Below you will find a variety of links to documents, publications, resources, and organizations dedicated to improving the field of after school. The information is broken into key topic areas to make it easier to find what you are looking for. This is by no means an exhaustive list of the available resources for the field, but can be a useful start for those looking to learn more about after school and the key players moving the work forward.

DATA ON PROVIDENCE AND RHODE ISLAND

National and local community-wide research and discussions were conducted prior to PASA's inception to begin articulating what high quality after school programs mean to providers, youth and parents in this community. To inform our strategies and the work we do, it was critical to have the input of Providence parents and youth.

In 2004, the Market Street Research Project was a key part of the business plan that led to the award of $5 million to Providence from The Wallace Foundation. The project consisted of youth and parent focus groups and 200 parent & youth surveys. Top priorities, for both parents and youth were the safety and quality of programs. A summary of the Market Street findings can be found here. In 2006, Market Street Research again surveyed 300 youth and parents. Results showed that we have made great strides in improving perceptions of safety. Parents and youth feel safer in the AfterZones than they did in after school programming in the past. Click here to read a summary of the 2006 Market Street Research project.

Learning in Communities/Providence Discussions and Reports - Led by Rhode Island Kids Count and funded by The Wallace Foundation, this 2003 citywide convening, research, and planning process mapped opportunities to increase the participation of children and youth in high-quality out-of-school time programming. Below are reports, based on best practices, produced to inform the planning:

• Out of School Time Program Standards
• Out of School Time Workforce Development
• Positive Youth Development
• Citywide Out of School Time Initiative
• Cost and Scale with Out of School Time
• The Developmental Context for Out of School Time Programming
• Financing Out of School Time Sector: Lessons Learned and Innovative Strategies
• Intermediaries in Out of School Time: A Literature Review
• Learning Partnerships in Out of School Time: A Literature Review
• Out of School Time Survey Report on Program Provider Survey

Middle School Age Youth After School Inventory of Providence Programs - An early goal of the PASA staff was to establish a rough baseline or estimate of the number of middle school youth being served at the start of the initiative. From this, an annual assessment can be made to determine if a significant increase in program participation can be achieved through the systems building strategies of the initiative. Toward this effort, PASA staff conducted site visits and interviews with all of the middle school principals, recreation center directors, library heads and major providers over a two-month period from October - November 2004. To view the findings, click here.

The Stepping Up Report, prepared by Community Matters and commissioned by the United Way of Rhode Island and the Providence Public School Department in 2002, examined the state of after-school programming in the city and explored opportunities to improve and expand to better meet the needs of Providence children and youth. To view the report, click here.

RHODE ISLAND BASED ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE INFORMED PASA'S WORK

A number of organizations in Rhode Island are doing great work to promote and support after school statewide. The following organizations have been important partners in PASA's work:

CHILDSPAN - http://www.childspan.net/
The mission of CHILDSPAN is to enhance the professional development of all those individuals serving children birth through age 16 to ensure availability of high-quality care and education services for Rhode Island children, youth, and their families. PASA and CHILDSPAN partner on professional development and quality improvement, particularly the Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment Tool (RIPQA).

City of Providence - http://providenceri.com/education/education.html
The Providence, RI homepage has a multitude of resources and information for Providence residents. In addition, the education page features up-to-date news on Providence schools and has links to educational resources.

Providence Public School Department - http://www.providenceschools.org
The PPSD website contains information about all of the schools in which PASA is offering after school programming as well as other basic information about the school department's work.

Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance (RIASPA) - http://www.afterschoolri.org RIASPA is an advocacy and mobilizing coalition whose mission is to affect public policy to expand and support high quality after school programming so that Rhode Island's children are safe, supervised and prepared to lead productive lives. PASA and RIASPA partner extensively on the quality improvement strategy, especially the BEST youth worker training, the youthservices.net tracking tool, and the Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment Tool (RIPQA).

Rhode Island School Age Child Care Association (RISACCA) - http://www.rischoolagechildcare.org/
RISACCA supports and enhances quality school age childcare and youth programs in Rhode Island through public awareness, advocacy and education and provides professional development and networking opportunities. RISACCA is the state affiliate for the National After School Association.

Rhode Island KIDS COUNT - http://www.rikidscount.org/
The mission of Rhode Island KIDS COUNT is to improve the health, safety, education, economic security, and development of Rhode Island's children. Their website is a great resource for state specific data on indicators of child well being.

AFTER-SCHOOL INTERMEDIARY ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE INFORMED PASA'S WORK

City of Baltimore: www.afterschoolinstitute.org AND www.safeandsound.org
City of Boston: www.bostonbeyond.org
City of Chicago: www.afterschoolmatters.org
City of Detroit: http://www.mayorstime.com
City of San Francisco: http://www.sfbeacon.org/
City of St. Louis: www.stlouis4kids.org
City of Washington D.C.: www.cyitc.org
Kansas City: www.kcyouthnet.org
New York City: www.tascorp.org
State of New Hampshire: www.plustime.org
State of New Jersey: www.njafter3.org

COLLABORATIVE FOR BUILDING AFTER-SCHOOL SYSTEMS (CBASS)

PASA is part of collaborative effort among six after-school intermediary organizations to make after-school part of the system of essential services that support children and youth. Launched in July 2006, CBASS is working to change policy and integrate after-school into broader education reform efforts, and to increase the resources devoted to after-school programs. In addition to PASA, the CBASS partners include:

• After School Matters
• Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign
• The After-School Institute
• Boston After School and Beyond
• The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation
• The After-School Corporation
• Prime Time Palm Beach County 

For more information, click here to visit the CBASS website.

AFTER-SCHOOL RESEARCH AND RESOURCE ORGANIZATIONS AND FUNDERS

The Afterschool Alliance - http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/ - The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of after school programs and advocating for quality, affordable programs for all children. It is supported by a group of public, private and nonprofit organizations that share the Alliance's vision of ensuring that all children have access to after school programs by 2010.

The Forum for Youth Investment - http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/ - The Forum provides youth and adult leaders with the information, technical assistance, training, network support and partnership opportunities needed to increase the quality and quantity of youth investment and youth involvement.

Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) - http://www.hfrp.org - HFRP strives to increase the effectiveness of public and private organizations and communities as they promote child development, student achievement, healthy family functioning, and community development. Their website provides a wealth of resources, particularly on evaluation. See their quarterly periodical, The Evaluation Exchange, for good evaluation resources and information.

Learning Points Associates - http://www.learningpt.org/ - Learning Point Associates helps schools and districts plan, create, and evaluate strong after school programs. With a foundational belief that strong and comprehensive after school programs can be critical to providing a strong base for educational success, Learning Point Associates helps organizations assess the needs of their community; designs after school programs to meet those needs; provides training and technical assistance for staff implementing programs; and evaluates the program's outcomes as it is implemented.

The Mott Foundation - http://www.mott.org/ - The Mott Foundation's Pathways Out of Poverty program supports initiatives around the U.S. that promote learning beyond the classroom --especially for traditionally underserved children and youth -- as a strategy for improving public education. This grantmaking includes strengthening the after school field through technical assistance, research, evaluation and policy development, and by building public support.

The National After School Association - http://www.naaweb.org/ - The National After School Association (formerly NSACA) is a national organization that advocates for after school support and funding and assists with efforts at the local level.

The National Institute on Out of School Time (NIOST) - http://www.niost.org/ - NIOST, based at Wellesley College, is a research, advocacy and technical assistance organization working to ensure that all children, youth, and families have access to high quality programs, activities, and opportunities during non-school hours.

The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning - http://www.sedl.org/afterschool/ - Funded by the Department of Education in 2004, the Partnership is made up of 7 organizations that are working to identify and validate promising and exemplary after school practices. Their website contains an after school training toolkit, a searchable curriculum database and other key resources.

National Youth Development Information Center (NYDIC) - http://www.nydic.org/nydic/ - NYDIC's website offers an extensive youth development library, including recent publications, listservs, web links and e-newsletters.

The Nellie Mae Education Foundation - http://www.nmefdn.org/ - The Nellie Mae Education Foundation promotes accessibility, quality, and effectiveness of education, especially for underserved populations, in the six New England states. The Foundation provides grants and technical assistance to programs focused on improving academic achievement in four strategic initiatives - Adult literacy, college prep, minority high achievement, and out-of-school matters.

The Out-of-School Time Clearinghouse - http://www.financeproject.org/irc/ost.asp - The Out-of-School-Time Clearinghouse at the Finance Project has developed resources that help leaders address financing and sustainability issues for out-of-school time programs. The OST clearinghouse brings together The Finance Project's resources with resources developed by other organizations dedicated to building better after-school programs.

The Partnership for After School Education (PASE) - http://www.pasesetter.com/ - PASE promotes and supports quality after school programs for youth, particularly those from underserved communities, enabling them to identify and reach their full potential. Although their professional development is primarily focused on New York City, their website contains a variety of helpful resources and publications on after school.

Promising Practices in After School - http://www.afterschool.org/ - The Promising Practices in After School list serve (PPAS) is an excellent way to stay connected to individuals working in after school across the country and to share ideas, information and successful practice.

Resources on After School - http://www.afterschoolresources.org - Funded by the Mott Foundation, Resources On Afterschool is an online tool featuring selected resources in the areas of: research and evaluation, promising practices, professional development, public awareness and communications, policy, and financing in after school.

The Wallace Foundation - http://www.wallacefoundation.org/ - For more than a decade, The Wallace Foundation has invested in innovative practices and knowledge gathering efforts to deliver enriching opportunities to youth. Visit the Foundation's Knowledge Center for more information.

The William T. Grant Foundation - http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/ - The W.T. Grant Foundation's mission focuses on improving the lives of youth ages 8 to 25 in the United States. They invest primarily in high quality empirical studies focused on understanding and improving social settings such as families, schools, peer groups, and organizations, and how these social settings affect youth. They have a special initiative focused on improving quality in after school programs.

NOTABLE AFTER-SCHOOL DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

Quality Improvement

• After School Grows Up - A report published by The After School Project, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, on how four large American cities approach scale and quality in after-school programs.
• Attracting and Sustaining Youth Participation - An evaluation brief by the Harvard Family Research project on attracting and sustaining youth participation in out-of-school time programs.
• Building Quality Improvement Systems - This report from the Forum for Youth Investment presents three case studies of quality improvement processes and outlines their lessons learned.
• Getting it Right: Strategies for After-School Success - This report from Public/Private Ventures synthesizes ten years of research to determine how to run effective programs that are funded to produce specific outcomes.
• Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools - A compendium from the Forum for Youth Investment comparing the purpose, structure, content and technical properties of nine youth program quality assessment tools.
• Moving Towards Success: Framework for After-School Programs - Funded by the Mott Foundation, this working document is intended to help program staff and researchers/evaluators embark on a long-term strategic plan of program development, program improvement, and measuring program effectiveness.
• Promoting Quality Through Professional Development - An article published by the Harvard Family Research project on how professional development opportunities for after school staff supports quality improvement for programs.

Evaluation of After School

Several major evaluation firms have done extensive work on after school and include resources and reports on their websites related to evaluation of after school including:

Child Trends - http://www.childtrends.org
Policy Studies Associates - http://www.policystudies.com/
Public/Private Ventures - http://www.ppv.org

Several evaluations of other cities' after school systems have informed PASA's work:

• Chicago's After School Matters
• LA's BEST
• Making the Most of Out-of-School Time (MOST)
• Massachusetts After-School Research Study (MARS)
• San Francisco Beacons
• The After School Corporation (TASC)

The following two meta-analyses provide excellent data on the impact of after school on youth outcomes:

• Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success - Explores after-school programs contributions to educational and personal success.
• The Impact of After-School Programs that Promote Personal and Social Skills - A report from the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) and Loyola University describing the strong positive effects after-school programs can have, and the conditions needed to realize these benefits.

Other useful evaluation resources and articles:

• Confronting the Big Lie: The Need to Reframe Expectations of Afterschool Programs - A paper by Robert Halpern discussing the outcomes for which after school programs should be held accountable. Sam Piha take a similar stance in his article Holding California Afterschool Programs Accountable.
• After School Counts! - A study of effective ways to measure and track after-school participation.
• Using Evaluation Methods to Promote Continuous Improvement and Accountability in After-School Programs: A Guide - From Policy Studies Associates, an easy to follow guide on how to conduct program evaluation.

Youth Development

• 40 Developmental Assets - The Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets are concrete, common sense, positive experiences and qualities essential to raising successful young people.
• The Development of Children Ages 6 to 14 - By Jacqueline Eccles, Professor of Psychology, Education and Women's Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
• Everyone Plays! - A review of research on the integration of sports and physical activity into out-of-school time programs.
• Helping Youth Succeed Through Out-of-School Time Programs - A guide from the American Youth Policy Forum that focuses on engaging older youth in after school.
• Increasing Opportunities for Older Youth in After-School Programs - A report on the experiences of Boys and Girls Clubs in Boston and New York City.
• Promising Practices in After School: Creating Engaging Learning Environments for Children and Youth - PowerPoint Presentation that outlines effective program practice.
• The Silent Epidemic: Perspectives of High School Dropouts - A report on the results of focus groups and surveys of high school dropouts from 25 different locations throughout the U.S.
• Sports As A Hook: An Exploratory Study of Developmentally Focused Youth Sports Programs - A study conducted by the Center for Youth Development and Policy Research.
• TRICS - A Youth Development Strategy: Principles to Practice in Re-creation for the 21st Century by Reco Bembry.
• What is this thing called Youth Development? - Article written by Peter Witt, Professor and Elda K. Bradberry Chair of Recreation and Youth Development at Texas A&M University.
• YOUTH COUNT: Exploring How KIDS COUNT Grantees Address Youth Issues - With support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Forum for Youth Investment takes a close look at the work of twelve KIDS COUNT grantees that have focused a significant part of their policy research and advocacy work on older youth issues.
• Youth Development in Community Settings: Challenges to our Field and Our Approach - Article written by the Community Action for Youth Project.
• Youth Involvement in Evaluation and Research - An evaluation brief by the Harvard Family Research Project that highlights the benefits of involving youth in meaningful participation in out-of-school time program evaluation.
• Youth Report to America - A report from the Boys and Girls Clubs of America summarizing the results of a national survey of more than 46,000 teenagers ages 13-18.
• Youth Voices on Learning AfterSchool - A Qualitative Evaluation of the San Francisco Beacon Initiative. Also look to their youth development framework here .

Funding After School

• Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Sources for Out-of-School-Time and Community School Initiatives - Published by the Finance Project, this guide includes everything you need to know about federal funding for after school.
• A Guide for Afterschool & Family Support Programs in Rhode Island - This guide is a publication of The United Way of Rhode Island?s Community Schools Rhode Island Initiative, and the Rhode Island Afterschool Plus Alliance.
• Profiles of Successful Afterschool Financing Strategies, 2005 - The Finance Project profiles the innovative approaches of the Ella J. Baker House in Boston and Heads Up in Washington D.C. Learn from the promising practices they use to secure funding and sustain their initiatives. These are the latest in a series of 18 profiles by The Finance Project highlighting effective strategies for financing after school programs.
• Tapping the U.S. Department of Justice and SAMHSA to Support Afterschool - Two new funding notes provide an overview of funding opportunities for after school programs from the U.S. Department of Justice and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The publications describe examples of organizations currently accessing these funds and tips for others interested in doing so.
• The Costs of Out-of-School-Time Programs: A Review of the Available Evidence - Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, this report reviews all the existing studies on the cost of out-of-school-time programming and reports on key findings.

Family Engagement in After School

• All Work and No Play - A report on research conducted by Public Agenda and commissioned by the Wallace Foundation that explores what parents and youth from inner city communities want and need during out of school time.
• Focus on Families! How to Build and Support Family-Centered Practices in After School.

Extended Learning Time - The School's Role in After School

• Helping Young People Succeed: Strengthening and Sustaining Relationships Between Schools and Youth Development Organizations - A report from the National Collaboration for Youth, the Coalition for Community Schools, and the Institute for Educational Leadership.
• A New Day for Learning - A report commissioned by the Mott Foundation that proposes a comprehensive, seamless approach to learning that values the distinct experiences that families, schools, after school programs, and communities provide for children.
• The Role of the School in Children's Out-of-School Time - A paper discussing the important role schools can play in enhancing after school programming.
• Time for a Change: The Promise of Extended-Time Schools for Promoting Student Achievement - a report from Massachusetts 2020 on 7 schools in Massachusetts with extended learning programs.

Please contact Elizabeth Devaney with suggestions, questions, and additional resources for this page at 401-490-9599, x103 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .