Facts About After-School Programs in Georgia

GEORGIA’S CHILDREN AND YOUTH ARE AT RISK

• An estimated 20% (485,000) of Georgia’s children live below the poverty line and 22% (854,000) of youth aged 7-18 are members of low-income working families (2006, KIDS COUNT).

 

• In Georgia, over 1 million kids, at least half of Georgia’s school-aged children, may spend time unsupervised between the hours of 3PM-6PM and for up to 10 weeks in the summer (Calculation by GAIC based on US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2006).

 

• Academically, Georgia ranks 41st in the nation for teen and high school dropouts (52,000) and is in the lower third for the number of 8th grade students performing below basic in math, reading, and science on standardized tests (2006, KIDS COUNT).

 

• Approximately 17% of Georgia’s 18-24 year olds are disconnected from society, not attending school, not working, nor have a degree beyond high school, compared to the national average of 14% (2006, KIDS COUNT).

 

• A recent survey found 32% of Georgia’s youth aged 10-17 are overweight or obese (2003, KIDS COUNT).

 

 

QUALITY OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME PROGRAMS KEEP OUR CHILDREN AND YOUTH...

• SAFE: The peak hours of juvenile crime are between 3PM-6PM. An evaluation of afterschool programs found participants had 37% less drug use and 50% less crime involvement than non-participants (2000, Fight Crime Invest in Kids).

 

• EDUCATED: An evaluation of elementary and middle schools students regularly attending high-quality afterschool programs showed participants scored dramatically higher (12 percentiles) than their unsupervised peers on standardized tests (2007, University of California & Policy Studies Associates).

 

• HEALTHY: The Yale Study of Children’s After School Time found participants in afterschool programs experienced greater weight loss and reduction of obesity than peers not involved in afterschool programs (2005,

• Applied Developmental Science).

 

• EMPLOYABLE: Teachers throughout the country have reported students who participate in after-school time programs have improved in work habits and task persistence (2007, University of California & Policy Studies Associates).

 

• CONNECTED: LA’s BEST afterschool participants improved their regular school attendance and drop-out rates among participants were 20% lower than the overall district rate (2005, UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation).

 

 

RETURN ON INVESTMENT

• If the 59,000 Georgia dropouts from the class of 2007 had graduated, their collective lifetime earnings would increase by over $15 billion (2007, Alliance for Excellent Education).

 

• A cost-benefit study related to California’s statewide afterschool program estimated a likely benefit yield of between $9 and $13 for every $1 expended by the program. Benefits included those to individual students, taxpayers, and crime victims (2002, Rose Institute, Claremont McKenna College).

 

• THE GEORGIA AFTERSCHOOL INVESTMENT COUNCIL (GAIC) is dedicated to ensuring Georgia’s children and youth have access to high-quality, affordable afterschool and summer learning opportunities.

 

 

                                            100 Edgewood Avenue NE 3rd floor Atlanta, GA 30303                                                                     

www.afterschoolga.org     T 404.527.7232                    F 404.527.7353