Published on Public Agenda (http://publicagenda.org)


All Work and No Play?

Listening to What Kids and Parents Really Want from Out-of-School Time

Ann Duffett and Jean Johnson with Steve Farkas, Susanna Kung and Amber Ott

Nov 16 2004

In this survey of teens and parents, Public Agenda found the vast majority of students regularly participate in organized activities in their out-of-school time. Most students believe kids who participate are better off than those who don't. But there are stark differences in the experiences of low-income and minority parents, who are much more likely to say they have trouble finding high-quality, convenient and affordable activities for their children. While the policy debate revolves around whether after-school programs improve academic achievement, that isn't the first thing that comes to mind for either parents or students we surveyed. Low-income and minority parents, however, are considerably more likely to want activities that emphasize academics. Commissioned by The Wallace Foundation.

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Source URL: http://publicagenda.org/reports/all-work-and-no-play