Key findings from the “Out-of-School Time Survey” of superintendents include:

• 97% agree afterschool programs can improve student skills in reading
• 97% agree afterschool programs can improve student skills in math
• 95% agree afterschool programs improve academics
• 95% agree that afterschool programs are to offer a safe place for students
• 93% agree that afterschool programs can improve student skills in science
• 92% agree that afterschool programs increase social interactions, fun and/or engagement
• 82% agree that afterschool programs are to offer activities not present during the school day

These findings show afterschool programs are seen as a critical component to students’ academic achievement, safety and overall well-being.  This is very much in line with past surveys we have conducted and past surveys we have included in our fact sheets.  For instance, Afterschool Alliance’s 2012 election eve poll found that when presented with information that research shows afterschool programs can lead to increased attendance, improved behavior and grades, 89 percent of voters agree that afterschool programs are important.  If you’re interested in additional polling on afterschool, check out our Polling Data page.

There would be a significant reduction of investment in informal STEM education (ISE) if this budget request were to be approved.  Federal science mission agencies—such as NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Defense, and the Environmental Protection Agency—that have invested in ISE and afterschool see a significant reduction if not a complete elimination of their STEM education budgets.  Of particular interest to the afterschool community, NASA’s Summer of Innovation program, which has provided funds to summer and afterschool providers, has been zeroed out.  The National Science Foundation’s Advancing Informal Science Learning program also sees a $13.6 million cut below its current level of funding.       

The Smithsonian is a new and surprising partner in STEM education, and the details of the $25 million request for “STEM engagement” are still being worked out.  One of its main roles will likely be to serve as a centralized location for the education resources generated by the various science mission agencies.  According to the budget request:

“The STEM initiative will be coordinated by the Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access, which will create new online resources and experiences for students that have a measurable impact, align Smithsonian content with learning standards set by the states and create communities of teachers who may use Smithsonian content and tools to customize their own programs.”  

At the Department of Education, the only real new opportunity for ISE lies with the “STEM Innovation Networks,” a new program to help school districts build strategic partnerships with institutions of higher education, museums, businesses, government agencies, etc.  The three pillars for these networks are supposed to be teacher preparation, teacher professional development and ISE.  However, the only required partnership as of right now is between school districts and universities, raising a concern that ISE will (again) not play its rightful role in STEM education reform.

The focus of the other K-12 programs proposed by the department is on teacher recruitment, preparation and professional development—$80 million to prepare 100,000 excellent teachers over the next decade (the "100k in 10" initiative) and $35 million to pilot a new program, the STEM Master Teacher Corps, that would recognize and reward the best and brightest STEM teachers and help them play a leadership role in their schools and communities.  The Effective Teaching and Learning Program (formerly the Math and Science Partnerships Program) will receive $150 million; this program has been mostly used to provide professional development to teachers.

There are still many details to be worked out in this large-scale redesign of STEM education.  While the proposal is worrisome for those of us who strongly believe that ISE should play an integral role in STEM education reform, it is still just a budget request.  The ISE and afterschool community should view it as an opportunity to engage the Administration and Congress in a dialogue about the research base and evidence for building an “ecosystem for learning” that includes afterschool.  Let’s rally to make it clear that young people lose when they can’t participate in innovative engaging afterschool STEM learning opportunities.

Additionally, in celebration of five years of MetLife Foundation Afterschool Innovator Awards, the compendium includes an infographic showcasing award winners from previous award cycles.  It is quite a proud moment to know, that with the generous support of MetLife Foundation, we have awarded more than $160,000 to 26 programs—in 17 states and 24 cities—that are supporting the growth and success of children across the nation.

I also hope that you’ll register for our upcoming webinar on April 25, Afterschool Innovators and Middle School Success.  The webinar will feature three of the 2012 Afterschool Innovators, as well as share with you why these programs’ nominations stood out in the 2012 award selection process.

According to the lieutenant governor’s office, effective and positive afterschool programs provide not only an educational benefit to students but also a social value to the overall community by reducing juvenile crime.  Hawaii has long focused on providing afterschool programs to elementary and high school students, however successful programs for intermediate/middle school students are sporadic and decentralized.  Last October the Department of Education introduced the Intermediate Athletics Pilot program, to be piloted in the Zones of School Innovation (ZSI) in the Nanakuli-Waianae complex and the Kau-Keaau-Pahoa complex on Hawaii Island.  The new Hawaii Intermediate/Middle School Challenge initiative adds a comprehensive program for intermediate/middle schools with the support and guidance to implement effective and positive afterschool programs statewide.  The announcement pointed to strong school-community partnerships as an important part of the initiative going forward. 

The Hawaii Intermediate/Middle School Challenge will start immediately after the school day ends and is intended to be a comprehensive and structured statewide program to fill the gap of youth activities available to students between the 6th and 8th grades.  Programs offered will be from three general categories—academic enrichment, arts and culture, and sports.  Currently the majority of existing intermediate/middle school programs is supported by unpredictable federal funding; a more reliable source of funding would provide greater stability for the programs, as well as greater participation.  Accordingly, using a community based approach the program will seek to utilize available federal and state funds while also partnering with schools, parents and the private sector to provide funding and resources to facilitate the program’s success.  The partnership with these stakeholders will ensure that the afterschool programs will be well established in their respective communities and will likely be financially sustainable for the long-term.

• Continuing the Department of Education’s vision of utilizing a school-community network approach to engage community-wide support and responsibility for intermediate/middle school students’ education, health and well-being.
• Providing students at all intermediate/middle schools within the state the opportunity to participate in before- or afterschool programs that will enrich and encourage student growth in academics, personal responsibility and maturity, creativity, and the development of social skills.
• Reducing the number of student dropouts by providing a seamless transition of afterschool programs that promote student participation in school-related functions from elementary through high school.
• Providing health, fitness, educational and social enrichment opportunities to intermediate/middle school students.

Key findings from the survey include:

• Teacher job satisfaction is at 39%, five points lower than the 2011 survey and the lowest point in the past 25 years.
• More than half (51%) of teachers say they feel under great stress at least several days a week.
• More than 7 in 10 principals (72%) and teachers (73%) rate engaging parents and the community in improving the education of students as very challenging or challenging for school leadership.
• Approximately 4 in 5 principals (83%) and teachers (78%) report that addressing the individual needs of diverse learners at their schools is challenging for school leaders.
• A majority (56%) of teachers report that their school’s budget decreased during the past year.
• Principals in high-needs schools—schools serving a greater population of low-income students and schools that have fewer students performing at or above grade level in English language arts and math—are less likely to give their teachers an excellent rating.
• An overwhelming majority of principals and teachers say that they are knowledgeable about the Common Core State Standards (principals-93%; teachers-92%) and are confident that teachers have the ability to teach the Common Core State Standards (principals-90%; teachers-93%), but a majority of both groups believe that implementing the Common Core is very challenging or challenging for school leaders (principals-67%; teachers-59%).
• A strong majority of principals and teachers are confident that the Common Core will improve student achievement (principals-82%; teachers-69%) and better prepare students for college and the workforce (principals-81%; teachers-71%).
• Almost all teachers (96%) believe that real-world problems that students can solve would be helpful for teachers in implementing the Common Core State Standards.

Over the course of the two days, there were a number of breakout sessions that addressed ways to keep kids in school, such as how the Common Core State Standards will benefit communities, the importance of social and emotional growth, building support for expanded learning opportunities, and working together to overcome the poverty challenge and help students succeed in school.

I walked away from the conference with a million ideas and thoughts, but two aspects struck me most.  First, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who spoke at Monday’s luncheon, said it best, “….schools can’t do this work by themselves.”  The diversity of the sessions and the organizations presenting—including CASEL, Denver Public Schools, I-LABS at the University of Washington, Maryland Out of School Time Network, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Voices for National Service and National Council of La Raza—showed that it truly does take a village to raise a child.  If we want to reach the 90% national graduation rate by 2020, everyone—schools, afterschool programs, students, parents, early childhood educators, businesses, community organizations and others—need to come together, support each other and work together in cohesive ways. 

The second aspect of the summit that stayed with me was the passion, dedication and motivation of everyone at the conference.  It was a great to be in an environment where I was surrounded by people who were focused on the same goal.  I left the event reinvigorated about Afterschool Alliance’s work to raise awareness around the important role afterschool programs play in improving student’s attendance rates, academic achievement, and supporting student’s social, emotional and behavioral growth.  

A full recap of the summit, videos of the sessions and reports released during the summit are available on the Building A Grad Nation Summit website.

Regardless of respondents’ role in their school’s afterschool programs, an overwhelming majority (94%) view the programs as key partners in providing additional STEM learning opportunities for their students.  Afterschool STEM supports school-day learning in a number of specific ways; respondents’ top five are listed below:

1. Provides additional time for students to engage with STEM in a different way (93%)
2. Provides hands-on engagement not always possible during the school day (89%)
3. Provides students with more opportunities to do engineering and technology (83%)
4. Teaches them 21^st century STEM-relevant skills such as team work, problem solving, communication, etc. (83%)
5. Exposes students to professionals and mentors in STEM fields (71%)

Additionally, more than 9 in 10 survey respondents agreed that afterschool has a role in helping schools think about the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards.  It is clear that school-day staff recognize the synergies with afterschool, as it provides a unique learning environment that both complements and supplements school-day learning.  The urgent need to improve STEM education, address workforce issues and improve other educational outcomes is a big task.  As children spend less than 20% of their waking hours in school each year, schools can’t tackle these issues alone—the afterschool field is a willing partner!

To learn more about the outcomes of STEM learning in afterschool, check out the Afterschool Alliance's recently published report on what afterschool experts agree is appropriate and feasible for this space.  For several recommendations on how afterschool can grow to become an essential partner in STEM education reform, read this article from the new book, “Expanding Minds and Opportunities: Leveraging the Power of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success.”

Less than 15 Days until Sequestration
Feb. 14 has been declared a day of action on the sequester by a coalition of 3,200 organizations, including the Afterschool Alliance, who are concerned about the impact of the 5 percent across-the-board funding cut on children and communities nationwide.  A number of hearings this week, including one by the Senate Appropriations Committee, addressed the impact of the sequester. Education Sec. Duncan testified in front of the Appropriations Committee citing a cut to Title I education spending of $725 million, which is estimated to eliminate support to 2,700 schools and 1.2 million students.  This week the House Appropriations Committee Democrats also issued a Report on Sequestration that included the following findings:

• Approximately 30,000 low-income children of working parents would lose child care assistance through the Child Care and Development Block Grant and many more would experience a reduction in services.
• Title I Grants to school districts would see a cut in excess of $750 million, denying funding to well over 2,500 schools serving more than 1 million disadvantaged students.  These funds pay for teachers, tutors and afterschool programs.  Sequestration would mean job losses for more than 10,500 teachers and aides.

The sequester will take effect on March 1 if Congress does not act.  For the 21^st Century Community Learning Centers initiative, it is now estimated that about 80,000 young people would lose afterschool and summer learning supports beginning with the 2013-2014 school year if sequestration occurs.  Friends of afterschool are urged to contact Congress in support of federal afterschool program funding.