University-Partnered El Sistema Inspired-Afterschool Program Impacts Multi-Level Outcomes in Low-Income Resource Poor Community: Quasi-Experimental Mixed Methods Design

Our study bridges the developmental health, school connectedness, and afterschool program (ASP) literature through an empirical investigation an El Sistema Inspired (ESI) ASP intervention designed to improve student music literacy, increase student’s sense of personal agency, and promote greater recognition of the surrounding community. We aim to identify the educational, social, and developmental health factors across multiple contexts through the implementation of the ESI-ASP. The study was a quasi-experimental pre-post single group mixed-methods design using a university-school partnership model and community-based participatory research. The ESI-ASP, a high-intensity ensemble-based supplemental music education after school program, was implemented four days a week, for 1.5 hours per day of programming, over the course of 26 weeks, serving a minimum of 20 elementary-aged 5^th graders (9-10 years old) per year, for a total of four years (N = 93) students. Approximately 78% of the students were members of a racial/ethnic minority group. Results from the paired sample t-test of pre-post test scores from the Self-Perception of Music Ability subscale revealed significant changes in students’ perception of their music ability and the Support and Recognition of Others scale revealed significant changes in students’ connection to the others. Mixed methods data suggest that students also experienced an enhanced sense of school pride through improved school-community connections, broader community recognition, and an improved positive perception of their school. The study suggests that ASPs that provide music education opportunities to low-income ethnically diverse communities have the potential to engender positive youth development, prosocial behavior, student connectedness, and positive school climate.