New Resource:
Important Program Evaluation Announcement for Grantees
For the 21st Century Community Learning Center, grantees are required to collect a variety of data to fulfill reporting requirements and complete the APR:
- Operation
- Staffing
- Feeder School Information
- Attendance
- Activities
- State Assessment Data
- Teacher Survey Data
There are resources available to you to complete your data submission requirement, click here.
Afterschool Alliance
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of afterschool programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. It is supported by a group of public, private and nonprofit organizations that share the Alliance's vision of ensuring that all children have access to afterschool programs by 2010.
The Afterschool Hours: A New Focus for America’s Cities
A Report on the Municipal Leadership for Expanded Learning Opportunities Project funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. This report focuses on the accomplishments of eight cities, the lessons they learned, and recommendations for other municipal officials embarking on this work. Each city story ends with “leadership keys” that were instrumental to that city’s success and that other communities can replicate as they seek to improve and expand local afterschool programs.
After-School Programs Behavioral Issues Toolkit
Over the last year and a half of working with youth in the Youth Engaged in Technology (YET) after-school clubs, the YET staff have been faced with many youth who exhibit behavioral problems. To address these problems we began a search for specific strategies that YET site coordinators could employ to effectively work with these youth. After conducting a comprehensive review of the literature, we have developed a toolkit of strategies. We are making this toolkit available to youth development professionals and after-school program staff to assist them with youth who display disruptive behaviors.
After-School Programs for Children: Policy Brief in Family and Youth Resiliency
A report from the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension The convergences of a variety of interests in the after-school care area make it a critical time for policy makers to design programs that will meet the needs of children, families, and communities that they intend to serve. Given the widespread attention focused on these issues, it is important to build a system of high quality after-school programs that will sustain, improve, and endure through social change.
Best Sample Forms for Educational Systems
National Center for Community Education (NCCE) has compiled a library of "best forms", useful forms that have been developed at various educational facilities around the country.
Beyond Safe Havens: A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on the Boys & Girls Clubs
At the request of BGCA’s national office, Public/Private Ventures (P/PV) has undertaken a multiyear study to understand the benefits that the Clubs may have for the lives and outcomes of early adolescents. As a prelude to this larger study and to help hone its methodological focus, P/PV has reviewed the range of studies that have been conducted on Boys & Girls Clubs over the past 20 years, all of which are covered in more detail in the full report. This document is the executive summary.
Center for Schools and Communities
Since 1988, the Center for Schools and Communities has been committed to improving outcomes for children and families through training, technical assistance, program evaluation, research and resource development. The Center's work focuses on prevention and intervention initiatives operated by schools, organizations and agencies serving children, youth and families.
Center for Youth As Resources
The Center for Youth as Resources (CYAR) closed its doors January 31, 2005, due to a lack of funding. The programs and philosophy of the program will live on in the 54 Youth As Resources programs in 19 states and New Zealand. NCPC and the Network Advisory Council, consisting of experienced YAR program directors, will continue to lend technical assistance to the current sites. The Center for Youth as Resources, established in 1995, has impacted hundreds of thousands of youth, changed perceptions of thousands of adults, and created safer and more caring neighborhoods in hundreds of communities.
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation affirms its founder’s vision of a world in which each of us is in partnership with the rest of the human race – where each individual’s quality of life is connected to the well-being of the community, both locally and globally. We pursue this vision through creative grantmaking, thoughtful communication and other activities that enhance community in its many forms. The Mott Foundation funds extra learning opportunities programs through its "Pathways Out of Poverty, Improving Community Education" grants.
Coalition for Community Schools
The Coalition for Community Schools is an alliance of national, state and local organizations in education K-16, youth development, community planning and development, family support, health and human services, government and philanthropy as well as national, state and local community school networks. The Coalition advocates for community schools as the vehicle for strengthening schools, families and communities so that together they can improve student learning.
Communities in Schools of Philadelphia
Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools is the leading community-based organization helping kids succeed in school and prepare for life. For over 25 years, CIS has championed the connection of needed community resources with schools. By bringing caring adults into the schools to address children's unmet needs, CIS provides the link between educators and the community. The result: Teachers are free to teach, and students -- many in jeopardy of dropping out -- finally have the opportunity to focus on learning.
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education
Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education is for teachers, instructors, program developers and others who help students of all ages find their own entrepreneurial opportunities.
Corporation for National and Community Service Afterschool Resources
Council of Chief State School Officers
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. Since 1998, the Council of Chief State School Officers has been actively engaged in research and development activities to gain knowledge about high-quality extended learning and
development opportunities in order to build state capacity in the implementation and maintenance of such programs. Our efforts have been focused on developing shared understanding about characteristics of high-quality after-school programs and of effective state policies that support such programs and providing technical assistance to state education agencies in their work with statewide after-school networks to ensure improvement in both the quality and quantity of extended learning opportunities within their states.
The Forum for Youth Investment
A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to helping communities and the nation make sure all young people are Ready by 21™ — ready for college, work and life. This goal requires that young people have the supports, opportunities and services needed to prosper and contribute where they live, learn, work, play and make a difference. The Forum provides youth and adult leaders with the information, technical assistance, training, network support and partnership opportunities needed to increase the quality and quantity of youth investment and youth involvement.
Foundations, Inc.
Foundations provides professional development, training, technical assistance, assessment tools, and publications to build the quality of educational experiences for low-income children and youth across the country. With services addressing both in-school and out-of-school time, Foundations works with schools, school districts, community organizations, afterschool networks and afterschool programs to help children succeed in school and beyond.
- Ongoing distillation and dissemination of key OST research and evaluation approaches and findings, using our Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database and other relevant research
- Networking, convening, and collaborating with other national OST intermediaries to develop and disseminate OST best practices information
- Creation of evaluation and professional development tools for OST evaluation to be used at national trainings and disseminated broadly via the Internet
- Use of our print and Web publication capacity to get information to and from the key stakeholders
Getting It Right: Strategies for After-School Success
This report draws from the lessons P/PV has learned from well over 100 after-school programs and youth-serving initiatives. The report is designed to help policymakers and program directors run effective programs and avoid problems highlighted by evaluations. It synthesizes the last 10 years of findings form Public/Private Ventures and other researchers' work on selected afterschool programs.
Governors’ Extra Learning Opportunities (ELO) Summits, January – August 2004
In July 2003, the NGA Center for Best Practices awarded funds to 13 states, with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and The Wallace Foundation, to conduct governors’ summits on extra learning opportunities (ELOs). Summits have focused on a number of goals, such as engaging business partners at the state and local levels, building support among new state leaders, and/or strengthening statewide networks to support ELOs. Read this brief five page report covering summits from these states: Arizona, Connecticut, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.
A Guide to Online Resources on Family Involvement
This comprehensive resource guide compiles a wealth of information about family involvement from over 100 national organizations. It contains Web links to recent (published in and after 2000) research, information, and tools.
Harnessing Technology in Out-of-School Time Settings
January 2006 report. Harvard Family Research Project’s series of Out-of-School Time Evaluation Snapshots distills the wealth of information
compiled in our Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database and Bibliography into a single report. Each Snapshot examines a specific aspect of out-of-school time (OST) evaluation. This Snapshot reviews the role of technology in OST programs, highlighting the evaluation methods and findings about implementation and youth outcomes.
The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Bibliography
Contains citations for all the out-of-school time (OST) program evaluations that HFRP is currently tracking. The bibliography currently contains entries for 315 programs and provides basic program
information as well as links to relevant evaluation reports.
Hours that Count: Using After-School Programs to Help Prevent Risky Behavior And Keep Kids Safe
This report, a joint effort of the Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence (HFI) and The After-School Corporation (TASC), offers educators, community leaders, and program operators practical and research-based information about how high-quality after-school programs can help prevent destructive behavior and violence, and protect students from harm and danger.
Journeys into Communities: Transforming Youth Opportunities for Learning and Development
This is the final report from the Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time. It offers a blueprint for ensuring Minnesota’s young people have engaging opportunities to learn and develop during the non-school hours. It summarizes the year-long work of the Commission and includes specific recommendations and actions for revitalizing Minnesota’s communities as great places to raise families.
Life as a Teenager- The Graduation Gap
While it wouldn't surprise anyone that the graduation gap is wide in urban districts, it is clear also that this is a statewide issue. To learn more, read this document which is part of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children's Youth in Transition series.
Life as a Teenager - Risk and Protective Factors
A survey of about 75,000 Pennsylvania teens shows many of them do not feel supported or protected by their schools, families, neighbors and communities.To learn more, read this document which is part of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children's Youth in Transition series.
Life as a Teenager - The State of Youth Employment
Work experience is a valuable part of a successful transition from youth to adulthood. Some research studies have demonstrated that young people who work while attending high school are more likely to graduate, less likely to be involved with crime, less likely to become teen parents and more likely to achieve greater lifetime earnings.To learn more, read this document which is part of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children's Youth in Transition series.
Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time
The Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time convened in January of 2004. The COmmission is dedicated to crafting the vision and strategies to ensure Minnesota’s young people have engaging opportunities to learn and develop in their non-school hours. The work of the Commission will result in a series of reports and recommendations that summarize what is known, make a case for what is needed, and help frame how we can ensure all young people have engaging opportunities to learn and develop .After a year and a half of meetings, briefing papers, and discussion, the Minnesota Commission on Out-of-School Time has released its final report entitled, Journeys into Community: Transforming Youth Opportunities for Learning and Development.
Moving Towards Success: Framework for After-School Programs
On June 5 - 6, 2003, an After-School Summit hosted by the U.S. Department of Education and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and sponsored by the C. S. Mott Foundation, was held in Washington, DC. As follow-up to the Summit, a committee of researchers and program experts (the Committee) developed this document to further articulate why intentionally linking program goals, program elements, participant outcomes, and evaluation is critical to improving the effectiveness of after-school programs. This document provides overall recommendations and guidelines to after-school staff and others about why such a framework is important in developing and sustaining an effective program. It describes a theory of change approach to help guide the thinking and implementation of program goals and elements, outlines a broad range of desired participant outcomes to consider, and discusses conditions most suitable for achieving positive results that meet the needs of the after-school participants.
National AfterSchool Association
The National AfterSchool Association, formerly the National School-Age Care Alliance, was founded in 1987. We are a professional association with a membership component-our membership includes more than 7,000 practitioners, policy makers, and administrators representing all public, private, and community-based sectors of after-school and out-of-school time programs, as well as school-age and after-school programs on military bases, both domestic and international. As the leading voice of the after-school profession, we are dedicated to the development, education, and care of children and youth during their out-of-school hours.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
The NGA Center for Best Practices is the nation's only dedicated consulting firm for governors and their key policy staff. The Center's mission is to develop and implement innovative solutions to public policy challenges. The Center tracks, evaluates, and disseminates information on state innovations and best practices by: surveying states on key issues and providing assessments of current activities for individual states; cataloging innovative programs and sharing this information via reports, briefs, and a variety of online and printed materials; and hosting seminars, academies, and workshops to allow state executives to share ideas and experiences.
National Institute on Out-of-School Time
For over 20 years, the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, at the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College, has successfully brought national attention to the importance of children’s out-of-school time, influenced policy, increased standards and professional recognition, and spearheaded community action aimed at improving the availability, quality and viability of programs serving children and youth.
National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning
The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning is supported by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. The Partnership includes Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL), the primary contractor, and five organizations who work collaboratively to help afterschool programs support student achievement through the use of high-quality and research-based practices.
Outcomes and Research in Out-of-School Time Program Design
The purpose of this paper is to suggest reasons and mechanisms for integrating outcomes and research into quality program design. To arrive at its conclusions, the paper follows this sequence of steps:
- It provides basic background information on "out-of-school time" (OST) programming and its current prevalence in the United States.
- It explains and promotes the integration of outcomes and research into program development.
- It provides examples of research-based Best Practices.
- It links specific Best Practices to priority student outcomes, and explains how these can be utilized in program design.
The Out-of-School Time Clearinghouse
In the past decade, The Finance Project has developed unparalleled resources that help leaders address financing and sustainability issues for out-of-school time programs. The Out-of-School Time clearinghouse brings together The Finance Project’s resources with resources developed by other organizations dedicated to building better after-school programs.
The Out-of-School Time Resource Center
Funded primarily by a grant from the William Penn Foundation, the Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) is part of the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy & Practice and is housed in its Center for Research on Youth and Social Policy (CRYSP). The OSTRC promotes out-of-school time student achievement by conducting research on and providing access to staff resources and professional development.
- OSTRC Electronic Bulletin Board
The Out-of-School Time Resource Center (OSTRC) Electronic Bulletin Board is a forum for discussion, idea-sharing, and peer-networking among the out-of-school time community. It includes a calendar, job posting and more.
Community and Family Engagement
Principals are increasingly turning to the community to help them engage families, share resources and meet standards. Informed by the work of principals, this paper finds six keys to community engagement that help school leaders engage families, staff, partners and the larger community in the life of the school. In exploring these keys we asked principals why community engagement matters, what makes doing this work hard and what makes it work. To access the document, click here.
Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children promotes public policies that improve children's health, education, and well-being.
Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND)
Promising Practices in Afterschool
The Promising Practices in Afterschool (or "PPAS") System is an effort to find and share things that are working in afterschool programs. The PPAS website is for afterschool program directors who want to improve the quality of their programs. All sorts of other people will find it useful, too--people like program staff, volunteers, parents, community members, policymakers, funders, researchers, and anyone else who cares about children and youth.
Resources on Afterschool, Fourth Edition
An online collection of resources produced by the Collaborative Communications Group and funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. This site contains hundreds of resources in the areas of research and evaluation, promising practices, professional development, public awareness and communication, policy development, and financing strategies.
School-Age Notes - Afterschool Catalog
Proven and Practical resources for After-school professionals.
Seven Secrets of How to Study
The Seven Secrets of How to Study reminds every student that they have the potential to succeed in college. The study tips will teach you how to get an A+ in 12 hours. This cutting edge book should be in every student's library.
Supporting Student Success:A Governor’s Guide to Extra Learning Opportunities
With many forms and purposes, extra learning opportunities are a key part of many state policy efforts to support the long-term success of children, families, and communities. State policymakers increasingly recognize the important contributions that high-quality extra learning opportunities can make toward education, youth development, workforce, and prevention priorities.
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time: Opportunities for Afterschool Programs
This strategy brief describes several funding streams included in the
No Child Left Behind Act—other than the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers Program—that can support extended learning
opportunities. These funding streams include Title I (general Title I,
School Improvement, and Supplemental Educational Services), Safe
and Drug-Free Schools and Communities (SDFSC), Comprehensive
School Reform (CSR), and Innovative Programs. The brief first discusses NCLB to help afterschool program leaders understand the context and tenets of the law and its funding streams. It describes each funding stream and discusses how each could be used to support extended learning in afterschool programs. Finally, the brief includes considerations and examples to help program leaders interested in pursuing education dollars to support extended learning programs.
YouthBuild USA
Since its founding in 1990, YouthBuild USA has guided the development of the national YouthBuild network of more than 200 local programs that act in collaboration to improve their outcomes and impact. The reach of YouthBuild USA is not limited to YouthBuild programs; it extends to the broader youth development field to diminish poverty in the United States and internationally.
YouthLearn: Afterschool & Technology
With a history of advancing informal learning through technology integration, YouthLearn has recently intensified its research and professional development activities in connection with the growing afterschool field. Much more than just a period of time in the day, Afterschool has become a movement -- a unifying interest for educators, parents, and policymakers alike. While community-based organizations have promoted positive youth development for decades, today's afterschool movement works to synthesize academic pursuits with youth development goals. Some programs are re-hashed remedial activities with limited impact. However, the best programs see afterschool as an opportunity to integrate rich content into fun, experiential learning fueled by the imagination and enthusiasm of the young participants.
Youth Service California
Youth Service California’s (YSCal) mission is to make service a part of every young person’s life in California. It was founded on the belief that youth service positively impacts a young person’s academic and civic potential and strengthens the community. YSCal is committed to fostering the growth and effectiveness of youth service and service learning programs in California and provides information and other resources to policymakers, community-based organizations, press and educators.