School Beyond the Four Walls
Children need to spend more time learning, but that
time should not necessarily be in a classroom, says
a new report from the Time, Learning, and Afterschool
Task Force. In the report, entitled “A New Day
For Learning,” the Task Force argues that the
current model of education no longer works for students
in the twenty-first century. “Without a broader
view of learning,” the report warns, “children
will be denied access to experiences that will help
them be successful lifelong learners.” Improving
education and ensuring that children stay in school,
the Task Force claims, lies in placing more emphasis
on interdisciplinary and applied knowledge and by expanding
our notion of education to include after-school programs,
internships, and other community activities.
An “Obsolete” System
Our educational system, the
report claims, is “obsolete.” Schools
have more subject matter to teach students than at any
other time, and state and federal laws now force schools
to spend additional time on both test preparation and
testing. All this, however, is packed into a school
year that has barely changed in a generation. Children
from most other industrialized nations spend more time
in school.
Furthermore, children, particularly in lower-income
areas, often have unscheduled, unsupervised time after
school ends. Fourteen million children are forced to
take care of themselves after school each day, according
to a 2006
Afterschool Alliance report. Expanding learning
time not only holds the potential to improve student
achievement, but it also helps reduce children’s
exposure to crime and drugs.
The solution to these problems is not to simply increase
classroom time, the report says. The Task Force cites
a study that shows that almost half of high school dropouts
say they did not complete school because they found
it unchallenging or less important than other options.
To keep these kids in school and to teach them the skills
needed to succeed in the 21st century requires a more
innovative approach.
Redefining Success
The first step in education reform, the Task Force
argues, is to redefine what we mean by “successful
schools.” Standardized test scores that measure
basic skills, it says, are an “inappropriate”
measure of success, given the skills students need in
the 21st century. Measurements of school climate and
rates of college matriculation or full-time employment
would be much more important numbers of look at when
judging schools.
Furthermore, our view of success should better take
into consideration what students will be expected to
know in their public and private lives: teamwork, civic
engagement, leadership, critical thinking, facility
in the arts, the ability to make interdisciplinary connections,
and the ability to applied knowledge. “Success”
should also include technological knowledge and literacy
– necessary skills in a technology-driven economy.
With these new elements of the meaning of “success”
in mind, the report turns to how students can best learn
these skills and concludes that some of the most important
knowledge students gain is not learned the classroom.
Schools should draw upon community and civic resources
and partner with community organizations and businesses
to provide more opportunities for students. For example,
schools should bring in community mentors to work with
students after school. In addition, schools should provide
opportunities or provide access to opportunities for
community service, volunteer activities, apprenticeships
and internships with local businesses. Programs such
as these can both increase students’ interest
in learning and improve their academic achievement.
Collaboration For Success
The Task Force report notes that there is no “cookie-cutter”
approach to expanding the learning day; every community
must decide what works best for itself. However, success
can only be achieved through collaboration. Setting
up successful after-school programs requires support
from local districts, community support, facilitative
policies from state governments, and the cooperation
of private organizations. The report recommends that
leaders at all levels – local, state, and federal
– should set up leadership boards and working
groups spanning all these sectors in order to provide
the programs to help children learn and succeed.
Of the many types of support needed for after-school
programs, one vital support is adequate funding. Funding
can come from all sectors – public, private, community,
or foundations – but a substantial amount will
need to come from government, both state and federal.
The federal government’s only funding source devoted
to after-school programs is the 21st Century Community
Learning Centers initiative (21st CCLC), part of the
No Child Left Behind Act. In 2004, 1300 organizations
covering almost 9000 schools received 21st CCLC grants.
This, however, only accounted for 38% of grant requests
that year. Much more can be done; in 2006, Congress
only
appropriated $981 million for the 21st CCLC –
just 44% of what was authorized under NCLB. Study after
study shows the public overwhelmingly in favor of additional
funding for after-school programs, even when such funding
would mean higher taxes (see “What
the Public Really Wants on Education,” a 2006
report from the Center for American Progress).
Making Children Successful
“A New Day For Learning” highlights a broad
feeling in the education community. Educators know how
to improve student achievement but simply lack the political
support to implement their ideas. By supporting a broader
view of education – one that expands and diversifies
the time children spend learning – we can keep
children safe, supervised, and better prepared for a
life of success.
Prepared by Matthew Samberg, February 21, 2006
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