Atlanta

America SCORES provides children in urban communities with the highest quality sports-based youth development programming.

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We evaluate the outcomes of our soccer, creative writing, and service-learning programs to assess the extent to which they positively affect the health, academic achievement, and positive youth development of our participants.

A recent national evaluation of America SCORES found improvements in these areas:

Education and literacy:

• Statistically significant gains in writing achievement as demonstrated through pre- and post-program writing tests
• Increased reporting of reading enjoyment and longer time spent reading independently

Health and fitness:

• Statistically significant lowering of Body Mass Index (BMI), a key indicator both of the risk of obesity and chronic disease later in life
• Increased levels of physical fitness as demonstrated through pre- and post-program running tests

Youth Development:

• Increased reporting of feelings of self-confidence, self-efficacy, and enjoyment of learning
• Increased frequency of daytime classroom attendance during the America SCORES season

America SCORES Partners with UCSF, American Heart Association, and NIH to Continue Study of America SCORES Program Impact.
In order to further our understanding of how participation in our programs can positively impact the health and development of young people, America SCORES has partnered with Kristine Madsen, MD MPH of the University of California San Francisco to participate in a randomized control trial of the America SCORES program. This study, funded by the American Heart Association and the National Institutes for Health, is based on the pilot study of America SCORES Bay Area.

Case Study: DC SCORES and Youth Development
Independent research team Symphonic Strategies published a report on our DC affiliate, which showed that America SCORES students in DC experienced statistically significant positive gains in four categories: school engagement, physical fitness, self-worth, and sense of belonging. In addition, the study showed evidence of a positive relationship between liking and participating in DC SCORES and levels of school engagement, discovering supportive adults, and feeling a sense of community.

Case Study: America SCORES Chicago and Writing Achievement
America SCORES Chicago’s 2009 evaluation results as determined by writing tests indicate that improvements in writing achievement happened in both males and females and across all grade levels.

By gender:

• Males: pre-program average score=15.9; post-program average score=21.1; 33 percent improvement
• Females: pre-program average score=22.56; post-program average score= 26.56; 18 percent improvement

By grade level:

• 3^rd grade: pre-program average score=15.65; post-program average score=20.25; 30 percent improvement
• 4^th grade: pre-program average score=17.68; post-program average score=24; 36 percent improvement
• 5^th grade: pre-program average score=22.15;  post-program average score=25; 13 percent improvement

Case Study: America SCORES Bay Area and Childhood Obesity
In 2009, America SCORES Bay Area was the subject of an independent research study by the University of California San Francisco which determined that America SCORES is effective in reducing obesity rates among children of minority populations.  This is an exciting outside endorsement of the effectiveness of our programs, made possible by organizations like the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust, who support the high program standards maintained by the America SCORES national office.

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