Ready News: November 15, 2019

Advancing the Use of Core Components of Effective Programs

The Forum for Youth Investment has published a new issue brief detailing a “core components” approach to scaling the use of evidence. The brief defines core components, summarizes the benefits of this approach as a complement to the evidence-based program approach, and describes what steps researchers and policymakers take to identify and use core components. The brief also summarizes three examples of this approach and provides recommendations for policymakers at the federal level.

Read more.

Feedback Wanted for the 2019 Opportunity Index Release

The Forum is excited about the release of the 2019 Opportunity Index! In partnership with ChildTrends, the Forum is working to ensure this newest release will give users a more dynamic and robust sense of the information available and how they can use it. We are creating user guides, but first we need a better understanding of how you use the Index, or how you would like to use it. Our new user guides will support you from start to finish. Whether you are looking to support federal legislation or initiate a local call to action, the Opportunity Index is your solutions tool.

So, share with us how you want to use the Index and we will work to customize an experience that helps you move Opportunity onward! Share your feedback with us here, and have your influence be a part of the 2019 Index release!

The National Summer Learning Project: A Thought Leader Session with Pittsburgh Public Schools and the RAND Corporation

Free Webinar
Thursday, December 5
2:00-3:00 PM EDT

Can large, urban school districts successfully run high-quality summer learning programs? If so, how can they do it? And what impact can these programs have on students?

These are three of the questions the Wallace Foundation, the RAND Corporation, and five urban school districts explored as part of the National Summer Learning Project, a six-year effort to provide voluntary, district-led summer programs that offer a mix of academic instruction and enrichment and test whether they help boost students’ success in school. To find out the answers, RAND conducted a randomized controlled trial (RCT), the largest of its kind.

In this thought leader session, Karen Pittman will sit down with Catherine Augustine from the RAND Corporation and Melanie Claxton with Pittsburgh Public Schools, one of the five communities involved in the project, to explore their engagement with the study and the results and lessons learned. Pittsburgh Public Schools will share lessons that you can apply to help think outside the box of traditional summer school and begin the planning process early.

We hope you’ll join us to learn how to improve your summer learning offerings.

Click here for more information about the National Summer Learning Project.

Register now!

Seven Recommendations to Strengthen the Implementation of Integrated Student Supports

Education policymakers working to address the impacts of growing economic and racial inequality on students often look to community schools as an effective approach for supporting students and their families in communities facing concentrated poverty. Through partnering with community agencies and offering important resources, community schools integrate academics and collaborative leadership with health and social services, youth and community development, and community engagement.

A new report by the Learning Policy Institute and the National Education Policy Center, “Community Schools as an Effective School Improvement Strategy: A Review of the Evidence,” finds that, when implemented well, these schools can help students overcome such challenges as lack of access to high-quality schools and out-of-school barriers to learning. The report synthesizes the findings from 143 rigorous research studies on the impact of community schools on student and school outcomes.

Review the report and accompanying resources.

Last Call: Join the Every Hour Counts National Learning Community

Every Hour Counts is seeking afterschool systems looking for coaching and peer networking. The Every Hour Counts Learning Community is a professional learning opportunity targeted to afterschool and summer learning systems from communities around the country that would benefit from learning and peer networking to enhance their community structures and services. Formed in 2006, the network has grown from six communities to almost 20. Up to 10 communities will be added, matching the field’s momentum for expanded-learning system-building, while maintaining the intimacy of the network through peer-to-peer knowledge sharing.

Learn more and apply. The deadline is today, November 15.