Integrating Expanded Learning and School Reform

An unprecedented amount of resources through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is being channeled to support efforts to turn around struggling school by increasing learning time. To ensure well-designed expanded learning opportunities take root across the country, a new policy brief from CBASS and Learning Point Associates sets forth a set of six recommendations to address challenges to a broad adoption of expanded learning strategies in school reform initiatives:

1. Promote a unified vision of expanded learning that includes core elements, appropriate outcomes and reasonable impact indicators.

2. Implement a broad research agenda in expanded learning and its connections to school reform.

3. Encourage strategic use of existing funds for expanded learning.

4. Improve staff quality and career opportunities.

5. Support intermediaries that promote high-quality expanded learning opportunities.

6. Create, validate and disseminate integrated design models.