After School/ELO/Out-of-School Time

Issue Brief: Afterschool/Out-of-School Time Policy

Briefs

07/17/09

The Means to Grow Up: The Role of Apprenticeship in Preparing All Youth for College and Career Success: Preparing all youth for college and career success is a top priority, and a great deal of attention has been focused on the need for rigorous academic skills to ensure success. However, in order to ensure all youth have the skills to access and succeed not only in postsecondary education but in their careers as well, it is important to consider other types of skills that young people need, including problem-solving, critical thinking, employability, communication, collaboration, and personal responsibility. One way to help young people develop these skills is to provide opportunities outside of school to develop new knowledge and skills, experience real work, and interact with professionals. This forum will highlight how apprenticeships can engage high school students through hands-on learning and unique experiences under the guidance of skilled adults. The forum is based on the new book, The Means to Grow Up: Reinventing Apprenticeship as a Developmental Support in Adolescence, by Robert Halpern, which describes qualitative studies of apprenticeship programs for high school students, and will showcase two types of apprenticeship programs in the U.S. Robert Halpern, Professor, Erikson Institute for Graduate Study in Child Development (IL), Darla Burton, Regional Coordinator, Youth Apprenticeship Program, Southwest Wisconsin Consortium (WI),  Diane Postoian, Learning through Interest Partnership Coordinator, The Met Center (A Big Picture School) (RI), Jinel Brito, 2009 Graduate of The Met School (A Big Picture School) (RI).  (Forum Brief) 

05/08/09

Improving the Quality of Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) Serving Older Youth: Participation in high-quality “Expanded Learning Opportunities ( ELOs)” is associated with an increase in academic achievement, school attendance, time spent on homework, enjoyment and effort in school, and better student behavior (Anderson-Butcher, Newsome, & Ferrari, 2003).  The term “expanded learning opportunity” is used to describe the range of programs and activities available to young people that occur beyond regular school hours. ELOs include traditional afterschool activities with an academic focus, but also incorporate activities such as internships with employers, independent study in alternative settings, classes on college campuses for high school students, and wraparound support services.  Policymakers and practitioners know quality counts, but just what exactly constitutes a “high-quality” ELO program?  How do ELO programs implement continual program improvement to better meet the needs of their participants?  How do ELOs make the best use of their funding dollars to ensure all youth participants are engaged in quality programming?  This forum will highlight research that examines the effects of the Youth Program Quality Assessment, a research-validated tool designed to evaluate and improve the quality of ELOs serving adolescents. Presenters will provide insight on how the program quality assessment tool is being used at state and local levels to improve the quality of ELOs.  PRESENTERS:  Dr. Charles Smith, Director, Center for Youth Program Quality, High/Scope Foundation (MI); Lee Pearson, Research Services Manager with the Center for Youth Program Quality (DC); Lorraine Thoreson, 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Consultant, Michigan Department of Education (MDE) (MI); Ge Xiong, Vice President of Community Programs, Camp Fire USA Minnesota Council (MN). (Forum Brief) NEW AYPF Publication: Learning Around the Clock!

03/20/09

Citizen Schools: Expanding Learning Opportunities to Prepare Middle School Students for High School Success.  Increasingly, policymakers and practitioners are interested in ELOs for various reasons. The forum will profile the most current research findings from the Policy Studies Associates (PSA) evaluation of the Citizen Schools program, an Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) program that prepares Middle School students for success in high school and beyond.  Citizen Schools complements classroom learning by engaging students in experiential learning apprenticeship projects led by adult volunteers and supported by a staff of professional educators. Evidence from the evaluation demonstrates that the program is increasing academic engagement and achievement of students in Boston; specifically, former participants selected high-quality high schools at a higher rate than nonparticipants; former participants had higher school attendance rates than nonparticipants and were more likely to pass their English and math courses; former participants were more likely to pass the high stakes standardized English exam and to score proficient or advanced; and former participants were more likely than matched nonparticipants to be on-track to graduate from high school on time. PRESENTERS: Eric Schwarz, Founder, President & C.E.O. of Citizen Schools  (MA); Elizabeth R. Reisner, Principal with Policy Studies Associates (DC); Juliet Diehl Vile, Research Associate with Policy Studies Associates (DC); and Elena Kennedy, 2nd Year Citizen Schools Teaching Fellow (TX). (Forum Brief) NEW AYPF Publication: Learning Around the Clock!

02/20/09

The Role of Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) at Children’s Aid Society Community Schools:  Measurable Results from a 3-year Longitudinal Study:  The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) provides health, mental health, afterschool, parent, Head Start and Early Head Start, weekend and summer programs in 21 New York City community schools.  The findings from a 3-year longitudinal study of expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) at CAS Community Schools indicated an increase in academic achievement and positive youth development for participants in the program over nonparticipants.  Enrolled participants also had higher attendance rates than nonparticipants.  The first of these forums will discuss the most current research and promising practices that support high quality ELOs for middle school and high school students.  PRESENTERS: Katherine Eckstein, Director of Public Policy at the Children’s Aid Society (NY); Helene Clark, Founder and Director of ActKnowledge (NY); and Marinieves Alba, Community School Director, Mirabal Sisters Campus (NY).  (Forum Brief) NEW AYPF Publication: Learning Around the Clock!

05/14/08

 

Building Afterschool Capacity at the National Level: The Community Schools Model  This forum examined the “community schools” model as a part of the growing movement to expand the lens through which out-of-school time programming is viewed. The community schools model is proving to be an effective comprehensive learning model and has fully embraced out-of-school time enrichment as a necessary and valued piece of its framework. Speakers included: Martin Blank, Director, Coalition for Community Schools, Institute for Educational Leadership, DC; Daniel Cardinali, President, Communities In Schools, VA; Jane Quinn, Assistant Executive Director, Children’s Aid Society, NY; and Joann Weeks, Associate Director, University of Pennsylvania Center for Community Partnerships. (Forum Brief )

04/24/08

Building Afterschool Capacity at the Local Level: Spotlight on the NYC City-Wide Out-of-School Time Initiative. Under the current mayor’s leadership, NYC is investing in numerous capacity-building techniques in their OST system, such as evaluation, data systems, and professional development—and the city’s youth are already experiencing positive results because of it. Speakers: Jeanne B. Mullgrav, Commissioner, NYC Department of Youth & Community Development; Susan Matloff-Nieves, Assistant Executive Director, Queens Community House; and Elizabeth Reisner, Principal, Policy Studies Associates, Inc. MOTT OST Forum Series. (Forum Brief)

03/31/08

Building Afterschool Capacity at the State Level This forum will look at how three state-level entities are effectively building the capacity of the field at that level. Speakers: Jill Riemer, Executive Director, Georgia Afterschool Investment Council; Karyl Resnick, 21stCCLC Coordinator, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education; Debra McLaughlin, Consultant, The Kunnusta Group; and Lauren Sterling, Staff, Maine Governor’s Children’s Cabinet. MOTT OST Forum Series. (Forum Brief)

11/02/2007

Using Assessment Tools to Evaluate Afterschool Programs: A Look at the Youth Program Quality Assessment with Charles Smith, Director, Youth Development Group High/Scope Educational Research Foundation; Nicole Yohalem, Program Director, Forum for Youth Investment; Judy Mills, Director, New York State Advantage After School   Program; and Jeanne Leland, Director, North Branch Area Community Education. (Forum Brief)

6/15/2007

Afterschool for All: California's Launch of Proposition 49 with Joseph Ames, Principal, Ames & Associates; Steve Fowler, Partner, FowlerHoffman; and Jennifer Peck, Executive Director, Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth. (FORUM BRIEF)

5/10/2007

The Role of Career and Technical Education in High School Reform: Career and Technical Education Responding to Industry Needs with Phyllis Eisen, Vice President, The Manufacturing Institute and Executive Director, The Center for Workforce Success, Duane Crum, California State Director, Project Lead the Way. (Forum Brief)

12/1/2006

The Youth Violence Reduction Partnership: Philadelphia's Approach to Combating Youth Crime with John Delaney, Deputy District Attorney, City of Philadelphia, Denise Clayton, YVRP Coordinator, and Wendy McClanahan, Vice President for Research, Public/Private Ventures. (FORUM BRIEF)

11/09/2006

The Impact of Afterschool Programs on Personal and Social Skills: Recent Findings from a Scientific Review with Joseph A. Durlak, Professor, Loyola University Chicago, and Lena Miller, Founder and Director of Development, Bayview Safe Haven, San Francisco, CA. (FORUM BRIEF)

11/03/2006

Cooperation and Accountability: Spotlight on the Jefferson County Afterschool System with Darrell Aniton, Division Director, Louisville Metro Department of Youth Development, Marty Bell, Deputy to the Superintendent, Jefferson County Public Schools, Robert Rodosky, Executive Director, Accountability, Research & Planning, Jefferson County Public Schools, and Don Shaw, Executive Director, Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of America. (FORUM BRIEF)

09/22/2006

 

Citizen Schools: Putting Students on a Pathway to Academic and Social Success with Eric Schwarz, President and Co-Founder of Citizen Schools, Lara Fabiano, Senior Researcher, Policy Studies Associates, and Chris Harris, Campus Director, Citizen Schools, McKinley Middle School, New Brunswick, New Jersey. (FORUM brief)

09/15/2006

Youth Mentoring: Programs and Practices that Work with Jean E. Rhodes, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Boston; David L. DuBois, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Division of Community Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago; and Andrea S. Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Training, Center for Intergenerational Learning, Temple University. (Forum Brief)

1/13/2006  

Charter Schools Providing Academically-Based Workforce Development for Out-of-School Youth: with Ann Higdon, president and founder of Improved Solutions of Urban Systems ISUS and Phil Matero, Deputy Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. (Forum brief)

10/07/2005  

Engaging Adolescents in Out-of-School Time (OST) Programs: Learning What Works with Priscilla Little, Associate Director of Harvard Family Research Project and Project Manager of its Out-Of-School Time Learning and Development Initiative, Sherri Lauver, HFRP Consultant and Assistant Professor at the Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development, University of Rochester, and Stephanie Davolos Harden, Regional Director for Massachusetts at Citizen Schools. (Forum Brief)

5/13/2005

Out-of-School-Time Programming for Youth in Philadelphia, with David Fair, Director, Philadelphia Department of Human Services/Community Based Prevention Services; Naomi Gubernick, Director, Non-School Hour Services, Philadelphia Public Schools; JoAnn Lawer, President and CEO, Philadelphia Safe and Sound; and Laura Shubilla, President, Philadelphia Youth Network. (Forum Brief)

5/6/2005

Building Quality, Scale and Effectiveness in After-School Programs, The Results of a Five-Year Evaluation of Programs Supported by The After-School Corporation (TASC), with Lucy N. Friedman, TASC President, and Elizabeth Reisner, Project Study Director, Policy Studies Associates. (Forum Brief)

2/18/2005

The Role of Community-based Organizations in Serving Youth in the Out-of-School-Time featuring Chris Myers, Executive Director, Sunflower County Freedom Project; Sonya Clark-Herrera, Executive Director, East Palo Alto Mural Art Project; and Spencer H. Holland, Executive Director, Project 2000. (Forum Brief)

1/14/2005

The Role of National Youth-Serving Organizations in Out-of-School-Time Programming for Older and Harder-to-Serve Youth, featuring Carla Herrera, Senior Policy Researcher, Public/Private Ventures. With roundtable discussion by Harriet Mosatche, Senior Director, Girls Scouts of the USA; Eric Killian, Associate Professor/ Area Extension Specialist, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; Andy Millikan, National Director for National Teen Programs and Service Learning, Camp Fire; and Sharon Williams, Specialty Consultant for Teens, YMCA of the USA. (Forum Brief)

11/12/2004

The Role of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs in Improving Academic Outcomes for Children and Youth.  With Janet Dunn, Coordinator, Extended Learning Opportunities; Theresa Einloth, Academic Advisor, BUGS After School Program; Ayeola Fortune, Director, Extended Learning Opportunities and Council of Chief State School Officers; Brad Grochowski, Program Manager BUGS After School Program; Rhonda Lauer Chief Executive Officer, Foundations, Inc.; and Chrisandra Richardson, Director of Academic Support, Mongomery County Public Schools.   (Forum Brief)

10/1/2004

Statewide Afterschool Networks: Creating Public-Private Partnerships for High Quality, Sustainable Afterschool Programs. With Audrey Hutchinson, Program Director for Education and Afterschool, Youth, Education, Family Institute, National League of Cities; Janelle Cousino, Vice President, FowlerHoffman, LLC, consultant to the Afterschool Alliance; Jennifer Becker Mouhcine, Director, Illinois Afterschool Partnership; and Nancy Kellogg Harper, Director of Kansas Enrichment Network, The Institute for Education Research and Public Service, University of Kansas School of Education. (Forum Brief)

4/30/2004

Outcomes for Children and Youth in the Out-of-School Time: What the Evidence Says,  Interest in out-of-school time (OST) programs for youth has grown enormously over the last few years. These programs embrace a wide variety of goals, such as providing safe and caring environments critical to the healthy development of youth and promoting youth academic development through remediation, reinforcement, and application of academic skills.  Panelists at this forum identified problems faced by practitioners and researchers of OST programs, and issued recommendations for policymakers, funders, and program leaders. (Forum Brief)

2/7/2003

Sustained Funding for Youth and Out-of-School Time Programs: Perspectives from Cities, with Margaret Brodkin, Coleman Associates for Children and Youth, Janice Ellis, Partnership for Children, and Jeanne Mullgrav (invited), Commissioner, Department of Youth and Community Development. (Forum Brief)

7/24/2002

Perkins Act Reauthorization (Discussion Group)

6/21/2002

Dimensions of School-Community Collaboration: What It Takes to Make Collaboration Work, with Julie King-Leutnegger, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Mary Hallums, Executive Director, Comprehensive Reform, Sumter School District #2, Sumter, SC; Ann M. Foster, Director, Research and Development Center for the Advancement of Student Learning, Poudre School District, Fort Collins, CO; and Irv Katz, President/CEO, National Assembly/National Collaboration for Youth. (Forum Brief)

4/12/2002

Moving an Out-of-School Agenda : Lessons and Challenges Across Cities, co-sponsored with the Youth Investment Forum, with Deborah Craig, Executive Director, YouthNet of Greater Kansas City; Renae Ogletree, Director, Youth Services Division, Chicago Department of Human Services; Joan Wynn, Research Fellow, Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. (Forum Brief)

6/22/2001

Federal, State and Local Leadership for Extra Learning Opportunities, with Sharon Deich, Program Manager, The Finance Project; Karen Johnson, Program Director, National Conference of State Legislatures; Theresa Clarke, Policy Analyst, National Governors Association; Mark Emery, Project Director, Council of Chief State School Officers; Audrey Hutchinson, Program Director, National League of Cities; and Adriana de Kanter, Partnership Liaison, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, U.S. Department of Education. (Forum Brief)

3/31/2000

After-School Programs in American Neighborhoods: A Golden Opportunity for Youth Development? co-sponsored by the Coalition of Community Schools and the DC Children and Youth Investment Corporation, with Reginald Clark of Clark and Associates; Carter J. Savage, Senior Director of Education Program Services; Michelle Hailey, Director of Education and the Arts, Boys & Girls Club; and Marty Blank, Director, Institute for Educational Leadership. (Forum Brief)

2/18/2000

Use of TANF Funds for After-School and Community School Programming, with The Finance Project and local practitioners. (Forum Brief)

4/28/1999

Perspectives of Young People on Youth Employment and Training ProgramsServing At-Risk and Out-of-School Youth, with Ed DeJesus, Youth Development and Research Fund and Young People. (Dinner Seminar IV)

3/24/1999

Perspectives from "Research and Evlauation: Improving the Quality and Efficacy of Programs Serving At-Risk and Out-of-School Youth," with speakers: JoAnn Jastrzab, Senior Research Associate, Abt Associates, Inc.; Antonio Perez, Executive Director, Milwaukee Community Service Corps; and Donna Walker James, Senior Policy Associate, American Youth Policy Forum. (Dinner Seminar III)

2/24/1999

Perspectives of Administrators of Programs Serving At-Risk and Out-of-School Youth, with speakers: Taylor Frome, Executive Director, YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School; Diane Cottman, Deputy Director, Planning and Development; and Lorenzo Harrison, past Deputy Executive Director/Vice President of STRIVE, East Harlem, and currently Administrator for Youth Programs, Employment and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. (Dinner Seminar II)

1/27/1999

The first of a series of dinners and discussions on Programs Serving At-Risk and Out-of-School Youth. Speakers: Alan Zuckerman, National Youth Employment Coalition and Elton Jolly, former president of Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America. (Dinner Seminar I)

6/13/1997

Finding New Funds for Out-of-School Youth, with David Gruber. (Forum Brief)

4/18/1997

What's Really Happening with America's Out-of-School Youth? with Andrew Sum, Director, Center for Labor Market Studies, Northeastern University, and Marion Pines, Senior Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies, The Johns Hopkins University. (Forum Brief)

10/6/1995

Strategies and Successes In School Dropout Prevention, with Jay Smink, Executive Director, National Dropout Prevention Center, Clemson University. (Forum Brief)

Trip Reports

5/31/2005-
6/1/2005

Site Visit to Boston, MA , with visits to Another Course to College, Boston Community Leadership Academy, Hyde Square Task Force, Boston Collegiate Charter School, and Boston Day and Evening Academy and meetings with Superintendent Payzant and the partners in the high school reform efforts. (Field Trip)

 

5/23-24/2006

 

Philadelphia: Serving Older Youth Through a Comprehensive Out-of-School Time System
A short publication has been produced that highlights lessons learned by participants at the May 2006 AYPF field trip to Philadelphia about the best practices the city uses to sustain its comprehensive out-of-school time system. (FIELD TRIP)

 

11/18/2002 -
11/19/2002

 

Comprehensive High School Reform and Extended Learning in New York City. Visits to several comprehensive high schools implementing educational reform programs and to high school-level after-school programs. (Field Trip)

4/24/2002 -
4/26/2002

Interventions for Youth in the School- and Out-of-School Hours in Denver, Colorado, focusing on Colorado's Small Schools Initiative and high school reform, including a visit to Manual High School; and community schools and extended learning opportunities, with a visit to Cole Middle School, the site of a Beacon Neighborhood Center; adolescent youth programming, and visits to The Spot, downtown Denver's award-winning, nonprofit, drop-in youth center, and YouthBiz, a Youth Opportunity Grant site. (Trip Report)

3/1/2000

Community Schools and Beacon Models in New York City. (Trip Report)

10/23/1997 -
10/24/1997

High School Reform and Programs Serving Out-of-School Youth in New York City, with site visits to STRIVE/East Harlem Employment Service, Young Adult Learning Academy, Federation Employment and Guidance Service and several public schools. (Trip Report)

Publications

View PDF	Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth identifies and describes Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs) that improve academic performance, college and career preparation, social and emotional development, and health and wellness outcomes for underserved youth. The term “expanded learning opportunity” is used to describe the range of programs and activities available to young people that occur beyond regular school hours. ELOs include traditional afterschool activities with an academic focus, but also incorporate activities such as internships with employers, independent study in alternative settings, classes on college campuses for high school students, and wraparound support services. Expanded learning opportunities are an effective use of resources to prepare youth for the complexities that face them as adults. The underlying message drawn from our review of the evaluations is that expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) work. ELOs deserve ongoing and expanded support and to be fully viewed as a major contributor in the preparation of youth for postsecondary education, careers, and civic engagement. Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth is an easy-to-read guide designed to help national, state, and local policymakers and practitioners better understand the wide-array of benefits ELOs provide and the programmatic and structural elements of successful ELOs.  Included in Learning Around the Clock:  Benefits of Expanded Learning Opportunities for Older Youth are profiles of 22 ELOs that have proven results for youth across a range of indicators.
View PDF	Serving Older Youth Through a Comprehensive Out-of-School Time System: Lessons from the AYPF Philadelphia Field Trip, May 2006 This short publication highlights lessons learned by participants at the May 2006 AYPF field trip to Philadelphia about the best practices the city uses to sustain its comprehensive out-of-school time system.
View PDF	Helping Youth Succeed Through Out-of-School Time Programs This report reviews the current research and literature on out-of-school time (OST) programs especially with regard to their effectiveness; explores the range of OST programs and activities as employed by the various youth-serving sectors; considers the untapped possibilities of OST programs to meet the needs of young people, including academic enhancement, career and college preparation, leadership development, and civic engagement; and provides policy guidance on how to support and sustain high quality OST programs as part of a system of supports for older youth.
View PDF	Lessons Learned About Effective Policies and Practices for Out-of-School-Time Programming The report, compiled from visits by groups of policymakers, discusses the challenges to OST program implementation, including issues of going to scale, state and local roles and responsibilities, funding and sustainability, the role of intermediaries and advocates, and the relationship between OST programming and academic achievement. The reader will find tips on how communities provide OST activities that are both effective and responsive to local needs. Also illustrated are numerous uses and public policy solutions to which OST programming has been applied, including leverage for school reform initiatives; opportunities for teacher professional development; expanded resources for schools and communities; sites for school-based services; reinforcement of mutual school and community interests; and outlets for individual/group expressions, extended youth development, community culture and community education.
View PDF	Finding Fortune in Thirteen Out-of-School-Time Programs The out-of-school time (OST) programs profiled in Finding Fortune in Thirteen Out-of-School-Time Programs, a new compendium of evaluation summaries from the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF), make the case that participation in OST programs improves outcomes for youth in the key areas of academic achievement improvement and higher developmental outcomes. The new report contributes to the evidence needed to make reasoned decisions regarding the future of after-school and out-of-school-time OST programming. This is especially important at a time when increased funding and support to OST programs have been challenged, specifically, by one high profile study that showed little difference in academic outcomes between program participants and non-program students.