Students who are disengaged from school are at risk for poor academic achievement, skipping classes, sexual activity, substance use, and ultimately dropping out of school. Out-of-school time programs can play a role in increasing school engagement. This brief provides information on the importance of school engagement, how out-of-school time…

Conducting market research for out-of-school-time planning can replace assumptions with facts, give kids and parents a voice to express their needs and preferences, and help build stakeholder buy-in and support. This practical guide shows community leaders, policymakers and out-of-school-time practitioners how to use market research to make more…

The Clarkstown Tutoring Service, a student peer-tutoring program in the Clarkstown (a middle to upper-middle suburban community), New York, school district received hundreds of tutees in grades 7 through 12 but very few in grades 1 through 6. A plan was devised to double the number of public elementary students tutored from 33 to 66 by June 25,…

What happens to opportunities for learning when some of the structures of schooling are remodelled? What do children and young people do with these new opportunities? Drawing on research into creative projects in a primary and secondary school, and an after-school club for looked-after children, this paper examines a different way of working in…

In response to growing public understanding of the importance of quality care and activities during out-of-school hours for children's healthy development, a variety of out-of-school initiatives are being implemented across the country. This guide is designed to provide policy makers, program leaders, system-building advocates, and others with…

As part of a series of multimedia resources providing relevant information on important topics facing education leaders today, this booklet and accompanying audio compact disks focus on how extended learning programs and services after school can ensure that all students meet academic learning standards. The booklet includes an overview of the…

The increasing emphasis on student achievement and mastery test scores has many after-school programs struggling with the demand to improve academics and offer homework assistance, while also offering a well-balanced program providing opportunities for play and social interaction. This paper asserts that project-based activities can encourage…

Describes a successful after-school tutoring program that involves teachers, students, and parents, and has resulted in higher scores on both minimum-competency tests and achievement tests. Includes guidelines for starting such a program. (IRT)

Children benefit when their parents or caregivers are actively involved in their out-of-school learning. Yet a new report by the Harvard Family Research Project and United Way of Massachusetts Bay finds that only a quarter of programs surveyed had effectively incorporated families. This guide, funded by the Wallace Foundation under its Parents and…

Noting that most evaluations of out-of-school (OST) programs have examined the programs as a whole without taking into account the specific activities offered, this issue of "Out-of-School Time Evaluation Snapshots" surveys the range of activities being implemented in OST settings across the country to better understand and promote…

This report examines the impact of the Chapter 1 Extended-School-Day On-Campus and Off-Campus programs on the academic achievement of students served during the 1988-89 school year in Houston (Texas). Both programs provided supplemental instruction in reading/language arts, mathematics, and English as a Second Language after the regular school…

Many children and adolescents, in Boston and elsewhere, experience drastic incongruities between their home, school, and community environments. Arguing that after-school programs can help to unify these disparate worlds, thereby fostering a sense of continuity for youth and aiding their development as learners, this report shows how best to…

An after-school program for elementary students, LA's BEST, in Los Angeles (California) that was planned and implemented by local civic, education, and community leaders was evaluated in 1990-91. The program intends to provide a safe environment that fosters students' academic, physical, social, and emotional growth; and promotes future business,…

Learning-disabled students in an after-school program were provided with remedial instruction using precision teaching. The instructional program sought to increase performance of five students (grades 4-8) in specific academic skills by 50%. Skills included, among others, spelling, capitalization and punctuation, reading, and multiplication. The…

Noting that after-school programs are becoming an important developmental support for low- and moderate-income families and their children, this book describes the historical development of these programs, their current status, and critical issues facing after-school programs. Divided into historical eras, the book examines: (1) the evolution of…