|
Implementation Ideas
Initial steps. It is always important to point out that when designing or implementing a new school program, no one "right way" exists. What works in one site may falter in another. Use the following suggested implementation steps as a guide, but keep in mind that the unique needs of your school or district may necessitate other methods.
Ongoing issues. A more indepth examination of implementation issues in conjunction with a review of the program quality indicators reveals that a successful program is the culmination of several factors. 1. Quality after-school programs involve the community Quality after-school programs are customized to the specific needs and resources of the community they serve. In order to have the greatest benefit, it is important that after-school programs work with a variety of community agencies and encourage the sharing of resources. For example, in a community experiencing economic depression due to the instability of a once-reliable natural resource (such as timber), area schools could partner with the local community college and/or area businesses to offer after-school career exploration to middle school students. This way students whose families had once relied upon local mills and factories for stable jobs could be exposed to new career options. Such activities could involve expert demonstrations, guest lectures, career mentoring, simulations, or apprenticeships, as well as life skills training and home economics workshops. According to a publication from the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice (1998), "Successful programs respond to community needs: their creation is the result of a community effort to evaluate the needs of its school-age children when school is not is session." It is important for school-sponsored after-school programs to collaborate with a variety of community service agencies. Schools with genuine partnerships will be able to put together more comprehensive programs and will be in a better position to obtain grant funding and eventually become self-sustaining. 2. Quality after-school programs have the support of school staff and leadership When after-school programs are housed in schools, it is essential that the school staff (including the secretary, janitor, school nurse, and counselor) and leadership be supportive and accommodating. If they aren't, it makes it very difficult to successfully share space and resources. Depending upon the organization of the program, staff and leadership may be involved in a range of activities from planning to implementation of the program. Often the principal is a key player and can "make" or "break" an after school program. Seppanen (1993) notes, "The involvement of principals ranges tremendously from providing the leadership necessary to integrate the before- and after-school program into the school culture, to assuming the role of protecting school resources from being used by program staff and children." Effective programs will find the principal in a supportive partnership role with program staff. 3. Quality after-school programs respond to the needs of students and their families It makes sense to involve students and families who will be using the program in the development and implementation phases. Students are an asset that schools and communities often overlook. Many times students have very creative ideas about how to use limited resources and time. In addition, students know what they need and what they will enjoy-so ask them! Parents are another resource that is often overlooked. Working parents may not be able to volunteer every day, but they can likely participate occasionally, and they can be a valuable connection to the business community. They may also be able to help in other ways. Programs that have built-in flexibility and that actively seek feedback from parents and students will be best able to adapt as needs shift over the years. 4. Quality after-school programs provide students with consistent, caring relationships with adults Many students now come from single-parent families and/or do not have relationships with their extended families. Although the staff of an after-school program cannot take the place of family, they can serve as mentors and positive role models. The relationships students develop with staff can have a major impact on their lives and can thus serve as protective factors counteracting other detrimental life circumstances. It is important for children to know they have a variety of caring adults in their lives. This assertion was reemphasized in a 1992 assessment of after-school programs in the greater metropolitan Washington, D.C., area. The assessment was based on the results of a series of focus groups 135 youth participated in. When asked who they felt would be ideal staff members, the 11- to 15-year-olds indicated that the "ideal staff" would be "adults and teenagers who are concerned about young adolescents' needs" (S. W. Morris & Company, Inc., 1992). Additional themes that emerged from the focus groups include:
It is clear that students themselves recognize the need for consistent, caring relationships with adults. "Youth repeatedly reported that they have a great deal of free, unsupervised time that affords them the opportunity to engage in risky behaviors; however, many expressed a desire to have more contact with positive adult role models, and with adults to whom they can talk." (S. W. Morris & Company, Inc. 1992). After-school programs can provide students with the supervised time and interactions with adult role models that they both want and need. 5. Quality after-school programs provide students with a safe place to go and reinforce sound health and nutrition practices Many public schools no longer offer the level of fitness-related activities they once did. As more and more time is being dedicated to core academics, after-school programs can be one place where students are encouraged to participate in fun fitness activities. Nutrition can be taught and modeled by providing healthy meals and snacks. After school is also a great time for other traditionally "extracurricular" activities like music, art, and drama, that are often first to be eliminated from public school offerings during budgetary shortfalls.
|
