After School Academy

The After School Academy (ASA) has three overall objectives:

• Academic – to improve reading skills and homework performance

• Wellness training and recreation – to improve fitness and nutrition

• Increase parent involvement with reading, school activities

Last year, 120 students in second, third, and fourth grades enrolled in the Academy, which met four days a week for three hours after school.  Partners are West Middle Elementary School, Asylum Hill Children’s Zone, Capital Region Education Council (CREC), Boys and Girls Club.  The Connecticut State Department of Education allocated funding for two years – the second year depends on performance criteria being met in year one.  Program evaluation includes tracking data such as reading performance (test scores), attendance, behavior, fitness, and parent involvement measures.

Process

Each student is in a class with a maximum of ten students at the same grade level, but at different reading levels.  A Group Leader (GL) has been trained to lead the group, using materials specifically designed for after school programs.  Certified teachers train and mentor GLs, and a reading specialist is the Education Coordinator.  An overall Academy Director supervises the entire program.  Since students meet in school classrooms, a close relationship with teachers is a significant benefit.  GLs and teachers talk almost every day about students in the Academy.

We chose a curriculum recommended by the Children’s Aid Society in New York City called KidzLit, which is used by other Connecticut students including middle school students in five Hartford schools.  The set of 160 books includes leader guides so GLs have a well defined process for leading their class.  We provide a variety of additional books for group, buddy, and individual reading.  A primary goal is to make reading more fun so that students will enjoy reading on their own.  Therefore students may chose books that are of interest to them.

KidzLit emphasizes literacy plus character building.  Materials and teaching focus on increasing enjoyment of reading, growing vocabulary, understanding what is read, and a greater ability to express ideas.  Discussion and group activities include students building stronger relationships with other students and adults, developing a better understanding of themselves and others, and making a stronger commitment to shared values and good character traits. 

The typical day consists of the following:

Pick up students in their classroom
Provide a nutritious snack in the cafeteria
Read Aloud time using KidzLit materials for about an hour
Homework and additional focus on more reading
Recreation and fitness at either West Middle gym or Boys & Girls Club
Getting students home safely

We vary the sequence by doing homework first and group reading second in some classrooms so that teachers and volunteers may visit several classrooms to assist more students their homework.  Students have homework almost every day consisting of reading and math.

We also take students on field trips outside or inside the school.  “Inside” field trips occur because time is limited so a number of professional resources may be invited to come into the school to expand students’ horizons.

Reading Block

GLs take students back upstairs from the cafeteria to their classroom so the reading block can start shortly after 3 PM.  We start with a book to be read aloud.  Reading Aloud is our preferred form of reading, and occurs three to four times each week.  GLs know their story and have studied the KidzLit guide in advance.  Structure is important for the students to be comfortable and pay attention.  Children become distracted easily if a GL is not well organized, and their behavior can disrupt the class. 

Here is the sequence of activities for Reading Aloud.

Introduce – the book with a personal story or other opening
Read  – usually the GL’s job, or students may chose to read as well
Discuss  – ask open-ended questions to stimulate discussion
Connect – with an activity or two to reemphasize the story
Wrap up – students summarize what has been learned

Homework

All students have daily reading homework for at least 20 minutes and most will have math every day as well.  We have reading materials (in boxes graded by reading level) for those students who need them.  Students are usually distributed around the classroom so that they can work independently or in pairs.  Teachers circulate between classrooms to assist students, but the primary responsibility for assisting students lies with the GLs.   GLs move around the room to give each student individual time.   

Recreation and Wellness

Second and some third/fourth grade students stay in the West Middle gym for activities rather than go to the Boys and Girls Club.  Activities include some fitness exercises, running races, playing kick ball, dodge ball, volleyball, jumping rope, and a variety of other active games.  Weather permitting students also go outside. 

Some third and fourth graders are taken to the Boys and Girls Club (BGC).  Several adults    accompany students to make certain that all students cross the busy Asylum Avenue safely.  We have special high visibility vests to aid in this process. 

Activities at the BGC vary by day.  The schedule includes fitness and nutrition training, recreation in the gym, and “free time” when ASA students may participate in any available activities.  Two GLs stay at the BGC to assist staff in taking care of students, and to check that students are picked up on time.  BGC also provides dinner to students every evening.

Going Home

Most of the students in the ASA live close to West Middle.  Almost all children are picked up by parents or other family members either at the school or at the Boys and Girls Club two blocks away.  Some pickups are late and we must make phone calls to parents to remind them.  If delayed pickup happens too frequently, our policy is to dismiss a student from the program.

Results

Initial results are encouraging.  The Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) was given to second and third grade students three times this past school year – October 2007, January 2008, and end of May 2008.  Preliminary results show a higher percentage of ASA students (62% of second graders and 56% of third graders) are reading on grade level than students not participating in the ASP (about 45%). 

Teachers have been very supportive and quite positive.  An informal survey produced these responses.

There are several children who are now doing homework that were not before.  I think [ASA] is helping V and S.  I am also glad … there is independent reading happening ….

He is reading more fluently and S is now on grade level.  N is doing well.  M struggles with reading but the practice is good.

It is helping some children.  There are eight of my students in the ASA and I can see improvement with some.

… students are actually doing homework now and passing it in
I also like that they have focused reading time…..

I love the pre-story activities, predictions and the vocabulary building.  I love the follow through extension activities after the story is read.  I love the fact that there are rotating teachers and staff that come in to help with homework.  I love that there is a snack first for the children.  It's all very good.  Even though there is a mixture of kids in the classroom, some very dependent and some independent, there is assistance for them all.