Boston Beyond

Our Common Wealth: Building a Future for Our Children and Youth

The executive summary of the report of the MA Special Commission on After School and Out of School Time covers findings and recommendations in five key areas: 1) Building public awareness; 2) Providing information and increasing access; 3) Improving quality and supporting the workforce; 4) Fostering partnerships and collaborations; and 5) Sustaining the effort. November 2007.

Research on Quality OST Programming

Boston Beyond recently presented a compilation of emerging research on quality in OST, including summaries of recently released papers and studies presented at the American Educational Research Association Conference in Chicago. Presented and discussed in a meeting with 40+ providers, funders and intermediaries, the research provides information about programmatic elements of quality and student outcomes as they relate to quality. Many of these articles offer guidance for building quality in out-of-school time programs.

The Parents Survey

Boston Beyond asked BPS parents about their experiences, preferences and perceptions of after-school programs. Among the findings: Participation in after-school programs among 6-14 year olds in Boston public schools has more than doubled over 8 years to 53%. Nearly 50% of BPS students participate in after-school programs. And 55% of parents whose children are not currently participating are interested in having their child participate in an after-school program.

Helping Out: Volunteerism in Youth Sports in Boston

Conducted for the Boston Youth Sports Initiative, this study presents a snapshot of sports-related volunteerism: the challenges, current status, best practices, and recommendations for strengthening the sector.

State of the Arts in Boston - 2006

Boston Beyond, with support from the Barr Foundation, conducted the 2006 Arts & Culture Out-of-School Time Providers Survey to update data from 2003 and get a better understanding of the diverse nature of organizations that provide arts and cultural programming to children and youth in Boston. The preliminary findings were presented on December 1, 2006.

OST Sustainability & Systems Study

Boston Beyond and the Full-service Schools Roundtable have joined forces to conduct research that can advance the sustainability of student services in Boston, with a special focus on out-of-school time, community schooling, and systems collaboration. The research is currently underway.