ECA- EXTENDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

ECA- extending professional learning

ECA- extending professional learning

The practice of providing children and youth with extended learning opportunities (before- and after-school, weekend, and summer) to expand their learning and participate in a variety of extracurricular activities is long standing. After-school activities can provide young people with a positive alternative to spending time on the streets or being home alone in the afternoons. There is a growing body of research evidence indicating that high-quality after-school programs can reduce risk-taking behaviors, provide positive developmental opportunities, and improve the academic performance of students, particularly those at risk of academic failure.

In recent years there has been explosive growth of comprehensive extended learning programs in many schools, districts, and states. This growth can be partially attributed to the development of challenging standards for all students, creating the need to provide additional time and opportunity for those who are struggling academically; and an increase of both parents, or single parents, working full time resulting in young people left without adult contact or supervision at home following the regular school day.

Substantial federal financial support, primarily through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, has also fueled the expansion of extended learning opportunities. Moreover, the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), require districts to make tutoring available for eligible students attending schools not making adequate yearly progress during non-school hours. In addition to these federal efforts, many states and local districts have taken the initiative to establish and fund a wide variety of after-school opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school youth as a means of providing a safe haven for young people, improving academic achievement, improving student behavior, and reducing risk-taking behaviors.

Since 1998 the Council of Chief State School Officers has been actively engaged in research and development activities to gain knowledge about and advocate for high-quality extended learning and development opportunities and to build state capacity in the implementation and maintenance of such programs. The Council has been actively advancing state efforts for after-school programs, particularly those that serve students attending low-performing, high-poverty schools in need of improvement. We have been investigating how high-quality extended learning programs can support standards-based reform and exploring the potential role these programs can play in increasing student academic achievement and other positive outcomes for children and youth.

Our efforts have been focused on the following key areas: " Developing profiles of high-quality after-school and summer programs that have demonstrated outcomes for students attending high-poverty schools, in order to highlight effective practices and state and local policies that support such programs " Providing support and technical assistance to state education agencies focused on implementing key federal programs authorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act; including 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) and Supplemental Educational Services (SES) " Working as part of the Afterschool Technical Assistance Collaborative (ATAC) to support the Mott-funded statewide afterschool networks to strengthen their capacity to improve the quality and quantity ...