bringing it on-line! an innovative framework for building capacity for texas afterschool staff

Bringing it On-line! An Innovative Framework for Building Capacity for Texas Afterschool Staff

Kathryn Brown, Instructional DesignerEdvance Research, Inc.

The 15th Annual Sloan C International ConferenceOctober 29, 2009

Funded by the 21st CCLC program administered by the US Department of Education

Presentation Agenda• Overview of Texas 21st CCLC• Our Challenge• What we have done• Framework for Training• Professional Development

Process• Change in attitude

• Where we are headed• Questions

Overview of the Texas 21st CCLC (ACE) Program

The federal government awarded $24.5 million to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in July

2002 (Year 1)

Supplementary program enhancing state or local reform efforts to assist in meeting academic standards in core subjects –

Providing out of school time services to Students & Families

Overview of the Texas 21st CCLC (ACE) Program

All Texas ACE programs strive to improve:• Academics• Attendance• Behavior• Promotion rates• Graduation rates• College and career readiness

Edvance Research’s RoleWork closely with Candace Ferguson, Texas

Education Agency, Manager Texas 21st CCLCProvide guidance and assistance through:• Technical Assistance• Program Implementation Assurance• Communication Network• Outreach• Tracking & Reporting

Our Challenge• Current Cycles being served (each cycle is 5-years):

– Cycle 4• Total grantees 31, centers 125

– Cycle 5• Total grantees 27, centers 219

– Cycle 6• Total grantees 45, centers 290

– Overall• Total grantees 103, centers 634

– 74 ISDs– 19 Non-profit Agencies– 6 Charter Schools– 2 Education Service Centers– 2 Council of Governments

Our Challenge• Grantee Directors

Our Challenge• Center staff

Where do we begin?

• Needs Assessment Results• Analyze Needs

– 70% of grantee staff had never participated in a webinar or online training

– Preferred method of training face-to-face• Costly• Current status quo• Resulted in inconsistencies across the state

• Need Grantees to view “Big Picture”

3-Tier Levels of Service

The Road to Implementation• Webinars• Podcasts• Bulletin Boards• iTunes University• On Demand Courses• Moodle designated as LMS• Instructional Templates

– For engaged and creative learning– Consistency and modeling throughout program

Professional Development Process

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• Integrate social learning into and formal learning• A framework for online Professional Forums

– Embedded within the learning– Wrapped around the learning– Community outside of the learning

Professional Forums

Course Course

Course Course

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“Thank you so much. I just finished watching the archived webinar and I must say that I have been involved with after-school programming going on 8 years and It was just great. I am really excited that you all have gone this route.”

- Texas ACE Grantee Director

Change in Attitude

Change in Attitude Factors• Customer Service attitude

(TEA & Edvance)• Pre-webinar technical support

sessions• On-call support• Communication Network• Immediate avenues to accessing

content and information• Timely and flexible• Engaging grantees as dev partners

Where We are Headed• Webinar series with tools and materials• Podcasts• Online courses – MyTexasACE Moodle

site• Engaging grantees as partners,

presenters, and developers - Valuing Perspective

• Sharing successes and plans with the Department of Education, 21st CCLC

Questions?

Contact informationKathryn Brown

kbrown@edvanceresearch.com

Candace Ferguson, Texas Education Agency, Manager - 21st CCLCs

State Initiatives, Division of Programs for At-Risk Youth

candace.ferguson@tea.state.tx.us