Recent Afterschool Snacks
JUN
18
STEM
By Melissa Ballard
Alyssa Schwenk is the research associate at Change the Equation, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM education nationwide. To that end, they have developed iOn Future, a program geared toward sparking middle schoolers’ interest in a STEM career.
Looking for a way to introduce your students to the wide world of STEM this summer? Try iOn Future, an online learning suite featuring four STEM-centric games. iOn Future helps middle schoolers see how STEM is used every day in their own world, and helps them identify what STEM careers might be most interesting to them. It's designed to support and extend programming around STEM and STEM careers. Leaders can use the game to preview units on STEM careers, and students can use the game independently to explore career paths of interest to them like astrobiology, oceanography or mechanical engineering. Download the iOn Future Learning Guide or visit iOnFuture.org to learn more.
 |
 |
|
In the STEM Career Matchmaker game, students can choose topics of interest and are returned a list of careers that match. They can further sort careers by the skills needed, education level required and the potential salary they can make.
|
JUN
17
RESEARCH
By Alexis Steines
Two reports released last week show that despite a modestly improving economy and nationwide efforts to increase participation in federal meal programs, childhood hunger remains a problem.
The reports were released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) and Feeding America, two major anti-hunger advocacy organizations, just in time for Summer Food Service Week. Participation in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) increased slightly last summer, but not enough to reverse three years of declining participation. According to the FRAC report, Hunger Doesnt Take a Vacation, program participation increased for the first time since 2008, with 2.8 million children participating in the program on an average July weekday. Last July, 13,000 more children participated in the program than in July 2011. While the increase is encouraging, it is not enough to reverse three years of declines. In summer 2012, 99,000 fewer children were participating in than in 2008. Hunger Doesnt Take a Vacation measures participation in the summer nutrition programs by comparing the number of children receiving summer meals to the number of children receiving school lunch during the school year.
Feeding America also released its annual Map the Meal Gap report this week. Map the Meal Gap is an annual report showing the rates of food insecurity, or hunger, across the country. Using the report's interactive map, you can find the rates of food insecurity for children and adults in every county in the United States. The report, which looked at 2011 data, found that 50 million individuals are food insecure, including 17 million children. Afterschool, before school and summer learning programs can play a significant role in reducing hunger by increasing access to critical child nutrition programs. If you operate a summer learning program, consider participating in the Summer Food Service Program.
During the academic year, afterschool program providers can serve meals through the CACFP At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program. The Afterschool Alliance continues to do considerable work to increase participation in these vital programs. AmeriCorps VISTA volunteers in Arkansas, California, Michigan, New Mexico and Pennsylvania are working hard to raise awareness of these programs, as well as encourage afterschool and summer learning programs to participate.
JUN
17
IN THE FIELD
By Sarah Keller
Sarah Keller is an intern at the Afterschool Alliance this summer. She is mainly working on policy issues. She has a JD from Georgia State University College of Law and a BA in Political Science from the University of Georgia.
Earlier this month the
Coalition for Community Schools recognized three individual schools (Harmon Johnson Elementary School, Sacramento, CA; Hillcrest Elementary School, San Francisco, CA; and Roosevelt Elementary School, Allentown, PA) and two community school initiatives (Cincinnati Community Learning Centers in Ohio and Hartford Community Schools in Connecticut) for their outstanding work as community schools at a briefing on Capitol Hill. These schools engage the entire community to ensure that students maximize their full potential. They realize the interrelationship between a student’s academic, social and emotional needs and find ways to address those needs.
Afterschool programs play an important role in these community schools. Teachers and afterschool program staff work together so that the afterschool activities enhance the school’s curriculum. For example, Hillcrest employs “linked-day” staff members who support classroom staff during the school day and then use the same teaching strategies at the afterschool program using project-based learning and other enrichment tools. Each Hartford community school has an educational coordinator who often works full-time as a teacher at the school and works part-time helping the afterschool program develop activities and instructional strategies that supplement the school’s curriculum and learning goals.
Aligning afterschool with the school-day is a proven element of successful programs.
In addition to academic support, sports and arts are offered at these afterschool programs. For instance, Roosevelt partnered with the Allentown Symphony Association to provide a music program. This program is free for Roosevelt students due to donated instruments and snacks. Hillcrest’s afterschool program includes a volunteer-led art club and five soccer teams through the America SCORES program. All of the expanded opportunities for students in these afterschool programs have led to increased afterschool enrollment at many of the recognized schools.
The outcomes from the recognized schools are impressive. At Roosevelt Elementary, the percentage of students scoring advanced and proficient in reading increased by 19 percent from 2006 to 2011 and by 13 percent on math assessments. Parent volunteerism and participation is on the rise, more than two-dozen community members attend adult English classes, and enrollment in afterschool programs increased more than 50 percent in the past two years with more than 57 percent of the students now participating in before-, after- or summer school activities run by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Allentown and other community partners.
JUN
17
POLICY
By Sarah Keller
Markup and discussion of legislation to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) began on June 11 in the Senate Help, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. ESEA was last reauthorized in 2002 and Congress has attempted to reauthorize it since 2007. HELP Committee Chairman Tom Harkin (D- IA) introduced the latest incarnation of the statute, Strengthening America's Schools Act (SASA), last week with the support of all committee Democrats. Ranking Member Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced his own version of the statute last week, Every Child Ready for College or Career, which was also debated during the markup.
The markup began with opening statements by Sens. Harkin and Alexander. While both expressed a desire to come together on a bipartisan bill, the ideological differences on the role the federal government should play in education eventually proved to be too big. During his opening statement Sen. Harkin stressed the need for a partnership between federal, state and local governments. In addition, he talked about how SASA maintains requirements many states currently have through ESEA waivers. Sen. Alexander used his opening statement to discuss his vision of states being free from the mandates in No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the current version of ESEA. He believes that Sen. Harkin’s bill continues those mandates, creating a “national school board,” which he adamantly opposes. Sen. Alexander also noted that the divergent views on the federal government’s role in education is reflected in the size of the two bills: Sen. Harkin’s bill is 1150 pages, compared to Sen. Alexander’s 220 page bill. The debate over the federal government’s role in education continued while discussing Sen. Alexander’s substitute bill amendment. After considerable discussion between senators of both parties, Sen. Alexander’s bill amendment failed by a party line vote of 10-12.
From the afterschool perspective, Sen. Kay Hagan’s (D-NC) amendment to include increased learning time as part of 2 of the 4 school turnaround models would codify existing Department of Education policy. While speaking in support of the amendment Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) noted that increased learning time can include a partnership with high quality afterschool programs. Sen. Alexander argued that increased learning time is only useful if the underlying schools, teachers and support staff are quality educators. The amendment passed by a voice vote with no audible objections.
This previous blog includes more on the impact of the bill on afterschool programs.
At the conclusion of the markup, Chairman Harkin reiterated his hope that the bill would move to the Senate floor for debate. He and Sen. Alexander said that they would like the bill to receive a full debate from the Senate and be subject to an open and inclusive amendment process on the floor.
Of the 40 amendments that had been filed before the two-day proceedings, 10 were adopted—nine from Democrats and one from a Republican. Of course, the partisan vote on the final bill conveys the philosophical differences between the parties on the federal role in K-12 education. The House Education and the Workforce Committee is expected to mark up their ESEA reauthorization bill later this month.
There's still time for friends of afterschool to
email representatives and senators to emphasize the value and importance of afterschool and summer learning programs through June as the education committees discuss ESEA.
JUN
17
POLICY
By Jen Rinehart
As the official start of summer nears, things have been heating up here in D.C.—and not just the temperature. Congress has really kicked into action on reauthorizations. Check out Erik Peterson’s blog posts on all the recent Congressional activity for more details on that.
But, federal law makers can’t even compete with the work that state legislators have been doing to support afterschool and summer learning in recent months. In fact, a number of state legislatures recently passed (not just introduced!) afterschool related legislation:
- In Illinois, legislators demonstrated their commitment to supporting children and youth in the hours after school by passing a 2014 state budget that included a new $10 million afterschool funding stream to be administered by the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, a 7 percent increase to Teen REACH funding—from $8.2 million to $8.8 million, funding for local afterschool initiatives like After School Matters and continued support for child care.
In Massachusetts, the legislature voted to increase the After School and Out of School Time (ASOST) Quality Grant by 15 percent, ensuring the first new dollars for the grant since 2009. Massachusetts also saw the continued investment of $3 million to the Gateway Cities-Afterschool and Summer Enrichment & Acceleration Academies for English Language Learners and increases for the arts, summer learning and violence prevention programs. Check out the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership’s recap of the final recommendations for all afterschool and youth-related budget line items. Additionally, the Governor’s STEM Council prioritized out-of-school time programs and its partnership with the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership through a March 2013 announcement of incentive fund awards to three regional STEM networks.- In Texas, legislation establishing an Expanded Learning Opportunities Council was passed by both houses. The Council is the first afterschool and summer dedicated policy in Texas, which makes it a big win for Texas advocates and lays the groundwork for future legislative activity in the state. Texas now joins a number of other states—including Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Nevada and Iowa—that have expanded learning opportunity legislative task forces, commissions or studies. Check out the National Conference of State Legislatures’ brief on State Policies Supporting Learning Outside the School Day for more info on state policy and afterschool.
Kudos to the afterschool and summer learning advocates in these states for helping move this legislation along. These are especially big wins given the budget challenges plaguing states today and are a clear sign of how much state legislators value the role of afterschool and summer programs in keeping kids safe, inspiring learning and supporting working families. If you’ve recently had a legislative win in your state, add it to the discussion here by commenting below!
JUN
12
NEWS ROUNDUP
By Molly Tomlinson
“Summer learning is not merely about adding days to the school calendar. It is about creating life-changing experiences that help students thrive. More learning time in the hands of great teachers, great nonprofits, and students themselves activates academic content, builds background knowledge, and develops the skills necessary for success in school, college, and careers,” Boston After School and Beyond Executive Director Chris Smith wrote in a Boston Globe letter-to-the-editor responding to an article questioning if the school day should be extended. “These experiences, while beneficial to most students, are essential for some students, particularly those who have not succeeded in traditional school settings. Let’s talk about more learningtime, but let’s also explore how to use time for more active learning, more skills development, and more transformational learning experiences.”
“Twenty-two young ladies from the Reading Recreation Commission's after-school program got a chance to get some tips on fancy living, taking a trip to Judy's on Cherry restaurant for a bit of fine dining and etiquette lessons,” the Reading Eagle reports. The event was aimed at getting the students exposed to new experiences and out of their comfort zones. For some of the afterschool students, it was the first time they got dressed up to go out to dinner.
Thanks to a READ UP grant from the U.S. Department of Education, more than 300,000 children’s books will be distributed to families in Dona Ana County this summer. The program is an eight-week project that encourages parents to read with their children 20 minutes a day by providing books for children and information and incentives for parents once a week. Weekly reading events will be held at community centers, public parks and other locations around the county.
Five Ithaca area high school students will conduct research that takes advantage of new opportunities in DNA sequencing technology and the availability of fully sequenced genomes as part of the Plant Genome Research Program-Research Experience for Undergraduates (PGRP-REU) at Cornell University’s Boyce Thompson Institute, the Press & Sun Bulletin reports. The summer scientists’ internships are supported locally by the Ithaca Garden Club and members of the community.
JUN
11
POLICY
By Alexis Steines
Three nationally recognized afterschool leaders were in Washington, D.C. on Monday for a discussion on expanded learning policy at the local and federal levels. The Senate briefing, Policy Perspectives in Expanded Learning: Lessons Learned at the Local Level and Implications for Federal Policy, featured Jennifer Peck, executive director of the Partnership for Children and Youth in California; Laura Hansen, director of information management and decision support for the Metro Nashville Public Schools in Tennessee; and Christina Russell, managing director for Policy Studies Associates, Inc. in Washington, D.C. It was sponsored by the American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and the Collaborative for Building After-School Systems (CBASS).
The briefing focused on the value of intermediary organizations, quality and accountability, and school and community partnerships. Jennifer Peck spoke about the role of intermediary organizations in supporting school and community partnerships and the implications for student achievement. Her organization, the Partnership for Children and Youth, serves as an intermediary organization for afterschool programs in California's Bay Area. She showcased impressive data demonstrating how summer learning programs significantly increased the grade-level vocabulary of students who participated. She stated that these results occurred due to strong partnerships between schools and non-profit agencies.
Laura Hansen discussed the importance of data sharing to ensure program accountability and quality. The Metro Nashville School District shares data with the Nashville After Zone Alliance, the intermediary organization that coordinates middle school afterschool programs. The data is used by program staff to determine program placement. She stated that data sharing should not be one way, but a mutual effort between community-based organizations and school districts. Federal privacy laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), do not prevent sharing of all data.
The final speaker, Christina Russell, shared research supporting school-community partnerships. Her findings confirmed what many of us in the afterschool world already know: effective community partnerships are vital to supporting quality afterschool programs. Effective community partnerships complement the school day, have a shared vision between school and community partners, have regular communication between the partners, explicitly focus on building youth skills, and share expectations for student participation. Russell found that the impact of afterschool programs on youth was strongest for students who attended frequently and for longer periods of time. The quality of the programs also matters, as does having an explicit focus. The speakers each confirmed the special nature of afterschool programs. Strong community partnerships are essential for successful, quality afterschool programs. Intermediary organizations are one way to facilitate these partnerships throughout a community.
JUN
10
POLICY
By Erik Peterson
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA)—chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee—along with the support of all of the Democrats on the Committee, has posted an Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization bill to replace the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act. The committee is expected to discuss and mark up the bill tomorrow. A Republican bill, Every Child Ready for College or Career Act, led by HELP Committee Ranking Member Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), was released late last week.
Chairman Harkin’s bill, the
Strengthening America’s Schools Act of 2013, supports teachers and principals to help provide high-quality instruction, ensures disadvantaged students get the supports they need to succeed, and focuses federal attention on supporting states and districts in turning around low-performing schools and closing achievement gaps.
With regard to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative the bill is very similar to the one that passed the Committee in the fall of 2011. Our main concern is that in an era of sequestration and budget cuts, the language in the bill will dilute and divert much-needed afterschool dollars to pay for a longer school day. In addition, the bill would allow 21st CCLC to fund activities normally funded by local education agencies such as teacher planning time and more time in a traditional classroom. It would also allow the funds to be used for wholescale school redesign, which could be an expensive drain on a stretched funding stream. There are other ways to fund a longer school day without cutting afterschool programming and these are included in Sen. Harkin’s bill. Currently, more than $13 billion in federal funding through Title I, Race to the Top, School Improvements Grants and I3 grants are already available to fund a longer school day.
We do applaud changes in the bill that allow for better reporting and data sharing between schools and community based organizations working with students. Specifically Section 4107 of the bill, which addresses 21st CCLC, states:
funds would still flow by formula to state education agencies that would then hold competitions at the state level. Partnerships of local education agencies (LEA) and public entities or non-profit organizations would be eligible to apply for funding, with either the LEA or the public entity or non-profit serving as the lead funded entity.
Like the 2011 Senate ESEA legislation, eligible entities will have the option of applying for funds to provide afterschool, summer learning and before-school programming; adding time to the school day, week or year for academics, enrichment and engagement; and/or comprehensively redesigning and expanding the school day, week or year to provide more academics, enrichment, and teacher and staff professional development.
Amendment language from the 2011 version has been included in Harkin’s new bill in order to prevent a federal preference or priority on which approach (afterschool, summer learning, expanded learning for some students, expanded learning for all students). The bill also includes a stronger requirement for partnerships between school districts and community-based organizations and public entities, with only a narrow exception for rural communities for whom the requirement would be a significant hardship. By requiring partnerships the bill goes further than current law, which only prioritizes such partnerships. The local education agencies or nonprofit and public partners can be the lead fiscal agent on 21st CCLC grants. The bill also requires collection, reporting and sharing of data and outcomes between school and community partners to inform implementation and focus programming, an area that needed improvement from current law.
While the 21st CCLC section of the legislation represents an improvement over many of the prior proposals to replace funding for afterschool programs with funding for a longer school day, concerns remain over the language within the bill that allows 21st CCLC funds to be used for expensive, whole-scale school redesign—an initiative that is also funded elsewhere in the bill through School Improvement Grants. Specifically, there is the real possibility under this legislation that 21st CCLC funds would be diverted to school reform and lengthening school days by an hour per day at the expense of providing quality afterschool programs for children an average of 14 hours per week. With 15 million children already unsupervised during the hours of 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., policies that could add to the number of unsupervised children should be avoided.
Elsewhere in the legislation, the STEM Master Teacher Corps program includes the option of afterschool STEM education (Sec. 4225); the financial literacy section allows afterschool financial literacy education (Sec. 4312); and the Successful, Safe and Healthy Students section calls for collaboration with before- and afterschool programming to keep young people safe and provide physical activity and mental health services (Sec. 4404). With regard to youth development, the reauthorization bill addresses conditions for learning, with support for bullying prevention, positive discipline, character development, social and emotional learning, family engagement, youth violence prevention, mental health, and physical activity. A new "whole school" model that embraces the community school philosophy is added to the school turnaround interventions. More information on the bill is available
here.
While the bill will likely pass committee next week—its prospects for passing on the Senate floor are dim without bipartisan support. A recent
tracking survey found that 87 percent of education policy insiders believe ESEA reauthorization will occur after January 2015. The Harkin bill is partisan and differs considerably from the approach of Sen. Alexander’s bill, which scales back federal involvement in education. The
Every Child Ready for College or Career Act would consolidate and effectively eliminate the 21
st CCLC initiative along with more than 60 other ESEA programs as part of a flexible block grant that allows school districts to determine whether to fund afterschool programs or a variety of other programs from parent engagement to physical education and school counseling after conducting a needs assessment.
The House Education and the Workforce Committee also plans to mark up separate Republican and Democratic versions of a ESEA reauthorization bill on June 19. A blog looking at the House ESEA process will follow shortly.
Friends of afterschool can
email representatives and senators to emphasize the value and importance of afterschool and summer learning programs through June as the education committees discuss ESEA.
Be the first to comment on this entry.
+ Add a Comment: