Arts and Culture;Education and Literacy;Parenting and Families
This report, released by Afterschool Alliance in partnership with MetLife Foundation, highlights the work of quality afterschool programs that support children, families and communities across the nation.
This compendium is a compilation of four issue briefs examining critical issues facing middle school youth and the vital role afterschool programs play in addressing these issues. This series explores afterschool and: arts enrichment, parent engagement, school improvement and digital learning. The compendium also includes in-depth profiles of the 2012 Afterschool Innovator Award winners, as well as highlights from 2008-2011 award winners.
The 2012 MetLife Foundation Afterschool Award winners are:
- The Wooden Floor, Santa Ana, CA
- Latino Arts Strings & Mariachi Juvenil, Milwaukee, WI
- Kid Power Inc., The VeggieTime Project, Washington, D.C.
- Parma Learning Center, Parma, ID
- Green Energy Technologies in the City, Lansing, MI
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Midwestern) / Wisconsin / Milwaukee County / Milwaukee;North America / United States (Southern) / District of Columbia / Washington;North America / United States (Midwestern) / Michigan / Ingham County / Lansing;North America / United States (Western) / California / Orange County / Santa Ana;North America / United States (Western) / Idaho / Canyon County / Parma
Education and Literacy;Men;Race and Ethnicity
The first of a four-volume series on the role of school counseling in the education of young men of color, this report includes short essays, student-produced artwork, and an interview on the topic.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
In the United States, people generally view education through the lens of their own children and their own schools. Many Americans think a serious need for better educational performance is largely restricted to low-income children and families -- and that middle class lifestyles equate to a world-class education. While this need for low-income students is very real and very important, this report suggests that the need for better education extends deeply into America's middle class.
This three-part report highlights achievement in middle class American schools based on new analyses of math and science data from the 2009 PISA results and the results of a pilot study involving 105 American high schools that took a new test known as the OECD Test for Schools (based on PISA). The test is a school-level internationally benchmarked tool that measures reading, math and science knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds. Importantly, the OECD Test for Schools also measures key competencies such as critical thinking and problem solving as students are expected to apply their mastery of rigorous reading, math, and science content.
In the first section, the inescapable conclusion from data from the 2009 PISA study is that a large percentage of American middle class high schools have not kept pace as countries like Singapore, Finland, Korea and Germany have raised standards, invested in teachers and lifted their overall performance.The second section offers some good news -- highlighting individual U.S. schools that are global leaders. The third section summarizes some important lessons learned and the opportunities for restoring America's leadership in public education and strengthening America's competitiveness in the global economy.
The report concludes with a call for U.S. high schools across the economic spectrum to take advantage of this new international benchmarking opportunity and find out how they compare with -- and can learn from -- the world's top performing countries and schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus:
Education and Literacy, Parenting and Families
The James Irvine Foundation launched the Families Improving Education (FIE) initiative in 2008 by funding eleven community-based organizations in California's Central Valley and Inland Empire to support parent involvement in K-12 educational policymaking. Families In Schools, a Los Angeles-based advocacy organization was selected to serve as a technical assistance provider and grant-making intermediary. The FIE initiative is based on the premise that parent-engagement efforts can foster more responsive and appropriate school policies that enhance student success. This report, prepared by Harder+Company Community Research, highlights the insights and promising strategies of the FIE initiative, looking closely at three core components: increasing the involvement of parents in K-12 decision-making; influencing educational decisions, policies, and practices that lead to improved academic outcomes; and strengthening the capacity of community-based organizations to engage in educational advocacy.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America-United States (Western)-California
Children and Youth;Education and Literacy
Until the turn of the 21st century, high school graduation rates in New York City hovered at or below 50 percent, much lower than state and national averages. There was widespread agreement about the need to reform the City's high schools and produce better results for students. This paper presents an independent analysis of how the high school landscape changed in New York City between 1999 and 2011 and, importantly, the extent to which key student outcomes improved during that time. The paper describes dramatic shifts in the supply of high schools, most notably a trend toward smaller, more mission-driven schools of choice. It also reports steady improvement across many indicators of high school performance and engagement, including attendance, credit accumulation, graduation, and college readiness rates. The paper highlights stubborn gaps in performance as well -- between groups of students, and between current achievement levels and the aspirations that the public and school leaders have for New York City high schools. Drawing on these findings, the paper outlines several directions for future policy and practice. This paper is the first in a series examining the structure and performance of New York City's high schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Northeastern) / New York / New York County / New York City
Children and Youth;Education and Literacy
Until the turn of the 21st century, high school graduation rates in New York City hovered at or below 50 percent, much lower than state and national averages. There was widespread agreement about the need to reform the City's high schools and produce better results for students. This paper presents an independent analysis of how the high school landscape changed in New York City between 1999 and 2011 and, importantly, the extent to which key student outcomes improved during that time. The paper describes dramatic shifts in the supply of high schools, most notably a trend toward smaller, more mission-driven schools of choice. It also reports steady improvement across many indicators of high school performance and engagement, including attendance, credit accumulation, graduation, and college readiness rates. The paper highlights stubborn gaps in performance as well -- between groups of students, and between current achievement levels and the aspirations that the public and school leaders have for New York City high schools. Drawing on these findings, the paper outlines several directions for future policy and practice. This paper is the first in a series examining the structure and performance of New York City's high schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Northeastern) / New York / New York County / New York City
Children and Youth;Education and Literacy
Until the turn of the 21st century, high school graduation rates in New York City hovered at or below 50 percent, much lower than state and national averages. There was widespread agreement about the need to reform the City's high schools and produce better results for students. This paper presents an independent analysis of how the high school landscape changed in New York City between 1999 and 2011 and, importantly, the extent to which key student outcomes improved during that time. The paper describes dramatic shifts in the supply of high schools, most notably a trend toward smaller, more mission-driven schools of choice. It also reports steady improvement across many indicators of high school performance and engagement, including attendance, credit accumulation, graduation, and college readiness rates. The paper highlights stubborn gaps in performance as well -- between groups of students, and between current achievement levels and the aspirations that the public and school leaders have for New York City high schools. Drawing on these findings, the paper outlines several directions for future policy and practice. This paper is the first in a series examining the structure and performance of New York City's high schools.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States (Northeastern) / New York / New York County / New York City
Education and Literacy;Men;Race and Ethnicity
This report synthesizes the literature on high school, postsecondary pathways, and higher education for African American, Asian Amerian and Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American and Alaska Native males. The result is a set of findings that are in common among these groups, as well as a number of distinct challenges and opportunities for each.
August 1970
Geographic Focus: North America / United States
