Programmatic Quality in Afterschool Programs and the Importance of Belonging Aidyn L. Iachini a, Allie Riley b, and Dawn Anderson-Butcher b a University of South Carolina, b The Ohio State University ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to explore how programmatic quality predicts youths’ perceptions of belonging to an afterschool recreational sport and enrichment program. Using a survey research design with a sample of 637 Ohio youth participating in 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLCs), seven indicators of programmatic quality and belonging were assessed. Results of the regression analysis revealed that the model accounted for 63% of the variance in belonging (F (7,398)=98.15, p<.05). Youth development, academic learning, communication, and safety were significant predictors of belonging, respectively (β=.36, β=.12, β=.26, β=.13, p<.05). Belonging also was related to enhanced academic outcomes. Results suggest the importance of certain programmatic components for fostering belonging among youth participants. Implications and directions for future research, practice, and training also are shared. INTRODUCTION Afterschool recreation, sport, and enrichment programs are increasingly important for promoting positive youth development and supporting academic learning (Anderson-Butcher, Riley, Iachini, Wade-Mdivanian, & Davis, 2011). While attendance is an important factor in achieving these outcomes, research suggests that youths’ feelings of belonging to the program also are important (Anderson-Butcher & Fink, 2005; Anderson-Bucher, Wade-Mdivanian, Riley, Amorose, Iachini & Davis, 2012). Belonging has critical implications for motivation and well-being, and is fundamental to many theories commonly adopted among afterschool program models, such as self-determination theory and social learning theory (Anderson-Butcher & Conroy, 2002). As such, it is critical to understand how programmatic quality can contribute to enhanced perceptions of belonging.   DISCUSSION Overall, the findings of this study suggest the importance of programmatic quality in fostering youths’ feelings of belonging and connectedness to their afterschool 21st CCLC programs. As programs provide increased opportunities for youth to gain important social and academic skills, along with safe spaces and opportunities for youth to interact positively with others, youth report a greater sense of belonging to the program. These findings are not surprising, given that these programmatic qualities align with youth development program best practice principles (Eccles & Gootman, 2002). An unexpected finding was the non-significant relationship between leadership and belonging, as well as the non-significant and inverse relationship between diversity and belonging. Theory and research would suggest that youth who felt like they had influence into programmatic decisions and felt valued and respected would feel more connected to their programs. This was not found in this study. Several limitations to the study must be noted. First, the non-random sample limits the generalizability of the results. These data also were collected by program leaders, therefore social desirability biases could have influenced participants’ responses. Future studies also should consider using advanced statistical analyses, such as HLM or SEM, that address the nested nature of the data as well as multicollinearity issues. It also is important to note that belonging could influence perceptions of programmatic quality. Causality could not be determined from this research design. Despite these limitations, there are several implications for practice, training, and research: Program leaders might consider the strategies they implement in relationship to each of these program quality areas and focus on monitoring youths’ perceptions of program quality as part of their continuous improvement processes. Policies should be designed and enforced that promote safe psychological and physical environments for participants. Youth program leader preparation and professional development should attend to youth development principles and the quality of programmatic design. Future research should assess program quality as part of implementation fidelity and determine how program quality relates to targeted youth outcomes. In conclusion, the quality of afterschool recreational sport and enrichment programs continues to be important to monitor and assess. Slight modifications in programmatic designs may lead to enhanced feelings of connectedness, a critical mechanism to improved youth outcomes. METHOD Participants. The sample (N = 637) for this study consisted of youth participating in 21st CCLCs in Ohio. Over half of the sample was female (51.6%) and almost three-quarters of youth (73.3%) were Caucasian. In relationship to grade level, 63.9% of students were in elementary school (5th -6th grade), 28.1% were in middle school (7th-8th grade), and 8.2% were in high school (9th-12th grade). The majority of youth (61.6%) received free or reduced price lunch. Instrument. Youth perceptions of programmatic quality were measured using a pilot version of the Ohio Quality Assessment Rubric Afterschool Youth Survey. The survey assesses seven dimensions of programmatic quality along with youths’ feelings of belonging to the program. Youth responded using a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 = Strongly Disagree and 5 = Strongly Agree. Table 1 presents the definition and reliability for each of the scales. Procedure. An email was sent via the 21st CCLC listserv to announce an opportunity for program leaders to learn about youth perceptions regarding the quality of their 21st CCLCs. Interested program leaders attended a meeting where they were provided with the survey. The 21st CCLC program leaders were in turn responsible for collecting data from youth participants at their 21st CCLC programs. These secondary data were analyzed for this study. Data Analysis. Means and standard deviations were calculated (presented in Table 1). Multiple linear regression analyses tested the relationships among the indicators of program quality and perceptions of belonging. Table 1: Description of Scales Scale Definition α M SD Youth development Seven items assessing the extent to which youth perceive the afterschool program cultivates their social, leadership, and life skills through program activities .86 3.62 .90 Academic learning Nine items assessing youths’ perceptions of the contribution of the afterschool program to learning enrichment, enhanced performance on math and reading, and better performance on homework and in school .89 3.54 .87 Parent/family engagement Five items measuring the degree to which youth feel supported by parents/guardians in the afterschool program, and the extent to which their parents/guardians and the afterschool program staff interact .75 3.17 Leadership Four items measuring the extent to which youth perceive they have opportunities to be a leader, as well as have choices and input, in the afterschool program .81 3.16 1.01 Communication Twelve items asking about youths’ perceptions regarding whether they are able to interact positively with others .91 3.82 .79 Safety, health & nutrition Eight items measuring the degree to which students feel safe in the afterschool program, as well as have opportunities to be physically active and eat a healthy snack 4.00 .78 Diversity Six items measuring youths’ perceptions about whether diversity is welcomed, valued, and respected within the afterschool program .85 3.91 Belonging Five items assessing youth’s sense of connection to the program, as well as their relationships with program staff .82 3.94 .76 Table 2: Regression Coefficients PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was to explore how seven indicators of programmatic quality predict youths’ perceptions of belonging to one specific type of afterschool recreational sport and enrichment program, 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients B Std. Error β Youth development .30 .05 .36* Academic learning .09 .12* Parent/family engagement .01 .03 .02 Leadership Communication .25 .06 .26* Safety, health & nutrition .12 .13* Diversity -.02 RESULTS The results indicate that the seven dimensions of programmatic quality accounted for 63% of the variance in belonging, F(7, 398) = 98.15, p<.05. Table 2 provides the standardized and unstandardized coefficients for each predictor. Youth development, academic learning, communication, and safety, health, and nutrition were significant predictors of belonging. Belonging was significantly correlated with grades in school (r=.163, p <.01) REFERENCES Available upon request of the first author, iachini@mailbox.sc.edu *p<.05