The Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary
This year, with funding from the William T. Grant Foundation, we are focusing the Forum’s policy commentary series (originally funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation) on issues related to recent and emerging research related to out-of-school time, with an emphasis on exploring the many factors that contribute to setting quality and affect youth developmental outcomes.
| Sort by Title ↕ | Sort by Date ↕ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #16: Shining a Light on Supervision: Lessons from the Beacons |
This commentary takes readers inside the world of the Beacons, to understand their approach to supervision. In it, we ask and answer the questions: What does good supervision of youth work professionals look like? How can we strengthen supervision in ways that improve practice and reduce turnover? |
02/17/2010 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #15: Raising the Bar: Quality Improvement Systems for Youth Programs |
In this commentary, we compile lessons learned about building quality improvement systems for OST programs, based on emerging research and increasing activity in the field. We also take readers to two places – the state of Michigan and the city of Chicago – where implementation of this model is underway with promising results. |
08/26/2009 |
 |
Out of School Time Policy Commentary #14: "After School Grows Up: Helping Teens Prepare for the Future" |
This commentary takes readers on a cross-country tour of after-school innovation – from northern and southern California to Chicago, New York and New Hampshire. In On the Ground we describe two very different school-based models in California. |
04/02/2009 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #13: "Speaking in One Voice" |
This commentary highlights the work of the Collaborative for Building After-School Systems, a collaborative of mature, city and county-wide nonprofit OST intermediaries, to develop and adopt common youth-, program- and system-level measures that are easy and cost-effective for local systems to implement. |
11/03/2008 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #12: Unpacking Youth Work Practice |
The Forum's OST Policy Commentary series is back! In this issue we discuss the implications of recent research led by Bart Hirsch, Reed Larson and Charles Smith. Each study helps deepen our understanding of youth work practice and can inform policy strategies aimed at developing a strong, stable, committed and prepared OST workforce. |
06/26/2008 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #11: People, Places and Possibilities: Integrating Mentoring and After-School |
This commentary explores the relationship between mentoring and after-school, two fields that have garnered significant policy attention and momentum over the past several years. The question is not which makes more sense — mentoring or after-school — but how can we utilize both strategies to increase the likelihood that young people have the supports they need to thrive. |
02/28/2006 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #10: Rethinking the High School Experience: What's After-School Got to Do With it? |
With high school reform now a front-burner issue, districts and communities cannot afford to have high school after-school on the back burner. |
08/26/2005 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #9: When School Is Out, Museums, Parks and Libraries Are In |
Parks, libraries, museums and other cultural organizations represent a diverse array of assets and share a broad mission to serve their communities, however, some may not realize the roles that these institutions can and do play in supporting young people during out-of-school time hours. |
01/01/2005 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #8: Out-of-School Time and Civic Engagement |
The non-school hours, often framed as periods of risk, idleness or remediation, in fact constitute a powerful opportunity for civic renewal, engagement and change. This commentary describes how out-of-school time programs make ideal contexts for nurturing civic engagement, exploring the issue from the practice, research and policy perspectives. |
10/01/2004 |
 |
Out-of-School Time Policy Commentary #7: School's Out: A Look at Summer Learning and Engagement |
The word summer brings to mind images of a relaxed, unstructured season – a time markedly different from other seasons of the year. In the United States we have a particularly entrenched notion that summer is different – a notion reflected in popular assumptions about summer as a “break” and reinforced by carefree depictions of summer that abound in popular culture. |
07/01/2004 |