afterschoolnetwork

From the Mott's Afterschool Network page, there are links to each state contact & their newsletters. Some great website content -- including some I'm hoping to translate into actionable items here in Ohio & Kentucky! If you have difficulty finding it, please shoot me an email at rkelley@cincinnatiymca.org. Thanks!

Calculating the cost of afterschool – hot topic

Data is across the board on “per student” cost

Most cost of afterschool is staff

Get program budgets or talk to people who run large programs

3 kinds of staff – executive director, “lead teacher”, and others (admin., part-time, etc.)

What should it cost vs. what does it cost? - Political question; cost of quality program

Find someone with data/budget experience

Cost savings – we know the cost of juvenile justice, repeating a grade, etc; afterschool saves these costs

Need anecdotes – find kids who can speak to change in their life

Goal 3: Support statewide systems to ensure programs are of high quality.

1. Approaches to quality: utilizing state tools

Two states and two consultants discussed standards documents and learning outcomes for school-age programs. Many indicators are not school-focused; the field needs more professional development opportunities and program-planning and evaluation tools.

2. Infusing high quality core content into afterschool

This workshop focused on a study conducted by the Southwest educational Development Lab on elements of a quality after school program. This organization and its partners are in the process of creating an online training toolkit for providers. The toolkit contains research-based information and resources about quality after school programming. The toolkit’s quality programming components are broken down into the following categories; Literacy, Math, Science, Technology, Arts, and Homework Assistance. Parts of the toolkit are available on-line at this time. The Literacy and math sections are currently available. Science will be available in May, Arts in July, Technology in October and Homework assistance will be available by Spring 2007. The website address for toolkit access is http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/ .The toolkit is Free.

3. Aligning state childcare licensing systems and afterschool standards

This workshop was facilitated by representatives from Minnesota and Maine. Both representatives presented their state’s licensing standards in regards to school age programs. Minnesota does not have state standards for licensing after school programs. Their network established some quality guidelines that programs can voluntarily choose to follow. Maine has licensing standards for school age programs, but they are mixed in with early childhood at this time. There is one section dedicated to school age programs.

At the end of the workshop, there was a group discussion about how other states dealt with school age programming and licensing or state standards. Many shared that their states lacked of standards for school age programs. We shared that Ohio recently changed state standards and input was taken from providers at regional meetings regarding requests for changes in drafted rules.

4. Data collection and program evaluation

5. Technical assistance and the statewide afterschool networks

This session looked at a variety of ways that states delivered technical assistance

- Washington – Split state into 6 regions – each region received seed funding to accomplish TA goals

- Created and Infrastructure called WRAP – Washington Regional Action Project –

§Diverse lead agencies

§Outreaches others within the region to form team

§Bring key stakeholders together

§Accreditation grants

§Challenges to structure – distance, ½ time staff

- Strategic Direction – created a state plan – prioritized direction of movement

§Network goals

§Part of structure was a Quality rating system – a tiered reimbursement structure

- New Hampshire – Started with advocacy focus - 6 full time consultants; provided grant training, TA on licensing

· Have a formalized Consulting agreement with sites

Challenges – Most effective method is most expensive – which is 1 on 1 consulting and TA

6. Quality 101

Indicators of effectiveness – attendance; enriching, structured experiences; cognitive, social, emotional, physical development

Service delivery area – quality is relevant when children are present long enough to promote individual growth; conditions allow children/youth to develop in individual ways

Features of afterschool setting to promote success - positive participant relationship w/adults and other children/youth; learning activities build cultural awareness, leadership, and relevant structure

Expected outcomes – improved capacity to form relationships w/adults; increased rates of program participation; higher levels of achievement motivation (class attendance, homework completion, etc.)

*Children in unsupervised afterschool environment has lower academic outcomes

Kansas –

• Network provides grant writing workshops
• Sustaining programs is their primary focus
• Network brings in consultant to help school/district leaders understand their role and impact
• Emphasize economic impact of afterschool programs on the state to business leaders
• Use graduate students to write curricula for afterschool programs

Session talked about the vital components for a program to possess to be of high quality

- South Carolina – Has excellent Quality Kit – J.D. Beiting has a e-copy

- Input from Liz Reisner from Policy Studies Associates

-From her studies – Lack of adult supervision is devastating to child outcomes. Afterschool sites with positive staff/child interaction is the greatest sign of high quality

Kansas view on quality:

-60 active partners who have signed a partnership agreement dedicated to raising the quality of afterschool in the state

-They have buy in at the local level – with a 1.25 million bill at legislature

-Quality of leadership – instructional leadership – is a key quality component

-Quality of assessment to validate work

Kansas Continual Improvement Rubric– allows

Developing systems of quality

local programs to assess quality and local needs

Quality reflected in partnerships

The workshop started off with a staff member from Policy Studies Associates speaking about her evaluations in school age programs. She spoke about the definition of quality School-age care. She stated that results from quality after school programming begin to appear in children after 1 year of participation. It is hard to get results prior to 1 year of attendance. She then reviewed the different program levels that are responsible for program quality, i.e. Operational Level, Service Delivery Level, Initiative Level and System Level.

The second half of the workshop was a presentation form a representative from the South Carolina Statewide Network. She gave us a lot of information about how they got started, who they involved, the collaborations they formed and the resource tools that they created. This presentation was very beneficial and introduced the participants to valuable information and tools to help us establish our network goals.

There were a few unique features about the S.C. Network; they had established and secured grant funds for programs to apply for and utilize for on-site quality. A program that received the funds was required to recruit at least 5 more program representatives into the Network. The network also established college coursework called School-Age 101, in collaboration with a variety of technical colleges throughout the state. This is a professional development tool that is valuable to their providers. In addition, the Network published a Tool Kit called, “Creating Quality Out-of-School Programs in S.C.”. The tool kit will be distributed to after school programs throughout the state. The tool kit has a training that goes with it. Therefore, anyone who receives the tool kit also receives training for implementation. The kit and training are free to providers in the state.

Beyond bake sales: raising money to support the network

This session focused on fund-raising for the network via individual donors

-Concepts revolved around the University of Indiana’s ‘Raising more money model’

-‘Raise more money model’ consists of holding monthly info sessions and small events, one large annual event, and several ‘specialty events’ such as lights on and service days. The ‘ask’ for funds is not during the small monthly events, but takes place at the annual event

-Goal is to have a donor give multi-year pledges

-Specifically looked at holding events that raise money for the network

-Are you ready? – what to have prepared to hold such events

-Constituency and environment

-Vision and use – case, needs, goals

-Communication materials

-Development team – don’t do it alone

-Stewardship

Commitment to build an individual donor base

• Sustainability planning clinic; advanced

• Afterschool and school finance policy considerations

This session brainstormed on how to access funding opportunities by positioning the afterschool movement as providing value to the hot issues happening in your home state

Steve Fowler from Afterschool Alliance looked at 25 Governor’s state of the state addresses, they stated:

i. The Economy has recovered

ii. Economic growth can only be sustained by being competitive – so math and science is a hot topic and priority

iii. Obesity

iv. Methamphetamines

v. Can do spirit – we can make it happen

1. How to engage business - Illinois – engaged Abbott to support network – Abbott in turn got others to be involved; Opportunity return regions – a system in IL that spurs business in selected areas – afterschool can be part of that equation
2. Obesity – Vermont Governor had a summit on obesity -Fit and Healthy Kids initiative; Standards – used SPARK in 29 sites – regionally spread

Comprehensive communications planning for your network

• 3 key issues have been identified that resonate – safety, learning, working families (healthy living is an emerging issue)
• Takes discipline to stay on message
• Worksheet with “audience/goal/message is starting point for communicating
• Audience can be one person; messenger is as important as the message
• “Hooks” to slogans are easy to remember
• Iowa – gift box for legislators: packets of seeds w/picture of kids, directions on how to plant, preparation of soil, etc.; pair of gardening gloves

Across the country people are willing to pay for:

-Safe place

-Good environment

Oregon – politics is local, work close to home first; be concise; how does it impact close to home; use staff persons; keep legislators aware of what you are doing

Arizona – know staff if a term limited state (they may stay when elected official is gone); be vigilant, know who your champion is; influence elections, recruit persons to support your agenda; don’t rely on a politician un understand data

Missouri – find people who know someone to talk to legislators; keep lines of communication fluid in all ways; consider that you are providing information; identify a key legislator; be prepared to take any route to get in budget

What does conversation look like?

• It’s a workforce issue
• Connect any hot topic in your state to afterschool
• How you use data can make a difference
• Make sure you know what afterschool is all about & relate it; use a common vocabulary
• Know issue that is important to legislator and relate to what is important to him/her
• Start during campaign, call on both parties; engage staffers
• Make plans to work w/legislators when they aren’t in session; invite the spouse
• Be sure to know your agenda – what is the “ask”
• Pay attention to superintendents who are being hired – during interview ask where he/she stands on topic
• “School improvement” may be language to use
• Funding can go through several state agencies – health, human services, education – complement NOT compete
• Find out from legislators how they spent their time afterschool – what did they do as youth?
• Agencies that have school age monies – how you can be helpful in their afterschool program; department of natural resources, conservation, etc.
• Expand partnerships in your community
• Don’t take things for granted
• Slow cooker, not microwave - long process
  

Decision making should be equal process – a level playing field
Similar levels of position
Value everyone
Solid communication, transparency
“We are serving the same kids” mantra
Use “alliance” language rather than “partnership”
Explicit goals and mission – focus on coordinating role
See the benefit – relationship building
Look for frameworks to pull people together
Chairs of work teams are NOT persons on SLT
Review Rhode Island by-laws
Federal Child Care Bureau and Finance Institute
Putting together a governance structure
On-line draft form (check with Sharon Deich)
Partnership guide on CD rom

These sessions focused on Goal 1, 2 & 3.

1. Time, Learning and Afterschool – Opening speaker

This workshop focused on the need to make school personnel and policy makers aware of the opportunities for learning beyond the traditional school day. The workshop facilitators engaged participants in a discussion around how after school programs can enhance the school day learning of children. We also discussed an essay written by Christopher Cross called “Time Out”, which focuses on the under use of time in a child’s learning day. In addition, Christopher Cross discussed his book “Political Education”.

2. Network 101 – Basics of a statewide afterschool network

3. Network Plan Clinic

Network goals are/should be a customization of the Mott goals

First goal is greatest challenge

Plans will be posted on website

Common pitfalls in theory of change

Logic behind the element is key to clarity

Activities are part of the work plan

Short term outcome – measurable and observable

***Network can’t be responsible for program outcomes, only systems outcomes

Definitions –

Outcomes – observable, measurable

Elements – strategies to get to goal

Activities – daily, weekly, monthly “things” to do, tasks

The Ohio Afterschool Network Coordinator, Elaine, combined reports from the other team members. I'm posting them here (They'll appear above this posting) for your review. Thanks, J.D., Elaine, Stephanie, Becky, Amber & Warren!