A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

How to Open Schools for Extended Learning and Safety After Hours and During the Summer

Extending learning time at a school through programs such as reading tutoring, intensive mentoring to prepare for college or careers, homework help, or drug-prevention require collaboration among diverse partners: not only parents and educators, but also community residents, service providers, colleges, employers, and public officials may need, and want, to be involved in the process. Programs should keep in mind the goal of drawing upon all of the community's available resources, while addressing the concerns of all who are affected.

Collaboration often requires changes in traditional roles, responsibilities, expectations, relationships, and schedules. These changes can frustrate even the best efforts if the people who implement the new program do not share common goals, a vision for what the Community Learning Center can accomplish, and an understanding of the populations and conditions the program will address and the strategies to be used. But before partners can agree on these details, they must first agree that schools have an important role to play in providing extended learning and safety through after-school and summer programs.

Learning Opportunities All the Time Cason Lane Academy Murfreesboro, TN The Murfreesboro City Schools have developed a remarkable strategy for offering extended learning to students. Five days a week, year round, Murfreesboro's nine elementary schools are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. College students from a local university are instrumental as staff to these programs. At Cason Lane Academy (K-8), each day is divided into three distinct parts: traditional academics such as reading (no pull-outs allowed), until 11 a.m.; contemporary education, with small group work, individualized instruction, and music and art classes for every student, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and "increased opportunities," where parents may choose academics taught by regular Cason Lane teachers, art, recreation, or life skills classes for their children, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Each day 500 to 600 of Cason Lane's 950 students stay for the afternoon session; during the year, 90 percent of the children participate at some time. No one is turned away, and 10 percent receive scholarships. Cason Lane uses flex-time scheduling to make certified teachers available to teach academics after regular school hours. Mid-day assistants, usually college students, relieve teachers and supervise lunch; ancillary staff, coaches, and music teachers work from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Through creative use of its resources and minimal fees ($1.25 per hour and materials cost), Cason Lane estimates it provides 66 percent more educational time than traditional schools.

A checklist for building consensus and soliciting input from diverse stakeholders: [ ] parents, grandparents [ ] principals [ ] students [ ] active volunteers [ ] parent-teacher organizations [ ] leaders of community groups [ ] school district administrators [ ] school board members [ ] higher education leaders [ ] teachers [ ] employers [ ] service providers [ ] clergy

The Steps to Building a Successful Program. Schools, including parents, school staff, and community leaders, can take steps to become successful after-school and summer learning centers:

1. Building consensus and partnerships among key stakeholders to convey the importance of becoming a Community Learning Center and involve them in its planning and implementation (see Appendix C for more details).

2. Assessing school and community circumstances and need, and resources and opportunities to operate a before- and after-school learning center (see Appendix D for more details).

3. Designing a program that helps children and families learn at school and within the community (see Appendix E for more details).

4. Addressing logistical issues, including the use and maintenance of facilities, legal and liability concerns, and institutional policies (see Appendix F for more details).

5. Obtaining qualified staff and defining their roles and responsibilities (see Appendix G for more details).

An Extended Program Offers Non-Stop Learning Carmen Park Elementary School in Flint, Michigan serves 280 students in grades 4-6. Because many students are at risk of dropping out of school, the principal, teachers, and parents on the school's management council created an after-school and summer program that emphasizes healthy, educational opportunities for all students. The extended learning program is aligned with the standards and benchmarks of the state's core curriculum. During the school year, the computer lab opens an hour before classes begin and remains open until 5 p.m. (8 p.m. on Thursdays). A tutor supervises as students use the lab for computer-assisted instruction (CAI). During the summer, between 20 and 45 students work individually with tutors in the media center for four hours, once a week; twice a week, the computer teacher and a technician supervise students using the lab for CAI activities. A series of activities known as Jumpstart enables students to maintain connections to school during the summer and avoid difficult transitions each fall. From 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 60 students attend workshops in reading, science, math, and social studies led by a certified teacher, a Title I assistant, the principal, and parent volunteers. Title I teachers also offer a hands-on, tutorial program for Title I students from Carmen Park and its feeder school. Funding for the programs comes from the federal Title I program, a state program for at-risk students, and the school district's general fund. Local businesses donate snacks. Carmen Park students score near the 80th percentile on reading, writing, math, and science tests in the state assessment. The principal attributes student success to year-round participation in educational activities and to the program's ability to provide adult role models who value education.

There is no prescription for the perfect after-school or summer program. The list of services and activities that schools can offer to promote learning and safety will depend on the resources they possess and the planners' goals and vision for a better school and a better community--their decisions about who should be served, when, how often, where, and in what way.

Depending on community conditions, programs may include:

• Tutoring and intensive mentoring in basic skills, such as reading, math, and science
• Drug and violence prevention curricula and counseling
• Youth-focused activities (e.g., Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCAs, Junior Achievement, Scouts of America, academic clubs)
• Preparing students to be admitted and succeed in college
• Homework centers
• Enrichment in the arts and cultural events
• Computer instruction
• Language instruction, including English as a second language
• Employment preparation or training
• Adult education and skill development
• Activities linked to law enforcement
• Supervised recreation and athletic programs and events
• Day-care, preschool, and/or nursery programs

Focus Groups Highlight Need for a Drug Prevention Program The Red Hook Community Center at P.S. 15 in Brooklyn, New York offers evening, Saturday, and summer learning and recreational activities for more than 1,000 children, youth, and adults. Activities include discussions, skill building, and problem solving related to drug involvement and violence. Adolescents (ages 16-20) in a "Youth on the Move" group learn leadership, community assessment, and outreach skills. The group has held focus groups and surveyed peers about the needs and risk factors associated with drugs and violence. Responding to feedback, the group counteracts the influence of drug dealers by providing role modeling and outreach to children before they begin using drugs. Another group of adolescents, "STOP the Violence," serves as mentors and conducts drug and violence prevention workshops. Adolescents (ages 12-16) in the "Pathfinders Program" meet for four hours a week to plan and perform community service projects, solve community problems, and engage in peer discussions and support exercises. Twenty-five pre-teens in the "Challengers Program" participate in community service and enrichment activities for eight hours a week.

I.S. 218 in Washington Heights, New York I.S. 218 provides learning opportunities and social services before and after school and on weekends for 600 children a day in collaboration with the Children's Aid Society and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. One thousand parents also participate every week by taking classes in literacy, citizenship, English as a second language, entrepreneurship, and other topics, and by serving as volunteers. Along with educational opportunities, I.S. 218 offers a full range of medical and mental health services. The program's education and enrichment classes cost approximately $450 per family per year; families pay an annual fee of $35 a year. Total program funding is about $1.2 million per year. Attendance at I.S. 218 is the highest in the city for comparable communities, and students' reading and math scores are improving steadily.

Questions to Consider in Planning A Community Learning Center What school needs could be satisfied through links with community partners? [ ] Added learning experiences [ ] Volunteers and other resource staff [ ] Cost sharing [ ] Improve school image What are the major barriers to creating the Community Learning Center? [ ] Staff endorsement [ ] Program interrelationships and boundaries [ ] Arrangements for sharing space and equipment [ ] Administrative control [ ] Managerial arrangements [ ] Legal, liability, or financial requirements Would public education programs be helped by: [ ] Closer relationships between educators and the public [ ] Expanded learning opportunities [ ] Improved communication with other segments of the community [ ] Use of the school for community purposes [ ] Conservation of limited education funding

Programs that use schools beyond regular hours for academic enrichment, such as reading tutoring, intensive mentoring in math, and drug and violence prevention, may be initiated and administered by a single public school system, or the public school system may administer the program in partnership with a non-school organization or local business, or as part of a broader community development initiative.

Supplemental Curricula Build Students' Business Skills More than 2 million elementary, middle, and high school students in 3,300 communities participate in Junior Achievement, an extended learning program that educates and inspires children "to value free enterprise, understand business and economics, and be workforce ready." At all levels, the program provides sequential and integrated courses that link students with trained volunteer role models from the community, experience-based learning, and a network of staff and advisors. Elementary school students learn the relevance of education to the workplace and the importance of lifelong learning through discussions and activities that emphasize decision making. Middle school students meet weekly with local business volunteers to (1) learn about the economics of households, businesses, and the world marketplace; (2) explore careers; (3) learn about trade connections between people and cultures around the world; and (4) explore the personal and societal impact of leaving school. High school students participate in a one-semester economics course, taught by school staff in partnership with a community business leader. In an after-school component, students organize a corporation with guidance from community volunteers. During the school year and summer, students also create and manage a company, develop and sell a product or service, participate in workshops on career planning and leadership development, and work with a business mentor in a local firm.

Whatever the model, experienced practitioners report that non-traditional school efforts, such as extended learning centers, benefit from a combination of informal management systems that give staff autonomy and formal oversight systems that ensure accountability and generate support from top administrators. Responsibility for maintaining the facilities used by school/community programs typically lies with a manager or coordinator who answers to the principal and often also to the school board, the staff of organizations that provide services at the school, or both. Advisory committees, which often continue past the program planning stage, may help coordinate programs and mobilize changes in the program or in relationships among collaborators. Partners also may establish accountability procedures for their own staff who participate in the school program.

Two concerns that Community Learning Centers can face deal with legal issues and institutional policies.

Anticipating Legal Concerns. Extended school programs that involve recreation, field trips, and similar activities may raise liability issues. Administrators from each partner agency or institution should examine the potential for liability problems, make sure that the program's insurance coverage is adequate, and establish a process for addressing liability concerns.

Some local laws encourage joint ventures, such as Community Learning Centers, that provide an array of services, while others may appear to prevent interagency programs. Additional laws simply regulate services. Planners should understand the differences among these laws. In some cases, laws can be changed to make school-community collaboration easier. For example, one Virginia law provides for joint exercise of powers across state lines, which "appears to enable and encourage joint ventures such as interagency programs and school community centers."

Negotiating Institutional Policies. Institutional policies protect personal and professional privacy, define roles, and establish guidelines for practice. Policies usually are designed to make things run smoothly, but if they are not flexible enough to accommodate changes required by an after-school and summer education program, they can create turf issues and bureaucratic red tape.

Tips for Working with the School Involve teachers in planning and needs assessment from the beginning Establish expectations for what and how materials will be shared Where possible, integrate regular staff with extended learning staff Coordinate with teachers so that the program fills their needs and frees them to do more with their own class time Establish a system for ongoing dialogue between regular and extended learning staff, to facilitate assessment, innovation, and the quick airing of grievances

Minimal Fees Support a Child Care Program Before and After School When a survey revealed that 1,600 parents in a Philadelphia suburb wanted a child-care program for their school-age children, the North Penn School District established a fee-based program using district facilities and a private child-care provider. Today, the before- and after-school program (BASE) serves 800 children--12 percent of the students in the district. Parents pay approximately $5 for morning sessions, $6.70 for afternoon care, or $8.80 for both sessions. The fees cover the cost of staff, liability insurance, snacks, school maintenance, and program overhead. BASE uses the gymnasiums and cafeterias of 13 elementary schools, often sharing space with other community youth groups. Activities include homework help, supervised science and cooking experiments, games, art activities, and sports. The staff consists of certified teachers, teacher assistants from local colleges, and adults with experience in youth organizations. Twelve college students work on a part-time basis supervising project activities (along with certified teachers). They also assist participating students with their homework.

To avoid barriers caused by institutional policies, programs can:

• Encourage partners to discuss boundary issues and resolve them in ways that satisfy all collaborators.

• Define decision-making roles clearly.

• Identify and address core policy issues during the early stages of program planning.

The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program This Indiana program is designed to provide tuition and fees to Indiana students who might not otherwise attend college. Students are eligible by meeting the income guidelines and by taking the Twenty-first Century Scholars pledge in the 8th grade, and fulfilling the requirements set by the Indiana General Assembly. Mentoring is an essential part of this program. In addition, all of Indiana's students and their families may call an 800 hotline number for career and college information, freeing up guidance counselors to give more individualized assistance. If the student meets certain requirements, the student is eligible to receive tuition and fees to an Indiana postsecondary institution (as defined by Indiana law). Since 1994, the state's CORE 40, a college prep and tech prep curriculum, has laid out for students and counselors, the courses that students must take to be considered for admission to Indiana's four-year colleges, and recommended for all students.

After-School Reading Program Chicago, Illinois Pullman School, a schoolwide Title I program located in an inner-city neighborhood, serves low-income students in grades K-8. The Extended Day Program targets students in grades 3, 6, and 8 who have not attained a passing score on the required reading test. The program focuses on helping those students improve their reading scores before they take the test again. Students are eligible to participate if they are one year below grade level in the third grade, 1.5 years below grade level in sixth grade, or 1.8 years below grade level in eighth grade. The reading portion of the program takes place on Monday and Tuesday and lasts one hour each day. Teachers from the school lead the program. The program runs from October to March, and there are nine classes each day. Typically there are 15 students in each class. The focus is on comprehension and recreational reading. The program's primary purpose is to improve the students' comprehension of the material they read. During the two days each week devoted to reading the program consists of two basic activities: a skills improvement portion that provides students with opportunities to read passages followed by exercises to check their level of comprehension and a recreational component through which they engage in a variety of reading activities. The recreational component of this program offers the students a chance to listen to stories read by the teacher or other students, and participate in paired reading activities or choral readings. Teachers try to motivate students to read newspaper articles and enjoy literature.

The Beacon Program New York, New York The Beacon Program at Countee Cullen Community Center/P.S. 194 in New York City operates from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week. The center offers educational programs, supervised recreation, and social services and encourages teenagers to become more involved in restoring their community. An after-school program and summer day camp serve 150 youth, and a Teen Youth Council has launched a community beautification effort, sponsored workshops on job readiness and pre-employment skills, and organized a peer mediation program to help prevent youth violence. Other services include collaboration with Narcotics Anonymous and the Boy Scouts, a meal program, cultural studies, and supervised sports. A grant from the Children's Welfare Administration funds the center's Family Development Program, a prevention program that helps troubled families stay together. Case managers work with parents and children to keep children out of the foster care system, help students with remedial academics, and empower parents to be the primary educators of their children. The Beacon Program has increased youths' access to vocational arenas, therapeutic counseling, and academic enrichment. Student performance on standardized reading tests has improved, and police report fewer juvenile felonies in the community.

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