Afterschool and summer learning: Opportunities to advance local priorities in Oklahoma Gigi Antoni Director of Learning and Enrichment, The Wallace Foundation Testimony before the Oklahoma State Legislature Common Education Committee Oct. 3, 2018

Today’s discussion About The Wallace Foundation – our approach and experience Why think beyond the traditional school day Afterschool and summer learning: What we know about benefits and how to achieve them Considerations for state policy and practice

About The Wallace Foundation The mission of The Wallace Foundation is to foster improvements in learning and enrichment for disadvantaged children and the vitality of the arts for everyone. We work with grantee partners to develop -- then broadly share -- evidence-based, practical insights in our focus areas

Wallace’s policy engagement principles Full compliance with the law, in letter and spirit We say more only as we know more based on our evidence and experience base Support flexible approaches that allow for adaptation to local context

Wallace’s work in expanded learning Since 2003 , we have invested more than $100 million nationally in supporting local progress and developing credible evidence and lessons about: How cities can support high-quality afterschool Full-day summer learning programs School-run, read-at-home summer programs Afterschool arts programs With independent researchers like RAND, we have published more than 60 reports distilling key lessons

Our funding in Oklahoma today – $6 million since 2014 Partnerships for Social and Emotional Learning Initiative – aligning opportunities for social and emotional learning in school and afterschool Tulsa, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Palm Beach County, Tacoma Partners here are Tulsa Public Schools and community-based organizations led by the Opportunity Project Tulsa in Wallace’s Principal Supervisor Initiative – one of two districts that are more advanced We are learning from Oklahoma’s innovations

Today’s discussion About The Wallace Foundation – our approach and experience Why think beyond the traditional school day Afterschool and summer learning: What we know about benefits and how to achieve them Considerations for state policy and practice

Afterschool: A time for development beyond experiences in school Need to bolster achievement, particularly for low-achieving children Need opportunities to develop their own interests and skills, self-management, and enriching interactions with peers and adults Need for safety and reducing risky behavior

Summer: A time of risk for many kids Disadvantaged children lose ground academically during summer Fewer structured opportunities for enrichment Less access to healthy foods Higher rates of obesity Risk of unsafe behaviors

Children from low-income families have half the access to enrichment activities Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Growing gap in spending on enrichment (Family spending on enrichment for children in 2008 dollars) Source: Whither Opportunity? Rising Inequality, Schools, and Children’s Life Chances, 2011, Russell Sage Foundation, Greg Duncan and Richard Murnane, ed., p. 11

Afterschool and summer are opportunities to meet these needs Time available in children’s schedules to provide learning opportunities Programs can be adapted to use community resources Multiple local institutions across sectors – schools, city agencies, nonprofits – can work together

In Oklahoma, parent support is high for afterschool and summer programs 77% support public funding 73% say afterschool helps give parents peace of mind about their kids 75% say it helps parents keep jobs Top factors in parents’ selection: quality; hours; child’s enjoyment; safety; qualified staff Summer learning 84% support public funding 20% say their child in a program 58% would enroll their child Source: America After 3PM, Afterschool Alliance, 2014; America After 3PM Special Report on Summer, Afterschool Alliance, 2010, available at afterschoolalliance.org and www.wallacefoundation.org

Summing up Children from low-income families have an achievement gap relative to their peers They also have fewer opportunities for enriching experiences – creating an ‘opportunity gap’ Children benefit from opportunities to address these – and gain the safety of supervised hours. Parents see value both for their children and for themselves

Today’s discussion About The Wallace Foundation – our approach and experience Why think beyond the traditional school day Afterschool and summer learning: What we know about benefits and how to achieve them Considerations for state policy and practice

Afterschool and summer learning – benefits depend on program design “Across studies, we find evidence that OST programs typically produce the primary outcomes expected by the content of programming delivered to youth.” Communities have choices to make The Value of Out-of-School Time, RAND, 2017, www.wallacefoundation.org and www.rand.org

Communities have choices in programs Program focus Examples of activities Typical staffing Potential primary outcome Additional outcomes Specialty Drama Coding Science Staff with specialized skills New skills New experiences SEL Attitudes toward school Behavior in school The Value of Out-of-School Time, RAND, 2017

Communities have choices in programs Program focus Examples of activities Typical staffing Potential primary outcome Additional outcomes Specialty Drama Coding Science Staff with specialized skills New skills New experiences SEL Attitudes toward school Behavior in school Multipurpose Homework help Recreation Enrichment Youth workers Safety Family employment The Value of Out-of-School Time, RAND, 2017

Communities have choices in programs Program focus Examples of activities Typical staffing Potential primary outcome Additional outcomes Specialty Drama Coding Science Staff with specialized skills New skills New experiences SEL Attitudes toward school Behavior in school Multipurpose Homework help Recreation Enrichment Youth workers Safety Family employment Academic English, math Teachers (academics) Youth workers (recreation) Academic achievement The Value of Out-of-School Time, RAND, 2017

Basic building blocks for benefits in both summer learning and afterschool Strong participation by children and youth Consistent attendance Implemented with high quality Qualified staff Age-appropriate materials and activities Positive, safe climate Well-designed and aligned with community needs Targeted outcomes Sufficient duration and frequency

Use of ESSA funds depends on evidence – and afterschool and summer learning programs qualify Federal funds for Title I, II, and IV can be spent on afterschool and summer programs if they meet evidence requirements More than 60 studies in afterschool and 47 in summer do meet the standards (positive results indicating improved outcomes for students) Programs cover pre-K and K, elementary school, middle and high school… and a variety of different approaches Source: Forthcoming studies by RAND and Research for Action commissioned by The Wallace Foundation.

Afterschool systems can help increase access and quality “This initiative provided a proof of principle—that organizations across cities could work together toward increasing access, quality, data- based decisionmaking, and sustainability. ” --Hours of Opportunity: Lessons from Six Cities on Building Systems to Improve After-School, Summer School, and Other Out-of-School-Time Programs Note: This evaluation studied Wallace-funded efforts in six cities. We have heard of regional efforts in rural areas, but have not studied them.

Afterschool systems: Four key elements No one-size-fits-all approach Coordinating organization varies by community Is Citywide Afterschool Coordination Going Nationwide?, FHI360, 2013, available at www.wallacefoundation.org.

Today’s discussion About The Wallace Foundation – our approach and experience Why think beyond the traditional school day Afterschool and summer learning: What we know about benefits and how to achieve them Considerations for state policy and practice

Options for state policymakers Support programs that match local needs – there are a broad range of approaches and benefits Incentivize and support local providers to develop well-designed, high-quality programs Consider the role of afterschool systems Maximize attendance of individual students – measure attendance, not enrollment Measure outcomes that align with program content “Don’t ask the baseball team to score touchdowns” Use Title IV and other ESSA funding streams for afterschool and summer “Policymakers and funders can incentivize intentional, quality programming by providing adequate resources and prioritizing funding for programs that can demonstrate intentionality of design and quality characteristics.” -- The Value of Out-of-School Time

The payoff for children – and communities More young people acquire the broad range of academic, social and emotional skills to equip them for success Reduced risk of obesity, nutrition, safety problems Stronger, more inclusive communities – benefiting all children

More information @ wallacefoundation.org