The Arts
At a Glance | Services | Significant Work | Products
Examples of Significant Work
National Center for Quality Afterschool (2008–present): SEDL’s National Center for Quality Afterschool helps state education agencies and local practitioners develop high-quality and balanced expanded learning programs that provide a safe and fun environment for academic enrichment and youth development.
Virtual Academy for Afterschool: SEDL’s Virtual Academy for Afterschool, developed by the National Center for Quality Afterschool in partnership with Learning Sciences International, offers online professional development courses designed to build the knowledge and skills of afterschool instructors. Courses cover the arts, literacy, mathematics, science, and technology and are based on 5 years of research and observations at 100 afterschool sites, with evaluation data suggesting an impact on student learning.
Past Work
National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning (2003–2008): SEDL led the National Partnership, an affiliation of nine organizations that conducted research on effective instructional practices in afterschool programs nationwide. The results of the research informed the development of an online Afterschool Training Toolkit of professional development resources and instructional activities—including a module on the arts.
Arkansas A+ Schools Network Evaluation: Our Research and Evaluation team served as the external evaluator for the Arkansas A+ Schools Network, a whole-school reform approach that views the arts as fundamental to how instructors teach and students learn. The network consisted of 10 Arkansas schools, where instructors learned to combine interdisciplinary teaching with daily arts instruction to tap into the multiple ways in which students learn.