Afterschool Alliance’s Post

Afterschool and out of school time programs are often looked at as nothing more than childcare. Studies continue to show they’re much more than that. High quality aterschool programs are linked to: 1.) increased attendance/engagement 2.) better academic and social growth 3.) increased levels of community engagement. I’d challenge you to take the time to learn more about the benefits of afterschool programs.

They are on the right track in identifying connectedness as one of the critical areas affecting chronic absenteeism. However, many kids spend hours gaming at home, not because they aren't connected at school, but because they aren't connected in the community or at home. These kids end up playing long hours and not wanting to go to school the next day. Our kids need us to help them find meaningful connections in every aspect of their lives. With all the pressures of technology, parents are overwhelmed and need clarification about what to do. They need a resource to provide them with the right questions to ask their kids and the proper steps to take. This is why therapists, school administrators, and parents are using the book Help! My Kid Won't Go to School! as a resource to combat school refusal. And why libraries are adding them to their selves. Parents are looking for help.

What strategies are actually working for schools and districts that want to improve attendance rates? Dr. Robert Balfanz, Director of the Everyone Graduates Center, Johns Hopkins University recently joined a panel of national education experts from the American Enterprise Institute, Attendance Works, The Education Trust and National Governors Association to discuss actionable strategies for Governors’ offices and districts to boost student attendance and engagement and address chronic absenteeism. Watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/ermXHjJK

Our most recent edition of the Weekly Connect is live. One of the stories we featured this week comes from EdWeek and is titled, "When Interventions Aim at Relationships, Academics and Attendance Improve." The article discusses a study that highlights the effectiveness of relationship-centered approaches in schools for supporting at-risk students. Forty-nine middle and high schools piloted these methods, which resulted in reduced rates of course failure and of chronic absenteeism. The new approach, termed “student success systems,” integrates data on academics, attendance, school climate, and social-emotional learning, focusing on students’ sense of connectedness. To read more, click here: https://buff.ly/4aTOsGh

So true! Student voice must be an integral part of all decision-making in education.

🌟Toccoa Falls College is defying the odds and bucking the national trend of declining enrollment! By integrating OpenStax and Labster into their online and dual enrollment courses, they're making education more accessible and engaging for students. We're so impressed by the strides they've made to empower faculty and support student success! 📚 Read the whole case study: https://bit.ly/4cmArBm

So important to engage students in decisions that affect them.

Thanks for this clear, succinct resource on the evidence for dual enrollment. So useful.

Higher education is a transformative journey marked by critical decisions, and one recurring dilemma for students is whether to attend classes consistently or choose to miss class and study the content independently. In this blog post, we'll unpack the benefits of attending classes in higher education versus the potential drawbacks of missing them. What are your thoughts on class attendance in higher education!?!

As we gear up for this morning's session with Allison W Miller on 'Co-constructing learning to manage challenging behaviours' (register - https://lnkd.in/ewgF5M54) we're reflecting on the news story from last night calling for schools to bring back more traditional disciplinary methods. Following a senate inquiry, the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) has proposed changes to how primary and high school teachers discipline their students. AERO also recently found that Australian classrooms have a disciplinary climate that is considered one of the least favourable in the world - 33rd out of 37 countries 😥 Only seven per cent of students reported feeling safe in the classroom due to violent outbursts from other children and a lack of respect for teachers. A quarter of students said the school environment wasn’t conducive to learning, and a third said they don’t listen to their teachers. The inquiry shed light on some of the horrific abuse teachers are experiencing from students, including, assault, having furniture thrown at them, cars keyed and wallets stolen. The roll-out will be available in every state in Australia by the end of this year, but it will be up to the individual teacher on how the rules are used. Guidelines include methods on using seating to engage students according to the task at hand, and teaching kids how to line up, listen, ask questions, and keep quiet. Parents are coming out on both sides of the argument. [Watch] - https://lnkd.in/gBnA7bpi See the AERO 'Engaged classrooms through effective classroom management' resources: https://lnkd.in/gpmaAgki See the Inquiry final report: https://lnkd.in/gfXCFV_e #SkillsEducation #EducationMatters #discipline #learning #behaviour