For children, change can be frightening, and the middle school years are a time of dramatic change for them. Young adolescents are grappling with confusing and often difficult changes in their emotions, their bodies, their schools, their schedules, and the social and academic expectations placed upon them. Middle school administrators, teachers,…

The Martin Luther King School in Boston and nine other Massachusetts public schools used a grant from the Massachusetts Department of Education to expand their school days by at least two hours. Each school lengthened the time students spent in reading and math instruction. Farbman focuses on the Martin Luther King School's foray into an extended…

This study was designed to examine the effects of a whole school reform, the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), specifically designed to raise academic achievement of at-risk urban middle school students by establishing an extended school day and year, a rigorous curriculum, after-school access to teachers, and increased family-school connections.…

Discusses the disparity in academic achievement between African American males and males and females from other ethnic groups, recommending after school programs to provide services for addressing and decreasing these disparities. Notes policy issues affecting the targeted population, presents four programs that have successfully improved academic…

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.…

The Child First Authority (CFA) is a Baltimore (Maryland) community-wide after-school program that seeks to improve the quality of life in low socioeconomic status communities. The CFA, which is funded by local government agencies and coordinated by Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), established after-school programs in 10…

Describes the Nativity Mission Center, a nonsectarian school for Latino boys in Manhattan, New York, which provides extended-day, extended-year education and strong graduate support for students who complete eighth grade and enter high school. Over 80 percent of graduates complete high school, 75 percent enter college, and 37 percent graduate with…

Much continues to be written about the failure of U.S. schools to provide a quality education for at-risk urban students. Private Nativity model schools have been instituted in response to the need to provide quality education at the middle school level for such students. As the number of these and other alternative middle schools increases, a…

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…

The Junior High School Intensive Care and School Involvement Program (ICSIP) in Washington (District of Columbia) was designed to supplement the regular educational program in four junior high schools by providing academic support, delivering social services to at-risk students, improving the school climate, and mentoring potential dropouts.…

Noting the increase in school-based extended-day programs, this Issue Brief updates and expands upon previous findings by presenting data on extended-day programs drawn from the 1987-88, 1990-91, and 1993-94 Schools and Staffing Surveys, conducted by the National center for Education Statistics. Findings include the following: (1) availability of…

This pamphlet surveys the research and literature concerned with the effectiveness of different types of administrative organizations and the problems of articulation among different schools. Discussions and bibliographies are presented for the following topics: (1) the extended school year and day, (2) educational parks, (3) alternative…

The New York City Citizens' Commission on Planning for Enrollment Growth submitted a report on overcrowding in New York City schools that may serve as a guide to other cities striving to provide an effective education for ever-increasing numbers of students. Research on the impact of school overcrowding has been inconclusive, but there is some…

This paper highlights the experiences of several citywide after school initiatives from the Cross-Cities Network, describing activities and strategies that contributed to building operational and sustainable citywide delivery of out-of-school time programs. The paper presents evidence of success and notes lessons learned, identifying key elements…

Recommendations and an action plan for improving Wisconsin public schools' focus on teaching and learning, rather than on changes such as vouchers and privatization. Positive strategies designed to promote achievement are favored over punitive strategies or remedial actions. The action plan includes financial help to implement the recommendations.…