New brief released: State re-opening plans reveal importance of partnerships with afterschool across a broad range of goals

Labor Day has passed and schools are beginning in one form or another all over the U.S. The Afterschool Alliance completed a scan of state school reopening plans identifying where plans see a role for afterschool partners in our new brief, A Review of State Plans for Re-opening: How to Maximize Afterschool and Community Partners as Key Allies in Enhanced Learning and Supports.

Important areas where plans saw fit to include afterschool partners included:

• Needs and Asset Assessments
• Supporting Working Parents
• Scenario Planning across a student’s full day
• Connections to Caring Adults
• Whole Child Support and Social and Emotional Wellness
• Student Interest and Engagement
• Rebounding from Learning Loss
• Budgeting and Setting Financial Priorities to Support Key Partners
• Serving Vulnerable Students
• Safety Across Uses of Space
• Working Across Silos (including education and childcare)
• On-going, meaningful community, parent and student engagement

The brief provides examples of where states specifically draw out how coordination can take place. For example Washington’s plan mentions the opportunity states have to bring new partners to the planning table and strengthen community relationships. Illinois’s plan asks districts to consider students experiences across the full day and full week, thinking about how to continue to minimize unnecessary mixing of groups across settings. New Jersey recommends coordinating with community partners to ensure every student has access to a caring adult to check in with them and their family regularly. Wisconsin looks at mental health in detail and suggests that in school and out of school time programs can communicate and receive trainings jointly to support student needs. And, Missouri mentions afterschool programs can be a source of support, engagement and hope for students struggling to connect to learning.

The upcoming year brings many new challenges, but also opportunities for states and districts to learn from one another and from their students, families and communities. We hope this brief helps states and districts to consider the multiple ways that schools’ coordination with afterschool partners can support their capacity, leverage resources, and help students and families catch up, keep up, and emerge resilient and hopeful.

If your district or state is doing something innovative you want to share, please let us know!