Resource Database

Two federal initiatives-the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program and waivers of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)-call on school districts to expand learning time in low-performing schools. This summary report from the Center on Education Policy outlines findings from case studies of 17 low-performing schools in 11 districts in Colorado, Connecticut, Oregon, and Virginia. It also focuses on state and local responses to these federal learning time requirements. The case studies included site visits and interviews with 49 state, district, and school officials.

“A Proven Solution for Dropout Prevention: Expanded Learning Opportunities,” one of the chapters in the compendium Expanding Minds and Opportunities: The Power for Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success, addresses ways that afterschool practitioners can help support dropout prevention efforts. The author looks at recommended dropout prevention strategies and predictive factors of dropping out of school matched against the impact of quality afterschool and 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

This blog post from the Afterschool Alliance is the first in a series that explores the challenges students face in transitioning to high school and how afterschool programs can help. The author notes that a disproportionate number of students who fail the ninth grade subsequently drop out but also finds that afterschool and summer learning programs can provide important academic, social, and emotional supports that make the shift easier and help students succeed in high school.

Public broadcasting television station KLRU has created and curated online resources to help students learn more about U.S. presidents and the presidency. Resources include “60 second presidents,” short video clips about U.S. presidents, presidential portraits, biographies, speeches and addresses, information about the powers of the presidency, campaigns, and elections, and information about first ladies throughout history.

Published by the Carnegie Corporation, Adolescent Literacy Development in Out-of-School Time: A Practitioner’s Guidebook helps educators integrate adolescent literacy development initiatives into out-of-school programs. The publication identifies different ways that out-of-school programs support adolescent literacy: explicit literacy and academic instructional activities, literary enhancement, supporting general academic enrichment, and social development activities that may require the use of literacy-related skills. There is also information on promising practices in supporting adolescent literacy and ideas and strategies for planning, implementing, and expanding an out-of-school time program’s adolescent literacy offerings.

Looking for some new STEM activities? ExtendED Notes has a Pinterest board with dozens of activities to build students’ skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Resources range from short experiments to in-depth units that can last several days or weeks.

Published in the Fall 2014 issue of the National Institute on Out-of-School Time’s magazine Afterschool Matters, this article explores how expanded learning programs are responding to and supporting the Common Core State Standards. The article discusses how afterschool practitioners can meet academic standards designed for school while still focusing on important out-of-school time goals like positive youth development.

Produced by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, this report provides results from a longitudinal physical activity study in five elementary schools with a particular focus on “BOKS,” a before-school physical activity program sponsored by Reebok. The study aims to examine and document social, nutritional knowledge, and physical activity outcomes associated with participation in BOKS over time.

Looking for some fun fall crafts to do in your afterschool program? This Pinterest board from the National Afterschool Association contains several fall owl crafts and activities that you can do with your students.

This resource from Every Hour Counts provides a common framework for measuring youth outcomes from expanded learning programs and the program and system practices that may influence them. While still in pilot form, the revised Measurement Framework is designed to serve ultimately as a blueprint for understanding the impact of programs on youth outcomes, making improvements at the system and program levels, and influencing policy.