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Ten Case Studies of School-Based After-School Programs and Resources
NAESP's publication, Making the Most of After-School Time, presents an in-depth study of 10 very different and exciting after-school programs, with a focus on the various roles their principals play in helping to make them successful. The programs are located in urban, rural, and suburban communities across the United States. Some are very large, while others serve only a small number of students. Both elementary and middle school programs are included, and we made a special effort to examine programs that serve diverse student populations. For a brief snapshot of each program, click on Program Snapshots below.
Download the publication for free.
Supplementary Information and Resources
Several of the schools and after-school programs profiled in this study have contributed forms, training materials, assessments, and other supplementary information they have agreed to share with colleagues across the nation. These resources may be downloaded and used in their current form or adapted to meet individual program requirements.
Program Snapshots
Programs found in Making the Most of After-School Time.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
LOWMAN SCHOOL
The centerpiece of after-school at Lowman is a collaborative dance and movement program that pairs the school’s students with special needs and students from a neighboring elementary school. This inclusion program has brought out new skills and abilities in both groups, positively affecting students, parents, and teachers alike. The creation of an after-school program at Lowman was no small feat. After years of working to find county and state funds, Principal Helen Hartel gained the attention of LA’s BEST, a unique public-private partnership that provides after-school programming for more than 100 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles. Through its affiliation with LA’s BEST, Lowman now offers a variety of after-school activities, many of which are tied to students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
DENVER, COLORADO
VALDEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL—DENVER SCORES
At Valdez Elementary School, books abound and the emphasis is on literacy—a school-wide focus for several years. When Jenna Farley, executive director of the fledgling Denver SCORES, approached Principal Tom Archuleta about starting an after-school program at Valdez, the value for Archuleta was its literacy focus. Denver SCORES combines after-school soccer with an innovative writing curriculum. Students participate in soccer practices and games three days a week and spend the other two days writing, performing, and publishing poetry, and participating in community writing projects. While the program’s goal is to improve students’ literacy skills, soccer is the enticement for kids.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
HARMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Harms Elementary is a vibrant place. Although it is one of the oldest schools in Detroit, built in 1915, it serves as a nerve center in the community. The after-school program at Harms is an essential part of the school’s vitality. Students participate in activities ranging from dance, to Accelerated Reading, to a unique community service class. The program draws on resources from throughout the Detroit community, including student artists from the University of Michigan and seniors from a neighboring apartment complex. The glue that holds all of this together is a student-focused, community-based approach to education; a visionary principal; and a committed, caring staff.
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
JACKSON PREPARATORY MAGNET SCHOOL
When Principal Patrick Bryan arrived at Jackson Magnet School in 2001, Jackson’s after-school program was in trouble. Bryan built bridges with the community, hired a new after-school coordinator, and with the support of the St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS), revamped the program. Today, after-school is anchored by strong partnerships between the school and community-based organizations, such as the University of Minnesota’s 4-H Extension Program, Hmong-American Partnership, and the St. Paul Conservatory of Music. The majority of students at Jackson identify themselves as Hmong, an ethnic group whose origins can be traced to parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other Asian countries. To better serve these students, and all the students at Jackson, the after-school program features Hmong culture and language classes, clubs, tutoring, homework help, and enrichment activities. Bryan credits the after-school program with strengthening the school’s relationship to the community and bolstering students’ achievement scores.
WADSWORTH, NEVADA
NATCHEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The after-school program at Natchez Elementary School gives students a safe and caring place to learn, have fun, and improve their academic achievement, but it also provides opportunities to deepen their understanding of their heritage. Most children growing up on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation no longer speak the Paiute language. Like their contemporaries, they receive a steady diet of fast-paced, slang-laden English from commercial television. One of the goals of the after-school program at Natchez Elementary School, located just inside the reservation, is to strengthen students’ connections to Paiute culture. In addition to homework and reading time, the after-school program at Natchez includes Paiute language classes, drumming, tribal arts, and cooking. Students also take part in a variety of recreational activities and field trips. The program has aligned diverse community groups with the school, provided relief to working parents, and greatly increased learning opportunities for students.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
CAPTAIN MANUEL RIVERA JUNIOR SCHOOL PS/MS 279
TASC AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
The after-school program at PS/MS 279 has boosted parent involvement in the school and helped create a small, caring community within a very large school. Like many schools across the United States, PS/MS 279 has changed its curriculum focus in recent years. Today, children spend more time during the school day working on math and literacy activities, and there are fewer opportunities for arts exploration. Fortunately, the TASC After-School program at PS/MS 279 helps to make up for this shift. Run by the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF) and supported by The After-School Corporation (TASC), the program offers a number of arts enrichment activities, including dance, music, choir, and visual arts classes. Academic offerings, such as math and reading clubs, have been structured to improve students’ skills through sports and educational games. Kids produce plays, perform concerts, and dance at Madison Square Garden.
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
JOHNSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
YOUNG SCHOLARS
Imagine taking students with failing end-of-grade test scores and turning them into scholars—kids who are not only passing, but also getting the highest marks possible. The Johnston Young Scholars program has accomplished this feat and more. With support of a statewide network of North Carolina schools and a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Young Scholars after-school program has changed the school culture at Johnston Elementary. Students in the program use project-based learning to explore monthly themes that reinforce the school’s curriculum. They build mosaics, plant community gardens, go on overnight camping trips, and learn conflict resolution skills. The program is anchored with tutoring and homework support provided by teachers, school staff, and community volunteers. Since Young Scholars was initiated five years ago, parent involvement in the school has increased dramatically, and vandalism and discipline referrals have all but disappeared. Teachers have adapted Young Scholars project-based learning methods for their classrooms.
BENNINGTON, VERMONT
MOLLY STARK SCHOOL
The after-school program at Molly Stark School has united the community and played an essential role in the school’s transformation into a full-service community school. The program was started seven years ago as a way to provide fun and enriching activities for a group of students who would otherwise have no place to go at the end of the school day. The program now serves more than 250 students each year, more than half the school’s population. Students participate in a variety of activities, such as mural painting, fishing, Tae Kwan Do, dance, computer skills building, reading, cooking, and environmental exploration, which are taught by classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and community members. Kids also participate in homework, reading, and math clubs. Parents serve as after-school coordinators, increasing their connections to the school.
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
MOUNT VERNON WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
COMPUTER LEARNING CENTERS PARTNERSHIP
“If you build it, they will come,” says Sandra Stiner Lowe, the visionary behind the Computer Learning Centers Partnership (CLCP) program in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School is the site of one of the county’s first school-based CLCP labs and after-school programs. From an archaic school computer lab, stocked with outmoded computers and obsolete software, the county partnered with the school system to build a state of the art computer-learning center. The learning center now serves as a school-wide learning lab during the day. After school, Mount Vernon Woods students improve their technology skills, complete project-based literacy activities, participate in homework labs, go on tech-based field trips, and take part in service-learning projects. They can even earn their own home computer. In the evenings, the computer lab is open to middle and high school students in the area, as well. All involved agree the CLCP initiative at Mount Vernon has been a transforming force for the school, improving student and teacher morale and raising the school’s standing in the community and the district.
ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON
MILLER JUNIOR HIGH—HARBOR AFTER SCHOOL
Harbor After School began with an unlikely 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant, and has since become an independent organization with separate 501c3 legal status and sufficient grant funding to continue for years to come. The program, like many good after-school programs, offers a variety of enrichment activities, provides mentors and meals, and creates a space for students to continue the learning and exploration begun during the school day. What is unique about this program is the way it has become firmly rooted in the community, building on the strengths of those who have helped to nurture it.
Registration/Application/Permission Forms
Downloadable forms from Making the Most of After-School Time.
Training Manuals
Downloadable manuals from Making the Most of After-School Time.
Evaluation Documents
Downloadable documents from Making the Most of After-School Time.
Curriculum Document
Downloadable documents from Making the Most of After-School Time.
NAESP's publication, Making the Most of After-School Time, presents an in-depth study of 10 very different and exciting after-school programs, with a focus on the various roles their principals play in helping to make them successful. The programs are located in urban, rural, and suburban communities across the United States. Some are very large, while others serve only a small number of students. Both elementary and middle school programs are included, and we made a special effort to examine programs that serve diverse student populations. For a brief snapshot of each program, click on Program Snapshots below. Download the publication for free.
Supplementary Information and Resources
Several of the schools and after-school programs profiled in this study have contributed forms, training materials, assessments, and other supplementary information they have agreed to share with colleagues across the nation. These resources may be downloaded and used in their current form or adapted to meet individual program requirements.
Program Snapshots
Programs found in Making the Most of After-School Time.
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA
LOWMAN SCHOOL
The centerpiece of after-school at Lowman is a collaborative dance and movement program that pairs the school’s students with special needs and students from a neighboring elementary school. This inclusion program has brought out new skills and abilities in both groups, positively affecting students, parents, and teachers alike. The creation of an after-school program at Lowman was no small feat. After years of working to find county and state funds, Principal Helen Hartel gained the attention of LA’s BEST, a unique public-private partnership that provides after-school programming for more than 100 elementary schools throughout Los Angeles. Through its affiliation with LA’s BEST, Lowman now offers a variety of after-school activities, many of which are tied to students’ Individual Education Plans (IEPs).
DENVER, COLORADO
VALDEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL—DENVER SCORES
At Valdez Elementary School, books abound and the emphasis is on literacy—a school-wide focus for several years. When Jenna Farley, executive director of the fledgling Denver SCORES, approached Principal Tom Archuleta about starting an after-school program at Valdez, the value for Archuleta was its literacy focus. Denver SCORES combines after-school soccer with an innovative writing curriculum. Students participate in soccer practices and games three days a week and spend the other two days writing, performing, and publishing poetry, and participating in community writing projects. While the program’s goal is to improve students’ literacy skills, soccer is the enticement for kids.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN
HARMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Harms Elementary is a vibrant place. Although it is one of the oldest schools in Detroit, built in 1915, it serves as a nerve center in the community. The after-school program at Harms is an essential part of the school’s vitality. Students participate in activities ranging from dance, to Accelerated Reading, to a unique community service class. The program draws on resources from throughout the Detroit community, including student artists from the University of Michigan and seniors from a neighboring apartment complex. The glue that holds all of this together is a student-focused, community-based approach to education; a visionary principal; and a committed, caring staff.
ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
JACKSON PREPARATORY MAGNET SCHOOL
When Principal Patrick Bryan arrived at Jackson Magnet School in 2001, Jackson’s after-school program was in trouble. Bryan built bridges with the community, hired a new after-school coordinator, and with the support of the St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS), revamped the program. Today, after-school is anchored by strong partnerships between the school and community-based organizations, such as the University of Minnesota’s 4-H Extension Program, Hmong-American Partnership, and the St. Paul Conservatory of Music. The majority of students at Jackson identify themselves as Hmong, an ethnic group whose origins can be traced to parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and other Asian countries. To better serve these students, and all the students at Jackson, the after-school program features Hmong culture and language classes, clubs, tutoring, homework help, and enrichment activities. Bryan credits the after-school program with strengthening the school’s relationship to the community and bolstering students’ achievement scores.
WADSWORTH, NEVADA
NATCHEZ ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
The after-school program at Natchez Elementary School gives students a safe and caring place to learn, have fun, and improve their academic achievement, but it also provides opportunities to deepen their understanding of their heritage. Most children growing up on the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation no longer speak the Paiute language. Like their contemporaries, they receive a steady diet of fast-paced, slang-laden English from commercial television. One of the goals of the after-school program at Natchez Elementary School, located just inside the reservation, is to strengthen students’ connections to Paiute culture. In addition to homework and reading time, the after-school program at Natchez includes Paiute language classes, drumming, tribal arts, and cooking. Students also take part in a variety of recreational activities and field trips. The program has aligned diverse community groups with the school, provided relief to working parents, and greatly increased learning opportunities for students.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
CAPTAIN MANUEL RIVERA JUNIOR SCHOOL PS/MS 279
TASC AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM
The after-school program at PS/MS 279 has boosted parent involvement in the school and helped create a small, caring community within a very large school. Like many schools across the United States, PS/MS 279 has changed its curriculum focus in recent years. Today, children spend more time during the school day working on math and literacy activities, and there are fewer opportunities for arts exploration. Fortunately, the TASC After-School program at PS/MS 279 helps to make up for this shift. Run by the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families (CHCF) and supported by The After-School Corporation (TASC), the program offers a number of arts enrichment activities, including dance, music, choir, and visual arts classes. Academic offerings, such as math and reading clubs, have been structured to improve students’ skills through sports and educational games. Kids produce plays, perform concerts, and dance at Madison Square Garden.
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
JOHNSTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
YOUNG SCHOLARS
Imagine taking students with failing end-of-grade test scores and turning them into scholars—kids who are not only passing, but also getting the highest marks possible. The Johnston Young Scholars program has accomplished this feat and more. With support of a statewide network of North Carolina schools and a grant from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, the Young Scholars after-school program has changed the school culture at Johnston Elementary. Students in the program use project-based learning to explore monthly themes that reinforce the school’s curriculum. They build mosaics, plant community gardens, go on overnight camping trips, and learn conflict resolution skills. The program is anchored with tutoring and homework support provided by teachers, school staff, and community volunteers. Since Young Scholars was initiated five years ago, parent involvement in the school has increased dramatically, and vandalism and discipline referrals have all but disappeared. Teachers have adapted Young Scholars project-based learning methods for their classrooms.
BENNINGTON, VERMONT
MOLLY STARK SCHOOL
The after-school program at Molly Stark School has united the community and played an essential role in the school’s transformation into a full-service community school. The program was started seven years ago as a way to provide fun and enriching activities for a group of students who would otherwise have no place to go at the end of the school day. The program now serves more than 250 students each year, more than half the school’s population. Students participate in a variety of activities, such as mural painting, fishing, Tae Kwan Do, dance, computer skills building, reading, cooking, and environmental exploration, which are taught by classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, and community members. Kids also participate in homework, reading, and math clubs. Parents serve as after-school coordinators, increasing their connections to the school.
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA
MOUNT VERNON WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
COMPUTER LEARNING CENTERS PARTNERSHIP
“If you build it, they will come,” says Sandra Stiner Lowe, the visionary behind the Computer Learning Centers Partnership (CLCP) program in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School is the site of one of the county’s first school-based CLCP labs and after-school programs. From an archaic school computer lab, stocked with outmoded computers and obsolete software, the county partnered with the school system to build a state of the art computer-learning center. The learning center now serves as a school-wide learning lab during the day. After school, Mount Vernon Woods students improve their technology skills, complete project-based literacy activities, participate in homework labs, go on tech-based field trips, and take part in service-learning projects. They can even earn their own home computer. In the evenings, the computer lab is open to middle and high school students in the area, as well. All involved agree the CLCP initiative at Mount Vernon has been a transforming force for the school, improving student and teacher morale and raising the school’s standing in the community and the district.
ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON
MILLER JUNIOR HIGH—HARBOR AFTER SCHOOL
Harbor After School began with an unlikely 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant, and has since become an independent organization with separate 501c3 legal status and sufficient grant funding to continue for years to come. The program, like many good after-school programs, offers a variety of enrichment activities, provides mentors and meals, and creates a space for students to continue the learning and exploration begun during the school day. What is unique about this program is the way it has become firmly rooted in the community, building on the strengths of those who have helped to nurture it.
Registration/Application/Permission Forms
Downloadable forms from Making the Most of After-School Time.
- Johnston Elementary School – Young Scholars 2004-2005 Application and Medical Release Forms
- Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School – Computer Learning Centers Partnerships 2003-2004 Student Registration Form (available in English and Spanish)
- Valdez Elementary School – Denver SCORES Registration Form (available in English or Spanish)
- Miller Junior High – Harbor After School Request for Permission to Release Permanent School Records
- PS/MS279/TASC – Permission to Request Human Resources Administration (HRA) Funds to Support After-School Programs
- PS/MS279/TASC – Medication Consent & Log of Administration
- PS/MS279/TASC - Photo/Video/Interview Consent (completed by parent or guardian)
Training Manuals
Downloadable manuals from Making the Most of After-School Time.
- Mount Vernon Woods Elementary School – Computer Learning Centers Partnershipsm/Fairfax County Office of Partnerships Operations Manual.
- Harms Elementary School - Harms Elementary School After-School Program Volunteer and Counselor Orientation Manual - Staff Training Manual; Art Science Appendices; Program Rules
Evaluation Documents
Downloadable documents from Making the Most of After-School Time.
- Jackson Preparatory Magnet School – Final Evaluation Report: 21st Century Community Learning Centers Pathways to Progress, St. Paul Public Schools, March 2004
- PS/MS 279 – TASC Evaluation Documents – link to Policy Study Associates Website, http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/Evaluation%20TASC%20Programs.html
- Valdez Elementary – Denver SCORES Site Visit—Writing Workshop form
Curriculum Document
Downloadable documents from Making the Most of After-School Time.
- Measuring Up! Building Metric Measurement Skills Through Art at Harms Elementary School
Lessons from the Detroit Connections ProjectThe University of Michigan School of Art & Design