Improving After-School Program Quality and Access

This grant will enable the Partnership for Children and Youth to inform and influence federal legislation as it relates to the development of quality systems of out-of-school time programming. In addition, Peck and colleagues at the Partnership will continue their efforts to improve access to and the quality of after-school programs for high school students in California. They plan to continue providing research- and practice-informed recommendations on high-quality out-of-school programming to key legislative leaders and administrators at California’s Department of Education (DOE). The Partnership will also lead the Collaborative to Build After-School Systems (CBASS) in developing and advocating for a set of national recommendations that inform federal debates and legislation regarding quality after-school programming. In collaboration with CBASS, the Partnership will (1) comment on legislation related to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC), the primary source for out-of-school programming for low-income schools; (2) develop, refine, and disseminate legislative language that can be used by Congressional committee staff drafting ESEA; (3) disseminate policy recommendations for model programming through presentations and written materials; and (4) educate legislative staff and key administrators by facilitating face-to-face meetings with Congressional and Department of Education (DOE) staff in Washington, D.C. In addition, Peck and colleagues will continue their work with California’s DOE to strengthen its statewide system of training and technical assistance supporting after-school programming for high school students. The Partnership will participate in California’s DOE strategic planning process to decide how to administer more than $700 million in after-school program funds and will translate field experiences and practices from high school providers around the country.