Newsletter
Past Highlights
This page features relevant and helpful resources from past Newsletters broken down into 8 categories:
| General Resources | Evaluation Tools |
| Funding and Finance | Skills-Based Programming |
| Staff Development | Parental Involvement |
| Youth Data | Youth and Staff with Disabilities |
General Resources
MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership's Afterschool Clearinghouse (July 2004) provides after-school coordinators with the tools and resources needed to add a mentoring component to their programs: www.mentoring.org/find_resources/afterschool_clearinghouse/
College Preparation Checklist (August 2004) explains what student should do each year of high school to prepare for college. Available through The U.S. Department of Education: www.fsapubs.org/app/Search/ElectronicCatalog.aspx?Type=ML
Making Out-of-School Time Matter: Evidence for an Action Agenda (March 2005). The RAND Corporation, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, conducted a broad-ranging literature review to identify, frame and assess the relevant issues in the Out-of-School-Time (OST) field. This report presents the findings of that review. RAND has identified and addressed several major issues: the level of demand for OST services, the effectiveness of the offerings, what constitutes quality in OST programs, how to encourage participation, and how to build further community capacity.
Download Brief: www.rand.org/publications/RB/RB9108/.
Download Full document: www.wallacefoundation.org/NR/rdonlyres/D8D935C1-0708-409C-B94F-5C86D9BBE2E0/0/MakingOutofSchoolTimeMatter.pdf
Using the Internet for Effective Grassroots Advocacy: Strategies, Tools and Approaches for Inspiring Constituents to Take Action (August 2005) is a new, updated guide offered by Convio, Inc. to help nonprofits strategically leverage the Internet for waging high impact grassroots advocacy programs. The free, downloadable guide provides best practices and practical advice for nonprofits, associations and other organizations on utilizing the Internet to drive more effective advocacy, fundraising, marketing, event participation and more. To download the guide visit: www.convio.com/site/PageServer?pagename=land_
OnlineAdvocacyGuide&s_sfid=701000000000DYu&s_source=Press_Release
Getting It Right: Strategies for After-School Success (January 2006). This report synthesizes the last 10 years of findings from Public/Private Ventures’ and other researchers’ work to address how to create and manage afterschool programs that stand the best chance of producing specific, policy-relevant outcomes. It examines recruitment strategies that attract young people to activities; the qualities that make activities engaging and motivating; and the infrastructure-staffing, management and monitoring needed to support such activities. Download the report at: http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/190_publication.pdf
The Impact of After-School Programs that Promote Personal and Social Skills (January 2007). A new report from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) shows that youth who participate in after-school programs that use evidence-based approaches to enhance personal and social skills show significant improvement when compared to their peers. Download the report at: www.casel.org
Low-Cost / No-Cost Online Tools for People with Disabilities (August 2007). This guide lists resources that increase access to computers for people with disabilities. It includes the latest technologies (such as voice output program software to compensate for speech or reading disabilities); how to obtain funding for various types of computer technology (hardware, software and assistive); how to leverage legislation to advocate for assistive technology; and other related topics. Visit: www.ataccess.org/resources/lowcostnocost.html
Shaping the Future of After-School (October 2007). Building a true after-school system requires integration of funding, policy, and technical resources. The Collaborative for Building After-School Systems (CBASS) explores “the essential role of intermediaries in bringing quality after-school systems to scale.” Find out how six major cities address these issues at: http://www.tascorp.org/content/document/detail/1675/
More than Homework, a Snack, and Basketball: Afterschool Programs as an Oasis of Hope for Black Parents in Four Cities (October 2007). The Black Alliance for Educational Options released the findings of a landmark year-long independent study on the opinions of low- to moderate-income Black parents regarding the quality and importance of public school- and community-based afterschool programs. Read more at: http://www.baeo.org/files/mottSummary.pdf
Funding and Finance
Nourish Their Bodies, Feed Their Minds (June 2004) provides afterschool and summer programs with information on the federal child nutrition program and nutrition education programming overall. Available through the Food Research Action Center: http://www.frac.org/Afterschool_Guide.pdf
Tools for Obtaining Adequate Funding (June 2005). Want to know how to access more funding to improve your work on behalf of children, youth, and families? Connect For Kids has an online toolkit of ideas that could help. The website offers numerous resources, including tips from "fundraising pros," a list of grants by topic, links to funder websites, and instructions on how to prepare a persuasive proposal. You can also read through a transcript of a web chat conducted earlier this year discussing effective strategies for finding nonprofit funding for children's programs. Go to http://www.connectforkids.org/node/245 to access the toolkit.
Guide to Federal Resources for Youth Development (September 2006), produced by America's Promise – The Alliance for Youth, provides organizations with the information they need to apply for federal funds. Grant programs are categorized according to the five core resources (caring adults, safe places, a healthy start and future, effective education, and opportunities to help others). The programs’ goals, grantee eligibility, and contact information are provided. Visit: www.americaspromise.org
The Young and the Generous: A Study of $100 Million in On-line Giving (November 2006). This study by Network for Good, in partnership with GuideStar, examines: who is giving money on-line; what times of year, week, and day donors give on-line; and how and why on-line givers spend their charitable dollars. Read more at: www.guidestar.org
IRS Increases Enforcement Focus on Nonprofit Executive Compensation (March 2007). This GuideStar article discusses how the IRS will examine compensation and benefit levels for nonprofit executives. It ends with suggestions for proper protocol and documentation. Read more at: www.guidestar.org/DisplayArticle.do?articleId=1111
Using TANF to Finance Out-of-School Time Initiatives (August 2007. The growing demand for OST programs to support the employment of low-income families makes this an opportune time for state and local decisionmakers to consider using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support these programs. This brief explores strategies for using TANF funding as well as examples of innovative state approaches. Read: www.financeproject.org/publications/TANFtoFinanceOST.pdf
Staff Development
Out-of-School Time Professional Development Workshops: An Evaluation Framework (June 2004). This paper defines and provides a simple framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating OST professional development workshops. Specifically, it:
- Presents the OSTRC definition of professional development
- Identifies workshops as one part of a comprehensive strategy
- Explores the use and benefits of front-end evaluation
- Reviews research-based best practices in workshop implementation
- Recommends goals and objectives for professional development workshops
- Applies recommended goals and objectives to an OST workshop example
- Challenges OST staff to further explore the topic
- Lists helpful resources for evaluating professional development workshops
Capturing Promising Practices in Recruitment and Retention of Frontline Youth Workers (May 2006). Capturing provides strategies used by organizations to recruit and retain staff who work directly with youth. The National Collaboration for Youth surveyed, identified and then interviewed local organizations to provide these concrete examples of promising practices. To view and download the full publication, go to: www.nydic.org
Evaluation Exchange: Professional Development (March 2006). This issue focuses on evaluating professional development across a range of fields, including after school, youth development, and child care. It features innovative methods in professional development, links between professional development and program quality, and the role of organizational contexts in supporting professional development and positive outcomes. Included is a Q&A with Thomas Guskey, who describes his five-level model for evaluating professional development. Download the issue at: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/eval/issue32/
Accommodation and Compliance Series (March 2007). Job Accommodation Network (JAN) offers tools and suggestions for accommodating individuals with disabilities engaged as service members. Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and other resources. Visit: www.jan.wvu.edu/media/ideas.html
Youth Data
First-Ever National Household Survey on How Kids Spend the After School Hours (May 2004). Available through the Afterschool Alliance: www.afterschoolalliance.org/america_3pm.cfm
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) Report (June 2006) profiles thousands of 15-year-old youth in over 40 countries. PISA assesses how students near the end of compulsory education obtain the skills necessary for participation in society. For findings on the comparison between American and international youth, visit: www.pisa.oecd.org
Youth Report To America (July 2006). The Boys & Girls Clubs of America has published the results of the largest national survey developed and administered by teens. The Report, with compelling findings from 46,000 teens on topics ranging from the war in Iraq to the pursuit of the American Dream, spotlights the perceptions of America's youth: www.bgca.org/youth/index.html
Are They Really Ready To Work? (October 2006) Corporate Voices for Working Families (CVWF), just released a report analyzing what skills employers believe young people need to succeed in today's workforce. Seventy percent of survey participants cite deficiencies among incoming high school graduates in “applied” skills, such as professionalism and work ethic: www.21stcenturyskills.org/documents/FINAL_REPORT_PDF09-29-06.pdf
2007 KIDS COUNT Data Book (July 2007). By providing policymakers and citizens with benchmarks of child well-being, KIDS COUNT seeks to enrich local, state, and national discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all children. This year's essay examines the child welfare system and challenges the country to make lifelong connections for children and youth in foster care a national priority: www.kidscount.org/sld/databook.jsp
Evaluation Tools
The Compendium of Assessment and Research Tools (CART) (August 2004)
is a database with information on instruments that measure attributes associated with youth development programs: http://cart.rmcdenver.com/index.cgi?autoid=33878
Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation: Tools for Action (August 2004) features surveys, focus groups, and other data sources to influence program direction and help fulfill grant reporting requirements. Available through the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory: www.nwrel.org/ecc/21century/publications/ost_tools.pdf
The “NYSAN Self-Assessment Tool” (February 2005) is a new evaluation tool for afterschool programs that uses a common set of quality standards to help assess, plan, design and execute strategies for ongoing program improvement: www.tascorp.org/policy_resources/advocacy_partners/nysan
Measurement Tools for Evaluating Out-of-School Time Programs: An Evaluation Resource (November 2005) describes instruments and tools that have been used in existing OST evaluation studies, and that can be obtained and used for on-the-ground program evaluation. This Evaluation Snapshot is organized as a series of tables, each describing a different category of instrument or measurement tool, including: Academics; Psychological/Social Development; Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Use Prevention; Program Quality/Program Environment; Multicomponent Scales/Comprehensive Surveys: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/snapshot6
The Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) (November 2005) is an instrument designed to evaluate the quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs. The Youth PQA evaluates four key dimensions of the quality of youth experiences as youth attend workshops and classes, complete group projects, and participate in meetings and regular program activities: www.highscope.org/EducationalPrograms/Adolescent/homepage.htm
Forum for Youth Investment position paper on the PQA: www.forumfyi.org/Files/ProgramQualityMtgRpt.pdf
The Building Partnerships for Youth Program Assessment Tool (December 2005) was created to help administrators and program staff assess their program's ability to address 21 elements of youth development. This short on-line self-assessment provides an immediate feedback report. Resources, including factsheets, e-bulletins and training archives, for incorporating many of the 21 elements are currently linked to the report: ag.arizona.edu/fcs/bpy/assessment.html
Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools (March 2007) from the Forum for Youth Investmentcompares nine tools for assessing OST program quality. Building Quality Improvement Systems: Lessons from Three Emerging Efforts in the Youth-Serving Sector (March 2007) uses three case studies to illustrate important choices that must be made in any quality improvement effort. Both articles are available at: forumfyi.org/store/prodpage.cfm?CategoryID=2#6
Skills-Based Programming
Now I Get It! Homework Help Strategies for Volunteers (March 2005). Does your tutoring or out-of-school time program engage volunteers to provide homework help to children and youth? Are you looking for resources to support them? The LEARNS partners are pleased to announce the Spring 2005 issue of the Tutor, "Now I Get It!" The article identifies the key issues and strategies that can help volunteers be more effective and feel more confident helping students with homework: www.nwrel.org/learns/tutor/spr2005/spr2005.pdf
I Couldn't Put It Down: Captivating the hearts and minds of adolescent readers (November 2005). This issue of the LEARNS newsletter, The Tutor, provides suggestions for successfully engaging adolescents in literacy; guidance for coaching youth in reading comprehension and vocabulary development; examples of literacy support across the curriculum; ideas and resources for mentoring teens in the benefits and joys of literacy: www.nwrel.org/learns/tutor/fall2005/fall2005.html
I Really Can Do Math! Developing Mathematical Skills in Elementary Students (May 2006). This issue of the LEARNS newsletter, The Tutor, explores the five components of effective mathematics learning -- engaging, understanding, computing, applying, and reasoning -- and provides definitions, practical strategies and sample language to help tutors assist struggling students with math homework: www.nationalserviceresources.org
Consumers Guide to Afterschool Science Resources (June 2007) provides hands-on activities that promote participation in and experimentation with science afterschool. The most recent version features contributions from Philadelphia’s own: Nancy Peter, Out-of-School Time Resource Center; and Marty Friedman, EducationWorks. View the Guide at: www.sedl.org/afterschool/guide/science
Parental Involvement
Taking a Closer Look: A Guide to Online Resources on Family Involvement (October 2005). This guide contains information about what national organizations are currently doing in family involvement and home-school partnerships. It contains Web links to research, information, programs, and tools about parenting practices to support children’s learning and development, home-school relationships, parent leadership development, and collective engagement for school improvement and reform. The resource guide can be used to find out what’s new in the field, locate national organizations that support family involvement, and inspire new ideas: www.gse.harvard.edu/hfrp/projects/fine/resources/guide
It Takes a Parent: Transforming Education in the Wake of the No Child Left Behind Act (October 2006). Appleseed has released a report on how parent involvement works under the No Child Left Behind Act in public elementary and secondary schools and what still needs to be done. Findings indicate that the vision of NCLB, with parents as full participating partners, remains unfulfilled: appleseeds.net/Portals/0/Documents/Publications/TransformEduNoChildLeftSum.pdf
Engaging Parents in Education: Lessons from Five Parental Information and Resource Centers (September 2007). As part of its Innovation in Education series, this U.S. Department of Education publication highlights some of the best practices for building parents' understanding of No Child Left Behind and for preparing educators and parents to collaborate in support of student learning. Read: www.ed.gov/admins/comm/parents/parentinvolve/engagingparents.pdf
Youth and Staff with Disabilities
The 411 on Disability Disclosure: A Workbook for Youth with Disabilities (November 2005) is designed for youth and adults working with them to learn about disability disclosure. This workbook helps young people make informed decisions about whether or not to disclose their disability and understand how that decision may impact their education, employment, and social lives. Based on the premise that disclosure is a very personal decision, the Workbook helps young people think about and practice disclosing their disability. Download the Workbook in its entirety at: http://www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/411.html
Tools and Suggestions for Accommodating Individuals with Disabilities (March 2007) is from the Job Accommodation Network (JAN)'s Accommodation and Compliance Series. Each publication in the series addresses a specific medical condition and provides information about the condition, ADA information, accommodation ideas, and other resources:www.jan.wvu.edu/media/ideas.html
