The Out-of-School Time Learning
and Development Project
We are working in partnership with other organizations to add value to the
out-of-school time (OST) field by promoting strategic use of information to
improve quality, accessibility, and sustainability of OST programs across the
nation. Our strategy is tailored to support knowledge development, evaluation,
and learning in out-of-school time, and draws from an array of our tactical
activities including:
- Ongoing distillation and dissemination of key OST research and evaluation
approaches and findings, using our Out-of-School Time Program Research and
Evaluation Database and other relevant research
- Networking, convening, and collaborating with other national OST intermediaries
to develop and disseminate OST best practices information
- Creation of evaluation and professional development tools for OST evaluation
to be used at national trainings and disseminated broadly via the Internet
- Use of our print and Web publication capacity to get information to and
from the key stakeholders
The key products and resources from this work are listed below. You can sign
up for the OST updates email to be notified of any additions we make
to this out-of-school time section of our website, including new publications,
resources, and initiatives.
Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Database
The purpose of our database of profiles of out-of-school time program evaluations
and research studies is to provide accessible and timely information about research
and evaluation on OST programs and initiatives in order to:
- Support and improve OST evaluation work
- Support policy and program development
- Promote discussion among practitioners, policymakers, and evaluators/researchers
about issues and priorities in the field
Our online database includes narrative profiles of OST evaluations and research
studies and is searchable on a several key criteria.
Access the OST Program Research and Evaluation Database
Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation Bibliography
This resource contains citations for all the out-of-school program evaluations
and research studies that we are currently tracking. Some of these evaluations
have been profiled in the Out-of-School Time Program Research and Evaluation
Database. The citations provide basic program information as well as links to
relevant reports.
Access the OST Program Research and Evaluation Bibliography
Analyses and Publications
We will periodically conduct analyses of the information in the OST Program
Research and Evaluation Database, based on key research questions about the
issues and challenges of conducting out-of-school time evaluation. Drawing on
these analyses, as well as information from research, advocacy, and policy arenas
about field needs, we are producing the Issues and Opportunities in Out-of-School
Time Evaluation series of briefs that we share widely with the field. Topics
in the series include: the role of youth as researchers, state strategies and
investments in out-of-school time evaluation, implementation issues, and OST
outcomes. Additional topics will be generated based on further evaluation analysis
and field-generated needs.
Access the Issues and Opportunities
in Out-of-School Time Evaluation briefs series
In addition to these briefs, we have launched a new set of short, user-friendly
“snapshots” of methods, evaluation approaches, indicators, and findings.
Access the Out-of-School Time Evaluation
Snapshot series
We have received a 2-year grant, beginning in November 2004, from the William
T. Grant Foundation to support a quantitative study of the individual and contextual
predictors of participation in out-of-school time activities. We are examining
the following questions:
- What are the child, family, school, and neighborhood predictors of participation?
In particular, are disadvantaged youth less likely to have access to or participate
in out-of-school time activities?
- How do child, family, school, and neighborhood characteristics interact
to predict participation in out-of-school activities? (I.e., what are the
mediating and moderating pathways within and between these contexts?)
Read more about this study in the Research
Areas section on our website
Dialogue and Meetings
We draw on our analyses of the database information as well as its participation
in the ongoing national dialogue about out-of-school time in order to identify
key research and evaluation issues in the field for further dialogue and discussion.
Given the current focus on research-based approaches to policymaking and programming,
we are committed to strengthening the conversation and connections between developmental
researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. To that end, we conduct workshops
at national conferences such as those sponsored by: the Council of Chief State
School Officers, National School Age Child Alliance, the National League of
Cities, SERVE, the Afterschool Alliance, Voices for America's Children, and
others who bring together the research, practice, and policy communities to
build capacity for understanding, creating, and disseminating research and evaluation
on OST.
In June 2001, we held the After School Evaluation Symposium in Washington,
DC. This meeting brought together evaluators, practitioners, funders, and policymakers
in the out-of-school time field to exchange ideas, share knowledge, and build
the knowledge base about evaluation of OST programs. The proceedings from the
Symposium, including interactive audio files of selected presentations, are
available on our website.
Learn about the After School Symposium and access
related materials
Special Issues of The Evaluation Exchange
We have produced four special OST issues of our evaluation periodical, The
Evaluation Exchange, highlighting important developments in after school
evaluation and research for stakeholders.
Access The Evaluation Exchange archive
Contacts
Heather B. Weiss,
HFRP Director
Priscilla M. D. Little, Project
Manager
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