While the benefits of arts involvement are increasingly clear, policies and practices consistent with this recognition are not proceeding apace. Nearly half of the schools in the United States have no full-time arts teachers, and emphases on standards and standardized testing have eliminated the arts in many urban schools. This case study of a…

This booklet is part of a series of reports on "hot topics" in education. It discusses after-school programs, sometimes referred to as "extended-day" programs, which are often operated in school buildings but may be implemented in other community locations. The booklet offers a brief overview of the research on after-school…

Some say America's attention to community is in decline. As people work longer hours, endure longer commutes, and have less time to socialize and join community organizations, they are not getting to know their neighbors and communities. Schools exist in a vacuum, having little or no association with the surrounding neighborhood, and many…

This brief offers a preliminary framework for understanding and implementing evaluations of out-of-school time (OST) programs professional development initiatives. In so doing, it draws on research from early childhood and elementary education and highlights the evaluation methods and results of recent OST professional development initiatives at…

This fact sheet resource is packed with the latest research and information on how children and youth spend their non-school hours, how they benefit from afterschool activities and much more. Sections include: (1) Children and youth today; (2) Health and well-being; (3) Children and youth spend time after school in a variety of ways; (4) Children…

This review conducted by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) explores the use of technology to support academic achievement for at risk high school age youth during their out of school time. The task of this literature review was to sort through the many publications, research briefs, and observations in this arena, with a…

Examined the factorial validity, internal consistency, and predictive validity of scores form a measure of belonging to an after-school youth development program. Confirmatory factor analysis based on results from 309 and 185 participants (aged 9 to 16 years) yielded a 5-item measure with high internal consistency estimates and scores positively…

States that using diverse types of museums as sources of information for writing helps to stimulate imagination and personal expression. Describes many possible approaches, including poets in museums, curriculum collaborative programs, intensive student writing projects, high school programs, and after-school programs. Discusses problems that may…

The Murfreesboro, Tennessee, City Schools have doubled the amount of time schools are open without raising taxes. Instead of going home to empty houses, kids participate in an extended school program offering over 100 courses in recreation, academics, arts, and life skills. Parents and organizations foot the costs; no child is excluded for…

Describes Connections, a federally funded outreach program designed to help San Antonio children whose families have lost their homes and are crowded into dwellings with friends or relatives. Connections tries to identify these kids, bolster their school work, and provide stability through an afterschool club, where teachers tutor them and provide…

Presents one teacher's experience of organizing and producing a high school theatrical group specializing in performances for younger children. Describes recruitment of students, writing the script, rehearsals, performances, and student feedback. Argues that such an undertaking is English education at its best.(HB)

The center, a once abandoned elementary school building in Leadville, Colorado, combines year-round preschool, day care, and before- and afterschool programs for 550 children aged 2.5 to 13. The center also helps the local high school's parenting/child development class and offers onsite family counseling by county social workers. (MLH)

A New York magnet school project had parents and their children create their own square for a quilt that was displayed at the school. The event gave families, many of whom had limited English proficiency and did not participate in school activities, an understanding of the school's expectations for their children. Related student activities…

Discusses an after school program started in the fall of 1998 called 21st Century Community Learning Centers to get students at or above grade level in mathematics and reading. (ASK)

Although there has been a rapid increase in funding and attention to after-school programs, there is little understanding of how after-school programs impact children's developmental trajectories. The heterogeneity of American children makes it very unlikely that all children need after-school programming or that there is but one brand of…