Research/Promising Practices

Beyond School Bells and the Nebraska Department of Education
Summer and Afterschool Learning Opportunities
Investing American Rescue Plan Funds in Well-Designed and Well-Delivered Summer and Afterschool Learning Opportunities Meets the Intent of the Law, and Addresses Needed Learning Recovery and Acceleration
Summer 2021

Quality Framework for Expanded Learning Opportunities
Nebraska State Board of Education Position Statement for Expanded Learning Opportunities
(approved 10/6/17)

Afterschool Alliance
Library and Afterschool Partnerships: How Afterschool Providers are Working Together With Public Libraries
September 2017
The Afterschool Alliance, Space Science Institute’s National Center for Interactive Learning, and the American Library Association worked together to survey 365 afterschool providers on their perceptions of public libraries, what kinds of partnerships they have, as well as ideas for future growth. Report includes challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for growing partnerships.

Afterschool Alliance
The research on afterschool programs is vast and continues to grow, with more than 15 years’ worth of evaluations and data on afterschool program participation spanning a decade. (posted 6.8.2017)

• Reports: In-depth reporting on afterschool
• Issue Briefs: Drawing connections between pressing issues and afterschool
• Fact Sheets: Introduce yourself to the basics

Afterschool Alliance
America After 3PM Special Report: The Growing Importance of Afterschool in Rural Communities
*   Report
*   Executive Summary
March 2016
This report takes a closer look at the afterschool experiences of children and families living in rural communities and compares these experiences to those of children and families outside of rural communities. This report also serves to examine the ways programs are increasing opportunities in these often underserved and overlooked communities, and what more can be done to make certain that all children, regardless of geographic location, are given the array of supports they need to achieve their full potential.

Afterschool Alliance
Evaluations Backgrounder: A Summary of Formal Evaluations of Afterschool Programs’ Impact on Academics, Behavior, Safety and Family Life
March 2015
The most recent evaluations today continue to support the important role afterschool plays in student development and success. This updated evaluations backgrounder includes new research outlining the positive impacts of afterschool programs on academic performances, behavior, safety, attendance, avoidance of risky behaviors and parental involvement, and the importance of frequency and duration of participation in seeing these benefits.

American Institutes for Research
Building Supportive Relationships in Afterschool
SEDL Insights, Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 2014
Building supportive relationships in afterschool programs matters. When afterschool staff help students build relationships with caring adults, these ties shape their performance in school and in life. To thrive, grow, and sustain themselves, afterschool programs must build supportive relationships with program and school staff and families and community members so they can make a difference for students.

Expanding minds and Opportunities
Leveraging the Power of Afterschool and Summer Learning for Student Success
Terri K. Peterson, PdD. Executive Editor – February 2013
A compendium of studies, reports, and commentaries by 100+ professionals and policy leaders on the best practices, impact, and future of expanded learning opportunities.
Terri K. Peterson, PdD. Executive Editor – February 2013

Partnerships for Learning: Community Support for Youth Success
Harvard Family Research Project, Harris and Wilkes -January 2013
In this model educators are bringing together key players who provide a range of services to support and learning.

Principles of Effective Expanded Learning Programs: A Vision Built on the Afterschool Approach
Afterschool Alliance -January 2012
How afterschool, summer and expanded learning time programs can provide the engaged learning kids need to succeed.

What Works in Out-of-School Programs for African American and Latino Children
Child Trends Research Center (February 23, 2011)
African American and Latino/Hispanic children and adolescents often face challenges that differ from each other and from other groups of children in the U.S.  Two new Child Trends syntheses review rigorous evaluations of out-of-school programs to identify programs that work, as well as those that do not, and the intervention strategies that contribute to program success.

Partnerships for Learning: Resource Guide to Building School-OST Program Partnerships
Harvard Family Research Project (March 2010) Research Report
An annotated bibliography of evaluations, reports, and case studies of school–OST program partnerships.