Programs High Marks @ (NAPSA)-—After school programs have been the subject of several studies and evaluations aimed at determining how well programs are serving students and their families. in nearly all cases, after school programs across the nation have received high marks. According to the Afterschool Alliance, several comprehensive evaluations have coofirraed that after school pragrams help children achieve academically, keep them safe during the sometimes-perilous hours after schools close each afternoon, and help their working parents solve the dilemma offinding child care. A study of one Log Angeles pro- gram, LA’s BEST, showed that participation led to better school attendance, which in turn related to bigher academic achievement on standardized tests in math, reading and language aris. In a Houston study, after school programs helped participating students to iraprove significantly in science and fine arts. he Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all children and youth have access to after schoal programas by the year 2010.
