Hopkins Expert on After-School Programs

THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY OFFICE OF NEWS AND INFORMATION 3003 N. Charles Street, Suite 100 Baltimore, Maryland 21218-3843
Phone: (410) 516-7160 / Fax (410) 516-5251

June 18, 1998 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Leslie Rice (410) 516-7160, [email protected]

HOPKINS EXPERT ON AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS

On June 17, President Clinton awarded $40 million in new grants to open 315 "21st Century Community Learning Centers," after-school centers aimed at improving the academic success of at-risk students in the nation.

Now, as federal and state money is being used to fund programs based on academic achievement, it is time to examine which existing after-school programs offer evidence of effectiveness, says Olatokunbo "Toks" Fashola, an education researcher at The Johns Hopkins University.

Fashola is the author of an in-depth, nationwide study of after-school programs and their effectiveness. conducted with funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement.

Right now, she says, enthusiasm and rapid growth is running far ahead of the research on after-school learning. In her study, which will be released in July by the Center for Research On the Education of Students Placed at Risk of The Johns Hopkins University and Howard University, Fashola highlights some of the pitfalls of gathering hard evidence on what works in after-school programs so they may be replicated. Currently, few studies of existing programs meet even minimal standards of research design.

Nonetheless, at this stage of research and development of after-school programs, there are a number of promising models, she says. In the study, she highlights 25 of them, including their goals, how they work, what evidence exists of their effectiveness and who to contact if communities or organizations want to replicate them.

Reporters wishing to talk to Fashola, please call Leslie Rice at (410) 516-7160.

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