Cleveland voters soundly rejected a levy intended to bolster the school district's finances, a move widely interpreted as a referendum on the performance of its leader, Barbara Byrd-Bennett. Two-thirds of the voters who turned out for the Aug. 2 special election cast their ballots against Issue 3, which would have raised more than $45 million to…

Service learning adds instructional value to any curriculum area, and it is especially appropriate for education courses. Its benefits include development of critical thinking, deeper processing of course content, and practical related experience. Using action research, this article examines the impact of service learning on preservice teachers'…

In this article, the authors consider the conditions under which participation in organized out-of-school activities contributes to positive development. They center their discussion on what is known about the "processes" in organized activities that affect the development of young persons. By using the term "organized activities", they wish to…

Many deep-rooted problems in urban areas of the United States--including crime, poverty, and poor health--correlate with illiteracy. The statistics reported by organizations such as the National Alliance for Urban Literacy Coalitions are telling. Urban citizens who cannot read sufficiently are at a clear disadvantage in life. They are more likely…

In 1979 and 1980 "Child Care Information Exchange" ran a series of five articles about what was then called school-age day care: "Getting It Off the Ground," "Designing an Effective Structure," "Developing a Responsive Curriculum," "Selecting and Motivating Staff," and "Managing the Money." These articles from 25 years ago captured the essence of…

This study by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Policy Studies Associates, Inc. finds that regular participation in high-quality afterschool programs is linked to significant gains in standardized test scores and work habits as well as reductions in behavior problems among disadvantaged…

This article provides a conceptual account and empirical analyses of the development of "boundary-crossing competence"--the ability to function competently in multiple contexts--using representative cases from two after-school programs with immigrant and low-socioeconomic status students. Our findings suggest that organizational designs…

As concern with the level of violence in society increases, this document suggests one approach to reducing violence is to develop nonviolent conflict resolution programs to provide people with the skills to solve problems collaboratively. These programs also may encourage people to refocus the way they experience conflict in their lives. They…

This practicum was designed to provide an after-school activity program to middle school students not engaged in interscholastic sports. Utilizing community volunteers, an enrichment-prevention program that featured 19 different activities in 2 class sessions per week over a 10-week period was developed and implemented. Activities included…

This practicum was designed to improve the attendance rate for African American male students in the After School Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program. The attendance rate for male students was far below that of female students. The following strategies to increase male participation in the reading program were developed: local businesses and…

Noting the increase in school-based extended-day programs, this Issue Brief updates and expands upon previous findings by presenting data on extended-day programs drawn from the 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Surveys, conducted by the National center for Education Statistics. Findings include the following: (1) availability of…

This study measured parent-child interactions when parents picked up their children at an after-school day care center. It was hypothesized that parents from two-parent families would have better interactions with their children than single parents. The subjects of the study were 40 single parents and 40 parents from two-parent families, as well…

The purpose of this teaching guide is to introduce children in grades 1-4 and their parents to the 4-H program without the long-term commitment of the traditional 4-H club. The 4-H Clover Awareness Program was designed as an after-school program; however, it could be used in other settings such as a day camp. In addition to introducing children to…

Designed to specify what an exemplary school-age care (SAC) program would look like, this guide provides instructions for establishing a SAC program that provides a balance of educational, social, and recreational opportunities. The guide covers care for children from ages 3 to 14 and includes care of children with disabilities or special needs.…

This "Policy Note" highlights new information about youth crime and prevention that suggest that California has a unique opportunity over the next several years to invest in new preventive approaches for reducing youth violence. Several surveys by the California Center for Health Improvement (CCHI) have documented that Californians share…