Clinton School students complete major study on after-school programs in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK – Half of 3,700 Arkansas children recently surveyed said they were unsupervised after school on a regular basis, according to a new report by students from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.

The report on the demand for after-school programs in Arkansas public schools also found that a majority of the children surveyed would consider attending an after-school program if their school offered one.

Clinton School students Jose Guzzardi of Sao Paulo, Brazil, Marquita Little of Little Rock and James Mitchell of Cleveland, Miss., completed the study as part of the school’s Practicum public service program.

Based on survey data from the state’s four congressional districts, the Clinton School team wrote a report offering numerous recommendations to the Governor’s Task Force on Best Practices for After-School and Summer Programs on state policy related to after-school programs. The task force was created by Governor Mike Beebe earlier this year.

The report suggests that schools should work to lessen the gap between the types of after-school activities that parents and students are interested in and what is actually offered. While advocating for more recreational and life-skill activities, the report recommends that homework help remain a key component to future programs.

The report also calls for more affordable after-school options and more public awareness efforts toward parents and students, particularly in the state’s growing Hispanic community. While Hispanic students are currently the least likely to attend after-school programs, the survey found that they are the most likely to do so if one were available.

Also, the survey found that Northwest Arkansas has the most need for additional after-school programs, while Pulaski County has the least.

“These findings are very significant in regards to the gap between after-school program supply and demand throughout the state,” said Paul Kelly, a senior policy analyst for Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families who is working with the task force. “The Clinton School students have done a remarkable job to gather and analyze a great deal of data, which should go a long way to help shape future policy on this issue.”

The governor’s task force is made up of after-school and summer program advocates, parents, teachers, school administrators and Arkansas Department of Education staff. The group is working on recommendations for potential after-school legislation for the 2009 legislative session. The Clinton School students first met with the task force in January to determine priorities for the demand study.

Sixteen schools were randomly selected to participate in the study and principle data was collected from 12 of them. In addition to the student surveys, questionnaires were sent to school principals and focus groups were conducted with parents. At least one parent focus group was conducted in each congressional district.

The Clinton School students were assigned the project when they began at the school in August 2007. The Practicum (group) project is one of three required field project students complete to earn credit toward their Master of Public Service (MPS) degree.

Other student teams completed similar projects throughout the state related to economic development, women’s empowerment, community development and children’s mental health care.

“We are committed to training these students to become outstanding public servants,” said Clinton School Dean Skip Rutherford. “At the same time, we want these projects to make a lasting impact on our state. All of our student teams have done great work to address a number of issues facing Arkansas.”

Currently, the Clinton School students are traveling throughout the world to work on their International Public Service Projects, the second of the three required field projects. They will return in the fall to begin their final Capstone projects and graduate in spring 2009.

The Clinton School of Public Service teaches students to gain knowledge and experience to further their careers in the areas of nonprofit, governmental, volunteer or private sector work. The school is an independent entity of the University of Arkansas System, working in collaboration with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. For more information, visit www.clintonschool.uasys.edu.