83R6974 JWI-D
By: Strama H.R. No. 639
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Advocates in behalf of children, education, and
community development are gathering in Austin on March 26, 2013,
for Texas Partnership for Out of School Time Day at the Capitol; and
WHEREAS, The Texas Partnership for Out of School Time
(TXPOST) is a nonprofit statewide collaboration between public and
private organizations dedicated to promoting out of school time
programs for school-age children; formed in the fall of 2011 with
funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, TXPOST now
coordinates seven regional networks and is leading a statewide
initiative to develop voluntary quality standards; and
WHEREAS, Out of school time programs take place before and
after school, on weekends, and during the summer; there are many
benefits to engaging students during these times, including the
fact that after-school programs can improve children's personal,
social, and academic skills, raise their self-esteem, and reduce
disciplinary issues during school; moreover, a recent study of the
Texas Afterschool Centers on Education indicated that
participating in such programs had a positive and significant
effect on students' standardized test scores in reading and math;
and
WHEREAS, Keeping young Texans engaged during out of school
times also helps keep them safer; one reason why these programs are
critical is, because the hours between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. are the
peak hours for juvenile crime, school-age children are seven times
more likely to be the victim of a violent crime after school; while
68 percent of Texas school-age children live in households in which
their guardians are in the workforce, only 15 percent of children
participate in after-school programs, leaving many young people
with unstructured and potentially unsupervised time; and
WHEREAS, By increasing the quality and availability of out of
school time programs, TXPOST is investing in the future of young
Texans, offering them opportunities to learn and grow in a safe
environment; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 83rd Texas
Legislature hereby recognize March 26, 2013, as Texas Partnership
for Out of School Time Day at the Capitol and commend all those
associated with TXPOST for their commitment to the students of the
Lone Star State.