1 Executive Summary Supporting Student Success in Middle Schools:

Young children come to school with a desire to learn (National Research Council, 1998). However, by the time they reach middle school, students often take only the minimum science and mathematics courses that are required of them (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2007a, 2007b). This is partly due to the fact that advanced science and mathematics courses at these grade levels are usually very demanding and require self-efficacy, good organizational skills, and critical thinking skills. Students who do not perceive themselves to be successful will not select and attend these classes. This perception, or academic self-efficacy, actually starts to form, not in middle or high school, but far earlier in elementary school. Thus, students ’ elementary experiences lay the foundation for their future learning choices and performance. However, schools cannot control all the factors that influence student's learning, especially in disadvantaged, low-income neighborhoods where students attend low-performing schools. Recently, studies have shown that participation in high-quality afterschool programs can reduce these disadvantages. There is evidence that afterschool programs increase students ’ day school attendance (Schinke, Cole, & Poulin, 2000) and academic and social development (Durlak & Weissberg, 2007; Huang, Leon, La Torre, &amp