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The Central Valley Afterschool Foundation has published its inaugural issue of the Journal of Expanded-Learning Opportunities. Although the organization is based in the Central Valley of California, this new peer-reviewed journal discusses expanded-learning research and programs throughout the nation. The Spring 2014 issue explores researcher and practitioner dialogue, intentional communities, and family engagement.

This latest publication from the Expanded Learning and Afterschool Project provides resources for city agencies, school districts, intermediaries, and other organizations interested in implementing or strengthening city-wide expanded learning opportunities; as well as state agencies and Statewide Afterschool Networks designing multi-city initiatives. The toolkit groups resources in the following categories: Building Strong Systems, Engaging Today’s Students, and Expanded Learning Models.

Positive relationships with school-day personnel, families, community members, and between and among program staff and students help afterschool programs thrive. The latest issue of SEDL Insights explores how afterschool practitioners can build strong relationships that benefit all stakeholders.

High-quality afterschool programs reach only a small percentage of children and teens today. In this video from the Wallace Foundation, national experts discuss what cities can do to close this gap and boost quality and participation in dynamic out-of-school-time programs.

This article presents recommendations from the Wallace-funded RAND Corporation report Getting to Work on Summer Learning, specifically those related to the hiring and training of teachers for school district-run summer learning programs. First and foremost, the report and article emphasize the need for districts to commit to a summer program by December and begin planning by January. The article appeared in JSD, the journal of Learning Forward, an organization promoting professional development in education.

This literature review from the Robert Bowne Foundation examines research on the effects of professional development on afterschool program quality and youth outcomes. Author Sarah Hill observes that there is “no clear link between professional development and youth outcomes” in out-of-school time literature but notes that a research-based consensus has established the characteristics of high-quality professional development: “It is sustained over a period of time, coherent, content focused, and based in a community of learners.” The review suggests that afterschool professionals use these guidelines to shape their professional development offerings while calling for more rigorous studies on the link between high-quality professional development and youth outcomes. The review also contains an annotated bibliography of related research.

This handbook from Wellesley College’s National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) outlines key skills-“core competencies”-needed by afterschool program directors and those they supervise. The publication offers guidance and tools on how to develop the skills, including questionnaires that managers and youth workers can use to determine their strengths and weaknesses. The handbook was developed for the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development and draws on NIOST’s field efforts and research.

On November 19, the Developmental Studies Center (DSC) is sponsoring a webinar on the many important uses of the new landmark compendium titled Expanding Minds and Opportunities: Leveraging the Power of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success. The executive editor and publisher will share ideas on using the compendium's articles for professional development, advocacy, and grant and report writing. This event builds on the November 3 webinar, More Than Just Another “To-do” on the List: The Benefits of Strong School, Principal, and Afterschool/Community Relationships, which DSC also sponsored.

This Wallace Foundation report offers guidance to district leaders interested in launching or improving summer learning programs and includes key recommendations that address planning, curriculum and instruction, teacher selection and training, enrichment activities, attendance, academic time on task, and program cost and funding. These recommendations are based on evaluations of summer programs in six urban districts selected for a multi-year demonstration project funded by The Wallace Foundation.

Published by The Wallace Foundation and FHI 360, this report includes profiles of 27 cities that have taken steps to improve coordination among their afterschool providers, creating citywide systems designed to support high-quality programs and increase access. The research report explores the prevalence of afterschool coordination, the extent to which large cities have adopted key afterschool coordination components, and the roles of the mayor, city manager, city agencies, and other organizations in providing reliable information and commitment to quality.