Massachusetts After-School Research Study (MARS)

The link is clear: kids who have closer bonds with the staff of their after-school programs are more likely to stay enrolled, and therefore more likely to reap the documented benefits that come with being part of an after-school program, such as higher rates of homework completion, increased social skills, and an enthusiasm for learning.

"Pathways to Success for Youth: What Counts in After-School," a recent study developed by United Way and its partners, confirms that better paid and better trained staff spend more quality activity time with children, which is the single most important factor in the success of an after-school program. The study, also known as the Massachusetts After-School Research Study or MARS, was the largest of its kind in Massachusetts, and is based on research of after-school programs serving elementary and middle school youth from ten communities across the state including urban, suburban, and rural areas.

MARS was developed and funded by United Way of Massachusetts Bay, the Barr Foundation and the Nellie Mae Education Foundation in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Education and the Massachusetts Office of Child Care Services. The team of MARS researchers was led by John P. Zuman, Ph.D., of the Intercultural Center for Research in Education (INCRE) in Arlington and Beth Miller, Ph.D of the National Institute of Out-of-School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Centers for Women at Wellesley College.

• "Making it Work: Creating A Professional Development System in Massachusetts for the Early Education and Care and Out-of-School Time Workforce"
• "How to Build and Support Family Centered Practices in After School"
• "Connecting School and After-school"