Each month, Special Report summarizes a recent research study (or several studies related to the same topic) containing findings of importance to Educational Leadership readers. The purpose of this column is not to endorse or refute the conclusions of the study or studies summarized, but rather to keep readers informed about timely research that may significantly influence education policy and practice.
When the school day is done, the last thing I want to do is go to a place that has more academic work.” This statement was endorsed by 61 percent of the middle and high school students responding to a Public Agenda survey in June 2004. Yet students in the survey said that they value structured after-school activities—not only to keep from being bored and getting into trouble, but also as a way to make friends, learn, and have fun.
All Work and No Play? Listening to What Kids and Parents Really Want from Out-of-School Time, describes the results of the Public Agenda study, which gathered data through 10 focus groups and a telephone survey of 609 middle and high school students and 1,003 parents of school-aged children. The study explored what students do with their out-of-school time, what families seek from structured activities, and whether existing activities are meeting families' needs. The findings show that families value out-of-school activities as an essential component of their efforts to raise healthy, safe, well-rounded children.
Almost all of the surveyed middle and high school students participated in some kind of organized activities or programs: 57 percent did so every day or almost every day, and another 37 percent did so a few days a week. The most popular activities included sports (66 percent); school clubs or extracurricular activities (62 percent); volunteer work (60 percent); church-related groups (54 percent); lessons in music, art, or other areas (52 percent); and after-school programs at school or another locale (52 percent). Overall, survey respondents seemed satisfied with the number of activities they participated in: 75 percent of students and 71 percent of parents said that the day-to-day schedule during the school year was “just about right”—neither too hectic nor too empty.
But the report points to a gap between the perceptions of low-income and higher-income families. Low-income parents were much more likely to say they lacked high-quality, accessible, and affordable activities to keep their children safe and productive during out-of-school time. For example, just 37 percent of parents in the lowest income range (less than $25,000 a year) believed that they could ensure their child was productively occupied during the nonschool hours, compared with 60 percent of higher-income parents. Program quality is also a concern: Just 45 percent of low-income parents said that it was easy to find high-quality activities in their community, compared with 66 percent of higher-income parents. Summertime stands out as the most difficult time for all parents to find productive things for kids to do, and “on virtually every issue addressed in the survey about the summer months, low-income and minority parents are more apprehensive or less satisfied, sometimes by overwhelming —s” (p. 27).
The gap between low-income and higher-income families also applies to parents' views about the most important purposes of out-of-school programs. Parents in general do not seek a great emphasis on academics in their children's out-of-school time, according to the report. When asked about the best reason after basic safety for involvement in out-of-school programs, they first cited developing children's interests and hobbies (41 percent), followed by keeping children busy and out of trouble (27 percent) and letting them have fun (16 percent). Only 15 percent named improving children's school performance as the best reason.
Low-income parents, however, are more eager for an academic focus in their child's out-of-school activities—“perhaps because the schools in their neighborhoods tend to be low-performing, perhaps because they believe from their own experience that education is a ticket to a better lifestyle,” speculates the report (p. 31). For example, 52 percent of low-income parents and 28 percent of higher-income parents said they would go out of their way to find an after-school program that provides time for their children to do homework in a supervised setting; 45 percent of low-income parents and 35 percent of higher-income parents said that kids are better off in after-school programs that focus on academic skills; and 60 percent of low-income parents and 32 percent of higher-income parents were concerned that their children would fall behind on academics during the summer.
As education policymakers continue to debate the appropriate purpose of publicly funded out-of-school programs, the report recommends shifting away from a narrow and polarized debate—“More academics!” versus “More time to have fun!”—and recognizing that parents are looking for a variety of programs to support the diverse needs of their individual children. Although programs providing supplemental academic activities are important to many parents, policymakers should also understand that families value programs that enable students to develop new interests and hobbies, to form friendships, to be safe, and to have fun.
All Work and No Play? Listening to What Kids and Parents Really Want from Out-of-School Time was written by Ann Duffett and Jean Johnson. It was commissioned by the Wallace Foundation and published by Public Agenda, 6 East 39th St., New York, NY 10016. The full report is available at www.publicagenda.org.
