated with high-quality out-of-school-time Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programming.
Open Research Questions
Completed study findings aligned with this question in our repository include:
In-progress studies that address this question are:
Completed study findings aligned with this question in our repository include:
- Access to Afterschool Programs Remains a Challenge for Many Families
- Summer Learning for All
- Expanding Afterschool Opportunities: Connecting STEM Afterschool Providers and Schools
In-progress studies that address this question are:
In-progress studies that address this question are:
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