Providence After School Alliance

National and local community-wide research and discussions were conducted prior to PASA's inception to begin articulating what high quality after school programs mean to providers, youth and parents in this community. To inform our strategies and the work we do, it was critical to have the input of Providence parents and youth.

Recent Data

Building a Professional Development System for Rhode Island After School and Summer Learning Programs
The Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance and the Providence After School Alliance commisioned this report with support from The Rhode Island Foundation and The Forum for Youth Investment.  This status report considers solutions to the lack of an overarching afterschool and summer program capacity building system in Rhode Island, providing recommendations and next steps to link all of the pieces together.

Building Our Future: An Agenda for Quality Urban Education in Rhode Island
The edification of our urban students has long been at the forefront of the education debate. This report, published by the Rhode Island Urban Education Task Force (UETF), puts forth a series of recommendations detailing how address pre-kindergarten education, early literacy, expanded learning time, multiple pathways for student success, and more.  The UETF also published an exective summary to complement the more comprehensive report. 

The Afterschool Alliance: Rhode Island After 3PM
In 2009, Rhode Island families were surveyed to see how many children are in afterschool programs, how many are unsupervised after school and how these numbers compare to five years ago. America After 3 PM provides the most comprehensive and accurate picture to date of what this nation's youth are doing each day after school. With a sample size of nearly 30,000, the full report provides an in-depth view of every state in the nation.

The Rhode Island 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative: Supporting Student Succes for Nearly a Decade
This report, published by the Rhode Island Department of Education, offers a look back at the successes of the 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative, including serving over 11,000 youth to date, and highlights some of the exemplary sites across the state. 

Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Afterschool Transportation Study
After-school transportation is one of the biggest challenges after school providers face in implementing program. Similarly, lack of transportation is a significant barrier to young people’s participation in after-school programs. To begin to address this issue, the Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance (RIASPA) contracted with Acadia Consulting Group to conduct research on the current situation with after-school transportation and potential strategies to improve the situation. 

Support Student Success: A Blueprint for Expanded Learning Opportunities in Rhode Island
The purpose of the Supporting Student Success (S3) project, coordinated by the Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance, was to work with a State Leadership Team and Advisors to analyze the possibilities around integration of high quality Expanded Learning Opportunities such as after-school programs, summer learning, and extended day programs, into a comprehensive approach to education. This report is intended to be used as an agenda for action (both near, mid- and long-term), as well as a case study for other states seeking to do similar work.

MARKET RESEARCH

In 2004, the Market Street Research Project was a key part of the business plan that led to the award of $5 million to Providence from The Wallace Foundation. The project consisted of youth and parent focus groups and 200 parent & youth surveys. Top priorities, for both parents and youth were the safety and quality of programs. In 2006, Market Street Research again surveyed 300 youth and parents. Results showed that we have made great strides in improving perceptions of safety. Parents and youth feel safer in the AfterZones than they did in after school programming in the past.

PASA commissioned Market Street Research again in 2009, to ensure that the AfterZones were still meeting the needs of parents and families; over 200 AfterZone parents and families were surveyed. The overwhelmingly positive results showed over 75% of AfterZone parents as very satisfied with the quality of programs, with the safety of their children in the programs, and believing that the AfterZone has a highly positive impact on aspects of student success, including intra-familial relationships, friendships with other kids, and interest in school. Market Street has released summaries of the 2004, 2006, and 2009 research projects.

Learning in Communities/Providence: Discussions and Reports

Led by Rhode Island Kids Count and funded by The Wallace Foundation, this 2003 citywide convening, research, and planning process mapped opportunities to increase the participation of children and youth in high-quality out-of-school time programming. Below are reports, based on best practices, produced to inform the planning:

Out of School Time Program Standards
Out of School Time Workforce Development
Positive Youth Development
Citywide Out of School Time Initiative
Cost and Scale with Out of School Time
The Developmental Context for Out of School Time Programming
Financing Out of School Time Sector: Lessons Learned and Innovative Strategies
Intermediaries in Out of School Time: A Literature Review
Learning Partnerships in Out of School Time: A Literature Review
Out of School Time Survey Report on Program Provider Survey

Stepping Up Report

This report, prepared by Community Matters and commissioned by the United Way of Rhode Island and the Providence Public School Department in 2002, examined the state of after-school programming in the city and explored opportunities to improve and expand to better meet the needs of Providence children and youth. To view the report, click here.