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The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative is designed to improve academic outcomes by increasing the amount of learning time for students. Schools are expected to provide opportunities to teachers for collaborative planning and professional development as well as add time to the school day or year for instructional and enrichment opportunities. This expectation is consistent with research about student learning that suggests that more time, alone, will not significantly improve students' achievement; rather, research indicates that improved academic performance reflects student engagement in high quality learning activities. Regardless of whether schools have expanded schedules, providing teachers with structured opportunities to work together, align activities, and coordinate instructional decisions has emerged as an important strategy for improving instruction and further developing professional learning communities within schools. Schools considering whether to allocate or increase time for structured teacher collaborative planning will need to consider such decisions as where to place CPT in the school schedule, which groups of teachers should share planning time, and how the time should be used. This brief focuses on key themes identified by schools about the implementation of CPT, based on a comprehensive evaluation of the Massachusetts ELT initiative. The brief draws primarily from surveys of teachers as well as interviews with principals in 17 ELT and 19 matched comparison schools that participated in the ELT evaluation during the 2010-2011 school year. The study found that the majority of teachers had weekly (or more frequent) opportunities for collaborative planning time. During these collaborative planning meetings, teachers reported that they had engaged in a wide range of activities, and the majority of participants described the activities as useful.

Expanded learning time seems to be a simple idea: by lengthening the school day (or year), students have more time to learn. Yet as schools revisit their schedules and decide how to allocate time in their academic calendars, they can and do face challenging decisions related to time allocations. This brief highlights lessons learned from some schools' experiences with redistributing time for students, focusing specifically on schools that participated in the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative. This set of schools participated in a multi-year study of the ELT initiative. The information presented in this Issue Brief draws primarily from interviews with principals and master schedules for 5th and 8th grade students, and secondarily from surveys of teachers, and surveys of 5th and 8th grade students in 17 ELT and 19 matched comparison schools. The data all refer to the 2010-2011 school year. As school and district administrators consider the redesign of their schools' schedules, time allocation is a key factor. ELT schools used a variety of approaches to arrange instructional and other learning experiences for their students. The longer school day clearly increased the amount of time for core academic subjects as well as noncore classes and specials. Drawing on Aronson et al. and Silva's research, this report reiterates the important point that "while time in school is necessary for learning, time alone is not sufficient."

This brief highlights key information about enrichment activities, which represent one of the main components of the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative. Over time, the ELT initiative has supported over two dozen schools across the Commonwealth. A comprehensive evaluation of the ELT initiative found that implementation of the core ELT components varied considerably across schools. This brief focuses on enrichment activities provided for students, drawing primarily from surveys of teachers, surveys of 5th and 8th grade students, as well as interviews with principals, in 17 ELT and 19 matched comparison schools that participated in the ELT evaluation during the 2010-2011 school year. Over the course of the ELT initiative, the study found that teachers had increasingly positive views about the value of enrichment. The majority of teachers at ELT schools reported that enrichment opportunities were valuable to students, well integrated into the school day, and of high quality. Most teachers also reported that enrichment was clearly connected to curriculum frameworks or standards. Almost all students at ELT schools were able to participate in at least some enrichment, regardless of academic standing. Enrichment also offered schools the opportunity to develop community partnerships and offered students choice about a portion of their schedules.

Just a few years ago, Boston's Clarence Edwards Middle School was on the verge of being shut down. By 2009, a renaissance at the Edwards made it one of the highest performing and most desired middle schools in Boston, dramatically narrowing and even eliminating academic achievement gaps while delivering a far more well-rounded education to its high-poverty student population. This paper describes their achievement.

In 2004, Kuss Middle School became the first school declared "Chronically Underperforming" by the state of Massachusetts. But by 2010, Kuss had transformed itself into a model for schools around the country seeking a comprehensive turnaround strategy. Kuss is using increased learning time as the primary catalyst to accelerate learning, deepen student engagement, and improve instruction, and has become a rare example of a school on the path to successful turnaround. This is their story.

Across the country, schools operate on a schedule of about 180 six-hour days. This is not because they think it is the best schedule or the right schedule but because it has been in place for generations and would be difficult to change. But does this schedule really provide enough time to help all students achieve academic proficiency? The Massachusetts program, known as the Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative, enables schools to develop and implement plans to redesign their whole day around an expanded learning time plan, in which every student has 300 hours more learning time embedded into the core schedule. The 26 ELT schools are spread across a dozen Massachusetts communities and serve 13,500 students who are taught by more than 1,000 teachers. By comparing the responses from these teachers to those of their colleagues in conventional-schedule schools, we can begin to see the effect that more time has on both student learning and teacher collaboration and professional development. This report aims to address a simple and essential pair of questions from the point of view of the people charged with the awesome responsibility of preparing our children for the ever-growing challenges of the 21st century. What do our frontline educators think about the quantity of time they have now, and how do those who work in ELT schools see their situation differently? (Contains 12 figures and 6 notes.)

This study attempts to define turnaround schools in California, both what constitutes low-performing or "failing" schools and what constitutes turnaround or "success" for these schools. The study clearly specifies the criteria used for identifying and selecting turnaround schools and then provides summaries of the strategies that a sample of principals from these schools reported as essential to their schools' improved outcomes. The authors' set of criteria, developed in conjunction with a group of California education stakeholders, is not proposed as the sole definition for school turnaround; rather, the study intends to provide a definition of both low performance and turnaround for schools in California. The authors applied these criteria to all California schools using data from a seven-year period to identify these schools. They then interviewed the selected schools' principals to identify the strategies they believed were responsible for their turnaround success. The report begins by reviewing different approaches for defining school turnaround and the various turnaround strategies identified in previous studies. It then describes the methods used in this study to define and select turnaround schools in California and present the selected schools' demographic and achievement patterns. Subsequently, it describes the data collection and analysis procedures, followed by eight overall strategies identified across the schools and three individual school profiles. It concludes with implications for policy and practice. [The California Comprehensive Center at WestEd is a partnership with American Institutes for Research (AIR) and School Services of California.]

Last week President Barack Obama announced that the administration plans to waive some aspects of the No Child Left Behind law. But states have to develop solid plans to improve instruction to receive a waiver. Specifically, states must adopt college- and career-ready standards for all students, focus interventions on the bottom 15 percent of low-performing schools, and develop teacher evaluation systems using student performance. Commentators are fixated on waiving the high-profile pieces of the law such as the timeline for ensuring all students are proficient in reading and math and seeking flexibility for the highly qualified teacher targets. But a critical waiver option on expanded learning time is being overlooked in all the hoopla. Expanded learning time is a valuable tool for improving student achievement, as demonstrated by schools that have implemented this school improvement strategy. Some federal guidance is needed, though, to give states a better idea of how to use that extra time wisely. States applying for federal waivers ought to follow the example of Massachusetts, where the state carefully crafted a definition of expanded learning time to ensure the additional time was used wisely to make a difference in the experience of both teachers and students. Waivers are undeniably an opportunity for states to build on the best parts of No Child Left Behind and drive improvements in student achievement. Turning around the most troubled schools is crucial, and expanding learning time at those schools is one strategy that should not be overlooked as states build their waiver applications.

Congress has the opportunity to move forward on education reform by reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, or ESEA, to ensure all children achieve their greatest potential. Unfortunately, it has yet to find the will to do so, to the detriment of American students and schools. ESEA is the largest and most significant federal education law supporting public schools. ESEA, currently known as No Child Left Behind, was due to be reauthorized in 2007. Congress has the opportunity to fix numerous flaws in NCLB and to build on positive change due to new, innovative programs already underway in many places. Political events and calculations, however, threaten to stymie the law's renewal. This paper outlines a smart, progressive vision for moving forward with the reauthorization of ESEA. Following core principles of federal education policy, the authors propose significant policy changes on topics such as teachers and principals, funding, school improvement, and innovation. Specifically, they recommend: (1) Holding all schools accountable for getting results with all students; (2) Investing in teachers and principals so they become more skilled and effective; (3) Making funding practices more fair and efficient so every student gets a fair shot at having an effective teacher and adequate resources; (4) Targeting support to low-performing schools, including expanding learning time and providing nonacademic services that meet all student needs; and (5) Investing in innovative practices that bring American schools into the 21st century. Appended are: (1) Summary of CAP's ESEA recommendations; and (2) CAP's body of work on ESEA topics. (Contains 33 endnotes.) [This paper was written with Ulrich Boser, Raegen Miller, and Theodora Chang.]

The impact of class time lengths on student achievement is a complex issue with multiple extraneous factors and without definitive answers. A major theme across many of the studies reviewed is that the amount of instructional time is not so important as how that time is spent. Key points include: (1) The commonly held conception that students in other countries outperform U.S. students because they spend more time in school is not supported by research; (2) Neither increased days/year nor hours/day have been shown to increase student learning significantly except in special circumstances; and (3) Studies on block scheduling have reported mixed results.

2010 was a pioneering year for Massachusetts public schools. State leaders recognized that while the Commonwealth leads the nation in student achievement on national measures such as NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress), more needed to be done to close the persistent achievement gaps between our wealthy and poor students. Combining a strong plan, a new reform law, and broad consensus, Massachusetts won a federal Race to the Top grant and set out to implement bold strategies to accelerate improvements. Innovative approaches to improving our schools are nothing new for Massachusetts. In 2005, inspired by the effective use of expanded time at many high-performing charter schools and a handful of district schools around the country, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) and non-profit Massachusetts 2020 launched a first-in-the-nation initiative for district schools to expand learning time for all of their students. That first year, ten schools in five districts stepped forward to participate. Their school leaders, teachers, parents and community partners understood that as the world changes, schools must evolve to prepare students for the opportunities and complexities of the 21st century, and that the traditional 6.5-hour school day is woefully insufficient. Five years later, the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has grown to include over 10,500 students in 19 schools in nine districts, 78% of whom are low-income and all of whom benefit from an additional 300 hours of learning time across the school year. In 2010-11 ELT continues to thrive due to the persistence of participating schools and districts. It is managed through a unique public-private partnership between ESE and Massachusetts 2020, which share responsibility for oversight and support of the ELT Initiative. In this 2011 update, Massachusetts 2020 seeks to provide a brief snapshot of promising results and lessons learned. (Contains 1 footnote.) [For previous edition, "More Time for Learning: Promising Practices and Lessons Learned. Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative 2010 Progress Report," see ED534907.]

This study looks at the question of whether charter schools are more innovative in their provision of extended time policies than a matched set of traditional public schools. Data for this study was collected from a sample of traditional public and charter schools that partner with the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) for interim achievement testing administration and services. Schools in the authors' analysis sample are located across 6 states and a range of inner city, suburban and rural locals. At least in this sample of schools the authors do not find evidence that charters are more or less innovative than traditional public schools as the pattern and level of usage of these policies appear to be similar in both sectors. This finding brings up a limitation of this study in that conclusions can only be drawn about this particular sample of schools and cannot speak to innovation in charter schools as a whole. Preliminary estimates on the relationships between extended time policies point to two conclusions. First, at least in this sample, it appears that the provision of voluntary extended time programs may be more effective than mandatory programs. Second, the policy with the clearest influence on student growth rates in both subjects is a year round instructional calendar. While estimated growth rates are lower during the school year than in traditionally calendared schools, the net effect of a longer school year is that students are exposed to the summer for a shorter period of time and therefore experience a smaller summer set back in achievement, leading to them returning to school in the following year at a higher level than peers in traditionally calendared school years. (Contains 2 tables.)

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) has supported a multi-year study of the Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative to learn about the process and impact of ELT. Abt Associates Inc. is conducting this research. The study has two components: 1) a planning and implementation component that explores the decision-making phase and subsequent execution of ELT in funded schools; and 2) an outcomes component that examines the outcomes of ELT for schools, teachers, and students. The overall ELT evaluation is guided by three research questions: (1) How has expanded learning time been implemented in schools that receive ELT grants?; (2) What are the outcomes of expanded learning time for schools, students, and teachers?; and (3) What is the relationship between implementation and outcomes? (Contains 2 figures and tables.)

The National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL), an organization dedicated to redesigning and expanding school time to improve opportunities and outcomes for high poverty students, and the Education Commission of the States (ECS), with a mission to foster both the exchange of ideas on education issues among the states and long range strategic thinking, have joined forces to produce this review. Their goal is to help education leaders to better understand the complexities of time related policy and its far reaching educational implications. In exploring how policymakers and educators have dealt with the matter of school time at the federal, state, and local levels, NCTL and ECS hope to accelerate the national conversation on how they can best leverage the power of time to realize the vision of a high quality education for all. This paper offers a number of recommendations highlighting fresh ways that policy and research can best support efforts to expand learning time in schools. State policies on instructional time are appended. (Contains 82 notes and 51 footnotes.) [This paper was supported by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation.]

The research summary "Successful, Safe, and Healthy Students" presents the research background for the Obama administration's proposals for comprehensive, community-wide services in high-poverty neighborhoods, extended learning time, family engagement and safe schools. While these policies have broad and common-sense appeal, the research supporting the particular policies proposed by the administration is weak and poorly presented in the research summary. As promising as community-wide services may be, a broad research base does not yet exist concerning how to make them successful. The research on extended learning time is also inconclusive. Family involvement is crucial to education, but the evidence for a causal link between student achievement and the type of parent involvement discussed is ambiguous and suspect. The proposals for safe schools boil down to increased local flexibility and increased gathering of survey data, neither of which can be expected to improve outcomes. Together, the administration's proposals would require an extensive financial commitment in order to be fully implemented, but the scope and source of these funds is not explained. Overall, the evidence provided is not sufficiently strong to justify the programs they champion. While the research summary adequately documents problems, a wiser course for public policy would be a carefully structured set of pilot studies to sharply and accurately identify solutions.

The OEYP state-funded program provides extended learning for students who are at risk of academic failure. This report summarizes Austin Independent School District's OEYP activities during 2008-2009.

Optional Extended-Day Kindergarten benefits students above and beyond non-Optional Extended-Day kindergarten. While OEK students began the 2009-10 school year with significantly lower scores than non-OEK students, by the end of the year OEK students had closed this achievement gap and scored similarly to non-OEK students. In some cases OEK students surpassed the achievement of non-OEK students at the end of the year. Thus, this report shows that the program benefits at-risk students. Quick facts include: (1) Approximately 18% of kindergarten students participated in an extended kindergarten program in 2009-10; (2) OEK classrooms gained an average of 54 percentage points over the year; non-OEK classrooms gained an average of 36 percentage points; (3) Significantly fewer OEK students were at risk for falling behind in reading at the end of the year than at the beginning of the year (35% to 13%); (4) A higher percentage of OEK students are able to move up from being at risk compared to non-OEK students (22% compared to 2%); (5) In some districts, OEK classrooms even surpassed the achievement of non-OEK classrooms at the end of the year; and (6) This report finds similar outcomes to the 2009 report on OEK student achievement, and both reports conclude that while OEK students begin the year behind non-OEK students, by the end of the year this gap is closed or surpassed. (Contains 4 figures and 3 tables.)

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the strong advocacy and leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville, and the Massachusetts Legislature, especially the chairpersons of the Education Committee, Representative Marty Walz and Senator Rob O'Leary. While many important education programs in the state have been impacted by dwindling state coffers, the state leadership's continued commitment and support of this innovative program has been critical to its ongoing success. Today, the 22 ELT schools serving over 12,200 students across the state are models to the Commonwealth and the entire country for how schools can be transformed when teachers, administrators, parents, and the community work together to add learning time and broaden what schools should offer. As the national momentum for expanded learning time continues to build, the Massachusetts ELT Initiative continues to be recognized for its promising results for students, teachers, and schools. This paper presents the Massachusetts ELT Initiative progress report for 2010. It discusses the lessons the founders have learned over the past four years of working with ELT schools--such as how some successful schools are using additional academic time to individualize academic supports to better meet student needs--and how they are refining their model to produce even greater student success. [For previous edition, "Redesigning Today's Schools to Build a Stronger Tomorrow: The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative 2007-2008 Annual Report," see ED534910.]

The aim of the paper is to discuss the system of double-shift schooling and assess it from economic, social and educational angles referring to different cases from Sub-Saharan African countries. The paper makes an attempt to prove that despite certain challenges that it faces, the system of double-shift schooling is the best solution for poor countries to achieve the millennium goal of Education for All with limited resources, and an optimum strategy for rich countries to use resources more efficiently. Thus, if wisely implemented and managed, double-shift schools can be the best way to achieve the goal of universal education in both poor and rich countries. (Contains 1 footnote.)

This document is one of eight reports prepared to support the development of a new learning system, a development effort that is the first step in a major initiative undertaken by the Stupski Foundation. This document synthesizes recent research and theoretical literature on effective strategies for supporting urban, underserved students' social, emotional, and academic learning needs. Schools should adopt and/or adapt: (1) Effective curricula and programs to promote social-emotional learning; (2) Effective out-of-school time (OST) programs; (3) School day extension-of-learning (ELT) models; (4) School-based health or student support center models; and (5) Systemic, family-centered, collaborative, and culturally appropriate approaches to student support services. The literature review method is appended. (Contains 3 figures, 2 tables, and 5 footnotes.) [A list of references reviewed but not cited in this report is included.]

Our children deserve an education that fully prepares them for the future--success in college, the workforce and a healthy, fulfilled life. The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative is redesigning and expanding the school schedule to offer children new learning and enrichment opportunities. With state resources, participating schools are expanding the school day by at least 300 hours per year for all students to improve student outcomes in core academic subjects, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction by adding more planning and professional development time for teachers. The vision of the Expanded Learning Time Initiative is to reshape the American school schedule to provide all students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for full engagement and participation in the economic and civic life of our 21st-century global society. This paper presents the stories, the data, the images, the advocates, and the reasons why ELT is making a difference. This paper presents the annual report of the Massachusetts ELT Initiative for 2007-2008. [For previous edition, "Time for a New Day: Broadening Opportunities for Massachusetts Schoolchildren. Expanded Learning Time Initiative 2006-2007 Annual Report," see ED534906.]

This report summarizes Austin ISD's state-funded Optional Extended Year Program activities for the 2006-2007 school year.

Our children deserve an education that fully prepares them for the future--success in college, the workforce and a healthy, fulfilled life. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative in Massachusetts is redesigning schools to offer children new learning and enrichment opportunities made possible because of an expanded school schedule. With state resources, participating schools are expanding the school day by at least 300 hours per year to improve student outcomes in core academic subjects, broaden enrichment opportunities and improve instruction by adding more planning and professional development time for teachers. The vision of the Expanded Learning Time Initiative is to reshape the American school calendar to provide all students with a well-rounded education that prepares them for full engagement and participation in the economic and civic life of our 21st century global society. This paper presents the annual report of the Massachusetts ELT Initiative for 2006-2007.

The Optional Extended Year Program (OEYP), funded by a grant from the state, provides extended learning opportunities for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) who are at risk of academic failure. The primary focus of an OEYP is to reduce and ultimately eliminate the need for student grade-level retention by providing additional instructional time for students to master the state's academic performance standards. OEYP activities occur outside the regular school day. OEYP is designed to accommodate four school-day options: (1) extended day, (2) extended week, (3) intersession for year-round schools, and (4) summer school. A school district may provide instructional services during any of these programs for a period of time not to exceed 30 days. Participating students must receive a minimum of 240 minutes of instruction to meet Texas Education Agency (TEA) reporting requirements. Since 1993, the Austin Independent School District (AISD) has used the OEYP to reduce the number of AISD students at risk of academic failure. This report summarizes AISD's 2005-2006 school year activities and student performance outcomes for the state-funded optional extended year program.

One of the most intractable problems facing urban schools is the low performance of middle school-aged children. This is particularly true for the 13,360 students who attend the Baltimore City Public School System's (BCPSS) traditional middle schools, which serve only 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Not one of these 21 middle schools met adequate yearly progress in 2006; seven were targeted for State takeover in May. The System has responded largely by expanding the number of K-8 schools and closing some middle schools. Yet, due to the configuration of City school facilities, not all middle school students can be accommodated in K-8 schools. BCPSS must fully address the question: What does it take to make middle schools places where children in 6th-8th grades can succeed? Two anomalies in the disappointing landscape of City middle schools, KIPP Ujima Village and The Crossroads School, are obvious case studies. Opened as Baltimore City "New Schools Initiative" schools in fall 2002, both schools had highly-motivated founding principals and operating organizations. KIPP is under the auspices of the non-profit KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) national network of schools and Crossroads is affiliated with The Living Classrooms Foundation. The schools used a phase-in model, expanding by one grade level each year. In fall 2005, both schools converted to Charter School status, partly due to the promise of increased per pupil funding. To date, performance of KIPP students exceeds that of all City middle and K-8 schools; KIPP's students are among the top performers in the State. Similarly Crossroads' students have higher levels of performance than students in the City's middle schools and most K-8 schools. One could argue that two other new and charter middle schools, The Stadium School and Connexions, also deserve further investigation. The success of KIPP and Crossroads raises two questions. First, can the models used by KIPP and Crossroads be used to educate all or a significant number of the Baltimore's remaining middle school population? If not, are there practices used by these two schools that could successfully be replicated in other City middle schools and K-8 schools? A number of practices and characteristics of KIPP and Crossroads appear to contribute to the extraordinary success of children in the middle grades: (1) Children (and their families) choose these schools; (2) They are operated by a third party; (3) They spend more money on a per pupil basis and raise additional private funding; (4) The overall size of the school and of each grade level is significantly smaller; (5) There is a longer school day, week and/or year; (6) The school principal is a highly competent leader who has the autonomy and support necessary to direct the school; (7) There are fewer special education children, with less severe disabilities. (8) There are slightly fewer male students; (9) Students are less likely to enter or leave; (10) No children suspended from other schools are transferred in; (11) Teachers have higher attendance rates; and (12) All children are transported to and from school by school bus. Many of these factors are not replicable in every middle school: some families would reject the longer school day or year, or the responsibility of choosing a school and committing to its expectations. At least two-thirds of students eligible for KIPP and Crossroads chose not to apply. Some of the practices of Crossroads and KIPP involve additional expenses; others are cost-free. There is no evidence on the effectiveness of any individual practice; all that is known is the positive effect of their implementation as a package in two very different schools. These practices, all of which seem desirable on their face, are enumerated.

In 2002, the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) published the author's "Ten Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design" [ED467701], which received considerable attention and has been downloaded from the NCEF website by thousands of users. Here is an update by the author, with the ten trends expanded to twelve. This publication, like its predecessor, examines educational trends potentially influencing the planning and design of school facilities. Although one cannot know exactly how such trends might play out in the future, their thoughtful consideration during the planning and design process could have a profound effect on how successfully a new or renovated school will perform over its useful life. The trends were identified by reviewing the latest research on school facilities and student outcomes; current issues, problems, and initiatives in the educational field; emerging demographic patterns; and the author's previous work on this subject. The twelve trends are: (1) School choice and equity will redirect facilities planning; (2) Small schools may be favored over large ones; (3) Class size may continue to be reduced; (4) Technology will be increasingly used to lower personnel costs and to deliver instruction; (5) School missions may change; (6) Classrooms will be reconfigured to accommodate various learning styles or tasks; (7) Schools will see extended hours of use to accommodate year-round schooling, non-traditional students, and community use; (8) Electronic media will increasingly replace paper; (9) Grade configurations will change; (10) Special education will continue to be mainstreamed; (11) Early childhood programs will expand; and (12) Schools might disappear altogether in favor of home and distance learning.

Providing a high quality instructional program where the needs of students are met and preparing them for success in the world beyond the high school are paramount in developing a school's master schedule. Throughout the past, there have periodic movements to extend the school day and year in order to better meet these goals. What research has found is that there is little to no relationship between pre-allotted time and student achievement; there is some relationship between engaged time and achievement; and there is a larger relationship between academic learning time and achievement. The research also found that more time than imagined is spent on noninstructional tasks such as making announcements, taking attendance, managing the classroom, and/or disciplining students, etc. Time is an essential component of the learning process, however, the critical element is how much quality time is spent on appropriate work. Regardless of how the master schedule is set up, students need to be actively engaged in instructionally meaningful assignments. (Contains 22 online resources.)

Extending the school day and year is not easy. The conventional calendar remains one of the most intractable features of the American educational system. Altering the traditional school schedule has significant ramifications for parents, students, teachers, and school administrators. This reform impacts student and family schedules, transportation arrangements, teacher compensation, pedagogy and curriculum, and other issues. This research project was fundamentally designed to understand how these challenges can be overcome by studying schools that have actually overcome them. How are schools able to implement a change of such magnitude in effective and sustainable ways? To provide insight on this question, Massachusetts 2020, with support from The L.G. Balfour Foundation, a Bank of America Company, engaged in a year-long study of extended-time schools to consider the range of issues that these schools have had to deal with in breaking with the conventional school calendar. The eight extended-time schools that Massachusetts 2020 examined for this project demonstrate that extending the time students spend in school is possible in a variety of settings, including district public schools, pilot schools, and charter schools, and through a range of funding and staffing innovations. Examination of these schools further reveals that there is no one correct model of an extended-time school. In fact, each school has a unique character that grows from its strong educational vision. But these schools do all share one core belief: that more learning time is the sine qua non upon which a successful school is built. Employing creativity and attention to detail, these educators then develop a school that deliberately departs from the standard calendar of 180 six-and-a-half-hour days. They expand upon this time for the express purpose of enhancing teaching and learning. The positive effects of having more time are evident throughout each school. Through longer class periods, individual assistance, and tutoring sessions, students spend more time on task than do students in schools operating on a conventional schedule. Studying these schools also reveals that despite the benefits of having more time than the conventional schedule allows, there are hefty challenges to extending the school day. Clearly, one of the most significant is funding to pay for additional staff time. (Contains 12 figures, 6 tables and 30 notes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the L.G. Balfour Foundation. For "Time for a Change: The Promise of Extended Time Schools for Promoting Student Achievement. Executive Summary," see ED534911.]

Massachusetts 2020 is a nonprofit operating foundation with a mission to expand educational and economic opportunities for children and families across Massachusetts. Massachusetts 2020, with support from the L.G. Balfour Foundation, a Bank of America Company, set out to understand how a select group of extended-time schools in Massachusetts and other nearby states do, in fact, manage to offer a significantly longer day than most district public schools. The authors defined an extended time school as one that offers all its enrolled students at least 15 percent more learning time than the conventional schedule. This study is not intended to suggest that these extended-time schools automatically produce better results. Neither is it meant to prove that extended-time schools alone offer a superior educational product. Rather, this research was conducted to understand how these particular schools, which have already demonstrated themselves to be effective, capitalize on the additional time and how the educators there perceive this additional time as beneficial to their overall educational mission. It is hoped that their examples are both inspirational and informational for those who seek to operate schools that break from the conventional schedule for the express purpose of enhancing teaching and learning. It is also hoped that these schools can help lead to a deeper, more systemic approach to extending learning time for the students of Massachusetts and the nation. Massachusetts 2020 identified eight urban schools that fit its definition of an extended-time school, that serve large populations of poor students, and that have demonstrated higher levels of academic proficiency than surrounding district schools. The Massachusetts 2020 research team spent 1-2 days at each school, meeting with school leaders, teachers, students, and parents, observing classes and examining key documents such as school budgets, annual reports, and test results. At these visits, Massachusetts 2020 sought to understand how these schools schedule, staff, and pay for the additional time and how the additional time impacts student learning. This executive summary presents some of the key findings from these visits. (Contains 1 table, 5 figures and 7 notes.) [Funding for this paper was provided by the L.G. Balfour Foundation. For the main report, "Time for a Change: The Promise of Extended-Time Schools for Promoting Student Achievement. Research Report," see ED534912.]

This report summarizes activities in the AISD state-funded Optional Extended Year program for the 2003-2004 school year.

This report summarizes evaluation results from AISD's federally-funded Title I program activities during 2002-2003.

The Extended School Services (ESS) program was established in 1990 in Kentucky. The program extends the school day, week, or year for students at risk of academic failure. All Kentucky school districts receive funding for ESS implementation. This paper reports on a comprehensive evaluation of the ESS program during the 2001-02 school year. Evaluation instruments consisted of statewide surveys of district and school ESS coordinators, and onsite visits to a sample of 18 schools with ESS programs. The surveys focused on community, school, and ESS descriptions; selection and retention; consolidated plan; children's perceptions; relationship to regular school programs; role of parents; and staffing and evaluation. Based on the findings from the surveys, the ESS program was viewed positively by district and school coordinators in terms of helping to address the needs of students at risk academically. Also, the coordinators agreed that ESS funds should remain a separate categorical fund. Further, the coordinators stated that staffing issues, professional development, and transportation were the most needed improvements. Additional findings are included in the report. Appended are eight graphs to supplement the findings from the surveys. (WFA)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Extended-Service Schools (ESS) Initiative, which supported the creation of 60 after school programs in 20 low-income communities nationwide. Each community adapted one of four nationally recognized models that had been successfully developed and implemented in other cities. The models all promoted academic and nonacademic development during out-of-school-hours, involving partnerships between community-based organizations and schools. The evaluation included surveys of school site coordinators and city-level program directors, site visits, and interviews with staff, partners, students, parents, and key city officials. Results indicated that across all sites, programs were put in place fairly quickly, demand for the programs was substantial, and over time, programs matured and demand for their services grew. Programs were well-designed and well-implemented. Participation in the programs was associated with behavior that could help youth stay out of trouble. There were positive effects on school attitudes and behaviors. Costs were reasonable but varied considerably. Operational challenges included funding constraints, staff shortages and retention, and difficulty in creating and implementing approaches for monitoring and assessing program quality. Three appendices include the ESS models, research overview and outcome measures, and the ESS cost study. (Contains 43 references, 12 tables, and 4 figures.)(SM)

This study examined the impact of the Lighthouse program, a school-based, after-school remediation program in the Chicago Public Schools, on student academic achievement. The Lighthouse program included an extra hour of instructional time and an hour of recreational time. Between the two activities, students received a healthy late afternoon meal. Study data came from 2001 surveys of principals, teachers, and students at 491 elementary schools and from student test scores. Results indicated that between 2000 and 2001, Lighthouse students made 1-month gains in reading and math over non-Lighthouse students. Lighthouse students in predominantly African American schools were performing better in reading than their counterparts in schools that were not predominantly African American. Lighthouse students in high-poverty schools were doing much better than their counterparts in schools without high poverty percentages. Lighthouse students in high-poverty schools were least likely to be taught by their regular school day teachers, whereas, in predominantly minority schools, Lighthouse students were likely to have the same teacher from the regular school day. Predominantly African American and low-normed schools were more likely to extend the school day and/or serve more students. (Contains 29 references.) (SM)

This report provides a comprehensive summary of the most recent data available from the National Assessment of Title I on the implementation of the Title I program and the academic performance of children in high poverty schools. Seven sections focus on: (1) "Policy Context for Title I" (provisions of the current Title I law and new initiatives for at-risk children); (2) "Profile of Title I Participants and Resources" (who receives Title I services and funds, what the Title I dollar buys, and targeting of Title I funds); (3) "Progress in Student Performance in High-Poverty Schools" (student performance on state and national assessments); (4) "Implementation of Standards, Assessments, and Accountability Systems" (e.g., development of state content and performance standards and of state assessment systems, and the impact of standards-based reform on teacher practices and student performance); (5) "Strategies for Improving Teaching and Learning" (e.g., comprehensive, research-based school reform, early childhood education, and extended learning time); (6) "Special Title I Services" (Title I services for students attending private schools, Migrant Education Program, and programs for students who are neglected, delinquent, or at risk of dropping out); and (7) "Progress and Challenges." (Contains 121 endnotes.) (SM)

This paper describes a multi-year evaluation of the Extended-Service Schools (ESS) Adaptation Initiative, sharing what has been learned about opening up schools and initiating collaborative school-based programs in poor communities during hours that school is not in session. The ESS included four unique school-community collaborative models. This report discusses how cities began the process of opening up schools to children, youth, and adults and examines how these programs affect the lives of their participants. The first half of the report describes early implementation experiences, looking at the model types, the cities involved in the initiative, and the conditions of the schools selected to implement the program. The next chapters: lay out the types of activities and services that have been put in place; describe the students recruited and enrolled in the programs; consider challenges faced by most programs and how the coordinators have reacted to the challenges; and examine how the programs became operational (types of collaborative structure each city used in planning and early implementation, how cities planned and financed their programs, and management and governance). (Contains 13 references.) (SM)

In 2000, the National Education Goals Panel examined the conditions that help ensure school success, conducting a series of four field hearings nationwide to find evidence of success and to understand why schools were succeeding. Participants at the hearings included students, teachers, parents, principals, superintendents, university presidents, business leaders, school board members, and academic researchers. The hearings focused on achieving high standards with minority and urban students and empowering educators to bring all students to high standards. Overall, they demonstrated that despite negative news about education, there are positive signs nationwide that educators and the public are creating successful schools and school systems. They showed that achieving success does not just happen, but rather takes concerted effort, over time, by many people. They also showed that reformers took quite different paths, even when they pursued common strategies. Common themes that emerged defined conditions needed for all students to learn, including: high expectations for all students; consistency over time; clear accountability; using data to drive improvement; improving teacher quality; expanding the school day and year; supporting children and families; and support from the business community. Policy implications resulting from the discussions include: overhauling leadership development; investing in high quality professional development; providing additional support for children and families; considering new management arrangements; and maintaining stable policies. (SM)

This study examined whether reading and mathematics performance of New York City Schools Under Registration Review (SURR) elementary and middle schools with extended time differed from performance of SURR schools without extended time in 1999-00. It also examined whether extended-time schools attracted more certified teachers and relationships between teacher certification and student academic performance in these schools. Researchers examined the absolute and relative performance of extended-time and non-extended-time schools. Outcome measures included performance on city and state English language arts/reading tests and scores on city mathematics tests, all administered to elementary and middle school students. Researchers analyzed the percentage of students in each school who met grade standards, the percentage of students who had the lowest proficiency, and changes in the percentage of certified teachers in these two groups. Students in extended-time schools improved at a greater rate on city and state reading and mathematics assessments than did students in non-extended-time schools in terms of increasing the percentage meeting grade-level standards and decreasing the percentage scoring in the lowest proficiency level on reading and mathematics tests. A relationship existed between the percentage of certified teachers and performance in the schools. (SM)

This report contains the profiles of state-sponsored extended learning initiatives in California, Illinois, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas. They address the need to provide extra time and opportunity for students who have difficulty meeting today's standards, and for students who are meeting standards during the school day, but want to enrich their educational and developmental experiences. Projects with adult supervision can help minimize high-risk behaviors (substance abuse, sexual activity, and crime) that increase during late afternoon hours. Research shows that effective extended learning and development programs can improve academic achievement and provide enriching, safe options for American youth. A 40-item, open-ended survey was designed to profile initiatives. Topics covered include: (1) major program components and background data; (2) eligibility and application requirements; (3) description of target population and funded afterschool projects; (4) student outcomes and program evaluation; and (5) lessons learned. Each profile starts with background and historical data, followed by discussion on how the initiative works, its administrative structure, how it is funded, the role of collaboration, monitoring and measuring success, successful strategies, lessons learned, and barriers to success. Sidebar topics supplement or support information in the main text. Contact information also is included for each initiative. (RT)