K-12 leaders looking to out-of-school-time to help students rebound from COVID’s disruptions can tap into unprecedented levels of funding for evidence-based programs.
There is more than $30 billion in COVID relief and other funding available to innovate and implement after-school and summer enrichment programs, Danielle Smith, a U.S. Department of Education director of program and grantee support services, said during her Elementary and Secondary Education Act Network conference presentation Thursday. “This a moment where we really we to focus on how we’re engaging and reengaging students and families in their own learning and enrichment experiences,” Smith said. “We’re being thoughtful about how we make up for lost learning time and continue to support positive social interactions that students may have missed when learning from home.”
And educators themselves also benefit from summer and after-school learning environments that are often less regimented. “Summer is a time when staff say they feel reinvigorated by the opportunity to be creative again,” Smith said.
A Department of Education practice guide lists the essentials for developing evidence-based out-of-school-time programs:
- Align the program academically with the school day.
- Set goals for the program before designing the learning experiences.
- Integrate enriching activities that go beyond purely academic learning experiences.
- Maximize participation by reaching out to families who may benefit most but may be less likely to enroll. This includes creating a positive climate that respects students’ individual identities.
- Tailor instruction toward individual and small group needs.
- Make programs free, flexible and inclusive.
- Collaborate with community organizations.
- Recruit your most effective educators to teach summer and after-school programs
- Support physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of students and staff.
Administrators can also find effective out-of-school programs ideas developed in the past year by the Summer Learning and Enrichment Collaborative, which comprises research and best practices from 1,300 national, state and local practitioners. The collaborative’s resources cover how to address the full range of students needs, attracting and retaining staff, building community partnerships, and designing programs for specific populations.
When it comes to funding, more than $1 billion has been set aside in American Rescue Plan for states to support evidence-based summer enrichment programs. The same amount is available for after-school programs.
ARP makes $22 billion available to districts to make up for lost instructional time.”We have this one-time, really unprecedented infusion of funds that gives us the opportunity to think about what we want to build for the future,” Smith said. “How can we use this moment to think about building systems that are going to last.”
