Research on Middle School Renewal: Should Middle Grades Students Be Left Alone after School?

nities have a long-standing history of creating high-quality after-school programs for elemen tary school children, the community response to young adolescents has too often been to ignore their needs because they are not clearly under stood (Kerewsky & Lefstein, 1982). Of the more than 17,000 organizations that offer communi ty-based youth programs during non-school hours, only 29% of young adolescents are reached with these programs (Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development, 1995). Clearly, the need for after-school programs depends upon how the population in need is defined. Most youth development advocates would argue for a universal approach where all youth ages 5 to 17 should have after-school pro grams available to them (Center for Prevention Research and Development, 2002). Several stud ies have demonstrated the adverse effects of