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Lights On
Resources
Click
here to download OAN’s Lights On planning
toolkit
Click
here to download OAN’s Case Statement on
Afterschool
Click
here to link to Ohio Fight Crime: Invest in Kids
Grantees: Your grant
report is due June 13, 2008.
Ohio’s school board members learned
how afterschool programs can impact student
achievement at the annual Ohio School Boards
Association annual conference in November.
OAN members Desiree Bolden, Akron
After School; Warren Fauver, Wood County ESC; Dr.
Paul Young, West After School Center; OAN Director
Liz Nusken; and Dennis Ervin, Principal of Northmor
Middle School presented “Staying Power: How
Afterschool Programs Impact Student Achievement”
to an audience of school board members representing
urban, rural and suburban districts throughout the
state.
Download PowerPoint presentation
A study published October 2007 found that both
elementary and middle school students enrolled in
high-quality after-school programs and other
structured activities, compared to students who were
largely unsupervised in the after-school hours,
experienced relative gains in their math achievement
test scores, work habits at school, and compliance
at home, and relative reductions in misconduct.
Elementary program participants also experienced
relative gains in grades, task persistence, social
skills, pro-social behavior, and reductions in
aggressive behavior, compared to their classmates
who were unsupervised after school. The report,
conducted by Dr. Deborah Vandell and Kim Pierce of
the University of California and Elizabeth Reisner
of Policy Study Associates, found that middle school
program participants reported relative reductions in
their use of substances (alcohol, tobacco, drugs)
compared to their unsupervised classmates.
Download
- Outcomes Linked to High-Quality Afterschool
Programs: Longitudinal Findings from the Study of
Promising Afterschool Programs
Step
Up to Quality!!
-
Step Up To Quality is based on national research
identifying the key benchmarks that lead to
improved outcomes for children. These benchmarks
include low child to staff ratios, group size,
accreditation, staff education, specialized
training, improved workplace characteristics and
early learning standards.
For more information on Step Up To
Quality and for a program application – visit
www.stepuptoquality.org
Why should a program participate?
Because quality matters. Programs have nothing to
lose and everything to gain by participating.
Regardless of where a program may be on the quality
continuum, there is a Step that can accommodate
their progress; from Emerging Stars all the way up
to a Three Star rating. Step Up To Quality provides
programs a roadmap to quality improvement. There are
incentives and
supports tied to each Step that can support movement
to the next Step. Finally, it provides programs the
community recognition they deserve for their
continued commitment towards achieving higher
quality standards.
Why are incentives and supports important?
Incentives and supports are important due to the
increased expense to achieve quality and sustain it.
Although incentives and supports can’t underwrite
the entire cost, they can be of great assistance.
What incentives and supports are available for Rated
programs?
Rated programs are eligible to receive an annual
quality achievement award as long as they have no
serious risk non-compliances and maintain Step
requirements. The amount of these awards are based
Step and on program capacity and the ratio of
enrollment to number of subsidized children.
25%
of the annual award must be spent on one or more of
the following: Critical Repair Grants; Quality
Improvement Grants; Early Learning Resource Grants;
Accreditation Grants Step Up To Quality Guidance
Document, December 4, 2006 Page 10 of 47 In
addition, all participating programs have access to
T.E.A.C.H. scholarships.
For more Step Up To Quality FAQ and
information visit
http://jfs.ohio.gov/cdc/docs/GuidanceDoc.pdf
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