Mathematica's latest report shows that 21st Century after-school programs, which currently spend $1 billion a year in federal funding, changed where and with whom students spent some of their after-school time. But our analysis also reveals that programs had only limited influence on academic...

The first-year findings reveal that while the 21st Century Community Learning Centers changed where and with whom students spent some of their after-school time and increased parental involvement, they had limited influence on academic performance, no influence on feelings of safety or on the...

Elementary students participating in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program felt safer than students not enrolled but were more likely to engage in negative behaviors. There were few impacts on student achievement overall and no difference between the treatment and control groups on...

This study evaluated the effectiveness of four supplemental reading comprehension programs in helping disadvantaged fifth graders improve reading comprehension. The study, supported by the Institute of Education Sciences in the U.S. Department of Education and conducted over the course of two...

This article presents findings from the largest experimental evaluation to date of school-based mandatory-random student drug testing (MRSDT) and its effectiveness in reducing substance use among high school students. The study found that students who were subject to MRSDT reported less...

This report lays out the design for the Evaluation of Reading Comprehension Interventions, which is assessing supplemental reading comprehension programs for fifth-grade students.

To become successful learners, students need to comprehend what they read. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds, in particular, may have difficulty comprehending text because they often lack general vocabulary and strategies for organizing information and gleaning knowledge from text. This...

This report presents findings from an evaluation of the mandatory-random student drug testing (MRSDT) programs in 36 high schools from seven districts that received grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools in 2006.