Supporting Student Success

Mary B. SuttonMichigan After-School Partnership

517-371-4360 Ext 17 msutton@uwmich.org

Connecting Schools and Communities Through Effective Partnerships

The need to strengthen American schools

Too many students are graduating high school unprepared for success in college or the workplace

Too many students are simply not graduating

On the aggregate, American students are falling behind their international peers

Schools cannot be the only magic bullet for kids. They need to be healthy, they need to be in adequate housing, they need their emotional needs met, they need their nutritional needs met. And schools can do that only in partnership with other agencies.                                                        -- Judith Johnson, Superintendent, Peekskill, New York

We know that to be successful, all children need to be

Safe Healthy Engaged Supported Challenged

For our children to truly be successful in addition to the basics, they need :

1. creativity and the arts

2. opportunity to learn to work in teams

3. understand technology

4. be savvy about international issues

5. know 2-3 languages

6. serve the community

Children spend 20% of their waking hours in school

What happens during the remaining 80% is vital to their success.

A New Day for Learning

We need to re-imagine How When Where Young people learn

21st Century Vision for learning

builds on a foundation of core academics leveraging community resources incorporating strategies such as

hands-on learning working in teams problem-solving

What does it look like?

Whether it is urban, suburban or rural Expands the definition of School Success Uses research-based knowledge about how

students learn best Fosters collaboration across all sectors Integrates various learning approaches and

places Provides new opportunities for leadership and

professional development

What are we doing…..

Graduation Requirements Common Core Standards Early Childhood Initiatives Expanded Learning Opportunities College Access Networks

Expanded Learning Opportunities – ELOs / After-school

Support children and families Support schools Support communities

Reduce crime and prevent unsafe behavior

Support state goals for economic development

Contributions of after-school

School-based and school-linked programs are a proven ally in the effort to improve student achievement

High quality opportunities to learn beyond the traditional day provide safe, structured environments to engage with peers, caring, competent adults in the community and the digital world

What do they look like? Before and after-school Summer Week-ends Service learning Mentoring Internships Apprenticeships Dual enrollment in college Virtual learning

Programs goals vary but all usually relate to some developmental assets such as:

academic success character education and civic

engagement social and emotional development wellness and nutrition

ELO’s play a vital role

Traditional school day and year are outmoded for today’s learners especially those who are far behind their grade-level peers

They are a wise educational investment

Improving Student Achievement

Research correlates high-quality ELOs to behaviors and dispositions that lead to increased achievement at every grade band

70% of elementary students participating in high-quality ELOs experienced increases in math scores compared to students who did not participate

Increased graduation rates Students who participate in high-quality

ELOs graduate at higher rates than their peers

High-quality ELOs offer struggling high school students opportunities to receive additional support

High-quality ELOs help address the challenges associated with 47% of dropouts who leave because school is unchallenging or less important than other options

Addressing issues of equity

The literature is clear and compelling about the fact that summer is a season of huge risks and setbacks for low-income youth in the U.S.

Participation in summertime ELOs can provide an antidote to perpetuating and exacerbating achievement gaps related to summer learning loss.

Connections to the Common Core

Fostering habits of mind Not easily assessed and are

extremely important to the development of the assts individuals need to be successful in a rapidly-changing global economy Capacities Practices

Mathematical Practices

Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Use appropriate tools strategically Attend to precision Look for and make use of structure

English/Language Arts Capacities:

Independence Build strong content knowledge Comprehend as well as critique Value evidence Use technology and digital media

strategically and capably Understand other cultures and

perspectives

Priscilla Little of the Harvard Research Project:

The research warrant for after-school and summer learning programs is clear: Children and youth who participate in well-implemented programs and activities outside of school are poised to stay enrolled longer and perform better in school than their peers who do not attend such programs

The Quality Imperative Drawing from an increasingly

substantial research base, The Quality Imperative identifies seven key elements that lead to high quality ELO’s

When in place, they are highly correlated with behaviors linked to academic success that result in increases in student achievement and graduation rates

High Quality matters

Standards of Quality Continuous Program Quality

Improvement Professional Development Sustainability Community ownership

Key Elements to Quality Clear programmatic mission Array of content-rich program that

engages students and builds on their academic and non-academic skills

Positive adult relationships Qualified, well supported and stable staff Low staff- to-participant ratio Sufficient program

resources/sustainability

According to Creative Class

Some of our nation’s cities and towns are providing the power behind economic growth and competitiveness because of their broad learning opportunities

So what can we do…now

We need to look at time, and how we build partnerships much differently if we are going to be successful

Focus on a comprehensive continuum of care that supports children at all critical junctures

Break down silos

“Change is good….

…You go first.”

What can United Ways do?

Community conveners After-school Partnerships Local Community partners/goals Youth Visions/Plans

High-quality Sustainability Continuum of care – connect the

dots

“We are shortchanging our future by ignoring the potential of more time and more people to help our children and communities get ahead. We must maximize every opportunity to compete successfully in the international marketplace of ideas and commerce” - Richard Riley

United States Secretary of Education 1993-2001

MASP

A state-wide coalition of state agencies, organizations and local after school collaborations working to ensure our state’s children and youth have quality after school programs that help keep them safe, healthy, educated, prepared for the workplace and to become successful citizens.

MASP Goals and Initiatives

Student Achievement Adequate funding Increased Access Quality STEM Obesity Prevention/Wellness