Expanded Learning:
Re-imagining the learning day for
student and school success
Council for Great City Schools
Annual Conference
October 27, 2011
4:00-5:30PM
The Collaborative for Building After-School
Systems (CBASS) is a partnership of intermediary
organizations dedicated to increasing the
availability of quality expanded learning
opportunities.
We believe in strong partnerships between
schools and community partners that increase
learning time through a full range of enrichment
opportunities before or after the traditional
school day and during summer.
CBASS Goals
1. Influence federal policy
2. Share lessons learned and effective
strategies
3. Demonstrate new innovative and scalable
strategies for improving expanded learning
opportunities
Expanded Learning
• What skills are essential for students?
• In addition to teachers, who is best positioned
to help build these skills?
• If all the resources in your community came
together to help you reach your goals for
students, what would that look like?
Growing body of research on
expanded learning
When kids participate in high-quality expanded learning
opportunities, led by trained and caring adults, they :
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Raise their grades and test scores
Improve their attitudes toward learning
Exhibit fewer problem behaviors
Are more likely to graduate from high school
Improve health and wellness
Engage in deeper, more student-centered learning
outside of regular class time
Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., & Pachan, M. A. (2010). A meta-analysis of after-school programs that seek to promote personal and social skills in children and adolescents. American
Journal of Community Psychology, 45(3-4), 294-309;
Halpern, R. (2003). Making Play Work: The Promise of After-School Programs for Low-Income Children. New York: Teachers College Press, 2003.
Three approaches to expanded learning
• The After-School Corporation (New York City)
– Saskia Traill, Vice President of Policy and Research
• Providence After School Alliance
– Patrick Duhon, Director of Expanded Learning
– Brearn Wright, Principal, Roger Williams Middle School
• Boston After School & Beyond
– Chris Smith, Executive Director
ExpandED Schools
Saskia Traill
Vice President, Policy and Research
straill@tascorp.org
How Did We Get Here?
AfterSchool
ExpandED
Schools
Education
Reform
ELT/NYC Pilot
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2008-2011
10 pilot schools; 7 affiliates
Early positive findings
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Lessons learned:
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Attendance, data-sharing, strong partnerships
Leadership, Whole school, Fidelity
Challenges:
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Logistics of joint PD, Transportation
ExpandED Schools Core Elements
• TASC ExpandED Schools are tailored to meet their
students’ needs, but share core elements.
• Under the principal’s leadership, the whole school
benefits from:
1. More Time for a Balanced Curriculum
2. School- Community Partnership
3. Engaging and Personalized Instruction
4. Sustainable Cost Model
ExpandED Schools
Goals
1. Educational Equity
2. Re-Engineered Resources
3. Policy Change
Roles: School & Community Partners
Shared Responsibilities
• Build ELT Steering Committee
– Identify and hire ELT Director and Instructional Coordinator
• Participate in Joint Planning
• Implement the Model
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Integrate resources (at least 10% each)
Develop aligned curricula and balanced activity schedule
Manage staff and external partners
Share data with each other, TASC and evaluators
• Develop Resources
– Collaborate with TASC, intermediary and each other to raise funds.
Roles: School & Community Partners
School
Community Partner
Lead initiative
Serve as lead partner and manage
expanded day staff and external
partners
Employ Instructional Coordinator
Employ ELT Director
Engage faculty
Participate in faculty meetings and
school committees
Provide leveraged resources
Seek and secure community resources
Share instructional resources with
partners
Share instructional & youth
development resources with partners
Roles: TASC as Intermediary
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Provide initiative leadership and oversight
Develop resources
Make grants for expanded learning
Facilitate joint planning
Provide technical assistance and professional
development to ensure fidelity and sustainability
• Evaluate the initiative
• Advocate for resources and policies that support ELT
Roles: District
• Promote the Model
• Support School Efforts
• Develop Resources
Expanded Learning in Providence
Patrick Duhon
Director, Expanded Learning
patrick.duhon@ppsd.org
Brearn Wright
Principal, Roger Williams Middle School
brearn.wright@ppsd.org
Expanded Learning Opportunities
in Rhode Island:
Building toward grade-level,
college, and career
readiness
Focus on and
assess a broad set
of youth outcomes
– social, emotional,
creative civic,
academic
Incorporate
youth voice,
choice, inquiry,
and family
connections
Build on the
Connect school &
shared belief
What are the essential
community educators as
that quality
equal partners in the
characteristics?
learning can
teaching and learning
happen anytime,
process
anywhere
Combine
Require
intellectual rigor investments in a
with real-world system of crossrelevance,
sector planning
utilizing
and shared
informal
leadership
settings
DRAFT: October 19, 2011
Expanded Learning Elements for
Providence Middle Schools
Programs jointly
designed and led by
community
educators and
classroom
teachers, with
academic
components
woven into
hands-on
exploration
On-going programs with
defined curricula in arts,
sports, and general
skill-building
Co-Taught
Programs
(“AfterZone Scholars”
– Summer
–School Year))
serving
Youth
Development
Programs
On-going
youth
development
programs led by
Nationally recognized model
educators taking
part in professional
as the central experience and lynchpin
learning communities
for expanded learning efforts
defining essential
learning skills / strategies;
includes high-quality STEM,
English language arts, and
academic skill-building curricula
implemented by AmeriCorps members
Inquiry-Based
Programs
Expanded Learning • STEM Learning Community
Opportunities in
– Key elements for inquiry-based learning
Providence:
– Targeted coaching
Building
upon the
success…
• Summer “school”
– Cross-sector educator curriculum
development and implementation
– Field experiences tapped for applied
learning in math and literacy
• Turnaround school pilot program
– Co-taught “7th period” program
• Higher education partnerships
– STEM programming, research,
pre-service teacher preparation
Expanded Learning
Opportunities in
Providence:
Perspectives of
a Principal
Roger Williams
Middle School
AfterZone Scholars
Initiative
•
Consistently, on a daily basis, it is the best
teaching and learning in the school.
•
In their other classes students recall and
understand information, but…
…in AfterZone Scholars they apply, analyze,
synthesize, and evaluate information.
•
Instead of being just well-managed, teachercentered classes…
…these are highly-engaged, student-centered,
student-driven environments.
•
The learning objectives are not only clearly
evident to the students…
…the students can clearly articulate them.
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Teachers use varied instructional practices:
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Coaching
Demonstration
Discussion
Hands-on experience
Learning centers
Modeling
And more…
Expanded Learning in Boston
Chris Smith
Executive Director
csmith@bostonbeyond.org
Achieving, Connecting and Thriving Skills Prepare Students to Excel in
School, in College and in Life CONNECTING
TEAMWORK RELATIONSHIPS
Builds &
Collaborates,
RESPECT
LEADERSHIP
is dependable, maintains
Shows
strong
Communicates, shares
empathy &
PHYSICAL &
interpersonal
Sets an example, responsibility
cultural
MENTAL HEALTH
CREATIVITY gives
relationships
awareness,
Thinks
Maintains
wellbeing,
with peers &
direction
respects
flexibly,
establishes
supports
adults
& support
differences
GOALinnovates
FOCUS
AWARENESS OF
Links learning &
SELF AND OTHERS
life goals, make &
Takes responsibility,
follows a plan
acknowledges
strengths & challenges
CRITICAL
THINKING
Solves problems, evaluates,
reflects
ORGANIZATION
EFFICACY
Advocates for self,
perseveres despite setbacks
ACADEMIC SUCCESS
Manages time, prioritizes,
arrives prepared
PREPARED TO EXCEL
IN COLLEGE, CAREER &
LIFE
DRIVE
Desires success, identifies
passions, displays
motivation & commitment
Boston’s Summer Learning Vision
All students are
connected to
summer learning
& developmental
experiences that:
Address their
specific
academic &
socio-emotional
needs
Build the skills
correlated with
success in school
Meet and
stimulate their
interests
Through a variety of summer
programs that:
In order that
students return
to school in the
Fall:
Reinforce BPS academic standards &
complement/activate classroom learning
Grade ready
Motivate and engage students through
relevant, hands-on experiences outside
of school
Seamlessly integrate academic
instruction, skill building and
enrichment experiences
Are co-developed, co-managed and codelivered by BPS and community
partners
Poised to
achieve
proficiency or
better on yearend MCAS
Demonstrating
strong ACTaligned skills &
behaviors
Power Skills
Focused on the Next Grade Level
Correlated with School Success
Students Choosing Correct response
Academic Power Standards
8th Grade Standards, ANet
Social-Emotional Skills
Personalizing the Approach
SAYO observation, NIOST
Partnerships
Schools and Community Organizations
Approach
• Student-centered, results-focused, school-aligned
• Integration of academics, skills, enrichment
• Activating academics through hands-on, project-based learning
• Co-delivery of content by teachers and nonprofit staff
Management
• Shared accountability, well defined roles
• Cost estimate: $8-$12 /student/ hour
Holistic Student Assessment, PEAR
2011 Boston Summer Learning Project
1,435 Students
Grades 3-12, 33 Schools
Funders & Partners
Training & Coaching
Boston Beyond, a public-private intermediary,
co-manages the Summer Learning Project
Program
planning
• Collaboration
on program
design
• Convening
key parties
• Coordinating
planning
process
Funding
coordination
Managing
participants
Managing
supports
Partnership
building
• Managing • Managing
• Informing
• Partnership
school
potential
relationships brokering
selection
funders
with PEAR, • Contracting
• Fiscal agent, process
NIOST, ANet, • Organizing
• Recruiting
managing
BPS , City
convenings
partners
grant
and funders
• Supporting • Coordinating
payments
and program schools in
training and
student and coaching for
compliance
teacher
each site
recruitment • Managing
evaluation
process
Communication
• Providing
information
for media
coverage
• Organizing
site visits
• Liaison
between BPS
and support
partners
• Presenting
SLP at local
and national
conferences
Policy
advocacy
• Highlighting
policy and
system
implications
arising from
project
• Raising
profile of
summer
learning
issue in
Boston
Emerging Policy Framework
Student
Selection
Partnership
Management
Standards
Data
Assessments
PublicPrivate
Funding
Partners play a key role in driving year-round learning
ACADEMIC YEAR
Students come to school
prepared and able to
participate in learning
SCHOOL DAY
CORE
ACADEMIC
LEARNING
Students put what they
learn in school to use in
practical, relevant ways
SUMMER VACATION
Students encounter new
ideas and experiences
that prepare them to
succeed in the year ahead
Students are engaged in
learning year round
Students learn
to apply
academics to
real life
situations
Common elements
• More time and ways to learn
• Personalized learning that complements, but differs
from other school-day instruction
• Blended workforce
• Systemic approach, built on local assets and needs
• Leveraging public and private investments
• Measuring impact and using data to drive decisionmaking
• Shared accountability among partners
How might I bring together resources in
my community to meet my goals as an
educator?
• Create broad framework that meets local conditions
• Move innovation out of silos and into a coordinated system
• Identify existing and new resources
Who do I need to work with in my
community to support expanded learning?
• Coordinating entities that can help identify high-quality
programs and provide capacity-building supports
• Determine when and how to phase in programs
• Identify target population strategically
Please visit the following websites for more information about
expanded learning initiatives in New York, Boston and
Providence, and to see accompanying videos.
TASC
http://www.tascorp.org/section/aboutus/ar
PASA
http://mypasa.org/educators-providers/expanded-learning
Boston Beyond
http://www.bostonbeyond.org/news/boston-summer-learning-project2011-video
For more information about CBASS, visit:
www.afterschoolsystems.org