After-school programmes for personal and social skills may raise grades and test scores.

The review

1. 01

   Who took part

   Its 68 studies covered children and teenagers aged 5 to 18, all in the United States. Most served elementary or middle-school pupils, and the paper does not give the total number of young people.

2. 02

   What they did

   Adults ran these programmes after school, and they aimed to build personal and social skills. Comparison youths mostly did not attend, though some went to other activities. Most programmes lasted under a year.

3. 03

   What happened

   Compared with other youths, those in programmes showed better self-image, school bonds, social behaviour and fewer problem behaviours. Test scores and grades also rose, but drug use and school attendance did not differ clearly. Published studies gained more than unpublished ones, so some results may be missing.

What the review found

1. Helped

   Across 25 studies, youths in these programmes got better grades than youths who did not attend.

   Pooled analysis of 25 studies · vs youths who did not attend the programme · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

2. Helped

   Across 20 studies, youths in these programmes scored higher on achievement tests than youths who did not attend.

   Pooled analysis of 20 studies · vs youths who did not attend the programme · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

3. No difference

   Across 21 studies, youths in these programmes went to school no more often than youths who did not attend.

   Pooled analysis of 21 studies · vs youths who did not attend the programme · behaviour was recorded · ⚠ signs that small negative studies went unpublished; whole programmes were tested, so no single part can be credited; mixes trials with other kinds of study

Source