Out-of-School-Time Academic Programs Are Recommended to Improve Academic Achievement and Health Equity

The Community Preventive Services Task Force makes several recommendations for academically at-risk students: reading-focused out-of-school-time academic programs are recommended on the basis of strong evidence of effectiveness in improving the reading achievement of students in grade levels K-3. Mathematics-focused out-of-school-time academic programs are recommended on the basis of sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving mathematics achievement. General out-of-school-time academic programs that do not focus on one specific subject are recommended on the basis of sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving the reading and mathematics achievement. Out-of-school-time academic programs with minimal academic content have insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of these programs. Because academic achievement is linked with long-term health, and because out-of-school-time academic programs are commonly implemented in racial and ethnic and minority or low-income communities, these programs are likely to improve health equity.