Best Practices
Access to the Future: Academics and Positive Youth Development in the Middle Grades
This resource provides schools with group exercise tools to assess the academic and youth development opportunities in their schools.
Action for Healthy Kids Nutrition Education Resource Database
Includes 54 downloadable examples of research-based promising practices for school-based and OST activities.
After School Counts!
Commissioned by the After School Project and written by Leila Feister, with Policy Studies Associates, this guide is intended to raise awareness about the issues and options involved in tracking attendance and participation in out-of-school activities.
California Department of Education (DOE): Before and After-School Learning
Link to web magazine coverage and summary of report that documents improvement in attendance, behavior, and achievement at school attributed to out-of-school programming. Includes profiles of three programs.
Harvard Family Research Project Evaluation
Describes the evaluation approaches, methods and performance measures that some cities are using for evaluation.
Making the Most of After-School Time: Ten Case Studies of School-Based After-School Programs
Released by The National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), this case studies profile after-school programs in urban, rural, and suburban communities across the country, with a special emphasis on the various roles principals play in helping to make programs successful. Making the Most of After-School Time is designed to serve as a resource for principals and after-school providers alike. Each case study includes a section on how the program was started, who the key players are, how it is staffed and managed, how it is funded, and what the role of the principal in the program. On the site you will also find downloadable resources from the case study sites, including training manuals, registration forms, and evaluation documents.
National Governor’s Association: Center for Best Practices
The NGA has created a comprehensive database containing profiles of state-level extra learning opportunities for school-age children. It profiles more than 160 programs from 44 states, territories and commonwealths.
The Right Question Project Case Study
The Harvard Family Research Project highlights The Right Question Project, one of the most successful parent involvement projects in the nation, as well as other excellent examples.
US Conference of Mayors: Best Practices Database
This searchable database of program ideas and innovations at the municipal level includes after-school initiatives. Use the search tool and type in "after school".
Center for Summer Learning
The Center for Summer Learning at Johns Hopkins University provides a variety of resources and research about summer learning for youth.