|
Main Report Page | Main
Resource Guide Page
 |
Updated
Fall 2009!
Resource Guide |
This is a companion guide to the report,
Putting It All Together: Guiding
Principles for Quality After-School Programs Serving Preteens.
Principle 3: Supportive Relationships
Overview
Programs emphasize positive adult-youth relationships regardless
of the curriculum.
Description
Establishing supportive relationships between youth and adults
may be the most critical component of a quality after-school program.
Not only are supportive relationships themselves correlated with
better outcomes for youth, the existence of supportive relationships
in programs is key to attracting and retaining youth in programs,
itself vital to better outcomes for youth.
Supportive relationships are those that include qualities of emotional
support (e.g., being caring and responsive) and instrumental support
(e.g., providing guidance that is useful to young people). It is
these relationships with both adults and peers that provide the
emotional support and guidance that gives young people the capacity
to feel connected to others, navigate day-to-day life and engage
in productive activities.
Research has shown that youth who have at least one highly supportive
relationship with an adult will do better than youth who have none.
While having more than one supportive relationship may hold additional
benefits, the greatest difference in later success for youth is
having at least one such relationship. Establishing or maintaining
supportive relationships is particularly important for preteens,
who are at a stage when they are moving toward greater independence
and growing autonomy from their families.
Examples of this Principle in Action
- The program teaches young people the skills they need to build healthy relationships with peers and adults, such as active listening, expressing needs, conflict resolution and cooperation skills.
- The program schedule provides young people with opportunities for positive, informal social interactions with adults and peers.
- Staff hiring reflects a priority of developing a diverse staff with whom youth can identify in terms of gender, culture, sexual orientation and language.
- Program allows time for the staff to work one-on-one with the youth.
- The program maintains a low ratio of adults to youth.
- The staff treat participants with respect, listen to what they say and respond to youth in a warm, supportive manner.
Where to Go for More Information
The Afterschool Hours: Examining the Relationship Between Afterschool Staff–Based Social Capital and Student Engagement in LA's BEST (January 2007)
http://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/reports/R712.pdf
The relationship between after-school staff and students is very important for encouraging and promoting longevity in school. The primary goal of this study was to examine the connection between perceptions of staff-student relationships and the educational values, future aspirations and engagement of LA's BEST students. Researchers collected surveys from students and staff at 53 LA's BEST after-school programs, with a focus on grades three to five. Both staff and students reported high levels of trust at the programs; most students reported that staff care about them and they feel comfortable at the program, though they were less likely to report that they feel important and emotionally supported by staff. Analyses revealed that these social support measures were related to students' valuing of education and future aspirations.
Author/Publisher: Huang, Denise, Allison Coordt, Deborah La Torre, Seth Leon, Judy Miyoshi, Patricia Pérez and Cynthia Peterson. National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST).
Beyond Safe Havens: A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research
on the Boys & Girls Clubs (2005)
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/187_publication.pdf
Arbreton et al reviewed 20 years of research of Boys & Girls Clubs
of America programming. The report outlines the strategies that
programs have implemented to contribute toward success as well as
the challenges that were encountered. The review of Boys & Girls
Clubs of America programs identified several strategies to hire
and retain high-quality staff, including: recruiting staff skilled
for specific programs, promoting personnel from within the agency,
ensuring the buy-in of staff to any new programming and providing
sufficient staff training.
Author/Publisher: Arbreton, Amy J.A., Jessica Sheldon and Carla
Herrera. Philadelphia: Public Private Ventures.
Finding Out What Matters for Youth: Testing Key Links in
a Community Action Framework for Youth Development (2002)
http://www.ydsi.org/YDSI/pdf/WhatMatters.pdf
The Community Action Framework for Youth Development was
developed to describe the pathways that lead youth to positive outcomes
and highlight what needs the most attention. It looks at whether
and how developmental outcomes (learning to be productive, learning
to connect, and learning to navigate) affect early adult outcomes
(economic self-sufficiency, healthy family and social relationships,
and community involvement). Gambone et al found that youth who had
at least one highly supportive relationship with an adult did better
than youth who had none.
Author/Publisher: Gambone, M.A, A.M. Klem and J.P. Connell
Community Programs to Promote Youth Development (2002)
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/10022.html
This book focuses on community programs for youth and examines what is known about their design, implementation, and evaluation. The book identifies the set of personal and social assets that increase the healthy development and well-being of adolescents. It then discusses the settings that promote healthy development of those assets. The book defines supportive relationships as those that include qualities of emotional support (e.g., being caring and responsive) and instrumental support (e.g., providing guidance that is useful to young people). It discusses both what a supportive relationship is and some practices to develop supportive relationships.
Author/Publisher: National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. Committee on Community-Level Programs for Youth. Jacquelynne Eccles and Jennifer A. Gootman, eds. Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
|
