After School and Summer School Programs
Dan Corbitt
University at Buffalo Law Student
Why are after school and summer school programs important?
After school and summer programs offer activities, supports, and services
that contribute to students’ ability to learn effectively during school and
also address their and their family’s more comprehensive needs. Examples
of comprehensive support services include programs that offer counseling,
coaching and mentoring as well as initiatives that promote skill
development in the areas of leadership, decision-making and civic
responsibility.1
Research has shown strong results for quality
programs. A few examples follow.

A study found that children who
attended LA’s BEST were 30 percent
less likely to participate in criminal
activities than their peers who did not attend the program.
Researchers estimate that every dollar invested in the LA’s BEST
program saves the city $2.50 in crime-related cost.2

High school students attending California’s EduCare afterschool
program attend school for an average of three days more per year
than those not enrolled in the program. Additionally, 91 percent of
EduCare participants graduate from high school, compared to just
61 percent of matched non-participants.3

Students participating in the Oakland Unified School District’s
afterschool programs were less likely than non- participants to be
chronically absent from school, and as a whole, increased their
school-day attendance by 35,343 days in the 2010-2011 school
year, earning the district between $827,019 and $989,596 in
additional revenue.4

Students enrolled in the variety of afterschool and summer learning
programs offered by Project Exploration in Chicago, IL, were
found to graduate at a rate of 95 percent, nearly double the overall
rate of those attending Chicago Public Schools. Additionally, 60
percent of former Project Exploration participants enrolled in a
four-year college are pursuing degrees in STEM-related fields.5
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Organization
Most programs share a common activity structure—a mix of homework
help, snacks, free time, arts and crafts, table games, gym or playground
time, a weekly activity in music or dance, cultural awareness activities,
and field trips.vi Tutoring, reading time, and special curricular elements
such as science activities increasingly supplement these core activities.vii
Delivery
These programs can be delivered through multiple methods.viii Programs
serving youth require funds to cover facility, personnel, and other
administrative costs as well as to develop and/or improve existing
information systems technology to better track outcomes for the youth
they serve.ix Program leaders need funds to conduct planning and
evaluation activities and support staff training and professional
development. They also need flexible resources to coordinate and
collaborate with other community stakeholders in an effort to build or link
systems of supports. Best practices include the following:
1) Quality programming and staffing
Programs must be developed with a focus on promoting
target outcomes through well-organized and engaging
activities. This entails having a clear goals and objectives
for the program from the start, as well as strong, directed
leadership and sustained training and support to staff.x
2) Access to and sustained participation in programs
Young people experience greater gains if they participate in after school
programs with greater frequency and in a more sustained manner. They
also benefit from programs tailored to their interests, needs, and schedules,
as well as from those providing exposure to new ideas, challenges, and
people.xi
3) Strong partnerships
High quality programs effectively leverage partnerships with a variety of
stakeholders, especially families, schools and communities.xii
Funding
Programs are funded by a variety of sources, from parent fees to
foundation grants to taxpayer dollars. In addition, many programs rely on
in-kind contributions, some of them of substantial value, such as physical
space and transportation.xiii
Funding for after school and summer school programs comes from a wide
range of public and private sources. Public funds come from the federal,
state, and local level.xiv Private funding can come from donations from
individuals, private businesses, and from charging for services. Funding is
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usually a difficult hurdle for after school and summer programs, especially
in urban areas.xv As budgets get tight, these valuable programs are often
the first to be cut.
Current BPS afterschool and summer
school programs
Current afterschool and summer school programs
are administered in the BPS district in a variety of
ways. These programs may be specific to a
particular school, or part of a regional or national
system. First, many programs are developed
through a partnership between individual school
and nonprofit organizations. For example, the
Reclaiming Buffalo Afterschool Program is made
possible through the partnership between BPS
and CEPA Gallery and Just Buffalo Literary Center. These not-for-profit
organizations are not paid by the BPS, and instead obtain funding through
a variety of public and private sources.xvi
Another way that BPS implements afterschool programs is by contracting
with private companies to provide services at school. For instance, the
Princeton Review is a private company that provides operates ELA and
Math instruction in afterschool programs at Buffalo schools. The program
is available to students in grades 2-8 at sixteen locations. The buildings to
be included are school 6, 18, 30, 31, 33, 37, 39, 43, 45, 59, 76, 79, 91, 94,
95, and 97.
Another program made possible with a partnership between BPS and nonprofit organizations is the High School Enrichment Arts Afterschool
Program (heARTS). This program provides courses in the visual arts (art
entrepreneurship and bookmaking), dance (Salsa and Hip-Hop), and
theater (musical theater and improvisation) through a partnership with the
Western New York Book Arts Collaborative and Verve Dance Studio.xvii
Other programs are administered through a partnership between local
colleges and universities and BPS. For example, Buffalo State College
collaborated with BPS to create a program to improve science and math
through the Supplemental Educational Services (SES) literacy tutoring
program. SES is a federally-funded program designed specifically for
eligible students attending under- performing schools. As part of No Child
Left Behind regulations, the SES program allows school districts to
contract with agencies and organizations to provide outside
tutoring/remediation in reading and mathematics. The SES program of
Buffalo State College focuses on English/Language Arts for students in
grades K – 8 attending Buffalo Area Schools.xviii
3
Another successful program was developed through a
partnership between BPS and D’Youville College with
funding through the US Department of Health and
Human Services. The Nursing Workforce Diversity
Program promotes academic achievement and prepares
disadvantaged students for entry into and graduation
from a professional nursing program.xix The program is
available for students at East High School.
Programs may result from a partnership between BPS and local
businesses. For example, Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection is a
partnership between school districts, local businesses and other area
leaders to provide to tackle some of the most difficult challenges that
students face outside the classroom, working to ensure students come to
school ready to learn. As part of the program, students get placed in afterschool jobs at local businesses such as supermarkets. In 2009, the Youth
Policy Forum recognized the program as one of the nation’s most effective
youth development programs to “Support Youth on the Path to College
and Beyond.”xx
In the Back to Basics program, approximately 100 youth (either court
mandated or brought by concerned schools/parents) between the ages of
13-21 will participate with mentors to navigate out of harmful
situations. Mentors provide counseling, field trips, and a positive social
role model. The program also provides academic tutoring, spiritual
enrichment, and maintenance of regular school attendance are provided as
well. Twice a month, workshops for gang and drug involved youth are
held to immerse them in positive, alternative activities.xxi
Programs planned for the future
Buffalo Arts and Technology Center (BATC) is a collaboration between
the Manchester Bidwell Corporation and Artspace. Programs will focus on
high-quality visual, studio-based arts; digital and design arts
programming. Expected partnerships with the local health care sector will
ensure that market-relevant career training opportunities possibly in
currently hard-to-fill employment areas, such as electronic records
management, medical assistants and pharmacy technician training.
Say Yes Buffalo plans to provide comprehensive out-of-school supports,
including after-school tutoring and summer learning opportunities, that
extend learning time for students and place service coordinators in every
school.
Buffalo Promise Neighborhood will provide a continuum of solutions to
children and families from the cradle through college and career through
neighborhood resources, streamlining family services, and improving
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educational supports. This may also include after school and summer
programs.
1
R. Catalano et al., Positive Youth Development in the United States: Research Findings
on Evaluations of Positive Youth Development Programs (Washington, D.C.: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for
Planning and Evaluation, November 1998)
2
Id.
3
Id.
UCLA National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards and Student Testing,
September 2007
5
Id.
vi
Id.
vii
Id.
viii
Sharon Deich, A Guide to Successful Public-Private Partnerships for Out-of-School
Time and Community School Initiatives (Washington, D.C.: The Finance Project, 2001).
4
ix
Id.
Goldschmidt, P., Huang, D., & Chinen, M. (2007). The long-term effects of after-school
programming on educational adjustment and juvenile crime: A study of the LA’s BEST
after-school program (Unpublished Manuscript). Los Angeles: University of California,
National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST)
xi
Id.
xii
Id.
xiii
Nanette Relave, Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Workforce
Development Initiatives (Washington, D.C.: The Finance Project, June 2005).
xiv
Id.
xv
Id.
xvi
http://www.cepagallery.org/information/mission.html
xvii
http://www.thegoodneighborhood.com/2011/11/01/where-the-heart-is-public-schoolsand-nonprofits-partner-on-hearts-programs/#sthash.LIiTZgoX.dpuf
xviii
http://www.buffalostate.edu/ceure/documents/SESAPPFALL2012.pdf
xix
Funding opportunities brief
isp.sdccd.edu/grants/pdfs/funding/Nursing_Workforce_Diversity.pdf
x
xx
xxi
http://www.hillside.com/BPSAnnouncement.aspx#sthash.n31UeAli.dpuf
http://www.topix.com/yp/buffalo-ny/l-98878637f-back-to-basics-outreach-minist
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