The Role of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs in Improving Academic Outcomes for Children and Youth

A Forum — November 12, 2004

This forum focused on the role of out-of-school time in improving academic outcomes for children and youth through the lens of school-based (physically located in schools) and school-linked (operated by community- or faith-based groups in partnership with schools but provided off-site) program providers.

Background

Research indicates that out-of-school time programs do much more than keep young people safe and out of trouble: when implemented well, they have been shown to promote greater student engagement in learning and higher academic achievement. They do this in a variety of ways—by providing different venues and environments for students to practice academic skills learned in the classroom, by creating enriched contexts for expanding students’ knowledge base, by extending opportunities for time and attention devoted to mastering skills, and by accelerating learning. Out-of-school time offers great potential for improving and augmenting the education of disadvantaged students and helping to improve the performance of low-performing schools.

Changes in public policies in support of extended learning opportunities (before- and after-school, weekend, and summer) have created wider opportunities for states, local education agencies and local out-of-school time providers to support student achievement. As re-authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), the focus of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing (Title I) schools (in addition to providing youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music and recreation programs, counseling and character education). Among the Act’s choice and accountability provisions, students in Title I schools that have not made adequate yearly progress in increasing student academic achievement for three consecutive years are entitled to opportunities to help them achieve at high levels. Among these opportunities are Supplemental Educational Services (SES)—additional academic instruction, such as tutoring, remediation and other educational interventions. These approaches must be consistent with the content and instruction used by the local educational agency and aligned with state academic content standards. Additionally, SES can only be provided outside the regular school day; services must be high quality, research-based, and specifically designed to increase student academic achievement.

Ayeola Fortune, Director, Extended Learning Opportunities and Development Project within the Division of State Services and Technical Assistance at the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), discussed the Council’s technical assistance to state education agencies as the 21st CCLC program has transitioned from federal to state administration. In addition to this change, other significant changes to the program include making academic achievement requirements explicit, expanding provider eligibility beyond schools to include community- and faith-based organizations, and increasing funding.

In response to these changes, CCSSO works to help build state education agency capacity to administer 21st CCLC and the supplemental educational provisions of NCLB, identify research and best practices on summer learning opportunities in high-poverty schools and districts, and support efforts to build statewide capacity and infrastructure for extended learning programs. In addition, the Council, as part of the After-school Technical Assistance Collaborative (ATAC), which includes the Afterschool Alliance, Center for Collaborative Solutions, Finance Project, National Conference of State Legislatures, National Governors' Association, and the National League of Cities, works to support the development and sustainability of statewide afterschool networks. Statewide afterschool networks are vehicles through which stakeholders seek to influence state level policy and practice focused on increasing the availability of high-quality extended learning opportunities for all children and youth that need them.

Applications of Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO) to Improve Student Achievement in Low-Performing Schools

Chrisandra Richardson, Director of Academic Support, Federal and State Programs, and Janet L. Dunn, Coordinator of Extended Learning Opportunities (EOL), Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) described the school district’s use of extended learning opportunities to improve student achievement using Title I and 21st CCLC funds.

The Summer Adventures in Learning (SAIL) program is available to students in grades K through 5 in the county’s 18 Title 1 schools. SAIL is an early intervention strategy, not a remediation effort and starts off as first day of the new school year for students “not day 181 of the previous year.” It includes three hours of academic instruction daily over a four-week period in July. In addition to instruction, program funds provide for transportation, breakfast and lunch for participants. The curriculum is aligned with the MCPS reading/language arts and mathematics curriculum and is designed to accelerate learning by previewing concepts for the upcoming school year, strengthen basic skills, alleviate the loss of academic skills experienced over the summer, and provide continuing English language instruction for speakers of other languages. Seventy-five percent (5,406) of eligible students registered for the program and 68% (4,856) attended, including 49% (3,524) for 16 days. The program staff (teachers and aides) is highly qualified with preference given to those from the participating schools. Efforts are made to select staff that will stay with students into the next school year. A 2002 evaluation of the program documented academic benefits in mathematics for students in grades 1 through 3, in reading for students in grades 1 and 2, and across ethnic/racial groups.

The Complement Program is supported with 21st CCLC funds and provides programming in the arts and recreation for the remainder of the day. It is designed to reinforce academic skills taught in SAIL by providing students with experiences that enrich their background knowledge while developing their social, cultural and physical abilities. The program is in the 10 neediest schools identified for school improvement based on Maryland School Assessment data and the number of English Language Learners performing below the county norm. The arts were selected as content for the curriculum because research shows significant contributions to improved critical thinking, problem posing and solving, and decision-making. Through the arts, students are also required to communicate, manipulate, interpret and understand complex symbols. Program partners include the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Montgomery County Department of Recreation, Linkages to Learning and Montgomery County Collaboration Council for Children, Youth and Families.

Rhonda H. Lauer, Chief Executive Officer of FOUNDATIONS, Inc., addressed the role of out-of-school time programming in improving positive outcomes for children and youth from the perspective of a nationally recognized leader in after-school program design, educational consultant and technical assistance provider. Foundations is also involved in school operations, managing six schools in Philadelphia designated as low performing. According to Lauer, elements of quality out-of-school time programs include: the integration of content and youth development principles; effective partnerships; clear participant goals; strong management, and knowledgeable, skilled staff; linkages between the school day and extended-day learning; involved families; a sustainability plan; and program evaluation.

FOUNDATIONS pioneers models and tools for after-school programs which support these quality indicators, including: innovative, content-based after-school curricula designed to help program operators and practitioners integrate standards-based academic content into after-school programs; and assessment tools to evaluate programs and improve performance. Among these tools is the Homework Zone, a research-based program designed to maximize the benefits of homework time in the high school after-school setting by targeting specific skills: learning independently; developing effective study, teamwork and time management skills, as well as good work and organizational habits and a sense of efficacy; and creating a channel for communication among parents, students and teachers. The Homework Zone is used in 31 Philadelphia high schools and involves students in active learning, individually and into teams.

FOUNDATIONS has also responded to the need for Supplemental Educational Services required in NCLB by developing Foundations Fundamentals, a tutoring program that provides academic support in reading, language arts and mathematics and is designed to meet the needs of children in low-performing schools. Fundamentals is used in the six schools the organization manages in Philadelphia (three elementary, two middle and one high school). Finally, in recognition of the need for a coherent body of knowledge and skills for after-school providers, FOUNDATIONS is working with a planning team of intermediaries to develop Afterschool Academies, a Charles Stewart Mott Foundation-funded effort to provide coordinated professional development and technical assistance for individuals, organizations and institutions in the after-school field.

External evaluations of FOUNDATIONS programs conducted by the Rand Corporation and Gansk & Associates found that participants made substantial gains in math, reading and language arts when compared with comparable non-participants in a quasi-experimental study.

The final presenters, Brad Grochowski, Program Manager, and Theresa Einloth, Academic Advisor, the BUGS (Baltimore Urban Gardening for Students) Program at the Living Classrooms Foundation, discussed a school-linked extended learning approach used by a community-based organization designed to improve student attendance, behavior and academic achievement.

The Living Classrooms Foundation is a non-profit organization in Baltimore, MD that provides hands-on education and job training for students from diverse backgrounds, with a special emphasis on serving at-risk youth. Started in 1985 serving 100 youth, it now serves over 50,000 young people in 40 programs and is now spreading to other parts of the country. For the past 10 years, the Living Classrooms Foundation has provided high quality after-school academic enrichment and social skills. The Foundation is among the first non-school-based organizations to be awarded 21st CCLC grants in Maryland. The BUGS after-school program is in its second year of funding from this source.

BUGS began 11 years ago with a narrow focus on gardening as a support for developing students’ academic skills. Two years ago, working closely with school administrators, teachers, the school improvement team, parents and community members, BUGS staff re-designed the program to focus totally on Johnston Square Elementary School students and their families and to align the program with their specific needs. BUGS currently focuses on developing students’ social and academic skills, and exposing them to new ideas and places through field trips, camping and the like. Program goals are to improve school attendance (to participate in the program, the young people must come to school), attitudes toward school and learning, grades and test scores.

As part of the redesign, a full-time staff, including an academic advisor and qualified, passionate teachers were hired and given competitive salaries and benefits. To ensure alignment and to understand the learning environment during the school day, BUGS staff each spends a minimum of one hour per day interacting in the classroom as volunteers. A staff member also serves on the school improvement team and the program staff has access to student state test scores. BUGS staff work with an academic coach in developing hands-on projects that are in line with the school curriculum and state standards.

Johnston Square Elementary School is located in one of Baltimore’s most notorious neighborhoods, known for high poverty, crime, violence, drug abuse and transience. The neighborhood has high infant mortality and homicide rates. The school is one of the poorest performing in the State of Maryland and students typically need both behavioral and academic intervention and assistance. The school is undergoing restructuring and has not met its annual yearly performance goals for student attendance, math and reading proficiency. Only 29.8% of 3rd graders read at a proficient level or better (30% in math), less than the Baltimore City reading average of 54.6% (54.2% in math) and the State average of 71% (72% in math).

According to Einloth, a former teacher at Johnston Square Elementary, this is a difficult school to work in, often lacking basic resources, and the neighborhood is not a safe haven for children. “The children don’t get the life experience needed for them to begin to meet the academic standards expected of them. They don’t have the language experience—the result of the environment they live in.” Grochowski indicated that beyond the statistics, it was obvious that the young people there were creative and bright; they were not the problem. However, needed was an approach to tap into the creativity and interests which were not being addressed by the school. The Living Classroom Foundation’s focus on learning by doing was such an approach.

BUGS operates five days per week for three hours a day and serves 40 third, fourth and fifth grade students, the majority of which live in public housing; all qualify for free or reduced lunches. In a typical day, students are transported to the Living Classroom campus after school by van. Once there, they have snacks and free reading time followed by a 15-minute yoga/movement session tailored to meet their needs by the Holistic Life Foundation. Yoga is a part of the curriculum because it nurtures self-awareness and discipline and because it allows the young people to focus their energies in a positive direction. The young people then move into mini-lessons and tutoring tied to the school curriculum and state standards followed by homework assistance. The final component of the day is devoted to bi-weekly rotations on Gardening and the Environment, Cooking and Nutrition, Fitness and Movement, and Creative Arts. Each rotation is designed to strategically develop specific skills. For example, in Gardening and Environment, students have opportunities to apply math, reading and social skills. They design and graph garden plots, use measurement and fractions to sow seeds to the proper depth and spacing, and mix fertilizer using proportion and ratio.

During the 2003-2004 school year, the program met nearly all its objectives with program students having 13% fewer office referrals than the school average and 99.9% of students missing fewer than 15 days of school. Over one-third (37%) of students improved by one grade letter or more in reaching and/or math; there was an 8% increase in the number of students whose reading grades were satisfactory or better and a 17% increase in math. Teacher survey responses showed student improvements in homework completion, class participation, class attendance, attentiveness in class, behavior, academic performance, motivation to learn, and the ability to get along with others.

Grochowski described the challenges facing school-linked after-school programs, including the importance of eliminating turnover/having consistent full-time staff and developing relationships with the school.

General Discussion

In the general discussion that followed the presentation, Fortune indicated that NCLB challenges us to think about data and the academic outcomes we have for students. She asked the panel to share the types of data each program collects.

For BUGS, data collection is line with program goals for reducing the level of student suspension, absences and increasing reading and math grades. Lauer indicated that in FOUNDATIONS’ comprehensive programs, the focus is on documenting trends in student attendance (“high levels of attendance are important if you want to make a difference”), grades, dropout rate, disciplinary problems, and parent and student satisfaction. SAIL uses pre- and post-tests, attendance data, surveys of teachers, administrators and families, and state assessment data.

On the question of the role of extended learning opportunities in increasing educational equity, panelists agreed that extended learning opportunities represent more time and attention (including year-round learning) for students to close the achievement gap. These programs create opportunities for one-on-one tutoring, open doors and expand connections to learning that would not otherwise exist for many young people.

Panelists representing Montgomery County responded to questions related to policies and practices of Supplemental Educational Services. Although Montgomery County Public Schools implements SES, Richardson and Dunn stressed that by law, school districts cannot influence the quality of staff employed in SES programs offered by other providers. Also, school districts identified as in need of improvement cannot become SES providers. There was concern among audience participants that many parents might not be informed enough to evaluate properly the capacity and track record of the people and organizations providing supplemental services and that parents need to be educated about choices. According to the panelists, providers typically develop descriptions of their programs to help parents make informed choices.

Lauer offered the following advice to policymakers on the implementation of SES:

• offer incentives to districts that create partnerships with private partners;
• allow direct outreach/recruitment of parents by private providers;
• sanction, with the loss of Title I dollars, districts that create obstacles that clearly discourage private providers; and
• ask districts to re-examine the percentage of Title I dollars for use by provider providers.

Resources

Connors, S., Costello, S., Jackson, T., Murray, K. & Ratchford, D. (2003) Learning after school. Dorchester, MA: Project for School Innovation.

Lauer, P.A., Akiba, M., Wilkerson, S.B., Apthorp, H.S., Snow, D. Martin-Glenn, M. (2004) The effectiveness of out-of-school time strategies in assisting low-achieving students in reading and mathematics: A research synthesis.

Miller, B.M. (2003) Critical hours: Afterschool programs and educational success. Quincy, MA: Nellie Mae Education Foundation.

Hall, G., Yohalem, N., Tolman, J. & Wilson, A. (2002) Promoting positive youth development as a support to academic achievement. Boston: Boston’s After-School for All Partnership. Prepared for Institute of Education Services, Department of Education, Washington, DC by Regional Educational Laboratory.

Piha, S. & Miller, B. (July 2003) “Getting the most from afterschool: The role of afterschool programs in a high-stakes learning environment.” A statement of the Cross-Cities Network of Leaders of Citywide Afterschool Initiatives. Wellesley, MA: National Institute on Out-of-School Time.  

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