Case Study: Los Angeles’ “BEST” After School Program Decreases the Likelihood of Dropout
Huang, Denise, et al, “Keeping Kids in School: An LA’s BEST Example, A Study Examining the Long-Term Impact of LA’s BEST on Students’ Dropout Rates,” National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST) (2005).
This study evaluates the long term effects on school dropout rates of participation in Los Angeles’ Better Educated Students for Tomorrow (L.A.’s BEST) program, a free after school enrichment program for at–risk children, ages 5 to 12. Results of the study indicate that students who participated in L.A.’s BEST for over three years were 20 percent less likely to drop out of school. The study was conducted over four years and compared nearly 6,000 students in grades 6–9 who participated in the program with 6,000 kids in the same grades in the Los Angeles Unified School District who did not participate. The study primarily assesses the role that L.A.’s BEST plays in fostering stronger student resiliency and enhanced academic achievement. There is a brief discussion about obstacles at–risk youth face that may inhibit their social and academic development, subsequently leading to dropping out from school at an early age. It concludes that after–school enrichment programs, such as L.A.’s BEST, facilitate school retention because they foster positive student attitudes, behavior, and higher academic performance, and provide the opportunity to establish positive relationships with adults in a safe and nurturing environment.
Relevant Link: http://www.lasbest.org/resourcecenter/pressreleases/pressrelease.php?p=7