Discusses the current state of arts education that is characterized by lack of cultural education, the integration of arts into instruction by classroom teachers, and the bad bargains schools have made to get the arts back. Explores the option of out-of-school arts programs and opening the doors to opportunities in the arts. (CMK)

Highlights essential differences between the professional lives of family child care providers and caregivers who work in centers. Presents implications for providing meaningful professional development activities for home-based caregivers. Suggests the need for training and support programs that reflect respect for and sensitivity to the unique…

Traces the growth of a traditional classroom teacher working with children, aged 9-12, in an informal after-school drama program. Discusses dramatics teaching strategies, the use of imaging, empowering children to create, and the development of language through use in a purposeful context. Contains 22 references. (Author/SV)

Describes the after-school program Urban Pioneers, developed by an inner-city pastor, Jerry McNeely, to teach science and mathematics to urban elementary school students. Increased achievement, better student attitudes, and increased parent participation have been identified as benefits of the program. (SLD)

Explores the role that schools can play in providing direction, guidance, and support to children and adolescents in the face of growing violence in society and in schools. Discusses the development and implementation of preventive measures such as additions to the curriculum, mentoring programs, child abuse and neglect programs, parent education,…

After-school programs provide youngsters with supervision, enriching experiences, and learning opportunities. Effective programs address children's academic, recreational, and cultural needs. Planners must train staff, volunteers, and administrators; create a structured academic program; align curricula; involve families and communities; evaluate…

Studied 21 students labeled "at risk" by their schools who participated in an after-school compensatory program. These students partially accepted, and ultimately rejected, the status-attainment ideology promulgated within the program. Suggests ways in which adults could better represent the interests of these students. (SLD)

Research suggests that after-school programs reduce juvenile crime and risky behavior; increase confidence, academic performance, and social skills; and build positive adult-child and home-school relationships. The need for supervised after-school activities, especially in poor neighborhoods; the characteristics of successful programs; and the…

Describes and discusses "The Fifth Dimension," a distributed literacy consortium of after-school enrichment programs that involve cooperation between local community organizations affiliated with colleges and universities, in which children engage in activities using a variety of multimedia equipment and software. Notes the program is a useful…

Public schools routinely require permission or release forms for field trips and other activities of potential liability. The legal status of such forms varies, but they are generally considered neither rock-solid protection nor legally valueless in terms of immunity. This article presents a case involving a student who sustained bicycle injuries…

The current research examined students' perceptions of random drug testing for students participating in after-school activities. Results found students were more likely to endorse drug testing at their school if they are already engaged in after-school activities and not currently using drugs and/or alcohol. While middle and high school students'…

Today, work and other societal practices are experiencing accelerating paradigm shifts from mass-production-based systems toward new systems based on networking between organizations, collaboration, and partnerships. This shift requires new paradigms in the fields of education, learning, and development. As human activity quickly changes to…

Many families in Boston, especially the immigrant ones, are unable to navigate the Boston Public Schools system and offer their children the education they could have. In this article, the author shares how the learning and support she obtained from Citizen Schools has helped her navigate through high school and in life. Citizen Schools is an…

In this article, the author describes how Cato-Meridian, a 450-student rural high school in the New York State, successfully implemented a new cocurricular eligibility policy that integrated after-school activities with student academic accountability. The program created data that drove decisions about student life and student-teacher interaction…

Attempting to invert the pyramid to improve student achievement and increase all students' chances for success is not a new endeavor. For decades, educators have strategized, formed think tanks, and developed school improvement teams to find better ways to improve the achievement of all students. Currently, the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is…