1. What grade in school did you just finish?

2. Which of these best describes your day-to-day schedule during the school year?

3. If you could choose one of these as your IDEAL after-school routine, which would it be?

4. In a typical school week, how often were you home alone after school?

5. Which kids do you think are better off?

6. From what you know, when kids your age get into trouble, is it mostly because:

7. My parents would be very upset if they knew some of the things my friends have done—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

8. In my community, there's not much for kids my age to do other than go to school or just hang out—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

9. Even though I might complain about it, sometimes I need to be pushed by my parents to do things that are good for me—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

10. Belonging to a club or team and doing things with other kids gives me a good feeling—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

11. When adults see kids my age hanging out together, they automatically think we're up to no good—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

12. When the school day is done, the last thing I want is to go to a place that has more academic work—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

13. A lot of kids get into trouble when they're bored and have nothing to do—do you agree or disagree? Is that strongly or somewhat?

14. Did you participate in any kind of sports activities?

15. Did you participate in any school clubs or school extracurricular activities?

16. Did you take lessons in things like music, dance or art?

17. Did you participate in an organization like the Scouts?

18. Did you get regular tutoring or extra academic or test preparation?

19. Did you participate in religious instruction or a church youth group?

20. Did you do volunteer work?

21. Did you participate in an after-school program either at school or another location?

22. Did you have a part-time job?

Base: High school student (n=354)

23. Is there some other activity that I haven't mentioned that you took part in after school or on weekends during the past school year?

24. Typically, did your activities take place only on school days, only on weekends or both?

Base: Participant (n=596)

25. Typically, how many days a week did you participate inyour activities during the past school year?

Base: Participant (n=596)

26. Generally speaking, do you look forward to joining after school and weekend activities, are you reluctant to do so, or is it somewhere in between?

27. Did you feel that the adults in charge really cared aboutthe kids, or did too many act like it was just a job?

Base: Participant (n=575)

28. Did you usually have a lot of fun, or were there too many times when you were just passing time?

Base: Participant (n=575)

29. Was it easy and convenient for you to get to, or was it sometimes too much of an effort?

Base: Participant (n=573)

30. Did you feel that you learned a lot, or did you end up not learning much?

Base: Participant (n=574)

31. Did you make any good friends there, or not?

Base: Participant (n=576)

32. Did you feel that the other kids took it seriously and really paid attention, or was there usually too much goofing off?

Base: Participant (n=569)

33. Thinking back to the past school year, who decided how you spent your time when you were not in school? Was it:

34. Suppose it’s the school year and you’re looking at different types of organized activities to join after school or on weekends. Which of these three would you like the most? Something that focuses on:

35. How much would you like an after-school program that gives you time to do homework and has an adult around to help if you need it? Is that something you would like very much, a little, or not at all?

36. How much would you like an after-school program that focuses on volunteer work and helping other people in the community? Is that something you would like very much, a little, or not at all?

37. How much would you like an after-school program that focuses mainly on academic preparation? Is that something you would like very much, a little, or not at all?

38. When kids don’t participate, do you think it’s because kids are just not interested or motivated, or is that not really a reason?

39. When kids don’t participate, do you think it’s because there’s nothing right for their age, or is that not really a reason?

40. When kids don’t participate, do you think it’s because most things are too expensive, or is that not really a reason?

41. When kids don’t participate, do you think it’s because most things are too far away, or is that not really a reason?

42. Other than safety, which of these do you think is the BEST reason for a kid your age to be involved in activities after school and on weekends?

43. In the past school year, how often did the kids you know complain about being bored and having nothing to do when they weren’t in school?

44. In the past school year, how often were you bored and had nothing to do when you weren’t in school?

45. Think about the times when you have free time just to do whatever you choose. Does this usually end up being:

46. When you meet with friends, do you usually get together to do something specific, or do you usually get together to hang out without anything specific to do?

47. In your community, where would you be sure to find the greatest number of kids after school or on weekends? Would it be:

48. How often do you see people your age using drugs or alcohol?

49. Do you use the Internet at home to surf the Web, play games or chat?

50. Has anything ever happened on the Internet that you know would upset your parents if they knew about it?

Base: Uses internet at home (n=502)

51. Do you have your own cell phone?

52. In talking with your parents on the cell phone, have you ever told them you were one place when you were really at another?

Base: Has own cell phone (n=250)

53. Have you ever NOT answered your cell phone when you knew it was your parents calling?

Base: Has own cell phone (n=250)

54. Is the mall a place where you sometimes go to hang out?

55. Have you ever seen anything happen at the mall that you know would upset your parents if they knew about it?

Base: Hang out at mall (n=340)

56. Do you think most kids who hang out at the mall go there because they think it’s a lot of fun, or because they really don’t have anything better to do?

57. Is there a youth center or community center near your home where kids your age can go in the evenings to hang out and do things?

58. How often do you use it—regularly, just for special events or programs, hardly ever, or never?

Base: Youth center near home (n=280)

59. If there was one near your home, do you think you would use it?

Base: No youth center near home (n=328)

60. When it comes to having enough things for kids your age to do, do you think your community is doing as much as can be expected, or do you think that it could realistically do much more?

61. Do you have any friends who you spend time with on a regular basis who live within walking distance of your home?

62. Other than how you get to and from school, how do you usually get around when you need to be somewhere?

63. Are there academic subjects where you feel you could use extra help and attention?

64. Do you think that the public schools in your community are raising academic standards and expectations for students, lowering them, or are things not changing either way?

65. For you personally, when is it the hardest to find interesting things to do? Is it during:

66. Are you generally satisfied with the number of activities and things you can choose to do during the summer, or do you find that you really don’t have enough good choices?

67. For the most part, have you already decided what you’re going to be doing during the summer, or are things still pretty much up in the air?

68. If there was a summer program in your community that helped kids keep up with school work or prepare for the next grade, how interested would you be in it?

69. During a typical week in the summer, how often do you think you will be home alone during the day?

70a. Including yourself, how many kids are there in your family?

70. How often do you keep an eye on your younger siblings when your parents are not home—is that something you do a lot, only once in a while, hardly ever, or don’t you have any younger siblings?

Base: More than one child in family (n=439)

71. Which of these best describes your family?

72. Are both your parents college graduates, one, neither, or are you not sure?

73. How often, if ever, do you go to religious services?

74. Are you white, black or African American, Hispanic, Asian, or something else?

75. Do you get free or reduced price lunches at school?

Region

Urbanicity

Gender