This file contains data from a 2008 fast-response survey titled “After-School Programs in Public Elementary Schools.” This survey provides a national profile of various types of formal after-school programs physically located at public elementary schools in 2008. These programs include stand-alone programs that focus primarily on a single type of service (e.g., only day care) and broad-based programs that provide a combination of services such as academic enrichment and cultural activities. NCES released the results of the survey in the First Look report After-School Programs in Public Elementary Schools.
Questionnaires and cover letters for the study were mailed to the principal of each sampled school in late December 2007. The letter introduced the study and requested that the questionnaire be completed by the person most knowledgeable about after-school programs that were physically located at the school. Respondents were encouraged to consult with the administrators of after-school programs that were located at the school but operated by some entity other than the school or district (e.g., privately run fee-based day care). Respondents were offered the option of completing the survey via the Web or by mail. Telephone followup for survey nonresponse and data clarification was initiated in January 2008 and completed in early May 2008. The final response rate was 91 percent.
The survey focuses on four broad types of after-school programs: (1) fee-based stand-alone day care programs for which parents paid fees; (2) stand-alone academic instruction/tutoring programs that focus exclusively on academic instruction or tutoring, including Supplemental Educational Services in schools that did not meet Adequate Yearly Progress; (3) the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLCs) administered through the federally funded 21st CCLC Program to provide academic enrichment opportunities; and (4) other types of formal stand-alone or broad-based after-school programs. The information collected about after-school programs includes: program focus (if applicable), number of students enrolled, hours per week the program operates, availability of transportation for students, whether students from other schools attend the program, and factors that may hinder students from participating in the program.
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