The implementation of education programs during out of school time is not a new concept. Yet, little is known about the program content and operation of such programs with academic objectives in low performance schools. Though the nature and curriculum of after school programs are often heterogeneous (Halpern, 1999), programs usually include five fundamental components: enrichment activities (e.g., sport and recreational activities), academic enhancement (e.g., homework tutorial), personal skill development (e.g., problem solving), community involvement (e.g., volunteerism), and delinquency prevention (e.g., good citizenship) (Baker & Witt, 1996; Posner & Vandell, 1994; Richardson et al., 1989; Riley, 1994). Consensus exists among program administrators that these curriculum components serve the basis for improving the following four key program objectives: scholastic development, social behavior, caring environment, and personal inspiration. The purpose of this study was to examine the content and operational characteristics among 172 after school education program sites in a southern state. Following a combination of qualitative and quantitative research schemes, the program components were analyzed from three data sources: (a) submitted application documents by the program site, (b) on-site observations and interviews of program administrators by the program evaluators, and (c) written surveys of related individuals. Cross-validated information demonstrated that programs were able to effectively target specific populations of at-risk students. While program enrollments fluctuated greatly from site to site, retention of student participants improved over time. Operational hours ranged from 3 to 24 hours per week (M=14.9) with the most dominant curricular offerings including: homework help/tutoring (100%-program requirement), reading and literacy activities (95.9%), mathematics activities (94.7%), art/music/dance activities (90.6%), and sport/competitive games (83.8%). Daily attendance in these activities followed a similar pattern to offerings except for a diminished attendance in homework help (M=69.4) and mathematics (M=63.17), and an increase in participation in sport/competitive games (M=109.9) and art/music/dance (M=106.9). Overall, after school programs implemented in low performing schools provided access to academic assistance while also accomplishing participation objectives in physical activities and the arts. However, the curriculum offerings and participation patterns were not entirely consistent with individual program goals and objectives, suggesting a need for content analysis in program delivery within after school programs.Keyword(s): alternative programming, curriculum development, youth-at-risk