After-school Services Research Articles

Reflecting on the Problems and Causes of After-School Services in the Double Reduction Policy from the Perspective of “Integrated Learning Time”

Based on the perspective of “integrated learning time”, this study uses participant observation and semi-structured interviews to examine the dynamic process of school after-school service implementation and reveal the hidden generation mechanism. The study finds that due to reasons such as the vicious cycle of educational competition, slack management system, lagging in supporting guarantees and lack of evaluation and assessment, the implementation of school after-school service policy is inadequate, the service content is simple, the service resources are limited, and the service personnel is homogeneous. In order to promote the effective implementation of after-school services, the baton of examination-based education should be truly changed to form a benign educational competition; The state, government and schools should cooperate to form a complete and systematic management system; Society should focus on quality improvement and optimize the support of after-school services; The evaluation system should be improved to provide perfect assessment standards. In this way, after-school services in China can better serve as a powerful support for the “double reduction” policy, meet the diversified needs of students, and promote the development of students in various aspects.

American After-school Service Evaluation System and Its Enlightenment to Chinese After-school Services under the "Double Reduction" Policy

The introduction of the "double reduction" policy has further promoted the reduction of students’ burdens, the correction of After-school training, and the improvement of After-school services. Students and their parents have higher expectations for After-school services. How to establish a normalized, standardized, and diversified After-school service system and improve the quality of After-school services has become our compulsory education stage to solve the problem. Throughout the current research about After-school services in our country, we are still in the infancy stage, the implementation of After-school services is varied, and various types of After-school counselling organizations occupy a large proportion of After-school service market, which makes it difficult to conduct effective regulation and evaluation for a long time. After years of development of After-school services in the United States, they have very rich experience in the evaluation of After-school services and are worthy of our reference. Therefore, this research will be based on the service evaluation after class in terms of purpose, content, and method; the results analysis of these three aspects will summarize experience and draw lessons from it in combination with China’s national conditions on the basis of class services; and the formation that belongs to China after the class service evaluation system will be used to get inspiration, advice, and formation to provide more quality services after class in our country.

The Development Path of Music Publishing under the "Double Reduction" Policy in China

The "Double Deduction" policy effectively reduces the academic burden of students and promotes the transformation of school education methods and family education concepts. The policy also brings good prospects for music publishing, promotes publishing units to think about the transformation path of value-added and quality improvement, and gain a larger share in the broad market in the future. The development opportunities of music publishing under the "Double Reduction" situation include the dual needs of policy-oriented "burden reduction and quality improvement" and aesthetic education, the explosive growth of online education demand caused by the changes in the situation, and the sharing of educational resources to promote the fair and balanced development of education. The high-quality development of music publishing will help deepen quality education in the new era and meet the diverse needs of students for all-round development. The development path of music publishing under the situation of "Double Reduction" mainly includes: expanding the space for topic selection and helping diversified after-school services; deepening integrated development and improving the digital resource structure; strengthening industry linkage and cooperation and creating a resource aggregation platform.

Visual methods and migration: methodological advantages using documentary in the field

Visual methodology consists of recording, analysing, and communicating social life through photographs, films, and videos. This qualitative sociology branch considers the use of images as important techniques and methods in social research and identifies the primary role of visual experience in cognitive processes, through the visual data itself. In particular, the videos proposed in this contribution relocates the image of migrants’ experiences in their most general context and allows documenting those social activities that require movement and continuity. Moreover, it allows analysing migrants’ relationships and interactions over time, involving the visual image and sound. This contribution will discuss the importance and usefulness of visual methodology in two cases in which the visual documentary was used as a specific technique to investigate migration aspects. On the one hand, the documentary Who I am investigates the relational aspects of social inclusion, between migrant families and Italian people, in the specific context of afterschool services in Firenze. On the other hand, the documentary Italians in Belgium explores the migration phenomenon from a unique perspective, the ones of Italians living abroad. The analysis of the two types of research suggests how and why to use visual methodologies to improve and implement some practices during research in multicultural environments related to migration processes.

Currents and Types of the Linkage between Educational and General Administration: The Case of After-school Care Services in Elementary Schools

Currents and Types of the Linkage between Educational and General Administration: The Case of After-school Care Services in Elementary Schools

Systematic observation of healthy eating environments in after-school services: a cross-sectional study.

Few studies have examined the healthy eating environments within the Australian out of school hours care (OSHC) setting. This study aims to describe healthy eating environments, consisting of: (a) the alignment of provided food and beverages to Australian Dietary Guidelines; (b) healthy eating promotion practices; (c) nutrition education through cooking experiences; (d) staff role modelling healthy eating and (e) regular water availability. A cross-sectional study was conducted using direct observations and the validated System for Observing Staff Promotion of Activity and Nutrition (SOSPAN) tool. OSHC located in urban and semi-rural regions of NSW, Australia. Staff (151) and children (1549) attending twelve OSHC services operating in the hours after school. Fifty per cent (50 %) of services offered fruits and 100 % offered water as a part of the afternoon snack on all four observation days. Discretionary foods were offered on more days compared to vegetables (+1·9/d, P = 0·009), lean meats (+2·7/d, P =·0 004) and wholegrains (+2·8/d, P = 0 002). Staff promoted healthy eating on 15 % of days, sat and ate with children 52 %, consumed high sugar drinks 15 % and ate discretionary foods in front of children 8 % of days, respectively. No opportunities for cooking or nutrition education were observed. Afternoon snacks regularly contained fruits and water. Opportunities exist to improve the frequency by which vegetables, wholegrains and lean meats are offered in addition to staff healthy eating promotion behaviours. Future research is warranted to further explore healthy eating behaviours, practices and policies within the after-school sector.

The Realistic Predicament and Countermeasures of After-School Service for Rural Primary School Students in Ethnic Minority Areas of China

At present, the problem of after-school service for primary school students in minority rural areas in China needs to be solved urgently. Based on the analysis of the current after-school service policy in primary and secondary schools,according to the research results, although the problem of primary school students’picking up and dropping off is not prominent, the problem of school leaving unattended at home is widespread, parents all want students to receive after-school services, however, there is a serious shortage of after-school services for non-profit students, and there are many difficulties in developing after-school services in rural primary schools. In order to meet the demand of after-school service for rural families, it is suggested that the after-school service function of rural boarding schools should be brought into full play, that qualified rural primary schools should be supported to provide after-school service, and that public welfare community after-school service institutions should be explored, provision of inclusive after-school social services as appropriate.

The Exploration of Background and Meaning of Publishing the “Double Reduction Policy”

The parents must reduce the expensive of education during the three-child policy. Meanwhile, high-quality development of vocational education provides the educate with many job opportunities. Besides, the competition during the area of education is serious and educational institutions have the unreasonable competition. Under the above background, Xi Jinping hosted the 19th meeting of the Commission for Deepening Overall Reform, and examined and adopted “the idea” about easing the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students undergoing compulsory education” (referred to as “idea”). The “double reduction policy” included five aspects. Firstly, the quantity of homework must be decreased, and the burden of doing homework must be reduced. Secondly, schools try their best to improve the quality of after-school services, in order to ensure the better study of students at school. Thirdly, the government should adhere to strict governance and comprehensively standardize the conduct of off-campus training. Fourthly, the quality of teaching should be improved vigorously to ensure that students learn well at school. Fifthly, the relevant governance should be strengthened to promote the guarantee capability. The “double reduction policy” provides a political security for easing the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring for students undergoing compulsory education. Meanwhile, it improves the school level. It is beneficial to strength the reform of education in the new era. Besides, it aids to regulate the educational institutions effectively. Last, the three-child policy is workable and vocational education can have the high-quality development.

Implementation of the Norwegian school meal guideline: Development and reliability of two questionnaires to measure adherence.

Aims: This article reports on the development and reliability of two questionnaires that measure adherence to the Norwegian National Guideline on Food and Meals in School among primary schools and after-school services. Methods: Questionnaires for school principals and after-school leaders were developed systematically, using the following steps: (a) selection of scope, questions and adherence values; (b) face validity testing through expert review of initial drafts; (c) content validity testing through 19 cognitive interviews; (d) assessment of test–retest reliability in samples of principals (n = 54) and after-school leaders (n = 47); and (e) development of adherence indices. Results: The cognitive interviews led to substantial revisions of the draft questionnaires, increasing content validity through improved relevance and clarity. Test–retest assessment showed that Cohen’s κ ranged from −0.03 to 1.0 for principals and from −0.05 to 0.98 for after-school leaders, with 64 and 53% of values rated as ‘substantial’ or better. Percentage agreement averaged 85% among principals and 82% among after-school leaders. Intraclass correlation for the adherence index scores was 0.84 for principals and 0.91 for after-school leaders. Guideline adherence had a wide range in our samples, with an average of 71% for schools and 76% for after-school services. Conclusion: The questionnaires for measuring adherence to the national school meal guideline among primary schools and after-school services are sufficiently reliable for future use in public health evaluation and research.

Ecologies of care: addressing the needs of immigrant origin children and youth

ABSTRACTImmigrant origin children and youth are now, and will continue to be, a diverse and demographically important segment of all post-industrial nations’ populations. In order to realize their potential, receiving contexts will need to find effective ways to integrate them into the fabric of their society. Using an ethic of care approach, we must begin by taking a comprehensive perspective on integration, which incorporates both a risk and resilience framework and an ecological perspective. A number of practices have emerged that have promise for positive implications for the schooling performance and educational integration of immigrant students These practices include 1 – short-term newcomer programs; 2 – specialized services for Students with Interrupted Formal Education; 3 – sustained services focused on new language development; 4 – services focused on heritage language development; 5 – providing explicit college pathway knowledge; 6 – summer and after-school academic enrichment programs; 7 – facilitating parental involvement (including translation and interpretation services); and 8 – advisory groups, after-school academic supports, mentoring and health services, and postsecondary supports. Providing the kinds of ecologies of care outlined here will go a long way toward helping these children and youth thrive and become the kinds of contributing members to their new society that will serve our collective future well.

Situating the Gülen Movement in France and in Europe

ABSTRACTFethullah Gülen’s Turkish socio-religious movement has been active in Europe for over a decade in the spheres of education and interfaith dialogue. Operating outside Turkey and with relative freedom of association and expression, the Gülen movement has begun to carve out its niche in European Islam. Unlike in the United States, where supporters have chartered full-time schools, members of the Gülen movement in France and Germany mostly offer after-school tutorial services. It is within these programs that Fethullah Gülen’s moral and ethical worldview is being exposed to increasing numbers of young people of mainly Turkish descent. These activities elude easy categorization as religious commitment. Yet the Gülen movement remains an Islamic organization that is directly implicated in the religious sphere because of its explicitly universalistic and humanistic approach. Rather than aiming at literally spreading the religion of Islam, the organization works to improve Islam’s public image in Western contexts.

Childhood Obesity Status in Australia: A Recent Perspective

Overweight and obesity is an important public health issue in Australia and around the world. Childhood obesity is becoming an increasing concern worldwide and Australia alone recognizes that 1 in 4 children are either overweight or obese. In Australia, as in many other countries, the community has become increasingly concerned about the rising prevalence of childhood obesity. The raft of health consequences for obese children now, and particularly when they are adults, has provided impetus for increased interest in the role for government in obesity prevention strategies. Children should therefore be considered the priority population for intervention strategies. Prevention may be achieved through a variety of interventions targeting built environment, physical activity, and diet. Some of these potential strategies for intervention in children can be implemented by targeting preschool institutions, schools or after-school care services as natural setting for influencing the diet and physical activity. All in all, there is an urgent need to initiate prevention and treatment of obesity in children.

LA ESCUELA Y LA CONCILIACIÓN DE LOS TIEMPOS COTIDIANOS DE LAS FAMILIAS DEL ALUMNADO DE EDUCACIÓN PRIMARIA EN GALICIA

INTRODUCCION. Se estudia la incidencia de los tiempos escolares en la conciliacion de las familias con hijos escolarizados en educacion primaria y se analiza la frecuencia con la que hacen uso de servicios y programas que ofertan los centros educativos (madrugadores, actividades extraescolares, etc.) en funcion del lugar de residencia habitual. Se considera el centro escolar y la organizacion de sus tiempos como un eje clave en la conciliacion familiar. METODO. Se aplico un muestreo aleatorio simple considerando los centros educativos de cada provincia gallega, la titularidad (publico o privado), el contexto territorial (rural-urbano en terminos de zona densamente poblada, intermedia o bajamente poblada) y el curso academico (1o a 6o de educacion primaria). Fueron entregados 3.400 cuestionarios recogiendo 2.037 validos, quedando ampliamente garantizada la representatividad de la muestra (e= 2,2%; confianza= 95,5%). RESULTADOS. Los resultados muestran que los horarios de la escuela, los servicios que oferta a nivel extraescolar y las vacaciones se asocian con los niveles de conciliacion de las familias. Se ha detectado asociacion entre, por un lado, el nivel de conciliacion familiar y, por otro, la presencia de servicios en el centro y el contexto territorial en que se situa. Son las familias que viven en la ciudad aquellas que recurren mas a la oferta de servicios de la escuela para facilitar la organizacion de sus tiempos. DISCUSION. Se revela que el ambito escolar incide directamente en la organizacion de los tiempos cotidianos de las familias con hijos en educacion primaria, constatandose diferencias entre las areas urbanas y rurales. Es necesario formular acciones estrategicas en terminos de conciliacion de los tiempos cotidianos de la infancia y de sus familias para dotarlos de una mayor sincronia, una tarea que compete a toda la sociedad.

방과후 서비스 이용이 아동의 자기보호에 미치는 영향: 이용하는 방과후 서비스의 유형, 유형의 개수, 혼합이용 패턴을 중심으로

This study explored the effects of after-school services on whether they reduced the possibility of self-care of children. In terms of characteristics of the use of after-school services, it focused on the 1) types, 2) diversity, and 3) use patterns of the after-school services. For the analysis, it used data of the cohort of elementary-school children from the Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey. The main findings are as follows. First, private mentoring and after-school services provided by welfare centers reduced the possibility of self-care. Second, when the total amount of educational time was controlled, the diversity of participating after-school services did not explain the possibility of self-care. Third, when the total amount of educational time was controlled, the use patterns of after-school services did not explain the possibility of self-care. Based on these findings, it suggested policy implications and future research.

The Individual, Household, and Community Characteristics Explaining the Use of After-school Services -Focusing on the Use of Each Type and the Number of Types of the After-school Services-

The Individual, Household, and Community Characteristics Explaining the Use of After-school Services -Focusing on the Use of Each Type and the Number of Types of the After-school Services-

Addressing the Needs of Students Experiencing Homelessness: School Counselor Preparation

This study of 207 school counselors revealed significant relationships between types of counselors' training, number of students in counselors' schools experiencing homelessness, and counselors' perceived knowledge and provision of services regarding students experiencing homelessness. In-service training and professional development, but not graduate training, were related to counselors' knowledge of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and their advocacy for and provision of services to students experiencing homelessness. Differences also existed by school level and school setting. Implications of these findings are discussed.Keywords: school counselors, homelessness, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, advocacy, professional developmentHomeless, although a difficult term to clearly define, refers to those who a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence (U.S. Department of Education, 2004, p. 2). Families with children are the fastest growing homeless population in the United States, comprising one third of the homeless population (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009). Twenty-two percent of all sheltered persons experiencing homelessness are under the age of 18, with over half of this group under the age of 6 (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2010). Some live doubled-up with other families, in transitional housing such as shelters or in inhumane conditions (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). In 2012, the National Center for Homeless Education (NCHE) reported that 1,065,794 children in schools experienced homelessness, an increase of over 50% since 2007. The rapidly increasing figures, due in part to the economic recession in the United States, are cause for grave concern because homelessness is detrimental to the emotional, social and cognitive development and well-being of children (Coker et al., 2009; Grothaus, Lorelle, Anderson, & Knight, 2011).Families who experience homelessness are more likely to experience separation from each other, violence and serious health conditions (National Center on Family Homelessness, 2011). Children experiencing homelessness may face high rates of abuse, neglect and mental health issues, as well as barriers that make it nearly impossible for them to succeed academically and emotionally without additional systemic supports (Buckner, Bassuk, Weinreb, & Brooks, 1999; Gewirtz, Hart-Shegos, & Medhanie, 2008; Swick, 2008; U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Due to the challenges of homelessness, students can be worse off academically and socially than their middle-class peers (Obradovic et ah, 2009; Shinn et ah, 2008). Unlike most of their peers, they may lack supports such as before- and after-school services, mentors, transportation to and from school, and attendance support (Hicks-Coolick, Bumside-Eaton, & Peters, 2003; Miller, 2009; U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Higher levels of mobility and absenteeism make it difficult for homeless students to acquire a consistent education (Hicks-Coolick et ah, 2003; Miller, 2009; Rafferty, Shinn, & Weitzman, 2004; U.S. Department of Education, 2004). Students experiencing homelessness, and those who are highly mobile, have lower reading and math scores from second through seventh grade than students living in poverty (Obradovic et al., 2009). Further, relative to their peers, students experiencing homelessness are less likely to aspire to postsecondary education (Rafferty et al., 2004).In response to the growing crisis among children experiencing homelessness, policymakers designed the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (U.S. Department of Education, 2004) to provide access to education and remove barriers in order to ensure that schools address the unique needs of students experiencing homelessness. The provisions of the act require that school districts provide transportation to and from the school of origin for students experiencing homelessness, even when the students relocate to an area outside of their home school. …

Afterschool quality.

This chapter discusses efforts to define and improve the quality of afterschool services, highlighting areas of agreement and identifying leading-edge issues. We conclude that the afterschool field is especially well positioned to deliver high-quality services and demonstrate effectiveness at scale because a strong foundation has been built for continuous improvement of service quality.

¿Continuidad o fragmentación? Percepción de los profesionales sobre la coordinación entre servicios en los procesos de tránsito a la vida adulta de los jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual

This article is part of a research focusing on the process of transition to adulthood of young people with intellectual disabilities. Specifically, this study analyses transition partnership programs, as the professionals involved in them see them. The information is obtained in two stages: in the first stage 45 interviews to professionals working in this field are conducted. In the second stage we develop a study applying the Delphi method in which two panels of experts, the first one with educational professionals and the second one with professionals working with afterschool services, were asked about several topics. The results show a lack of continuity underlying the actions taken in support of young people with ID during the transition process. Insufficient information and collaboration among services and professionals and a lack of leadership are the main problems perceived by professionals. The study helps to identify problems in the transition partnership programs and establishes actions in order to enhance the transition process.

Transición a la vida adulta de jóvenes con discapacidad intelectual. La opinión de los profesionales de servicios escolar.../Transition to adulthood of young people with intellectual disabilities, views fo professionals from school and postschool services

ABSTRACT The transition to adulthood and working life is an extremely complex process for youth with disabilities. The diagnosis of the context in which young people with intellectual disabilities develop their transition to adult life is essential to make proposals that improve social and work inclusion. This article presents a study in which Delphi method has been applied in order to obtain data on the adequacy of the services that work with young people with disabilities throughout their transition to adulthood and active life. Two panels of experts, the first one with educational professionals and the second one professionals working with afterschool services, were asked about the following topics: vision of the transition process, curricular and organizational aspects of the services, support itineraries, collaboration between professionals, family counseling, adequacy of post-school options, professional training, and service coordination. The analysis of the questionnaires allowed us to identify the main barriers perceived by experts in each of the topics and to provide basic guidelines for improving transition processes. The need for reinforcing the role of multidisciplinary teams and enhancing interdisciplinary work are some of the findings of this research.

Improving High Schools in Quebec

The province of Quebec has a high-performing school system. In all rounds of the PISA results, Quebec has done well, especially in mathematics. Yet Quebec also has a persistently high dropout rate from its secondary schools, especially when one considers that Quebec only has 11 years of schooling, rather than the 12 years found everywhere else in Canada and in the United States. In the 1960s, Quebec created a system in which secondary schooling was made a year shorter followed by two years at a community college (called CEGEP in Quebec). After CEGEP, students can enter a university or undertake other kinds of advanced training. In total, students receive the same number of years of schooling as they do elsewhere, but the CEGEPs provide a different institutional structure. Still, just over 60% of Quebec students successfully complete secondary education in the expected time, and only about 71% do so even when allowing two extra years. When Statistics Canada measures high school completion or equivalent at age 24, Quebec is last among Canadian provinces. The shortfall in high school graduates is a long-standing issue in the province. In 2009, a government commission chaired by businessman Jacques Menard (www2.bmo.com/bmo/ files/images/7/1/knowledge_is_power.pdf) reported that: Despite all the resources devoted to promoting student retention, our education system lets nearly one in three students fall through the cracks: 30% of our youth celebrate their 20th birthday without a high school or vocational diploma. Beyond the human tragedies that loom over ropouts and their families for their entire lives, imagine the disaster in store for a province where barely two workingaged people will have to support five people age 65 or over. The Menard report proposed a goal of 80% 'on time' graduation. Reducing Dropouts Over the years, the Quebec Ministry of Education has taken various steps to try to improve the situation. In 2002, it launched an ambitious reform called (in English) New Approaches, New Solutions (NANS). NANS was an attempt to reduce the impact of social inequalities on high school completion. It focused on providing additional resources to high schools in disadvantaged areas. Some 200 schools--about a third of all high schools in Quebec--took part. Each school was to develop and implement an action plan to improve student success that was appropriate to its local context, using a sophisticated planning process, additional funds, consultants from their school districts and regional teams of the Ministry of Education. The whole effort was tracked for years by an evaluation team, headed by Michel Janosz of the Universite de Montreal. The final evaluation report, recently released (www.gresumontreal. ca/pg/siaa/siaa-rapports_sommairesynthese. html), is a rich document with many nuanced findings about both the implementation of NANS and its effects on a whole variety of school practices and student outcomes. However, to summarize the main results, the strategy turned out to be difficult to implement and had limited effects on student outcomes. On the first point, schools lacked the capacity to put in place the sophisticated model of needs assessment and action planning envisioned in NANS. In most schools, nobody had the skill or time to manage the strategy as intended. The proposed extensive involvement of community partners was rarely achieved to a significant degree. Although consultants were able to provide some support, it was simply insufficient to overcome the obstacles. Schools did take many actions and initiatives as part of NANS, but the evaluation found that these initiatives did not challenge core practices or beliefs in most schools and were aimed primarily at extra programs, such as after-school services or school discipline, rather than at improving daily teaching and learning practices. …