Promising Afterschool Practices: A Showcase of Innovative, Creative & Successful Afterschool Programs, published by New Jersey After 3 and the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST), 2007. This publication highlights promising afterschool practices in New Jersey After 3 affiliated afterschool programs. Practices range from strategies to support staff development to incorporating youth voice into program activities. Available online at http://www.niost.org/pdf/NJA3PromisingPractices2007.pdf

Promoting Physical Activity and Healthy Nutrition in Afterschool Settings: Strategies for Program Leaders and Policymakers, published by the Afterschool Investments Project, 2006. This strategy brief outlines the important role that after-school programs can play in efforts to prevent childhood obesity and includes ideas for incorporating nutrition and fitness into after-school programming, strategies for financing these efforts, and examples of policies that can support and encourage the after-school community’s endeavors to steer children toward healthy choices. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/fitness_nutrition.pdf

Strategic Plan: Building a Skilled and Stable Out-of-School Time Workforce, published by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST), 2003. This strategic plan argues that the presence of a skilled and stable workforce in out-of-school time programs for children and youth plays a significant role in the quality and continuity of these programs and consequently, the impact they have on young people. It also offers recommendations for building a skilled and stable workforce and a more cohesive field. Available online at http://www.wcwonline.org/content/view/904/299/

Web Resources

Active Hours Afterschool: www.afterschoolalliance.org/active_hours.cfm
The Afterschool Alliance created this site to address the important role that afterschool programs play in promoting healthy lifestyles for youth. The site offers a wealth of information on this subject including News and Research; Federal, State, and Local Policy updates; and Resources from the Afterschool Alliance.

Academic Enrichment Project: http://www.learningpt.org/promisingpractices/about.htm
Learning Point Associates has created this web site containing examples of high-quality academic enrichment activities gathered from afterschool programs across the country. The site also includes tools to help programs improve their academic enrichment activities.

Afterschool.Gov: www.afterschool.gov
This web site offers links and referrals to a variety of afterschool resources, including a database of more than 100 grant and loan programs from the federal government. Program development information and resources can be found by clicking on "Activity Ideas."

Afterschool Training Toolkit: www.sedl.org/afterschool/toolkits/
This is a web-based toolkit created by The National Partnership for Quality Afterschool Learning. It is designed to give afterschool program directors and instructors the resources they need to build fun, innovative, and academically enriching activities.

Extended Learning and Development Opportunities: www.ccsso.org
As part of their High Poverty Schools Initiative, the Council of Chief State School Officers profiles successful extended learning programs and the policies and practices related to their implementation and maintenance.

National AfterSchool Association (NAA): www.naaweb.org
NAA promotes national standards of quality school-age care for children and youth 5 to 14 years old, and grants accreditation to programs meeting the standards. The web site includes links to various resources, including state affiliates’ web sites.

National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC): http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov
NCCIC links information and people to complement, enhance, and promote the child care delivery system. The web site includes resource lists and other pages dedicated to school-age care and youth development.

National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST): www.niost.org
NIOST is a national leader in providing highly interactive, research based training for directors and staff, school administrators, community leaders, and others committed to providing high quality afterschool programs for children and youth. Publications address a variety of topics, from worker compensation to curriculum planning.

Promising Practices in Afterschool: www.afterschool.org
Developed and maintained by the Academy for Educational Development, this web site offers descriptions of promising practices in afterschool programming and policymaking in several key areas.

Promoting Fitness and Nutrition in Afterschool Settings: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/tactivities.html
This section of the Afterschool Investments Project website includes audio recordings, a transcript, and presentation materials from a national audio conference on promoting fitness and nutrition in afterschool settings.

Financing & Sustainability

Publications

Corporate Investments in After School, published by Corporate Voices for Working Families, 2006. This paper summarizes their findings from a series of interviews with corporate and non-profit leaders about the corporate expenditures and experiences in after school. Available online at www.cvworkingfamilies.org/Afterschool/corporate investment in afterschool.pdf

Financing and Sustaining Out-of-School Time Programs in Rural Communities,, published by The Finance Project, 2008. This brief describes the funding landscape and highlights the unique resource challenges confronting rural out-of-school time programs. It also describes various public and private resources that can support out-of-school time programming and identifies effective strategies that can be used by program leaders to create sustainable approaches to their work. Available online at http://www.financeproject.org/publications/OSTRuralYouth.pdf

Finding Funding: A Guide to Federal Resources for Out-of-School Time and Community School Initiatives, published by The Finance Project, 2003. This comprehensive updated publication includes detailed information on all potential federal funding sources for out-of-school time programs. Available online at www.financeproject.org/Publications/FundingGuide2003.pdf

Making Smart Investments in Afterschool: A Policy Primer for State and Local Leaders, published by The Afterschool Investments Project, 2006. This brief offers ideas for state and local policymakers to develop interagency collaboration, expand access to affordable afterschool programs, and advance general program quality. Examples of promising practices from across the country are included to show leaders concrete ways of improving the sustainability of afterschool programs. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/policyprimer.pdf

Nourish Their Bodies, Feed Their Minds: Funding Opportunities and Nutrition Resources for Afterschool Programs, published by the Food Resource Action Center, 2005. To make it easier for out-of-school time programs to participate in federal child nutrition programs, this toolkit provides information on how the child nutrition programs operate and how to access them. Available online at www.frac.org/Afterschool_Guide.pdf

Replacing Initial Grants: Tips for Out-of-School Time Programs and Initiatives, published by The Finance Project, 2002. This book is designed to help new program directors find longer-term funding by providing concrete tips and examples of ways other out-of-school time initiative leaders have succeeded in replacing initial seed grant money by creating a diverse portfolio of federal, state, local, and private funds. Available online at www.financeproject.org/Publications/fptips.pdf

Strategies for Improving Out-of-School Programs in Rural Communities,published by Child Trends, 2008. A brief highlighting the challenges faced by rural programs and suggests several strategies that can strengthen them. Proposes five key strategies for obtaining resources for rural out-of-school programs and also includes advice from the director of a successful rural out-of-school program and a list of additional resources. Available online at http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2008_05_05_RB_RuralOST.pdf

Supporting Student Success: A Governor’s Guide to Extra Learning Opportunities, published by the National Governors Association, 2005. This report offers guidance for making the most of out-of-school time funding flowing from the federal government to states. It provides recommendations on how to connect out-of-school learning to statewide education reform efforts, engage new business and community partners and increase accountability. Available online at www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0509GOVGUIDEELO.PDF

Web Resources

 Clearinghouse for Sustaining and Expanding Youth Programs and Policies: http://www.financeproject.org/index.cfm?page=30
This online clearinghouse is a joint project of The Finance Project and the Forum for Youth Investment. The clearinghouse contains information and resources for supporting and sustaining youth programs and initiatives. The clearinghouse was designed to help program developers and managers, intermediaries, funders and policymakers keep abreast of new information and develop innovating strategies for implementing, financing, and sustaining effective programs and policies.

Afterschool.gov Federal Funding Database: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/afterschoolfund/
The "How To Get Money" section of the Afterschool.gov site is an online tool that enables program leaders to search for federal funding sources relevant to their specific needs. Users can search by keyword, program categories, or federal agency. 

Out-of-School Time Finding Funding Clearinghouse:http://www.financeproject.org/index.cfm?page=25
This Resource Center highlights funding sources and financing strategies and considerations for their implementation. Strategy brief topics include: accessing funding from federal agencies, such as SAMHSA or the Department of Justice; utilizing specific funding streams, such as Title I, CCDF, or TANF; and financing particular program components, such as facilities or transportation.

Measuring Results

After School Programs in the 21st Century: Their Potential and What it Takes to Achieve It, published by the Harvard Family Research Project, 2008. This brief examines the impact afterschool programs have on youth development and investigates the conditions which yield successful results. It analyzes a variety of issues pertaining to youth development, including academic achievement, social/behavioral outcomes, and health and wellness issues. Available online at http://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/
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Charting the Benefits of High-Quality After-School Program Experiences: Evidence from New Research on Improving After-School Opportunities for Disadvantaged Youth,, published by the Policy Studies Associates, Inc., 2007. This report offers approaches on improving the quality of after-school programs and highlights the benefits to disadvantaged youth engaged in them. Available online at http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/dat/promisingprograms1.pdf

Critical Hours: Afterschool Programs and Educational Success, published by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 2003. Discusses the role afterschool programs can play in building the “prerequisites” to learning, supporting not only school achievement, but long-term competence and success as well. Although the report focuses on the middle school years, a time when many students experience a marked decrease in school engagement, the information presented is relevant to anyone wanting to understand the framework for creating a successful afterschool program. Available online at http://www.nmefdn.org/uploads/Critical_Hours.pdf

Documenting Progress and Demonstrating Results: Evaluating Local Out-of-School Time Programs, published by the Harvard Family Research Project and The Finance Project, 2002. This guide provides out-of-school time practitioners with techniques, tools, and strategies they can use to improve their programs and track their effectiveness over time. Available online at http://www.financeproject.org/Publications/OSTlocalevaluation.pdf

Learning From Small-Scale Experimental Evaluations of After School Programs, published by Harvard Family Research Project, 2006. This publication reviews the evaluation strategies and findings from rigorous, experimental studies that are smaller or more local in scope than the national evaluations usually featured. Available online at http://www.hfrp.org/out-of-school-time/publications-resources/
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Measuring Youth Program Quality, published by the Forum for Youth Investment, 2007. This guide offers a comparison of the purpose, structure, content and technical properties of several youth program quality assessment tools. Available online at http://www.forumforyouthinvestment.org/node/297

Moving Towards Success: Framework for After-School Programs, published by the C.S. Mott Foundation, 2005. This tool is designed to assist afterschool program staff embark on a long-term strategic plan by presenting examples of program goals, program elements, desired participant outcomes, and measures. Available online at www.publicengagement.com/Framework/images/framework_61505.pdf

Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation: Tools for Action, published by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2003. This resource offers advice and tools for evaluating programs conducted outside regular school hours, including several surveys for a full range of participants. Available online at www.nwrel.org/ecc/21century/publications/ost_tools.pdf

What Are Kids Getting Into These Days? Demographic Differences in Youth Out-of-School Time Participation, published by the Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP), 2006. This brief reveals findings from the first phase of a study on factors associated with children and youth participation in out-of-school time programs and activities. Available online atwww.gse.harvard.edu/%7Ehfrp/projects/afterschool/resources/demographic.html

Web Resources

Child Care and Early Education Research Connections: www.childcareresearch.org
The National Center for Children in Poverty, the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, and the Child Care Bureau designed Child Care and Early Education Connections to provide a searchable database of research, data sets, syntheses, and a 50-state data tool to compare policies within and across states.

Harvard Family Research Project: http://gseweb.harvard.edu/~hfrp
The Harvard Family Research Project houses a variety of program evaluation resources, including the Out-of-School Time Program Evaluation Database, and publications. The database profiles the evaluation experiences of afterschool programs and initiatives, which are searchable on several key criteria. Evaluation briefs provide a rich discussion of many relevant topics around measuring results in afterschool programs.

Collaboration & Partnerships

Publications

Building and Sustaining After-School Programs: Successful Practices in School Board Leadership, published by the National School Boards Association, 2004. This report features eight districts whose school boards are providing innovative leadership for afterschool programs through policy and partnership. Available online at http://www.publicengagement.com/afterschoolresources/pp/docs/edlo.pdf

CCDF and 21CCLC: State Efforts to Facilitate Coordination for Afterschool Programs, published by the Afterschool Investments Project, 2004. This brief describes the rationale for increased coordination, the challenges involved, and emerging strategies for states to consider that can make it easier for programs to utilize both funding sources. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/CCDF21CCLC.pdf

The Challenge of System-Building in the After-School Field: Lessons From Experience, published by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time, 2003. This paper analyzes the tasks, questions, and challenges associated with system-building in the afterschool field, focusing on city level efforts. Available online at www.niost.org/about/HalpernSystemsFull.pdf

Creating a Vision for Afterschool Partnerships, published by the Afterschool Investments Project, 2004. This tool is intended to help afterschool partnerships create a shared vision for their work. It contains information on what a vision statement is and the purpose it serves; provides alternative techniques for creating a vision; and includes a variety of considerations. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/visioning-tool.htm

Expanding Afterschool Opportunities, published by the National League of Cities, 2002. This document offers strategies, examples, and resources to municipal leaders striving to forge partnerships in order to improve afterschool opportunities for youth in their communities. Available online at http://www.nlc.org/ASSETS/3C0613310A174811B9B99AA43555A524/afterschoolactionkit.pdf

A Guide For Effective Governance: Considerations and Lessons Learned for Afterschool Networks, produced by The Afterschool Investments Project, 2006. This tool is intended to help statewide and local afterschool networks to implement effective governance practices that help them to meet their goals.  Key components of governance discussed include: vision, structure and leadership, accountability, broad representation, communication and measuring results. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/governanceguide.pdf

A Guide to Successful Public-Private Partnerships for Out-of-School Time and Community School Initiatives, published by The Finance Project, 2001. The guide is designed to provide policy makers, program leaders, system-building advocates, and others with practical information on creating and maintaining public-private partnerships. Available online at www.financeproject.org/Publications/ostpartnershipguide.pdf

Linking and Learning: Lessons for Afterschool from Early Childhood System-Building Efforts, published by The Afterschool Investments Project, 2006. While early care and after-school providers serve different populations with distinct needs, there are many similarities in the infrastructure and supports they need to succeed. This paper describes eleven lessons that the after-school community may learn from the system-building efforts in the field of early care and education. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/linking_learning.pdf

Statewide Afterschool Networks: Policies and Practices, published by the C.S. Mott Foundation, 2005. This publication provides examples of what statewide afterschool networks funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation describe as their successes, challenges, and progress toward their goals. Available online at http://www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/resources/dat/pp3-2005.pdf

Web Resources

21st Century Community Learning Centers: www.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/index.html
This web site describes the federal program, houses a searchable grantee database, and provides links to additional resources on afterschool.

Extended-Day Learning Opportunities (EDLO) Online Resource Center: www.nsba.org/edlo
The National School Boards Association maintains this clearinghouse of resources to help school leaders implement policies and collaboration strategies to support afterschool programs.

National Network of Statewide Afterschool Networks: www.statewideafterschoolnetworks.net/index.html
Maintained by the Collaborative Communications Group, this site provides information about each state network funded by the C.S. Mott Foundation as well as resources for building afterschool networks.

Partnerships, Alliances and Coordination Techniques (PACT) Initiative: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pact/index.html
This initiative of the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) provides policymakers the resources, training, and technical assistance to build more comprehensive and collaborative early care and education systems for children and families. PACT resources help CCDF Administrators learn about how to take leadership roles in creating, implementing, and sustaining cross-system partnerships, and how to manage and evaluate partnerships to ensure long-term outcomes.

Quality Improvement

Publications

Building Professional Development Systems for the Afterschool Field, published by the Afterschool Investments Project, 2007.  This publication provides a snapshot of state and local approaches to building professional development systems for school-age care professionals, highlighting the shared challenges these systems face and the common components of sustainable professional development systems. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/AS_PD.html

Exploring Quality in After School Programs for Middle School-Age Youth, published by the Harvard Family Research Project, 2006. This brief describes some of the key issues and challenges in providing quality programs for middle school-age youth and discusses how program quality standards can be used to improve them. Available online at http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/summit-2005-handout.pdf

Making the Case: Quality Afterschool Programs Matter,published by the National Institute on Out of School Time, 2007. This brief provides an explanation for what constitutes a quality afterschool program and discusses ways to establish standards to ensure quality programs. Available online at http://www.niost.org/pdf/MSC_brief_Hall_Gruber.pdf

Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS), published by the National Institute of Out of School Time (NIOST) and Intercultural Center for Research in Education (INCRE), 2005. This study was designed to increase understanding of the status of afterschool programs in Massachusetts and across the nation.  Its two major goals were to explore the complex relationship between youth experiences and youth outcomes, and to identify those program characteristics that are most closely related to high quality implementation. Available online at http://www.niost.org/pdf/MARSReport.pdf

Promoting Quality in Afterschool Programs Through State Child Care Regulations, published by The Afterschool Investments Project, 2006. This publication provides states with strategies for adapting state child care regulations to better promote quality in afterschool programs. There is also discussion of how states can align child care regulations with other strategies for improving the quality of afterschool programs. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/childcareregs.pdf

Quality, Scale and Effectiveness in After-school Programs, published by the Policy Studies Associates, 2004. This brief provides an external evaluation of The Afterschool Corporation’s (TASC) programs.  Data was collected from 96 TASC after-school projects and their host schools in New York City over a four-year time period.  The study looked at program quality and the impact of the program on students and addressed practices associated with the greatest academic achievement for students. Available online at http://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/TASC%20Summary%20Report%20Final.pdf

Quality Time After School: What Instructors Can Do to Enhance Learning, published by Public/Private Ventures, 2007. Drawing from surveys and interviews with more than 400 participants and instructors from five Philadelphia-based Beacon Centers, this report examines the characteristics of afterschool activities linked to youth engagement and learning and makes recommendations on how to improve program quality and create effective learning environments. Available online athttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/213_publication.pdf

Setting the Stage for a Youth Development Associate: A National Review of Professional Credentials for the Out-of-School Time Workforce, published by National Institute on Out-of-School Time, 2006. This report describes evidence of the value of credentialing programs in enhancing the workforce and improving the quality of programs and positive outcomes for youth. Available online at http://www.cornerstones4kids.org/images/youth_devel_Setting_606.pdf

The Quality of School-Age Child Care in After-School Settings, published by Child Care and Early Education Research Connections (CCERC), 2007. This brief provides an overview of the features of high-quality after-school settings, including an examination of key research on links between program quality and developmental outcomes, a review of current practice in program quality assessment, and a set of quality-related considerations for policymakers. Available online at http://nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_739.pdf

Using Quality Rating Systems to Promote Quality in Afterschool Programs, published by the Afterschool Investments Project, 2007. Most tiered quality ratings systems were designed with early care providers in mind, but are readily adaptable to providers that care for school-age children. For those providers who only serve school-age children, adapting the ratings systems is more challenging. This brief outlines issues in adapting tiered quality ratings for those caring for school-age children, offers suggestions for adaptations, and provides examples of innovative solutions that states are proposing. Available online at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/qrs_afterschool.pdf