S C H O O L

Strengthening the vital alliance between school board & superintendent Afterschool Programs: Bureaucratic Barriers and Strategies for Success Effective Strategies of the Key Players

Why Afterschool? Where What Can You Are the Go for Barriers? Help? S traight talk

By Paul D. Houston

Afterschool Programs: A Historic Opportunity To Serve All Children in Yo ur District

School leaders can no longer see their responsibil- consistently participate in quality afterschool ity as merely a 9 to 3 issue. What happens to children activities over a period of time have better after school has a direct impact on how they learn and grades, greater student engagement in school, grow. This issue of School Governance & Leadership increased homework completion, reduced is about afterschool programs — a powerful tool that absenteeism, less tardiness, greater parent has not been fully tapped in our efforts to guarantee involvement, lower truancy rates, increased civic children not just access to school, but success through engagement and reduced crime and violence in high achievement. This document is a companion piece the non-school hours. to the May 2005 issue of TheSchool Administrator, which focused on afterschool programs, making it AASA has been an advocate of quality afterschool clear that afterschool programs are worth the effort. programs since the early 1990s, when we collaborated As Terry Peterson, national afterschool advocate and with schools across the country to develop and sup- former counselor to Secretary of Education Richard port afterschool programs for young adolescents facing Riley, asks, in light of the hard financial times faced by multiple challenges to school and life success. These many districts and the hard work of sustaining quality programs blended enrichment, supportive relation- afterschool programs: “Is it fair to wonder if we are on ships with caring adults and academic support, and the verge of missing a unique, even historic opportu- they were staffed by teachers, parents and community nity to fill the hours immediately following the end of members. I encourage you to consider recent research, the school day with a treasure chest of academically promising practices and the variety of resources pro- enriching activities and expanded learning opportuni- vided in this document and to call on local, state and ties. I believe that it is worth the effort, and it’s worth federal funds for afterschool programs. I encourage the money, even if we have to struggle to find it." As you to think about the many non-academic personal, An-Me Chung and Eugene Hillsman of the C.S. Mott social and intellectual skills that contribute to success- Foundation point out in TheSchool Administrator: ful learning and adult life that lucky children acquire through family-arranged and -supported afterschool Afterschool evaluations have shown that not only activities. And I urge you not to miss this “historic do afterschool programs provide a safe place opportunity” to more fully serve the children in your during the non-school hours, but students who school districts, especially those most in need.

Paul D. Houston is executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, a professional association serving approximately 14,000 school leaders nationwide. table of contents Fall 2005 A School Board Publication of the American Association of School Administrators Straight Talk 2

Newsbrief 4 features

5 Why Afterschool? “We must make sure that every child has 8 What Are the Barriers? a safe and enriching place to go after school so that children can say 10 It's All About Leadership ‘no’ to drugs and alco- hol and crime, and ‘yes’ to reading, soccer, com- 11 Effective Strategies puters and a brighter of the Key Players future for themselves.”

— President Bill Clinton from “Safe and Smart,” 1998, the Mott Foundation 12 Where Can You Go for Help?

This document was supported by a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation. Its con- tents are solely the responsibility of the authors and editors and do not necessarily reflect the official view of the C.S. Mott Foundation. School Governance & Leadership 3 N ewsbrief SC HOOL

Lawmakers Form First-Ever Strengthening the vital alliance between school board &superintendent Congressional Afterschool Caucuses Strengthening the vital In a move designed to raise public alliance between school afterschool programs work to keep board & superintendent awareness about the need for more kids safe, help working families and afterschool programs and increase improve academic achievements,” Fall 2005 Vol. 6, No. 1 resources for quality afterschool said Senator Dodd. “We should do care, members of Congress have more to support these initiatives The American Association of established the first-ever Afterschool that make a difference in the lives School Administrators publishes Caucuses — one in the Senate and of our children, so I am pleased to School Governance & Leadership to one in the House of Representatives. be a part of this new, bipartisan foster cooperation between school U.S. Sens. Christopher J. Dodd (D- Afterschool Caucus in support of superintendents and boards. Conn.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.) quality afterschool initiatives.” and Reps. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) AASA PRESIDENT Dodd and Ensign have circulated David E. Gee will serve as co-chairs of the newly a letter to their Senate colleagues formed, bipartisan Caucuses. encouraging them to join. AASA PRESIDENT-ELECT Eugene White “Afterschool programs are cost-effi- The founding members of the cient because they keep children out Senate’s Afterschool Caucus are AASA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of trouble and give them the oppor- (D-Calif.) and Susan Paul D. Houston tunities they need to learn,” Senator Collins (R-); the founding Ensign said. “These programs are members of the House Afterschool EDITOR a good investment in the future of Caucus are Reps. Randy Cunning- Sharon Adams-Taylor our children, families and communi- ham (R-Calif.) and Dale Kildee (D- ties. I am proud to co-chair the new CONSULTING PUBLISHER Mich.) For more information, visit Debbie Berger Senate Afterschool Caucus.” the Afterschool Alliance website at The Unlimited Group www.afterschoolalliance.org/news_ “Kids, parents and law enforce- events.cfm. ■ GRAPHICS & ILLUSTRATION ment professionals all agree: Quality Elizabeth Burnett SchlegelBagel Design Acknowledgements

Copyright © 2005 The American Association of School Administrators is grateful to by the those who shared their wisdom and expertise with us for this SG&L American Association of issue on afterschool. We acknowledge the Charles Stewart Mott School Administrators, Foundation for their support, the superintendents who participated in all rights reserved. the study and those who met with us in focus groups, answered our School Governance & Leadership (ISSN 1099-6379) surveys, responded to our interviews and cheered us on. A special is an occasional thank you goes to Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood, former AASA staffer, publication of AASA, who selected the school districts and initiated much of the original 801 N. Quincy St., Suite 700 research in this study and to Liz Griffin, for her whiz-bang copy edit- Arlington, VA 22203. ing. We appreciate the work of Debbie Berger of the Unlimited Group Telephone: 703-875-0700 and Elizabeth Burnett of SchlegelBagel Design for their research and graphic design. And finally, a special tribute to AASA project directors $6.50 each Rebecca Nelson and Nancy Miller, who shepherded this publication Postmaster: from idea to final product. Send address changes to AASA Membership, — Sharon Adams-Taylor 801 N. Quincy St., Suite 700 Associate Executive Director Arlington, VA 22203

4 Fall 2005 Why Afterschool?

Th e opportunity for school administrators to transform the quality of education that students receive today in public schools may be as close as the growing focus on afterschool programs.

ASA’s magazine, TheSchool Administrator, thoroughly A developed the case for afterschool programs in its May 2005 issue. Well-structured after- school programs effectively expand learning time for students, provide opportunities for collaboration with the broader community, and constructively fill those hours that, at best, are spent idly and, at worst, entice unsupervised youngsters into delinquent or high-risk activities.

While the Bush Administration’s No Child Left Behind legislation primarily promotes the academic/ tutoring aspect of the afterschool picture, other organizations and individuals have taken a more expansive view of the possibilities, suggesting that afterschool pro- grams not only bolster the academic agenda but also provide — within a structure that differs from the regular school day — time for social, emotional and physical skill building that students must have to achieve life success.

School Governance & Leadership 5 This broadening of the mission, ture on academic achievement, and to go, such as Girl and Boy Scouts, much different than just expanding achievement in general." religious groups, Little League and the course offerings, was the subject classes in art, music and dance. of comments by Karen “We decided that afterschool pro- Less-advantaged students are more Pittman of The Forum for grams should first define likely to watch television or play Youth Investment in a Youth their full set of goals in informally. Thus they miss out on Today column. She explained each outcome area and the structured activities that help how a group of hand-picked then agree to be measured students learn social responsibility, educators, practitioners and against academic indicators improve academic proficiency and policy experts, attending a — but only after they create develop the organizational skills conference at the behest program activities connected and discipline that make them more of the U.S. Department to those goals. . . . The tension effective. of Education, were at- between academics and youth tempting to identify outcome development did not material- The National Institute on Out of indicators for improved achievement ize. The groups affirmed the School Time (NIOST) notes that that could be used to evaluate after- notion that both goals are equally older students don’t participate in school programs. attainable. Former U.S. Department afterschool activities as much as of Education Sec. Roderick Paige, younger children. They identify “Our brainstorming session netted C.S. Mott Foundation President Bill several possible reasons for this: more than 50 outcome indicators, White and Gov. Arnold Schwar- (1) it is more difficult to attract ranging from reduced violent epi- zenegger announced our progress high school students to programs; sodes to increased enthusiasm about in a press conference immediately (2) high school students are less learning,” she wrote. “Some were following the summit," Pittman said. likely to want to stay in the school specifically about school, such as building; (3) high school students attendance. Others focused on non- Policy analyst Richard Rothstein, have busier schedules (i.e., family, academic goals, such as interacting in his 2004 book Class and Schools, sibling or home responsibilities); with youth from other backgrounds.” sees afterschool programs as a (4) high school students are less way to balance the inequity that likely to attend a program several “The connections became clear," exists between poor and middle days a week; (5) high school stu- Pittman continues. “Academic class students, not only in terms of dents often need to work to earn achievement is dependent on academic achievement, but also in money and contribute to family engagement, motivation, behavior the enhancement of critical personal income; and (6) high school stu- and attendance. All of these are skills. When middle class students dents are more independent and dependent on youth feeling safe and leave school in the afternoon, he mobile, so they vote with their feet. supported and are reflected in litera- points out, they have a host of places ( Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2003)

6 Fall 2005 Another perspective is more holis- and Children in the Current factor in student achievement, some tic and addresses studies in child Economy , February 2002) countervailing reports, most notably development and education that the controversial Mathematica link afterschool attendance to School leaders, of course, are evaluation of the 21st Century Com- better grades, peer relations, equally interested in valid munity Learning Centers (CCLC), academic equity, emotional research and evaluations of reached a number of negative con- adjustment and conflict afterschool models before clusions about afterschool students’ resolution skills (overall resil- committing scarce resources academic achievement and behavior. iency). Thus, constructive to them. use of out-of-school time is a According to the Afterschool Alli- protective factor for youth ththaatt The research and literature is ance, a nonprofit public awareness has been associated with: (1) aca- growing, although, as Mid-Conti- and advocacy organization working demic achievement (higher grades nent Research for Education and to ensure that all children and youth and grade point average), recovery Learning (McREL) researchers have access to afterschool programs from low academic performance, point out in a 2003 report, many by 2010, the methodology used in and an interest in furthering their of the studies of outcomes done the Mathematica study was highly education; (2) a stronger self-image; since the 1980s are not rigorous in suspect . . . as are the findings. (3) positive social development; (4) their methodology and have is- While the study found that African reductions in risk-taking behavior; sues such as the inherent difficulty American and Hispanic students, and (5) better school behavior and in finding true control groups of as well as girls participating in 21st fewer absences. children and the common failure to CCLC's afterschool programs, describe treatments and dosages. showed academic gains, in general In short, when youth participate in Many experts warn that afterschool the results focused on negative out- high quality afterschool programs, programs should not be pressured comes, prompting the Bush Admin- they are likely to benefit in a myriad into over-promising results they do istration to cut FY04 funding from of ways. They receive personal at- not have the resources to deliver. $1 billion to $600 million. tention from caring adults, explore As Robert Halpern, chair of the new interests, receive academic sup- Research Council of the Erickson Other critics of the study’s meth- port, develop a sense of belonging Institute for Advanced Study in odology note that the findings are to a group, develop new friendships Child Development, says in his 2002 based on just one year of data, with their peers, take on challenging study of afterschool programs: collected very early in the life of the leadership roles and build a sense original 21st CCLC initiative; the of self-esteem independent of their Not infrequently, one or study evaluated a very small number academic talent. another child-rearing institu- of grantees; and the study failed to tion has taken on a role out of be representative of the afterschool It is not surprising that afterschool a conviction that others were population. programs are an easy sell for parents not fulfilling their responsi- and the community. bilities. Afterschool programs, The rollout of a new evaluation like other institutions, have system in 2005 should help to put to • The parents of more than 15 periodically felt themselves to rest some of the criticism by ensur- million youngsters say that their be a support of first and last ing that States have data on the per- children will participate in an resort. Afterschool programs formance of each of their grantees, afterschool program if one is can work as a developmen- according to Robert Stonehill, 21st available in their community. tal resource and support for CCLC director. In addition, the Na- (Afterschool Alliance Poll, children only to the extent tional Partnership for Quality After- 2004) that they are allowed to work school Learning, which is funded by from a modest and reasonable the Department through a contract story line. And they will only with the Southwest Educational De- • Nearly 90 percent of Americans be able to fulfill some of their velopment Laboratory, is identifying support funding for quality potential if they themselves promising and exemplary programs, afterschool programs in low- are adequately nurtured, sup- activities and materials that can be income neighborhoods as an ported and protected. adopted by state and local providers important aspect of welfare to provide rich academic content reform programs. (David and While research and anecdotal in afterschool programs that differ Lucile Packard Foundation Poll, evidence exist to suggest that from the regular school day but are Public Views on Welfare Reform afterschool programs are a positive still standards based. ■

School Governance & Leadership 7 What Are the Barriers?

nowing that afterschool programs are, concep- how barriers to effective afterschool programs could be tually, a good idea and actually implementing overcome by school superintendents. The issue is well- K them successfully in your school district may be known anecdotally, but, to date, had not been researched. worlds apart. There are a multitude of issues that may School leaders (superintendents, central-office personnel arise: funding and sustainability, equity (which popu- and principals) tend to agree that afterschool programs, lations to serve), quality programming, coordination even when academically sound, face obstacles in their between the regular teaching staff and the afterschool efforts to implement and sustain them. staff, attendance, community collaboration, transporta- tion, staff turnover and more. Sometimes these issues With the help of expert advisors, AASA selected 10 become barriers. districts geographically clustered (Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Mid-Atlantic) with ongoing afterschool With a grant from the C.S. Mott Foundation, AASA programs and examined what challenges they faced and initiated a project to identify the bureaucratic barriers how they addressed them. AASA research included on- that can compromise afterschool programs. The initial site interviews with superintendents, afterschool direc- results of the research were published in the August tors, site coordinators, building principals of schools 2003 issue of The School Administrator. where programs were housed, central-office personnel with oversight responsibility for the afterschool pro- AASA conducted a literature review and convened gram, grant writers who had sought funding, school focus groups at its 2004 National Conference on board members and participating community agency EducationTM to discuss these findings. Among the bar- representatives. riers that emerged: funding, staffing, leadership, engag- ing students and program quality. In this publication No Lack of Barriers we will examine those barriers and suggest strategies The findings and analysis revealed that barriers to imple- and resources to help you overcome or effectively man- mentation tend to be related to unclear roles and respon- age them. sibilities, unclear reporting lines and coordination, and the overall grind of a district’s bureaucracy through its The AASA Study many offices and functions. Besides these challenges, In 2001, the American Association of School district and school leaders struggle with major issues of Administrators began a study seeking to understand funding and staffing. They also must cope with external

8 Fall 2005 pressures from individuals and agencies that see educa- district's administrative structure. This is whether tors as bureaucrats and view themselves as child advo- the director already works for the school system, is cates. Some school leaders may decide against imple- hired from outside the school system, or works with mentation entirely to avoid potential conflict, or they a community agency. may consign the program to one of low expectations. When they choose the latter course, they doom it to a • Afterschool personnel are well-qualified. In the most few years that likely will be frustrating for many of the effective districts, afterschool personnel were enlist- stakeholders involved. One particular concern to school ed from nonprofit community agencies and administrators when implementing a new program from district instructional staff. The instruc- is the issue of raising parental and community tional staff received their usual salaries and expectations that cannot be fulfilled or sus- benefits. tained. This is particularly true when a pro- gram is grant-funded and its sustainability is • Clarity about roles, extending from the uncertain after the grant expires. central office to the building sites, is monitored so that central-office personnel are aware of the Perhaps the most lethal barrier encountered in program’s progress, including any snags in program the study is the entire issue of sustainability delivery. Central-office personnel are included in in an era when fiscal cutbacks to states and dis- planning for the program before they are brought in tricts imperil even the basic, regular school day. Other only to manage a crisis. obstacles include the absence of committed leadership that may exist at several levels of the district; a lack of • Effective programs have specific, clear reporting accountability for the afterschool program as well as lines. The AASA interviews and analysis revealed insufficient support for it both externally and internally; that a lack of coordination and clear reporting lines and poorly trained and paid program staff who are high- between site coordinators, district management of ly transient. afterschool programs, and building principals cre- ates significant problems and tense relationships. Lessons From Those Who Made It Work Site coordinators should report to the afterschool Of the 10 districts studied, half had successfully respond- director, and the afterschool director should report ed to the common challenges, primarily through pro- to a cadre of building principals. active leadership and practices by the superintendent and central-office staff. Here are some of the strategies they used: • Teachers and other instructional staff are informed fully and their participation is encouraged. Goals for • The superintendent is visible. He or she makes occa- the program as well as activities are communicated sional, unannounced visits to the afterschool pro- by afterschool personnel on a regular basis. Every gram. This has symbolic value to staff and encour- effort is made to mesh the academic component of ages their continued commitment to the program. the afterschool program with the instructional goals of the school day. Poorly coordinated programs can be disruptive to the regular instructional staff and • Central-office personnel and building principals are consume large amounts of a busy principal's time aware of the superintendent’s commitment to the "putting out fires." afterschool program. The superintendent commu- nicates clear expectations of programmatic success • Effective administrators are committed to an aca- and holds all staff accountable to ensure effective demic portion of the afterschool program and under- programming. stand that part of the program must be devoted to youth enrichment and development activities. While • The role of the afterschool director is clearly defined administrators do not believe that afterschool pro- throughout the district. This role has been commu- grams should consist only of academics, they do nicated fully to all staff involved in any aspect of the expect the afterschool program to be congruent afterschool program: central-office administrators to with the daily school program, and that some time whom principals report, building principals where should be available for academic support. However, the program is located, site coordinators and the to warrant sustainability, the program must have afterschool director. clear academic goals that extend beyond a study hall situation. • The afterschool director is "district savvy." This means that he/she has the expertise to negotiate the Continued on page 11

School Governance & Leadership 9 It’s All About Leadership: Superintendents Make the Difference

The following profile is a composite dent from dropping out. "It might Rather than approaching district story of the leadership practices of mean one adult-to-student con- personnel as adversaries, the direc- five superintendents — based on nection. It might,” he emphasizes, tor works with them as comrades interviews conducted by AASA from “make the difference between suc- through mutually shared dilemmas. 2001 to 2003. These district leaders cess in life and failure.” Her openness to suggestions gar- overcame the common barriers to nered her high praise throughout effective afterschool programs and Hiring the Right People the district. Faces broke into smiles were willing to keep chipping away at To ensure this, another successful when her name was mentioned. those they could not resolve. superintendent has hired top-qual- Clearly, the choice of of afterschool ity staff for the afterschool program. director was an inspired one that Non-Negotiable Sustainability This superintendent is willing to pointed to the superintendent’s abili- When one successful superintendent invest top dollars in her afterschool ty to hire the right people for the job. looks to the end of the afterschool staff. Her site coordinators include program’s grant — and thinks of a a former principal of an alterna- Equally high praise was bestowed on transition to the program’s next phase tive school, skilled in working with the other staff members of the after- — three facts are critical: He (or she) “at-risk” youth, and a social worker school program. “They’re just great,” (1) speaks of the next phase in mat- with an MSW, who works half-time one principal confided. “They know ter-of-fact terms, not of the possibil- in the district as a social worker and what they’re doing, they do it and ity of discontinuing the program; (2) half-time in the afterschool pro- that’s that.” knows that transportation will be the gram. Both are assured their posi- most critical issue; and (3) is planning tions will continue when the 21st Propelled by Commitment already, in the first year of the grant, CCLC monies dry up. The superintendent points to access for the end of the third year when the as one of the key barriers to any new external funding expires. This district’s afterschool director is program. “If it isn’t transportation,” skilled at community relations, and he says, “it might be the location. He has made an ironclad commitment comes to the program with many Can the kids come? Or it might be to the afterschool program. Although years of experience volunteering the time of day, and how that affects it has begun through 21st Century with the Red Cross as well as her parent-kid schedules. Or it might be Community Learning Center (CCLC) background as a parent in the dis- that the program is set up in a way money and has a three-year run, he is trict. The director seems to build that the kids have no time to do their determined to absorb the most posi- positive relationships within the dis- homework. We work homework into tive strands of the program — as well trict wherever she goes. No favor is our program so that it is one less as its winning staff — into the “regu- too great for business office staff to hurdle later in the evening.” lar” extended day program offered by do for her, for example, because of the district in the future. her pleasant, reasonable personality. The state formula that affects school budgets is burdensome, a bureau- The grant, the superintendent cratic nightmare all its own. While acknowledges, was only the first step the superintendent deals with that to creating a healthy program. Now, nightmare, he keeps in sight the he says, the program addresses broad- programs he is not willing to lose. er student interests. "We offer stu- One of those programs is clearly the dents all sorts of activities. We even afterschool program, because of the have a skateboard park. Self-concept connections it builds to students at figures very largely in the whole risk of academic failure and at risk program. Students are involved in of greater failure in later life. “I don’t activities that stretch them, that build know what it will be yet, but there connections to school, that make will be a plan,” he says of the time them more positive about themselves when the afterschool program must and school." The sustainability of the exist without the CCLC funds that program, this superintendent says, currently sustain it. ■ is simply non-negotiable. It is far too important to neglect. It might mean the link to schooling that saves a stu-

10 Fall 2005 Continued from page 9

• Afterschool personnel are paid adequately. The least effective programs are budgeted poorly or have pro- Effective Strategies gram budgets that fluctuate dramatically from year- of the Key Players to-year. This illustrates a lack of district support for the afterschool program. In the current situation of state and district fiscal crisis, central-office personnel What do the leaders across various levels of manage- work with the afterschool director and building prin- ment with successful afterschool programs have in cipals to ensure adequate funding. common? Analysis of interviews by AASA revealed commonalities in the ways that the district, school and • Creative strategies for program continuation are program leaders thought and acted with regard to the devised in the most successful districts. A site coordi- afterschool program. Embedded in these shared char- nator may be budgeted half-time with an existing dis- acteristics is the essence of their beliefs, commitment trict program and half-time with the afterschool pro- and strategies. gram. In times of fiscal constraint, if a district relies solely on grant money to operate the program, there Superintendents progress and seek are plans to merge existing activities into currently their assistance with • Commit to the philoso- funded positions to ensure adequate, well-prepared problems; phy and get involved staff. • Help the afterschool early in the process; director steer through • Strategies for sustainability are communicated clearly, • Have a vision for the bureaucracy and from central office to site coordinators. Ineffective afterschool program; • Advocate visibly and sites typically have no plans for sustainability of grant • Engage in hiring high- frequently. funds in effect until the final months of grant money. quality and well-paid staff; • Districts that had afterschool programs along with grant funds merge the two from the beginning of the • Set clear reporting Program Directors grant period. This strategy ensures that accomplish- lines, accountability ments of the grant period can inform the existing and oversight; • Hire the best staff available; program. • Build-in sustainability, despite complicated • Report frequently to • If funding is particularly constrained, the afterschool funding formulas and central-office person- program does not employ an afterschool director nel and ask their help • Advocate visibly and (depending on the size of the district). Districts of with problems before frequently. medium to small size streamline reporting lines and they escalate; eliminate that layer of management. In these cases, site coordinators report directly to the building prin- • Work within the dis- cipal in the schools where they work. Building Principals trict bureaucracy, rather than against it; • Discipline is consistent. Principals maintain a coherent • Accept responsibil- • Seek programmatic discipline policy that is in place during both the regu- ity for the program in support from the lar school day and the afterschool program. Central- their buildings; superintendent, build- ing principals, site office personnel are informed fully of disciplinary • Encourage the after- coordinators and infractions or inconsistent disciplinary practices school director to build parents and before a situation escalates. Afterschool personnel relationships with are aware of and respect the principal’s authority over site coordinators and • Maintain good rela- student discipline. ■ parents; tions with building principals. • Inform district executive staff about

— Anne Turnbaugh Lockwood, former issues analysis director, American Association of School Administrators; Interim Report to the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, June 2003.

School Governance & Leadership 11 Where Can You Go for He

ASA is a valuable source questions or for more information perhaps the biggest barrier to their of information on current on this important issue. Rebecca development and institutionaliza- A issues in afterschool and Nelson, AASA project director, can tion. Even if districts secure outside how it relates to school leaders. In be reached at [email protected]. resources to initiate programs, those addition to our research and col- funds eventually expire. laboration with the Charles Stewart ■ Funding and Mott Foundation, we have a wealth In reviewing 13 different federal of resources and links to websites to Sustainability funding streams, as well as various share. Additionally, this document state, local and private sources, child is part of a toolkit to help school The ability of school districts to development researcher and profes- leaders address some of the barriers develop funding sources to initiate sor Robert Halpern and colleagues associated with this issue. Please and sustain afterschool programs is, found a system that is “fragmented feel free to contact AASA with as became clear in the AASA study, and categorical, unpredictable and

12 Fall 2005 Websites and Resources www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ afterschool/resources/ r Help? Bowman, Darcia Harris. “Afterschool fundingdescrip.html Programs Proliferate; Funding, Staffing Seen as Problems.” Education Week 21, Title I Supplemental Educational 3 (September 19, 2001): 6. Services and Afterschool Programs. www.ed.gov/policy/ Flynn, Margaret. Title I elsec/guid/ Supplemental Educational often unreliable and that places suppsvcsguid.doc . Services and Afterschool programs that should complement Programs: Opportunities 21st Century Community each other in competition for scarce and Challenges , The Finance Learning Centers, U.S. resources." Public funding for Project, August 2002. Department of Education. afterschool efforts is consistently www.financeprojectinfo.org/ www.ed.gov/pubs. described in this manner. Public Publications/suppsvc.pdf resources are not only seen as inad- equate to the need, but they bring Halpern, Robert. “A Different Kind of ■ Program Quality with them a tangle of bureaucratic Child Development Institution: The History of Afterschool Programs for requirements that often are at odds Low Income Children,” Teachers College Another major barrier to after- with one another. Constant staff time Record, Vol. 104, No. 2, March 2002. school programs involves the issue and resources (both in short supply pp. 178-211. of program quality and poses ques- in afterschool programs) must con- www.tcrecord.org/ExecSummary. tions that have not yet been ade- sequently be directed towards fund- asp?ContentID=10823 quately answered by research. What raising, noted Beth Miller in Critical characteristics are part of a strong Hours: Afterschool Programs and No Child Left Behind. www.ed.gov/nclb/ landing.jhtml?src=pb. program? What are appropriate Educational Success (2003). outcomes? How can they be mea- The Costs and Benefits of Afterschool sured? Is it appropriate for academic While Title I Supplemental Educa- Programs: The Estimated Effects of the outcomes to take priority? What tional Services (SES) funds, part of Afterschool Education and Safety Act of connections should exist between the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) 2002. Rose Institute of State and Local in-school programs and afterschool legislation of 2001, offer possible Government at Claremont McKenna activities? Desired outcomes vary funding for afterschool services, College, 2002. dramatically across programs, notes experts predict that there will be http://rose.claremontmckenna.edu/ Beth Miller in her 2003 report publications/pdf/after_school.pdf many challenges. These include the Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs required approval process at the state and Educational Success, and so level, uncertainty of duration of fund- The Finance Project offers technical assistance on financing and sustaining do the approaches taken to reach ing and the strict accountability out-of-school time initiatives. various goals. There is little clarity requirements. www.financeproject.org about what afterschool program- ming should look like, although The Finance Project, created in The Afterschool Alliance also offers Miller notes that “there is a general 1994, offers a broad range of ser- funding information on its website. consensus that afterschool programs vices to a variety of public- and www.afterschoolalliance.org/ shouldn’t look like more school.” private-sector clients and provides funding_main.cfm expertise in developing short- and Superintendents of successful after- long-term financing strategies. The Harvard Family Research Project provides a listing of web documents school programs understand that The Finance Project disseminates that detail federal funding streams for students want something markedly an array of published resources, afterschool programs and related pro- different from their afterschool pro- including papers related to financ- gramming alongside their accountability gram, even when such programs are ing, governance and management in requirements and evaluations. Funding academically focused. Without it education. The project will analyze streams are classified as major or minor they simply won’t come. the development of statewide after- depending on the amount of money school networks focused on further- they make available for afterschool efforts. At the same time choosing and ing sustainability policies. delivering program content that

School Governance & Leadership 13 enhances engagement in learning Miller, Beth. Critical Hours: Afterschool EducationTM, the discussion turned and improves academic achieve- Programs and Educational Success, to how to address staffing issues. ment in the short term is still an Nellie Mae Education Foundation, May 2003. www.nmefdn.org/uimages/ area that requires much research. “We made sure we had some pretty documents/Critical_Hours(4).pdf dynamic teachers who were well While that research is under way, Pittman, Karen. Out-of-School Time liked by the students. We went after however, many school districts are Policy Commentary #5, "Inside the the very best teachers and through developing thematic and project- Black Box: Exploring the ‘Content’ of them we got the kids to come,” based strategies to combine aca- Afterschool, Forum for Youth Invest- Philomena Pezzano, superintendent demics and other developmental ment," November 2003, www.forumfyi. in Englewood Cliffs, N.J., points out. skill and knowledge sets. org/Files//ostpc5.pdf For Bexley, , superintendent Roth, Jodie, and Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne. Websites and Resources Michael Johnson, ongoing staff “What Do Adolescents Need for development proves essential. Site Afterschool Programs in Cities Across the Healthy Development? Implications for coordinators often receive little United States Survey Report , The United Youth Policy.” Social Policy Report XIV, States Conference of Mayors, January 1 (2000). 20 pages. guidance and must rely on their 2003. www.usmayors.org own experience and expertise in Resources for Afterschool Programing designing programs. Since these Bagby, Janet, and DeAngelis, Tori. (including Beyond the Bell Toolkit), positions are usually a low sal- Resource Guide for Planning and North Central Regional Educational ary level, and not fulltime, the Operating Afterschool Programs (2nd Laboratory. www.ncrel.org/after/ responsibilities of site coordinators Edition), Southwest Educational can be overwhelming. Researcher 21st Century Community Learning Development Laboratory, and afterschool pioneer Michelle 2004. www.sedl.org/pubs/index. Centers: Providing Quality Afterschool Seligson agrees that staff develop- cgi?l=item&id=fam95 Learning Opportunities for America’s Families, U.S. Department of Education, ment is important, but the kind “What Makes a Good Afterschool September 2000. www.ed.gov/pubs of staff training that she believes Program?” Monitor on Psychology 32, 3 is necessary is a step beyond what (March 2001). www.apa.org/monitor/ Walker, K. E., Grossman, J. B., and many districts provide. mar01/afterschool.html Raley, R. Extended-Service Schools: Putting Programming in Place. Unfortunately, she says, much staff Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures, Eaton, Newell, and Quinn, Jane. training doesn’t address the core 2000. 83 pages. “Afterschool Enrichment: Policy and issue of how students learn. “There Practice Strategies for Promoting is a body of knowledge on how kids Children’s Learning and Development.” Presented at the Leave No Child Behind: ■ Staffing learn that is not informing policy Improving Under-performing Urban decisions in education." Schools conference, SUNY Albany, March 2002. www.albany.edu/aire/ School administrators and educa- Teachers need to understand social/ urban/eaton-quinn.html tion experts agree that staffing can emotional development if they are be a real challenge for afterschool to teach young people successfully, Lauer, P., Akiba, M., Wilkerson, S., programs. Often staff is part time or she continues. “What is so often Apthorp, H., Snow, D., Martin-Glenn, volunteer; there may be difficulties lost is the humanistic approach, M. The Effectiveness of Out-of-School- coordinating afterschool programs and this is even more important in Time Strategies in Assisting Low- with the regular school day. afterschool programs.” Researcher Achieving Students in Reading Without really strong and Mathematics: A Research J.B. Grossman would agree that Synthesis , prepared for the staff, administrators “having a high-quality staff is a key Mid-continent Research point out, the students — perhaps the key — to success.” In for Education and Learning won’t come, especially one study that looked at four indica- (McREL) under contract to those in middle and tors of program quality, “relation- the Institute for Educational high school who have ships between adults and youth was Sciences, Department of other demands on their consistently the strongest” indica- Education, , D.C., time. tor. In high-quality programs, “staff October 2003. worked hard to make time with http://www.mcrel.org/ During a focus group topics/productDetail. youth both fun and meaningful” and asp?productID=151 of superintendents held exuded a natural fondness for young during AASA’s 2004 people (Walker et al). National Conference on

14 Fall 2005 Websites and Resources practices, program implementa- the magnitude of impact tion, cost effectiveness and pro- that might be reasonable to Le Menestrel, S., and Dennehy, J., gram impact. expect? Building a Skilled and Stable Workforce: Results of an Online Survey of Out-of- The Harvard Family Research School Time Professionals, Academy of • How much program Project’s (HFRP) Issues and Educational Development Center for participation is enough to Youth Development and Policy Research Opportunities in Out-of- produce beneficial out- and the National Institute on Out-of- School Time Evaluation comes for participants? School Time. briefs are short, user-friendly http://niost.skeeydev.net/clearinghouse/ documents that highlight execsumbsw.asp current research and evalua- • What program quali- tion work in the out-of-school ties are associated with Bowman, Darcia Harris. “Afterschool time field. These documents student outcomes? How Programs Proliferate; Funding, Staffing draw on HFRP’s research work do we measure, assess, Seen as Problems.” Education Week 21, in out-of-school time in order to and develop programs 3 (September 19, 2001): 6. provide practitioners, funders, to improve a range of out- comes for participants? National Institute on Out-of-School evaluators and policymakers with Time. “Building a Skilled and Stable information to help inform their Workforce for After School Programs.” work. In addition to these briefs, • Many of the existing studies www.wcwonline.org/archive/niostbuild. HFRP has launched a set of short, are examining one program at html user-friendly “snapshots” of meth- one point in time. More rigor- ods, evaluation approaches, indica- ous research designs such as Walker, K. E., Grossman, J. B., and tors and findings. experimental, quasi-experimen- Raley, R. Extended-Service Schools: tal, and longitudinal studies are Putting Programming in Place. needed to truly understand the Philadelphia: Public/Private Ventures, The Project’s evaluation periodical, 2000. 83 pages. The Evaluation Exchange, addresses impact of afterschool programs. current issues facing program evalu- Measuring impacts should ators of all levels. Designed as an be considered only after pro- ■ Evaluation ongoing discussion among evalua- grams have had an opportunity tors, program practitioners, funders, to appropriately implement As the numbers of afterschool pro- and policymakers, The Evaluation activities. grams have expanded and more Exchange highlights innovative and more districts turn to the fed- methods and approaches to evalua- eral government or other outside tion, emerging trends in evaluation Websites and Resources sources for funding streams, the practice, and practical applications A Decade of Results: The Impact of need for evaluation of program out- of evaluation theory. The periodical comes has become critical. Funders the LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment is free of charge to subscribers. Program on Subsequent Student and policymakers don’t wish to Achievement and Performance. LA’s waste valuable resources on pro- An-Me Chung and Eugene Hillsman BEST and the UCLA Center for grams that aren’t working; neither, of the C.S. Mott Foundation pointed the Study of Evaluation, June 2000. for that matter, do school leaders! out in an article in the May 2005 edi- www.lasbest.org/resourcecenter/ In fact, school districts that are cur- tion of The School Administrator that uclaeval.pdf rent or potential grantees of the much research remains to be done in 21st Century Community Learning supporting continuous improvement Grossman, J., Price, M., Fellerath, V., Jucovy, L., Kotloff, L., Raley, R., and Centers already know that the and identifying effective afterschool evaluation process is mandated for Walker, K. Multiple Choices Afterschool: practices and programs. Examples of Findings From the Extended-Service those resources. future research include: Schools Initiative, a report of an evalu- ation conducted by Public/Private But evaluating the outcomes of • What are the processes behind Ventures (PPV) and Manpower afterschool programs is mark- how activity participation and Demonstration Research Corporation edly different than evaluating the (MDRC), June 2002. www.mdrc.org/ student outcomes influence outcomes of the normal school publications/48/abstract.html each other? Given the increas- day. Perhaps because of the new- ing interest and time devoted ness of the field, there is still much to academic activities, what is to learn about afterschool best

School Governance & Leadership 15 Larner, M B.; L. Zippiroli; and R. Additional Links on Afterschool Programs E. Behrman. “When School Is Out: Foundations Inc. sets up and operates Analysis and Recommendations.” The The federal government sponsors a afterschool, extended day and sum- Future of Children 9 (1999): 4-20. website that connects people to federal mer programs. Foundations also trains The Effectiveness of Out-of-School-Time resources for information on strategies program staff, provides ongoing profes- Strategies in Assisting Low-Achieving to support children and youth during sional development and assess program Students in Reading and Mathematics: out-of-school hours. The site includes a effectiveness. www.foundations-inc.org A Research Synthesis , McREL, searchable database of federal govern- December 2003. www.mcrel.org/PDF/ ment funding sources; ideas on net- Harvard Afterschool Evaluation SchoolImprovementReform/5032RR_ working with others in the field; links Database offers extensive evaluations of RSOSTeffectiveness.pdf to organizations and publications that focus on youth issues; and websites afterschool programs. www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/ The Impact of Afterschool designed for kids and teens. afterschool/evaldatabase.html Programs: Interpreting the www.afterschool.gov Results of Four Recent Both the Mid-Continent Research for Evaluations. William The Afterschool Alliance is a coalition Education and Learning (McREL) and T. Grant Foundation, of public, private and nonprofit orga- North Central Regional Educational January 2004. nizations dedicated to raising aware- Laboratory (NCREL) have websites to www.wtgrantfounda- ness of the importance of afterschool provide assistance on the 21st Century tion.org/ usr_doc/After- programs and advocating for quality, Community Learning Centers Grant school_paper.pdf affordable programs for all children. Visit their website to get information Program. www.mcrel.org www.ncrel.org The Rand Studies, Foundations Inc. about Lights On Afterschool, download The National Child Care Information December 2002. media tools, and get the latest infor- Center from ERIC and the National www.foundations-inc.org mation on recent legislation related to afterschool. Child Care Bureau serves as a mecha- nism for supporting quality, comprehen- Trousdale, Donna, “First-Year www.afterschoolalliance.org/ sive services for children and families. Evaluation of an Afterschool Program www.nccic.org/ for Middle School Youth," ERS The American Association of School Spectrum, Educational Research Service, Administrators provides information on The National Community Education Arlington, Va., Summer 2000. current issues in afterschool and how it relates to school leaders. www.aasa.org Association provides national and regional training conferences to assist U.S. Department of Education, When the 21st Century Community Learning Schools Stay Open Late: The National The C. S. Mott Foundation has pro- Centers program. www.ncea.com/ Evaluation of the 21st-Century vided more than six decades of support Community Learning Centers Program , for community education. In 1997, the The National Institute on Out-of-School First Year Findings, conducted by Foundation and the U.S. Department of Time provides research and materials Mathematica Policy Research Inc., and Education (DOE) entered a multi-year to assist applicants for 21st Century Decision Information Resources Inc., public-private partnership in support Community Learning Centers grants. 2003. www.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/other/ of 21st Century Community Learning www.niost.org/ learningcenters/index.html Centers. www.mott.org/21/ The National Network for Child Care Warren, C., with Brown, P., and Family Education Network provides offers e-mail discussion, a database, Freudenberg, N. Evaluation of the New free local school connections for teach- newsletters, contacts, support and assis- York City Beacons, Summary of Phase 1 ers and parents — both e-mail and web tance for those interested in family child Findings, 1999. www.aypf.org/publica- pages. FEN also links to a variety of care, center-based care, and school-age tions/nomoreisle/PDF/60-62.pdf resources for adults who work with stu- dents. www.fen.com/ child care. www.nncc.org/

The Forum for Youth Investment's sup- SERVE is the lead Regional Educational port for Out-of-School Time focuses on Laboratory in the area of expanded including all young people, all settings, learning opportunities (ELO). As such, and all learning opportunities. SERVE’s website provides resources for www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/ ELO programs across the nation. www.serve.org/ ■