Letter From the Executive Director

Leadership on After-school and Summer Learning
By L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE
Principal Supplement: After-school Learning
January/February 2018

School leaders know that educating the whole child requires paying attention not only to instructional leadership, but also to the physical and mental health, safety, social, emotional, and educational needs that children bring with them to school each day. That is why the National Association of Elementary School Principals has long supported the concept of a well-rounded and complete education for children, which includes after-school and summer learning experiences as key factors in providing opportunities for all students to thrive.

Principals highly value out-of-school programs as a supplement to in-school instruction, for example. These programs help to increase homework completion, improve student academic achievement, and aid in the development of skills and behaviors important for academic success such as attendance, getting along with others, motivation to learn, participation in classroom activities, and positive classroom behavior. This is according to “Beyond the Classroom: What Principals Want When It Comes to Afterschool and Summer Learning,” a 2017 survey conducted by NAESP and the College of Charleston’s Afterschool and Summer Learning Resource Center, with generous support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

While principals rely on after-school and summer programming to support in-school learning, there is still a thirst for best practice models and a great need to expand the number of programs implementing quality standards. To this end, NAESP is proud to partner with the Mott Foundation to strengthen principals’ leadership in providing vision and support for quality expanded learning opportunities.

L. Earl Franks, Ed.D., CAE, Executive Director of NAESP