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Grantmakers and Thought Leaders on Out-of-School Time

Survey & Interview Report

The perspectives of both grantmakers and field leaders in afterschool and expanded learning programs are explored in this report.
July 2014
The perspectives of both grantmakers and field leaders in afterschool and expanded learning programs are explored in this report.
  • Author(s)
  • Kathleen Traphagen
  • Publisher(s)
  • Grantmakers for Education’s Out-of-School Time Funder Network
Page Count 23 pages

Summary

This two-pronged report, written by a network of donors supporting high-quality afterschool, expanded learning or other out-of-school time (OST) experiences for young people, examines the priorities of these grantmakers. It also surveys key field leaders, including heads of youth-serving nonprofits and researchers, to gain their perspectives on the current state of the field, as well as their recommendations for funders.

From the funders’ perspective: A 2013 survey finds the two most common outcomes grantmakers hope for from OST remain unchanged from a similar 2008 survey: improved academic achievement and increased student engagement. However, in 2008 grantmakers thought the funders’ network should concentrate on “financing/sustainability,” while in 2013 the top priority was the “role of OST in K-12 reform.” Also, 67 percent of respondents in 2013 choose STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) as the focus for the OST activities, up from 51 percent in 2008.

From field leaders: Some believe OST should “continue to claim its space as different from school;” others want to “jettison the term” (OST) and move the field’s agenda “to a more central place in the education reform debate.” Despite the differences, common ground was also found, including a number of suggestions for grantmakers:

  • Take a stronger lead in moving K-12 education reform toward a broader view of young people’s learning and development;
  • Support systemic efforts to help programs become high quality and evidence-based;
  • Invest in research and scaling models that yield results;
  • Prioritize development of the workforce and leadership; and
  • Pay attention to: Common Core, organizational capacity, apprenticeships, supporting thought leaders and developing short-term experiments to prototype solutions.
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