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| Safe and sound Before- and after-school programs look after children when parents can't Keeping children after school used to be a way for teachers to punish unruly children. These days, it's a way for teachers to help them.
With so many children living in single-parent households or homes where both parents work, quality before- and after-school programs are becoming a necessity rather than a luxury. In many cases, teachers play a pivotal role in establishing or staffing such programs. Although CTA maintains that teachers should be paid extra for extra work, some teachers believe so strongly in after-school programs that they choose to volunteer their time. Sometimes teachers take it upon themselves to initiate programs. Other times, teachers act in a supervisory or advisory capacity with community organizations, parents and volunteers. While some people may feel that teachers are taking on more and more responsibilities while parents take on less, teachers involved in after-school programs say that they do so because they believe it's in the best interest of the children. "In an ideal world, a parent would be home when school's out, but that doesn't happen very often," says Clara Vellema, a member of the Bellflower Education Association who oversees after-school programs at six school sites. "In most cases, it is necessary for both parents to work, and they don't come home until after 5 o'clock. If schools can't offer students academic enrichment after school, latchkey children will go home and older brothers and sisters will be expected to take care of them. They might just watch television - or worse. It's better if schools can offer them a structured environment as an alternative." Through a complex series of school and community partnerships, Bellflower students get a wide variety of activities from which to choose and exposure to things beyond the classroom walls, says Vellema. Under Project REACH (Reading Excellence Achieved with Community Help), teachers supervise volunteer tutors from places like AmeriCorps, a national service similar to the Peace Corps. APPLE (After-school Program Promoting Learning and Enrichment) rotates Bellflower students among a homework center and various activities sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Center, Camp Fire USA and the YMCA. An organization called MyArt encourages artists to give classes in drawing, painting and drama. In an arrangement with Cerritos College, undergraduates help youngsters with science projects and other educational activities. Before- and after-school programs like these - also referred to as "out-of-school" programs - are growing in number and in favor with parents, schools and communities.
In a poll conducted by the Afterschool Alliancein 2000, 38 percent of voters said that the biggest problem facing young people is that they are alone and unsupervised outside of school. Their fears are warranted, according to a 1992 Carnegie Corporation study, "A Matter of Time: Risk and Opportunity in the Nonschool Hours." It found that between the hours of 3 and 6 p.m., when kids are often left on their own, they are most likely to engage in mischievous and illegal activities - especially if they come from impoverished urban areas. While the number of out-of-school programs is growing, the need is far from being met. About 1.2 million children in California ages 5 to 14 could benefit from a subsidized after-school program, according to a 2001 report from Children Now, "After School Care for Children: Challenges in California." After-school programs can make a big difference in the lives of children. A recent study by the University of California-Irvine showed students who participated in after-school programs increased their reading and math scores substantially. The largest increases were recorded for students in lower-performing schools and in low-income families. The study also found improved school attendance and reduced numbers of suspensions for students participating in such programs. After-school programming can lead to decreases in juvenile crime, victimization and vandalism; help students avoid negative influences that lead to risky behavior, such as experimenting with drugs, alcohol and tobacco; and result in better grades and increased ability to read, according to the U.S. Education and Justice departments' report, "Working for Children and Families: Safe and Smart After-School Programs." Quality programs can also help promote growth in a child's sense of community and belonging. Many communities rely on teachers working with parents, retirees, law enforcement personnel, business people and others to create workable programs. In the Capistrano Unified School District, retirees share their knowledge and wisdom with English language learners. "It may sound like a cliché, but in my case, necessity was the mother of invention," says Kate Charles, a member of the Capistrano Unified Educators Association. The necessity in this case was finding after-school tutoring for students struggling to learn English at Fred Newhart Middle School. The answer wasn't exactly in Charles' backyard, but it was next door - at the Norman P. Murray Community and Senior Center. "It seemed perfect to have retired professionals in the community work with our kids," she says. "It's been a win-win situation." Charles trains the seniors in how to work with English language learners. "I have seen wonderful, giving, loving relationships built between the students and the volunteers," she says. Students and seniors alike benefit from the shared experience. Finding quality staff presents a challenge for after-school programs, especially when wages are low or employees are expected to donate their time. High turnover can be especially problematic. A survey of 34 programs conducted by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk found that successful after-school programs:
Due to unsafe conditions at many parks, budget cuts and the lack of adults available to coach organized sports, after-school programs may provide the only way urban youth can engage in recreational activities, according to the Johns Hopkins report. Programs that work best tend to address the needs of the whole child. Academic offerings provide homework assistance and tutoring reflective of the curriculum. Recreational activities provide opportunities for children to burn off excess energy after sitting in the classroom most of the day, as well as lessons in good sportsmanship and socialization. Cultural activities focus on the arts and humanities. Other activities help to improve self-esteem and develop skills needed in social situations, conflict resolution or job interviews. The recent push for standards-based reform in the K-12 school system is having an impact on the nature of after-school programs, according to a recent EdSource report, "Expansion of Out-of-School Programs Aims at Improving Student Achievement." The quandary is how to keep after-school programs fun for students, but still educational. "It is unclear how out-of-school programs can be used most effectively to improve academic achievement without being more of the same 'regular school day.' …While enrichment activities can be fun and engaging, they also can and should align with the academic standards of the regular school program," reads the report. As the conviction grows that such programs can play an important role in efforts to improve student achievement, both government and private resources are investing more heavily in them, continues the report. "From 1998 to 2002, government funding for after-school programs has grown exponentially. So have the number of school-based programs and the numbers of students involved." In California, two major catalysts for this expansion have been the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and the state's Before and After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Partnership program. "For the 2001-02 school year, their funding is expected to exceed $200 million, supporting after-school activities in as many as 20 percent of the state's public schools," says the EdSource report. Despite a poor economic climate in California, Gov. Gray Davis has recommended a $75 million expansion of the Before and After School Learning and Safe Neighborhoods Partnership program. Out-of-school programs are extremely cost-effective, according to a new report from the California Department of Education. It projects cost savings of $11 million for the current school year because fewer students will need to be retained. For next year, it projects cost savings of more than $20 million at the level of expansion the governor has requested in his budget proposal for 2002-03. The report breaks down the cost-effectiveness of after-school programs, indicating that it is an "economical intervention," costing the state $1.67 per student hour of participation. (For every $2 in state funds, $1 must be matched locally with other funding.) The cost to the state is $750 per student for 7.5 months of participation in the program. "This report confirms what many of us working in education already know - that after-school programs work for children, families, schools and our communities," says State Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin. "The cost savings associated with it are substantial, making its expansion one of the soundest educational investments that can be made by the state of California." Still, there are hurdles in many districts where choices have to be made between the regular program and any extras. In the Orchard School District, which consists of one K-8 school in San Jose, the superintendent dismantled both after-school programs. "We had a homework center, and a program called Mr. Lab for at-risk students with reading problems," says Liz Chew, president of the Orchard Teachers Association. "These programs were very successful. We served more than 120 kids on a daily basis just in the homework center alone. We noticed results. Kids were consistent in turning in their homework and showing academic growth." Unfortunately, the district did not see the program as being a high priority and cut it out of the budget. Teachers are questioning the district's priorities, especially since the district did see value in paying the former superintendent $133,000 to oversee the solitary school site and in purchasing a $79,856 BMW for him to drive. In Salinas, after-school programs have been extremely successful - and controversial. They are geared to all students, whether they are gifted students or remedial students. The offerings, organized by teachers, range from classes in photography to sports. However, teachers who questioned the legality of the district's method of paying teachers for after-school services have been pulled out of the program. "The superintendent unilaterally decided to change the work day of teachers without any negotiations," says Gary Jones, a member of the Alisal Teachers Association (ATA). Students finish the regular school day at 3 p.m., but teachers are now paid to work until 3:50. Some ATA members questioned whether they would be "double dipping" if they got paid for the after-school program, which begins at 3 p.m., as well as for the extended school day. The superintendent suggested they work through their lunch hour to make up the time, but some teachers - including Jones - balked. Those who raised questions were removed from the program. At two school sites, the programs had to be closed down as a result. Unfortunately, the program has become a political football, says ATA President Sue Loucks. "We're hoping to settle this problem soon, for the sake of the children. These programs are important for their self-esteem, their safety and their academic achievement. "We shouldn't let them go by the wayside."  |
Fifth-grader Joseph Murphy waits for his ride home at the end of the school day in the commuter community of Byron in Contra Costa County.
High school student volunteer Tony Altamirano (right) helps Mike Kelley work an equation at the after-school homework club in Byron