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The Harvard Family Research Project separated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education to become the Global Family Research Project as of January 1, 2017. It is no longer affiliated with Harvard University.

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Program Description

Overview The mission of the 3:00 Project, a statewide after school initiative in Georgia, is to transform the out-of-school time of early adolescents: instead of unsupervised, unstructured, and unproductive hours, they should be given the opportunity for challenge, commitment, and care. The middle school-based initiative has three key goals: to provide safety for children when they are out of school, to encourage the collaboration of community resources, and to build skills and improve academic success of participating students. The program seeks to provide youth opportunities to grow socially, emotionally, intellectually, and physically.
Start Date 1994
Scope state
Type after school
Location urban, suburban, rural
Setting public school
Participants middle school students
Number of Sites/Grantees 9 sites in 1995–1996; 9 contractors offered the project at 16 sites in 1997–1998—17 additional sites were funded as independent Middle School After School (MSAS) programs, but used the 3:00 Project's curriculum; 9 contractors offered the project at 12 sites in 1998–1999 (with 25 additional MSAS sites); 10 contractors offered the project at 15 sites in 1999–2000 (with 25 additional MSAS sites)
Number Served approximately 500 in 1995–1996; over 750 in 1997–1998; 802 in 1999–2000; over 950 in 2002–2003
Components The programs must provide a safe and nurturing environment that meets the developmental needs of early adolescents; provide opportunities that encourage social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth; improve school success; and encourage collaboration of community institutions and agencies to support students, the program, and the community. The 3:00 Project uses a curriculum with four components: community service learning, academic enrichment, communication strategies, and socialization/ recreation.

Goals of community service learning are to provide youth with opportunities for developing commitment and attachment to the larger society through productive, meaningful volunteer activities, and also to serve as an outlet for adolescents' capacity and desire to assume responsibility and explore adult roles.

The academic enrichment component is designed to build and enhance skills that support academic achievement, offer enrichment activities beyond the scope of the school curriculum, and incorporate career exploration.

The communication strategies component includes opportunities for participants to enhance their verbal and nonverbal communication skills to support effective decision making, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.

The socialization/recreation component includes activities that provide participants opportunities to learn and practice social skills, to experience a variety of recreational activities, and to promote mental and physical wellness.
Funding Level $300,000 until 2000–2001; $290,000 in 2001–2002; $285,000 in 2002–2003; the program was not funded by the state in 2003–2004
Funding Sources GSACA, Georgia General Assembly, and private sources; funds are administered from the Georgia Department of Education budget
Other The 3:00 Project is administered by the Georgia School Age Care Association (GSACA). GSACA provides grants to local school districts and parks and recreation departments to implement after school programs in middle schools. GSACA provides technical assistance and training to 3:00 Project sites and training was available to MSAS sites on a contract basis. In 1997 money was provided by the state to fund additional after school programs in local middle schools. Grantees of these middle school after school programs were given the option of using the 3:00 Project curriculum or another age-appropriate curriculum provided that it offered daily or weekly academic enrichment and community service opportunities. The 3:00 Project was not funded by the state for the 2003–2004 school year. The curriculum is still used in a number of locations, but GSACA's involvement will be limited to working with programs only if they contract for services with them. It is now up to local systems to offer the 3:00 Project if they want to with their own funding. Several districts received funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants to keep their programs operational.

Evaluation

Overview Annual evaluations are conducted to assess the effectiveness of the 3:00 Project in achieving its mission and goals and to improve the initiative.
Evaluator Anne Marie Carlisi, Ph.D. in 1995–1996; Jenny A. Lipana, MPH, CHES in 1997–1998; Susan E. Bockrath, MPH, CHES in 1998–1999; and Andrea Smith in 1999–2000
Evaluations Profiled The 3:00 Project® program evaluation: Executive summary September 1995 – May 1996

The 3:00 Project®: 1997/1998 program evaluation

The 3:00 Project®: 1998/1999 program evaluation

The 3:00 Project®: 1999/2000 program evaluation
Evaluations Planned The 2002–2003 evaluation is underway.
Report Availability Carlisi, A. M. (1996). The 3:00 Project® program evaluation: Executive summary September 1995 – May 1996. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Manior, S. H. (1997). Effects of a structured after school program on middle school students. Unpublished dissertation, South Carolina State University, Orangeburg.

Lipana, J. A. (1998). The 3:00 Project®: 1997/1998 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Bockrath, S. E. (1999). The 3:00 Project®: 1998/1999 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.

Smith, A. (2000). The 3:00 Project®: 1999/2000 program evaluation. Decatur, GA: Georgia School Age Care Association.


Contacts

Evaluation Stephanie T. Brumbeloe
Georgia School Age Care Association
246 Sycamore St., Ste. 252
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: 404-373-7414
Fax: 404-373-7428
Email: gsaca@gsaca.com
Program Stephanie T. Brumbeloe
Georgia School Age Care Association
246 Sycamore St., Ste. 252
Decatur, GA 30030
Tel: 404-373-7414
Fax: 404-373-7428
Email: gsaca@gsaca.com
Profile Updated October 3, 2003

Evaluation 2: The 3:00 Project®: 1997/1998 Program Evaluation


Evaluation Description

Evaluation Purpose To assess the effectiveness of the 3:00 Project in achieving its mission and goals and to improve the initiative.
Evaluation Design Non-Experimental: Data were collected from students, parents, site coordinators, staff, teachers, principals, and advisory council members at 12 3:00 Project sites and 11 Middle School After School (MSAS) programs.
Data Collection Methods Surveys/Questionnaires: Surveys were administered to students, parents, site coordinators, staff, teachers, principals, and advisory council members at the participating 3:00 Project and MSAS sites. The surveys addressed satisfaction with the program and curriculum as well as community collaboration in support of the program. Survey respondents were asked to respond to statements on a five-point scale, from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree,” which was collapsed into three categories for analytic purposes. The survey also included open-ended questions. In total, 1,124 surveys were analyzed. These 1,124 surveys consisted of 661 students, 201 parents, 104 teachers, 66 staff members, 51 advisory council members, 24 site coordinators, and 17 principals.
Data Collection Timeframe Data were collected at the end of the 1997–1998 school year.


Findings:
Formative/Process Findings

Costs/Revenues Over 84% of parents from the 3:00 Project and the MSAS program sites agreed that the 3:00 Project is an affordable option for after school care.

Few parents cited the program fee as their greatest dislike of the program.
Parent/Community Involvement Communication between the 3:00 Project staff and parents, teachers, advisory council members improved in 1997–1998 compared to the previous year. In addition, the majority of parents at MSAS were satisfied with the flow of information from the programs.

Nearly 95% of the 3:00 Project parents and 88% of MSAS parents reported that staff kept them informed of their child's successes and difficulties.

The majority of parents, teachers, principals, staff members, site coordinators, and advisory council members (75%–100%) from both the 3:00 Project sites and MSAS sites agreed that the 3:00 Project is a safe and healthy place for adolescents to go after school. A smaller majority (65%–88%) of students in the programs agreed to the same sentiments.
Satisfaction Over 70% of students from the 3:00 Project and the MSAS program sites reported that they liked coming to the 3:00 Project, citing sports, the variety of activities, and snacks as what they enjoyed most about the program.

The majority of parents of students participating at the 3:00 Project sites (97.4%) and MSAS sites (78.2%) agreed that their child likes coming to the 3:00 Project.

Over 80% of parents from both the 3:00 Project and MSAS sites expressed satisfaction with the schedule and hours of the program.

Over 90% of teachers, principals, staff, site coordinators and advisory council members from both the 3:00 Project and MSAS felt that children liked participating in the program.

Over 70% of students in the 3:00 Project indicated they would encourage a friend to come to the project.
Staffing/Training Over 82% of the MSAS participants and over 66% of the 3:00 Project participants endorsed the staff as respectful, well-trained, and positive role models.

Over 85% of the 3:00 Project parents agreed that their children received helpful tutoring from project staff, with similar or greater percentages indicating staff were respectful of children, were positive role models, were well trained, and gave enough supervision. Nearly 60% of MSAS parents agreed that their children received helpful tutoring, while approximately 75% agreed with the other positive aspects of the staff.
Systemic Infrastructure For staff and site coordinators at the 3:00 Project sites and MSAS program sites, the majority were satisfied with the assistance and resources provided by GSACA.


Summative/Outcome Findings

Academic Over 74% of students from the 3:00 Project sites reported that their grades were better as a result of the 3:00 Project. Over 85% of parents and 77% of teachers reported the same. For MSAS programs, 65.1% of students agreed that their grades improved due to the program, as did 82% of their parents and 69% of their teachers.

Over 84% of parents, principals, staff and site coordinators from the 3:00 Project sites and nearly 74% of students indicated that as a result of participating in the 3:00 Project, children showed improvements in homework. For the MSAS programs, 100% of teachers, principals, staff, and site coordinators agreed that students were doing better on homework due to the program, while over 85% of parents and 82.4% of students also agreed.

Nearly 70% of 3:00 Project students reported being more interested in their schoolwork because of the program. Nearly 78% of parents and 64% of teachers agreed. For MSAS, 93% of students, 80% of parents, and 58.6% of teachers agreed that students were more interested in schoolwork because of the program.
Community Over 70% of parents, teachers, principals, staff, site coordinators, and advisory council members from the 3:00 Project and the MSAS program sites agreed that as a result of participating in the project, their child was making a difference to the community by volunteer work.
Prevention Nearly 65% of students reported less involvement in dangerous situations as compared to their friends since participating in the 3:00 Project.

Over 78% of students said they were less involved in dangerous situations overall since participating in the 3:00 Project. Over 90% of parents agreed. The corresponding figures for MSAS sites were 80% and 78%, respectively.
Systemic Over 90% of teachers, principals, site coordinators, and advisory council members agreed the quality and availability of after school care improved as a result of the 3:00 Project.
Youth Development Approximately 55% to 60% of 3:00 Project students and three-quarters of MCAS students agreed that they learned to handle conflicts better, used new communication and conflict resolution skills, and got along better with people because of the program. Approximately 73% and 88% of parents from the 3:00 Project sites and 65% and 75% of MSAS parents agreed in these same areas.

Between 84% and 93% of parents and roughly 55%–75% of teachers, principals, and staff agreed that since participating in the 3:00 Project children had fewer behavioral problems, were more cooperative with adults, and were better at following directions and adult rules, compared with a year earlier. At least 80% of staff, site coordinators, principals, advisory council members, and parents, and 53%–63% of teachers agreed that children's behavior had improved since participating in MSAS program.

Over 86% of 3:00 Project parents felt that their children were developing interests in new topics or activities since beginning the program. Over 67% of students agreed with the same statement. For MSAS programs, 83% of students and 84% of parents felt that children have developed interests in new activities and topics as a result of participating in the MSAS programs.

Approximately 70% agreed that they made new friends in the program.

Nearly 60% of 3:00 Project students and 73% of MSAS students agreed that they were learning valuable new skills due to the program.

© 2016 Presidents and Fellows of Harvard College
Published by Harvard Family Research Project