[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-590450-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-590450-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","research-based-practices-in-afterschool-programs-for-high-school-youth","Research-Based Practices in Afterschool Programs for High School Youth","","Research-based practices that improve outcomes for high school youth in afterschool programs are examined, addressing a gap because teens receive comparatively little attention in out-of-school time investments. Drawing on evidence across three focus areas—program activities, recruitment and retention, and student choice and voice—the study analyzes 19 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs in one Midwestern state. Findings highlight more frequent implementation of evidence-based academic supports than practices emphasizing youth voice, informing broader program design.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-based-practices-in-afterschool-programs-for-high-school-youth/590450/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/research-based-practices-in-afterschool-programs-for-high-school-youth/590450.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Pentious","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-01","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":30},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"Why are afterschool programs for high school youth often overlooked?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Communities typically view afterschool services as benefiting younger children, while participation and funding for high school students are comparatively limited.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What benefits does research associate with afterschool participation for high school youth?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"Documented benefits include improved academic achievement, reduced likelihood of drug use, and greater chances of obtaining work and life-skill experience.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"Which program focus areas were assessed in the study?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"The study examined research-based promising practices in program activities, recruitment and retention, and student choice and voice.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},590450,1793047537,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,91,95,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":88,"show_sort_weight":89,"slug":90},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":92,"show_sort_weight":93,"slug":94},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":96,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":30,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":111,"language":139,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":143,"read_time":117,"preview_page_count":4},1374404730887,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Research-Based Practices in Afterschool Programs for High School Youth  \nJenell Holstead, Mindy Hightower King, and Ashley Miller  \nStructured afterschool programs are often perceived asa service for young children only. Communities often overlook teenagers, expecting more substantial benefits from investments in programs for younger children (Hall & Gruber, 2007) . Of about 8.4 million children participating in afterschool programs nationwide, only 1 million are high school students (Afterschool Alliance, 2009b) . In addition, only 15 percent of the programs funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program include high school students (Afterschool Alliance, n.d.) . Recent budget cuts in many schools have reduced or eliminated high school extracurricular activities such as music and athletics, leaving some teenagers without safe, enriching activities after school (Hall & Gruber, 2007) .  \nMeanwhile, the benefits of afterschool activities for high school youth are well documented: increased academic achievement (Friedman & Bleiberg, 2007; Goerge, Cusick, Wasserman, & Gladden, 2007), prevention of drug use (Hall & Gruber, 2007), and increased likelihood of obtaining work and gaining life skills experience (Barr, Birmingham, Fornal, Klein, & Piha, 2006) .  \nA small body of research identifies characteristics of afterschool programs that enhance the academic and social development of high school youth. Given the relatively small number of afterschool programs that serve high school students, ensuring that the programs that do exist follow these promising practices is critical. If existing programs maximize the academic and social  \nJENELL HOLSTEAD, Ph. D., is an assistant professor of human development and psychology at University of Wisconsin–Green Bay. MINDY HIGHTOWER KING, Ph. D., is a research associate at the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at Indiana University Bloomington.  \nASHLEY MILLER is a graduate student in professional counseling at University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.  \nbenefits of participation by following these practices, more investment in out-of-school time programming for high school youth may be possible.  \nTo determine the extent to which high school afterschool programs followed promising practice research, we studied 19 21st CCLC high school afterschool programs in one Midwestern state. We looked for research-based promising practices in three key areas identified in the literature: program activities, recruitment and retention, and student choice and voice. We found that evidence-based academic practices such as tutoring services and homework help or credit recovery opportunities were implemented more often than were practices related to student choice and voice. Our findings have implications for practice in other afterschool programs serving high school youth.  \nprograms can offer high school youth is recovery of school credits (Deschenes, Little, Baldwin-Grossman,& Arbreton, 2011) . Students can earn school credits in afterschool programs by, for example, completing classroom work, taking part in internships, or doing community service (Forum for Youth Investment, 2003) . Since most students plan to either enter the workforce or attend college after high school, afterschool programs can help them by teaching life skills and offering assistance with job applications, résumés, and test preparation (Barr et al. , 2006) .  \nRecruitment and Retention  \nOne of the most challenging aspects of offering an afterschool program for high school youth is getting youth to attend (Afterschool Alliance, 2009a) . It is often difficult for an afterschool program to compete with the many ac-  \nThree Key Areas of Program Focus tivities to which high school youth have access (Forum  \nThe literature reviewed below identifies three key areas for Youth Investment, 2003) . As a result, afterschool proof promising practices for high school afterschool grams must be flexible with these students and dili","cbCairXdcCjzvZxC","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCairXdcCjzvZxC","pdf",332653,"English","# Background and Purpose\n## Benefits for High School Youth\n## Study Design and Focus Areas\n# Program Activities\n## Academic Supports and Credit Recovery\n# Recruitment and Retention\n# Student Choice and Voice","[{\"question\":\"Why are afterschool programs for high school youth often overlooked?\",\"answer\":\"Communities typically view afterschool services as benefiting younger children, while participation and funding for high school students are comparatively limited.\"},{\"question\":\"What benefits does research associate with afterschool participation for high school youth?\",\"answer\":\"Documented benefits include improved academic achievement, reduced likelihood of drug use, and greater chances of obtaining work and life-skill experience.\"},{\"question\":\"Which program focus areas were assessed in the study?\",\"answer\":\"The study examined research-based promising practices in program activities, recruitment and retention, and student choice and voice.\"}]","Research-Based Practices in Afterschool Programs for High School Youth | PDF",1792069655]