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Core elements of ELT/NYC:

  • Schools offer 30 percent more learning time than in a traditional day
  • Each school partners with a lead community organization to offer diverse activities
  • School and community staff members collaborate on planning and professional development and lead diverse, engaging activities
  • The principal leads the program and assures activities reinforce school day learning
  • Students have supper or snack
  • Programs meet sustainable cost models

What We Do

TASC, in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and Department of Youth and Community Development, is managing a three-year demonstration project to expand learning time in 11 New York City public schools by at least 30 percent. The ELT/NYC project helps principals reorganize their schools and combine their resources with those of community partners not simply to extend the school day or year, but to redesign the school schedule and structure. The goal is to improve the academic achievement of young people while supporting their healthy social, physical, creative and civic development.

Why We Do It

Across the nation, schools operate on an outdated schedule of approximately 180 days a year, seven hours a day. Kids spend less than a quarter of their waking hours in class. With President Barack Obama leading the call to re-size the school day and year, we have an unprecedented opportunity to give kids the time and support they need to master challenging content and discover their talents through arts, sports, internships and other enriching endeavors that motivate them to overcome barriers to success.

There has never been a more promising moment to bring community partners into schools, evaluate what works, and devise school schedules and activities that meet the needs of kids and working parents and the demands of a global workplace.

How We Do It

We help schools and community organizations form partnerships; help them raise and integrate funds; and support them through planning, implementation and independent evaluation of their expanded learning time programs.

Toggle Descriptions

ELT: Expanding and Enriching Learning Time for All

Download (97 KB, PDF)
18 Aug 2009, TASC
In this Policy Brief, TASC proposes that policy makers should support initiatives not only to extend the school day or year, but also to expand the way students learn through enrichments and diverse activities tailored to each school’s needs.

A Year of Lessons From Expanded Learning Time

Download (67 KB, PDF)
28 May 2009, New York Nonprofit Press
In an essay published in New York Nonprofit Press, TASC President Lucy N. Friedman describes how the ELT / NYC initiative is showing the way toward a seamless learning day that increases academic time, but also brings rigor and structure to enrichments such as arts and science.

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