Thursday, April 29, 2010

Education Research Report: Key Factors in Attracting Teenagers to After-School Programming and Retaining Them

Education Research Report: Key Factors in Attracting Teenagers to After-School Programming and Retaining Them

Key Factors in Attracting Teenagers to After-School Programming and Retaining Them


Five key features characterize after-school programs that succeed in recruiting and retaining teenagers, according to a new study by researchers at the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Harvard Family Research Project and Public/Private Ventures, a national nonprofit organization.

The report, "Engaging Older Youth: Program and City-level Strategies to Support Sustained Participation in Out-of-School Time," commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, is one of the most comprehensive studies to date looking at an area that is little explored but of critical importance to those concerned about the wellbeing of middle- and high-school students, especially those from low-income communities. Researchers believe that


Hand-clapping songs improve motor and cognitive skills

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A researcher at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) conducted the first study of hand-clapping songs, revealing a direct link between those activities and the development of important skills in children and young adults, including university students.

MANY CHARTER SCHOOLS LACK THE AUTONOMY NEEDED TO SUCCEED

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Like a boxer with one hand tied behind his back, far too many U.S. charter schools lack the freedom they need to succeed, according to a new report released by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute.