The Weekend School Effect on Perceived Cognitive and Social Competences: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Experiment

This study reports the results of a randomized controlled experiment in the Netherlands that was conducted in 2005 to examine if a Weekend School did positively affect perceived competences. For this purpose, 216 Dutch 7thgraders (aged 10/11) were randomly assigned to a Weekend School program and a waiting list. This study focuses on the following competences: scholastic competence, social acceptance, behavioral conduct, global self-worth and outspokenness. These competences are measured before and 10 months after the start of the Weekend School program. Experimental results suggest that the Weekend School program did not affect children's perceived competences.