The Nellie Mae Education Foundation commissioned Dr. Beth M. Miller, a senior research advisor to the National Institute of Out of School Time at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College, to synthesize information available from studies of afterschool programs and offer conclusions based on her assessment. The result, Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success, pays special attention to the effects of afterschool programs on the academic achievement and overall development of middle school students. Dr. Miller's central conclusion is that afterschool programs can, indeed, make a valuable contribution to how well children perform in school.