What does research tell us about the outcomes and characteristics of after-school programs? What are the national trends in effective after-school program delivery? How will President Bush s fiscal budget affect after-school programs? With 14.3 million children taking care of themselves after the school day ends, including almost four million middle school students in the high-risk grades six to eight, what are state governments, school districts, and the federal government doing to enhance after-school learning?
Jodi Grant, the Executive Director of the Afterschool Alliance, gave an overview of current national trends, funding and policy challenges for after-school programs. Grant served as Director of Work and Family Programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families. More recently, she advised the Bush Administration on proposed regulatory changes that would affect laws related to work and family at the state and national levels.
Elizabeth Reisner, the Founder and Principal of Policy Studies Associates, Inc., gave an overview of current after-school research across the nation. Reisner is the principal investigator of Out of School Time Programs for Youth and the New Century High Schools initiatives, both in New York City, New Jersey After 3, and the Citizen Schools program of after-school services in Boston.