Beyond School
Nora Fleming had her fingers in a variety of editorial endeavors at Education Week. She’d been an education reporter for a newspaper in California and held editorial jobs at a number of other publications and organizations. She was also a veteran of multiple out-of-school experiences—both as a participant and an employee. This blog is no longer being updated, but you can continue to explore these issues on edweek.org by visiting our related topic pages: after school programs and extracurricular activities.
Education
What About the 'Opportunity Gap'?
If you're looking for some interesting reading on expanded learning, check out this conversation on the Center for American Progress website.
Education Funding
Webinars Planned for Obama's 'Promise Neighborhoods'
Want to learn more about the Obama administration's new Promise Neighborhoods program? Here's your chance: The U.S. Department of Education is hosting free pre-application Webinars—tomorrow and next Monday, May 10.
Education Funding
Providence Shines in New After-School Study
Cities seeking role models on the after-school programming front need look no further than Providence, R.I. According to a new study, in a relatively short time, Providence has put the pieces together for a strong network of after-school initiatives targeting middle school students—traditionally, a challenging group to enroll.
Education Funding
Engaging Teens and Tweens
If you want middle and high school students to enroll in and stick with your after-school programs, give them lots of leadership opportunities within those programs. That's one of the findings in a new study from the Harvard Family Research Project and Public/Private Ventures (P/PV).
Education
The TASC Annual Report: 28,800 Minutes
"How much can you learn in a year after school?" That's the question The After-School Corporation asks in its new annual report—and the answer appears to be...quite a lot.
Education Funding
Senators Weigh 'Whole Child' Efforts
In the best of all worlds, many would say that after-school and summer school enrichment programs would be wrapped into a greater, unified system of engaging students and their families. This week, my Education Week colleague Alyson Klein touched on that very issue in her coverage of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. She wrote:
Student Achievement
Looking Back at the 'Juvenile Decency Corps'
I loved this recent item about Washington, D.C.'s long-ago "Juvenile Decency Corps" in ASCD's inservice blog. And, while I concede that the name of the group sounds out of date, its mission was anything but.
Student Well-Being & Movement
After-School 'Champions' Honored
The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation honored Afterschool Alliance board chair Terry K. Peterson for "excellence in the service of children, schools, and communities" at the Afterschool Alliance's "Breakfast of Champions" this morning.
Student Well-Being & Movement
Turmoil in Detroit as NAA Talks Best Practices
Even as after-school educators from around the country gathered this week in Washington to celebrate their work, news of a more distressing nature surfaced in Detroit, where the school district's emergency financial manager has cancelled extended-day, after-school programs until further notice.
Student Well-Being & Movement
After-School Advocates Gather and Strategize
It was a busy opening day yesterday at the National Afterschool Association conference just outside Washington. One message came through loud and clear, though: Expanded learning needs powerful advocates in these difficult budget times.
Student Well-Being & Movement
At the NAA Convention Today
I'll be attending the National AfterSchool Association convention near Washington today to learn more about expanded learning and the many hard-working people involved in it. This year, the convention has been paired with "The Afterschool for All Challenge," bringing together the NAA and the Afterschool Alliance. The three-day meeting will include lots and lots of workshops, as well as celebrity speakers (including actor and author Hill Harper), and Capitol Hill congressional visits and a rally. If you're attending, I hope to see you there. It should be an interesting event.
Student Achievement
'Best of Times, Worst of Times'
It's an interesting time to follow expanded learning. This was confirmed for me this week when two experts from the field dropped by the Education Week office to talk about summer learning.
Education
Keys to Success for Expanded Learning in Cities
There are three keys to success when it comes to developing programs for expanded learning in cities, a recent study says.
Education
Welcome to Beyond School
Today marks the launch of something new for Education Week, a blog devoted exclusively to learning before school, after school, in the summer—or, simply beyond the traditional school day, as the blog's tag line says. I'm relatively new to being a blogger, but excited about the potential.