This paper describes a multi-year evaluation of the Extended-Service Schools (ESS) Adaptation Initiative, sharing what has been learned about opening up schools and initiating collaborative school-based programs in poor communities during hours that school is not in session. The ESS included four unique school-community collaborative models. This report discusses how cities began the process of opening up schools to children, youth, and adults and examines how these programs affect the lives of their participants. The first half of the report describes early implementation experiences, looking at the model types, the cities involved in the initiative, and the conditions of the schools selected to implement the program. The next chapters: lay out the types of activities and services that have been put in place; describe the students recruited and enrolled in the programs; consider challenges faced by most programs and how the coordinators have reacted to the challenges; and examine how the programs became operational (types of collaborative structure each city used in planning and early implementation, how cities planned and financed their programs, and management and governance). (Contains 13 references.) (SM)