Resources
Data & Facts
Facts
It is time for Nevada to take action and invest in our children and youth.
For every $1 invested in quality school-age programs there is a $8 to $12 return. (Brown, Frates, Ridge & Tradewell, 2002)
Click here for more information on Afterschool Alliance Nevada Facts.
2009 Child Care Report
The Children's Cabinet conducted a statewide data collection February-August 2008, making calls to all Nevada K-8 public and private schools (579) to collect information about afterschool programs and the youth served. The Children's Cabinet provides Child Care Resources and Referrals (CCR&R) throughout northern Nevada.
2011 Economic Impact Report
The early care and education (ECE) industry educates and cares for children birth through age twelve, focusing on the developmental needs of children and their families through a variety of settings including child care centers, Head Start, family and group home child care, early childhood special education programs and out-of-school-time programs.
Challenge Workshop - Utilizing Data to Advance Programs
Nevada Afterschool Network Executive Director and Afterschool Alliance Afterschool Ambassador Danielle Bowen told afterschool program providers and administrators: "Data collection will help you tell a comprehensive story of your program." Bowen encouraged providers to move beyond collecting data simply to meet reporting goals.
A data system should be able to track not only basic information such as participants and attendance in an afterschool program, but also goals, outcomes, pre- and post-assessments, funding sources, staff, success stories, partnerships and activities. Presenters in this workshop reminded participants to keep track of "warm and fuzzy stats" and make sure to share successes with funders and in grant applications.
The session also provided helpful tips on grant writing and encouraged programs to be specific with regard to asking for funding and setting goals; to know funders' buzz words; and to avoid using acronyms and padding budgets.
The data afterschool programs collect isn't just for compliance; data can be helpful in updating partners and parents, Bowen said. Program leaders should consider creating a yearly report, even if it isn't a glossy color publication. The data programs collect is important and can be used throughout the year in brochures, media outreach and annual events.
Bowen also recommended that program leaders keep staff members in the loop as to why they are collecting additional data, in case parents have questions. Afterschool staff should be able to eloquently explain to parents the reasons for additional reporting requirements, and help them understand that including more data improves program quality.
This story originally appeared in the Afterschool Advocate (Vol. 11, Issue 5). Click here to read the rest of this issue.
United We Serve
United We Serve is encouraging volunteers to speak up about their activities. You can share a personal volunteer story by going to http://serve.gov/share.asp. If the children in your after-school program are involved in a community service activity, take a few minutes to toot their horns.
A free four-part Webinar series on family, school and community engagement is being offered by the U.S. Department of Education, United Way Worldwide, the National PTA, SEDL and the Harvard Family Research Project. The first in the series, Transforming Schools through Family, School and Community Engagement, will take place from 1:30 to 3 p.m. (EST) Thursday, April 29.
To register, click here. The Webinar will include real-life examples of innovative family and community engagement efforts, will discuss how to successfully integrate family engagement into student learning and how to sustain engagement efforts. Presenters will include Jim Shelton, assistant deputy secretary, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education; Anna Hinton, director, Parental Options and Information, Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education; Heather Weiss, founder and director, Harvard Family Research Project; Nina Sazer O'Donnell, vice president, Education, United Way Worldwide; and Ron Mirr, Iowa State PIRC, RM Consulting.
The Webinars will occur every other month. Other topics in the series are:
- A New Day: Family, School and Community Engagement in Education Reform
- Data Driven: Making Student and School Data Accessible and Meaningful to Families
- The Teacher-Parent Relationship: Using Professional Development to Improve Family and Community Engagement
For more information on the series, click here.
Afterschool and Older Youth
In Benton, Arkansas, at-risk high-schoolers are encouraged to dream about college. In San Francisco, California, high school students focus on project-based learning experiences. And in Concord, New Hampshire, older students are conducting research in hospitals and working alongside legislators for school credit. Such strategies are among the many innovative approaches afterschool programs across the country are using to engage older youth. In late February, a panel of experts convened by the Afterschool Alliance explored the topic - both the challenge of attracting and keeping older youth in afterschool programs and the successful strategies programs are employing to do the job - at a special briefing for Members of Congress and their aides.
After making that assessment, directors enter the most important stage: recruitment. "Recruitment is one of the most exciting elements of any leader’s responsibilities because it is a rare opportunity to increase the quality and potential of your program," Ballas and co-author Christopher Novak write in the just-released book, Targeted Leadership _ Building a Team That Hits the Mark ($19.95). Throughout Targeted Leadership, Ballas and Novak help program directors move through the employment life cycle to learn how to hire the right people, inspire them and cultivate them to become leaders themselves.
To contact Ballas about conducting a leadership training that incorporates Targeted Leadership, call her at 614-296-7209 or send an e-mail to her at inbiz4kids@aol.com.
For a copy of the NAESP-NAA joint statement entitled Leading a New Day for Learning, click here.
Out-of-School Time Program Research & Evaluation Bibliography
Hardvard Family Research Project::Harvard Gradute School of Education
This update includes, among other categories of out-of-school time (OST) programs, several evaluations of vocational education programs for older youth that take place during in-school and out-of-school time hours.
We've added 24 new entries and updated many others in our bibliography of OST program evaluations and research studies.
You'll find evaluations of programs that:
- Develop life, leadership, and job skills through training and employment at a bakery. (Cookie Cart)
- Build 21st century skills through a student-run technical help desk. (MOUSE Squad)
- Offer summer college prep classes and work experience at a college campus, with school year follow-up and tutoring. (Upward Bound)
- Provide internship opportunities, mentors, skill-building opportunities, and college/career planning. (Urban Alliance High School Internship Program)
Visit our OST Bibliography to access descriptions, citations, and links to research studies and evaluations for over 500 OST programs, including these new and updated entries.
Continue to the OST Bibliography.
Afterschool for All: 800,000 New reasons to Join Afterschool for All in 2010
The latest America After 3PM survey, released by the Afterschool Alliance and sponsored by from the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, reported an increase of more than 800,000 kids over the past five years who need - but don't have - access to afterschool programs...click here to read more.