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Functionalism In After School Programs High School drop out rates were at an all time high for Illinois in the year 1995. The graduation rate was below 50% and the juvenile systems were being flooded with new teens every day. These rates weren’t only in Illinois. That nationwide graduation average was 64% in 1995. That’s an average of 100 students per school who didn’t graduate. A rough statistic. This statistic effected minorities in a major way, as only 38% of minority based high schools were graduating. With statistics like these, America needed help in having a significant effect on graduation rates. Better grades will result in more graduations. Afterschool programs offer endless possibilities for children—encouraging them to explore new enrichment activities, inspiring personal growth, and fostering a culture of creativity and discovery—in a safe and nurturing environment.

Functionalism

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  1. REDIRECT functionalism

After school programs on student’s grades is a form of functionalism and operant conditioning . The more students performed and participated in after school programs, the reward was better grades and higher performance in school. Regardless of the effort that a student might show, everyone wants to graduate. Most students don’t have the urge to do good in school, and some that do have the urge might not interpret the work as well. Those students may lack a parental figure that can help them understand the homework. After school programs have helped those students who couldn’t get help from there parents.

Change the Nation

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After school programs have changed the world tremendously. Middle students appear to prefer after school programs that make them do homework, which came from a sixteen month study conducted on North Carolina Middle school students in 1999. We conducted for the North Carolina Governor Õs Crime Commission , we found that students in grades 6 through 8 were twice as likely to attend after-school programs regularly if the programs included daily periods of structured homework assistance [1]. The purpose of the study was to identify practices that strengthen after-school programs, deter delinquency, and make other positive differences in the lives of young people [2]. The results from the experiment in 1999 showed that 56% of the students in the after school programs were at higher reading and math levels. High school students participating in Chicago's After School Matters program—which offers paid internships in the arts, technology, sports, and communications to teenagers in some of the city's most underserved schools—have higher class attendance, lower course failures and higher graduation rates than similar students who do not participate in the program. (Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).University of Chicago, Chapin Hall Center for Children, 2007Cite error: There are <ref> tags on this page without content in them (see the help page).). With students engaging in after school sessions, this took more children off the streets, keeping them away from danger while also improving their grades.

Effects on Graduation Rates

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The graduation rates have not only been on a steady rise in the past decade, but the school crime rates have went down also. The more students that get more dedicated to their studies, the less time they have to go out and cause trouble. My empirical evidence proves that across the country after school programs are changing the lives of these students. The Promising Afterschool Programs Study, a study of about 3,000 low-income, ethnically-diverse elementary and middle school students, found that students reported improved social and behavioral outcomes: elementary students reported reductions in aggressive behavior towards other students and skipping school, and middle school students reported reduced use of drugs and alcohol, compared to their routinely unsupervised peers [3] . Participants in North Carolina’s Young Scholars Program with at least 280 hours in the program averaged double-digit increases annually for proficiency in both math and reading. Promotion rates rose by 38 percent. Furthermore, the number of Young Scholars receiving A’s and B’s increased an average of 38 percent, while the number receiving F’s decreased an average of 50 percent [4].A New Hampshire statewide study of students participating in academically focused afterschool programs, including those funded by the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program , found that more than half of regular attendees improved both behaviorally and academically [5] . Parents who are concerned about their children’s after-school care miss an average of eight days of work per year. Decreased worker productivity related to parental concerns about after-school care costs businesses up to $300 billion per year [6]. As more students get involved in after school programs the more graduation rates grow. The more graduation rates grow, the more college populations grow. The long run effect of after school programs have helped our nation tremendously and will continue to help us improve. Because of the operant conditioning coming from after school programs, those who do not participate in after school programs are bound to struggle more in school.

Effects on Society

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After school programs also bring together people of different back grounds and disabilities. People of disabilities have a rougher life than most. Supporting the academic success of students with disabilities and other special needs is necessary to help them thrive in their adult lives. Even though students with disabilities hold enormous potential and have the capacity to be productive and independent citizens, overall, students with disabilities were less likely to attend a postsecondary school, earned less and were less likely to live independently than their peers without disabilities [7]. Providing inclusive learning environments in and out of school gives students with disabilities and other special needs the opportunity to take part in activities that support their development, encourage perseverance and highlight their capabilities. Afterschool programs create a safe space where students of all abilities can learn and grow side-by-side, respecting and appreciating one another's similarities and differences [8]. The flexible and adaptable nature of afterschool programs make them a valuable source of support for all students -- including students with disabilities and other special needs -- helping them reach their full potential in school, in work and in life [9] .Since disabled students are apart of our school populations. Helping them increase their grades will make the schools look better. Building a school system where 75% of our high school students graduating, should be a goal for our government.

Funding Controversy

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The ethical concerns raised by this application of functionalism, was the funding for these after school programs. A decade ago, the phrase "after-school programs" was rarely heard in the debate about how to better meet the developmental needs of children. Yet, after-school programs are now high on many people’s lists of solutions to the array of challenges facing children and their families [10] . Such programs are seen as ways to accomplish a variety of goals, including meeting children’s needs for safe environments and supervision from caring adults while their parents are working; bolstering academic achievement; providing low- and moderate-income children with enriching activities that prevent risky and self-destructive behaviors; and supporting overall youth development [11] .After school programs provide a significant amount of help, but with all help comes a price. After school programs estimate a nationwide of over 100 billion dollars. Paying the teachers and tutors to help these children after school hours don’t tend to be cheap. The problem that comes with paying these teachers, is the fact that most after school programs are given free to the students. SO WHERE the money to pay the teachers coming from? Good question. This causes debt issues in schools, causing them to cut off some programs , which cut offs the help of students in need. As bad as it sounds, the students who be needing the most help are those of low income homes. Minority schools have a hard time funding after school programs because of the funding. You cut these programs off, then you will be forcing kids to the streets. There are four main sources of funding for after-school programs: parent fees; public funds from federal, state, and local government; private funding (primarily from foundations); and in-kind contributions [12] . The historical aspect of this application has been unappreciated. It has developed tremendously in schools across the nation but the funding isn’t garunteed. More affluent children attend after-school programs and activities that are financed in large part (or exclusively) by parent fees. For programs serving lower- or moderate-income children, the funding pattern is generally like that of other non-categorical services designed to provide normal developmental supports. Such services—including family support programs and early childhood care and education—tend to receive small amounts of marginal funding from large public service systems whose primary interests and concerns lie elsewhere [13] . Thus, after-school programs as a whole may receive a modest portion of child care funding, a small portion of compensatory or remedial education funding, a small portion of parks and recreation funding, and some funding from federal, state, or local agencies seeking to prevent violence, delinquency, drug use, school drop-outs, or other problems [14] .These public funds are often combined in innovative ways and/or supplemented by local private foundation or corporate funding and in-kind contributions from businesses or individuals [15]. Funding from private sources supports program start-ups, as well as ongoing operations [16] . For instance, a portion of the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Funds MOST grants to Boston, Chicago, and Seattle has been used for program start-ups, and the church-based School-Age Ministry of Philadelphia’s Northwest Interfaith Movement also provides some funds to local churches for program start-ups [17] . United Ways are another important source of ongoing core operating support for after-school programs in many communities. For instance, several local United Ways recently made long-term commitments to support Bridges to Success community-schools programs, which provide after-school programs as well as a range of other services to the school community [18] . With the commitments from parents, teachers, mayors and the government we can keep all the after school programs going. We may not thank them enough, but those after school programs have shaped our generation for the better

Future Cause

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Money can be a problem for most schools, especially those of minority. We need for our society to come together and understand the outcome we have received from this application of after school programs. Twenty years ago we didn’t have these programs, which lead to drastic graduation rates and test scores. Through the history of applying the functionalism aspect of after school programs, we have been able to improve our scores. We have set ourselves up for a brighter future, and our next generation will have all the accessories they need to be successful students. Those in the past will agree with the way these programs operate, more students would have graduated if these programs was as widespread as they are now. The more help provided, the more improvements we will see. Although there has been funding issues and controversy, a lot of after school programs stand strong. You only need one per school to get some improvement so why not.

References

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  1. ^ http://sogpubs.unc.edu//electronicversions/pg/gray.pdf?
  2. ^ http://sogpubs.unc.edu//electronicversions/pg/gray.pdf?
  3. ^ http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articles.cfm?y=2002&v=17&n=2
  4. ^ http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articles.cfm?y=2002&v=17&n=2
  5. ^ http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articles.cfm?y=2002&v=17&n=2
  6. ^ http://sogpubs.unc.edu//electronicversions/pg/gray.pdf?
  7. ^ http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20113004/pdf/20113004.pdf
  8. ^ http://ies.ed.gov/ncser/pubs/20113004/pdf/20113004.pdf
  9. ^ http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articles.cfm?y=2002&v=17&n=2
  10. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  11. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  12. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  13. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  14. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  15. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  16. ^ http://www.internationaljournalofspecialeducation.com/articles.cfm?y=2002&v=17&n=2
  17. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm
  18. ^ http://www.financeproject.org/publications/financing_afterschool_programs.htm

1.^ GRAY, K., et. al. (1999) How After-School Programs Help Students Do Better

2.^ Newman, L., et. al. (2011). The Post-High School Outcomes of Young Adults With Disabilities up to 8 Years After High School -- A Report From the National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS2). SRI International, Menlo Park, CA.

3.^Katz, J. and Mirenda, P. (2002). "Including Students With Developmental Disabilities in General Education Classrooms: Educational Benefits." International Journal of Special Education. Vol. 17, No. 2.

4. ^White, D. (2013) Afterschool in Action Innovative Afterschool Programs Supporting Middle School Youth

5.^ Halpern, R. Sharon Deich, and Carol Cohen (2000) Prepared for THE FINANCE PROJECT

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