What stood out most to me during the webinar was just how well-situated afterschool programs are to support students’ learning and growth under the Common Core.  Jenell highlighted afterschool programs in Wisconsin that are helping their kids achieve under the Common Core in innovative and promising ways.  For example, The Goodman Community Center, one program she reviewed, excels at connecting the afterschool program to learning that takes place during the school day.  The afterschool program has eight school day teachers on staff who help develop academic enrichment activities using the CCSS; the program sends monthly newsletters to teachers at each school; and program staff attend Individual Education Plan (IEP) meetings for students enrolled in the program, attend school functions and also observe their students during the school day.  The program also collects data on their students’ grades, test scores, behavior and attendance to develop a portfolio for each student that identifies their needs and helps assess their progress.  This individualized analysis not only monitors students’ progress, but it allows staff to most effectively help students develop mastery of subject content in areas such as reading and writing. 

As a resource for afterschool programs that are looking to learn more about the Common Core and how to use it to complement their programming, NJSACC developed Supporting Student Success (S₃).  Sarah shared that NJSACC worked with 10 afterschool programs, providing webinar training and technical support to plan and implement program activities that support the Common Core, creating a community that facilitates peer-to-peer learning and administering assessment to look at the impact of the training.  One example of an afterschool program taking part in the project was the 21^st Century Community Learning Center in Pemberton, NJ.  Through the project, the program created a reading program aligned with English language arts Common Core.  However, the program made certain that the program content developed was engaging and looked different than reading taking place during the school day.  For instance, reading groups were based on a student’s interest, rather than their reading level.  The mixed reading level groups allowed students to help one another and become more enthusiastic about reading because it was tied to something relevant and meaningful in their lives.  Sarah revealed that students in the program felt that participation made them more engaged in their classes during the school day and also helped them better understand what they were taught during the school day.

The webinar was one hour long, but I wish it could have been longer to hear more about these afterschool programs that show just how valuable the out-of-school hours are to the implementation of the Common Core and preparing students for success in school, college and career.  On the bright side, there are a number of resources out there to learn more about the role afterschool programs can play to support the Common Core, and be sure to check back here as we continue to share more information related to the Common Core.

What does Common Core mean for afterschool?  Whether you agree or disagree with Common Core, these standards are the reality for students, families and educators in nearly every state.  While the goals of afterschool go well beyond academic support, given the importance of Common Core to educators and the ways in which Common Core will impact the learning experience for children and youth, the Common Core will surely affect afterschool providers as well.   

How can you help prepare afterschool programs and staff to support learning under the Common Core State Standards?

• Educate yourself about Common Core and the role of afterschool.  Achieve has a variety of resources on Common Core, including guides for elementary and secondary school leaders and guidance counselors.  In addition, there are briefs focused on the role of afterschool that share examples of programs and recommendations for supporting learning under the Common Core.
  • From the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): Connecting High-Quality Expanded Learning Opportunities and the Common Core State Standards to Advance Student Success
  • From the Forum for Youth Investment:  The Common Core Standards: What do they Mean for Out-of-School Time?
  • From the Partnership for Children and Youth: Linking Common Core and Expanded Learning
• Help parents better understand the Common Core and what it means for their children.  The National PTA and the Council of Great City Schools both have parent resources on Common Core available for download.  Given the strong relationship that afterschool providers have with parents and families, programs are well positioned to help educate parents about the Common Core.
  • National PTA’s Parents Guide to Student Success
  • Council of the Great City Schools’ Parent Roadmaps to Common Core
• Promote opportunities for professional development and sharing among afterschool staff and school staff.  Expanding Minds and Opportunities includes an article on Common Core and expanded learning that features a couple of examples:
  • In Wisconsin, district and local expanded learning programs are connecting with school curriculum online and directly with teachers.  Programs include current and retired teachers on their staff to facilitate effective engagement with schools and the academic content students are learning.
  • The New Jersey State Afterschool Network, NJSACC, in cooperation with the New Jersey State Department of Education, completed a statewide pilot training program on the Common Core for afterschool program leaders. Training sessions focused on how to align student activities and curriculum with the Common Core.
• Check out examples of afterschool providers who are helping students reach Common Core.
  • The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and America’s Promise Alliance have an upcoming webinar on May 6 that will explore the ways in which afterschool and summer programs can help students achieve under the Common Core standards.  Examples from New Jersey and Wisconsin will be highlighted and case studies, best practices and lessons learned will be featured. 

As the recognition of the valuable role that afterschool and summer programs play in supporting student learning continues to grow, it is essential that afterschool providers demonstrate how they can expand on and complement the learning that happens during the school day.  Throughout the rest of 2013 and beyond, we’ll be working to provide the afterschool community with resources related to Common Core and the role of afterschool in helping all students succeed in school and out.

For example, the brief reviews a 2010 study by Richard Allington and Anne McGill-Franzen that found when students from low-income schools were given a dozen books of their choice to take home over the summer, their reading achievement increased and the “summer slide”—the reading achievement gap that appears during the summer between low-income children and their more affluent peers—was prevented.  A chart in the brief illustrates how just 10 more minutes of reading a day can drastically increase the number of words one is exposed to.  For a person who reads just under 10 minutes a day, an additional 10 minutes adds almost 650,000 more words read per year—a word exposure increase of 104 percent.

The brief also discusses the variety of ways afterschool and summer learning programs can incorporate reading, whether they are an academic program, a recreational program or an arts program.  One strength of afterschool programs is their flexibility.  Not only can afterschool programs offer students different reading options than those they may have in the classroom—such as books that allow them to reflect on their family, culture and community, and magazines and blogs that are relevant to their interests—but afterschool programs can also connect reading to creative writing outlets that encourage critical thinking, including poetry, spoken word, playwriting and online role playing forums.  

The “Harry Potter effect”—the magical ability of a book to turn a person into a lifelong reader—is a phenomenon that all kids should experience.  When kids are engaged and habitual readers, they become better at reading, are more enthusiastic about school, are more focused in school, improve their critical thinking skills and build their self-confidence.  Afterschool programs play an integral part in connecting students to the enjoyment that comes from reading, as well as the many benefits of it.  If you’re interested in learning more about the research that discusses the positive effects of reading or find out the different ways afterschool programs are encouraging kids to read, this issue brief is for you.