Afterschool and Expanded Learning
At a Glance | Services | Significant Work | Products
Examples of Significant Work
Louisiana Afterschool Evaluation: SEDL's Afterschool, Family and Community program staff are conducting a 3-year evaluation study of the Louisiana Department of Education’s (LDOE) afterschool programs. Staff are cleaning and managing the extant data provided by LDOE and its contractors; analyzing data to determine the impact of these programs on student academic performance, attendance, discipline, and participation; and developing and implementing satisfaction surveys for program and school staff and parents of participants.
National Center for Quality Afterschool: SEDL's National Center for Quality Afterschool provides research-based resources and professional development to help state education agencies and local practitioners develop high-quality, balanced expanded learning programs.
Professional Development for 21st CCLC Grantees: SEDL's National Center for Quality Afterschool provides "train the trainer" professional development on the Afterschool Training Toolkit to staff at the 21st Century Community Learning Centers' afterschool programs.
Past Work
California Afterschool Demonstration Sites: SEDL worked with the California Department of Education to identify high-quality expanded learning programs in the state. SEDL then observed the identified programs and used them as the basis for developing training and resources for the state's otherexpanded learning programs.
National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning (2003–2008): SEDL’s past work in expanded learning includes leading the nine-member National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning in a nationwide research, development, and dissemination project. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the project included a 5-year study providing on-site assessments of more than 100 afterschool sites. The National Partnership rigorously documented program characteristics and practices in six content areas: the arts, literacy, mathematics, science, technology, and homework help. The Partnership applied its research findings by developing training and the online Afterschool Training Toolkit.
Randomized Controlled Trials of Promising Afterschool Programs: SEDL’s National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning oversaw three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating the benefits of promising afterschool interventions on student achievement. The 2-year studies assessed the impact of three curriculum programs—READ 180, Voyager, and Success for All—in large-scale field trials involving a single school district, several regional districts, and a statewide sample of students attending afterschool programs. SEDL staff provided reviews and assistance with study designs, evaluation plans, RCT procedures, and analytic plans. SEDL’s Afterschool Research Consortium (ARC) then produced three research briefs documenting the results.
Partners
- Learning Point Associates
- Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
- National Center for Research on Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing (CRESST)
- Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL)
- SERVE Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (SERVE)
- WGBH Educational Foundation (WGBH)
