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After-School Adventures 2015 – School Board of Polk County, FL

5.1 Project Abstract

After-School Adventures at Lewis-Anna Woodbury Elementary and Fred Garner

Elementary promotes school improvement by serving 140 students in disadvantaged

neighborhoods. Lessons are DOE model-eliciting activities from CPALMS that teach Florida

Standards by collaborative creativity. Enrichment lessons teach pro-social behaviors, reasoning,

and health and nutrition for families via Skillstreaming and Take 10!. Buses take home our many

students whose families lack transportation.

Family activities mirror the after-school students’ lessons in pro-social skills, emphasizing

positive reinforcements. We target young parents who have been without stable role models.

We connect families to community services and to each other, with activities at close-by

community centers where our partners teach literacy and coach parenting.

5.2 Needs Assessment

Planning Strategies - The After-School Adventures staff collaborated with community

groups and parents, several agencies, and internal departments during a needs assessment to

determine after-school sites likely to impact school improvement. The Superintendent's Cabinet

recently analyzed student achievement, discipline, attendance, and administrator experience to

assign school improvement initiatives as appropriate. These studies helped identify our sites.

The planning group considered requests from principals who asked to be included. We

briefed them on program requirements and discussed best chances for success at each site.

Planning Data - The Cabinet reviewed grant requirements and these data:

Recent standardized test scores , school grades, trends, and existing improvement projects

Current-year progress monitoring scores (January administrations of FAIR tests in reading,

Florida’s Item Bank Test Platform for math and science)

Trends in reading and math report card grades over the first three grading periods this year

Parent interest and school plans for the grant to complement school improvement

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Community-based resources that are already available, and that are lacking

Community Planning – The district Strategic Plan charges After-School Adventures to

help increase graduation rates, enhance job readiness, boost community health and wellness,

and improve local cultural and business opportunities. The School Board plan echoes Polk

Vision, a diverse civic coalition that has conducted widespread public discussion and formed

action groups to sponsor activities and monitor communitywide progress.1

After-School Adventures solicited advice from all 68 private schools listed in Polk County

on the DOE web site.2 We notified the private schools when the draft narrative appeared on the

After-School Adventures web site to allow for more specific input as the proposal was finalized.

Client and School Viewpoints - After-School Adventures gathered suggestions from local

parents by informal focus groups, parent interviews by various staff at school and at special

events, and through written surveys. In Ft. Meade parents requested English language

instruction and help for parents to assist their children with homework. Parents at Garner said

they wish to have a voice in improving fair treatment at school and to feel welcomed and valued.

Risk Factors - The two schools chosen for new After-School Adventures centers both

are designated by the state as Differentiated Accountability schools3

were among Florida's 300 lowest-performing elementary schools last year in reading4, and

qualify 100% of their students for free breakfast and lunch through the USDA School Lunch

Program's Community Eligibility Option, based on families receiving public assistance.5

At Garner, there is a high rate of incarcerated family members. Two-thirds of parent

survey respondents said they are single. Lewis-Anna Woodbury has students from remote rural

1 http://polkvision.com/ 2 http://www.fldoe.org/schools/school-choice/private-schools/ 3 Florida Department of Education - Differentiated Accountability (DA) School List 2014-15, retrieved 4/10/15 from the CIMS database, Florida DOE Bureau of School Improvement.4 “2013-2014 Lowest 300 Performing Elementary Schools,” Florida DOE Division of Accountability, Research and Measurement. Retrieved 4/10/15 from The 300 Lowest Performing Elementary Schools: Low 300, 2013-2014.5 http://www.polk-fl.net/news/newsreleases/062513a.htm

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areas. Families without cars are isolated from amenities like libraries. One respondent there

became a parent at age 15. At both sites, we are targeting children with too little exposure to

develop rich vocabulary, and insufficient life background to give perspective for new knowledge.

Nearly one in four local adults did not graduate from high school or earn a GED degree.

Table 1: Education Levels of Adults6

Florida Polk Zip Code 33841(Lewis-A.Woodbury)

Zip Code 33881(Garner)

Population ages 18-24 with no diploma

17.3% 22.4% 20.9% 34.2%

Population ages 25+ with no diploma

13.9% 17.6% 27.1% 20.4%

Population ages 25+ with at least a bachelor's degree

26.4% 18.1% 9.3% 14.7%

Local Resources - In Fort Meade, After-School Adventures will partner Lewis-Anna

Woodbury Elementary with HELP of Ft. Meade and READ Polk. HELP of Ft. Meade is a

volunteer organization providing support services for East Area Adult School classes at the

Riverside Center. The civic group enjoys strong church support and provides emergency

financial assistance, a food pantry and thrift store, educational and social services.7 READ Polk

recruits and trains reading tutors and pairs them with adults who wish to learn to read well

enough to function at work and in life.8 Both HELP of Ft. Meade and the Farmworkers programs

can guide eligible clients through paperwork for public assistance, including food stamps. We

will help our families connect with these resources. At another after-school center with a

similarly disadvantaged, Hispanic-dominated population, we dealt with a boy who begged the

principal not to suspend him from school because he would go hungry until he could return.

In Winter Haven, After-School Adventures will partner Garner Elementary with the

adjacent Parent Resource Center, and with Winter Haven PEP (Public Education Partnership).

A business group, PEP's mission states, "Through advocacy, community engagement, and

6 American Community Survey of the 2013 U.S. Census, 5-year Estimate7 http://helpoffortmeade.iconosites.com/ 8 http://www.readpolk.com/Pages/default.aspx

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collaborative partnerships PEP commits to assure that Winter Haven’s public schools are

unequaled in quality, relevance, and student performance. 9

Needs to be Addressed – Our identified needs are 1) improved student achievement to

lessen risk of dropping out; 2) skills and motivation for healthy interpersonal behavior and to

increase feelings of efficacy; and 3) a safe place to be after school for children from fragile

homes due to poverty, food insecurity, family disruption, and lack of resiliency. These issues

address school needs, family wishes, and community will for universal benefit.

In response, 1) After-School Adventures will align daily academics to Florida Standards

in a format that promotes interpersonal and rational thinking skills while students more fully

explore the content of their school-day instruction. Lessons will follow the same scope and

sequence as the district curriculum maps that daytime teachers use. The program plan later in

this proposal describes the evidence-based curriculums we will use to teach core subjects, and

gives sample activities. The proposal’s section on goals and objectives shows varied

enhancements, aligned with our students’ academic needs, that our partner organizations will

contribute. Fulfilling these academic needs meets objectives of the schools and school district

as well as building a foundation for future graduation and college/career readiness.

2) We will use Skillstreaming curriculum to give students explicit instruction in essential

pro-social skills through modeling, role-playing, performance feedback and generalization.

Home Connections in the Parenting Literacy series will guide our parents to become more

effective at teaching their children—and experience greater satisfaction in parenting. These

parallel activities then blend student and parent practice, including effective positive

reinforcement, promising to engage our families and keep them coming back.

We will address physical health and nutrition education through the TAKE 10! program.

Partners will bring in several more building blocks, including the United Way’s financial literacy

classes, Youth Mental Health Awareness workshops, and the sheriff’s Internet Safety class.

9 http://www.whpep.org/

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3) Safety will come from supervised activities in a place free from fear that meets

physical needs through consistent care and productive play, meets cognitive needs through the

curriculum and pedagogy, and meets emotional needs through building socialization, affiliation,

and confidence. Some lessons at Lewis-Anna Woodbury will be in both English and Spanish so

students learn both languages, bridging cultures and enriching both sets of learners for life.10

5.3.a Program Evaluation

Independent Evaluator – After-School Adventures will contract an independent evaluator

who has at least master’s degree in Measurement or similarly pertinent field, and successful

experience reporting useful data and recommendations. The project director asks candidates to

provide qualifications in terms of formal education, prior reports to examine for utility and clarity,

experience with other grants for education and community programs, and references.

Evaluation Activities - Indicators of student achievement and behavior appear in report

cards four times each school year. The district captures these in electronic student records. We

will send data files containing these and all other elements requested by the evaluator at the

intervals specified in the evaluation plan approved by the evaluator and the district early in the

project year. The evaluation plan follows individual student progress, academic and behavior

progress of demographic subgroups, and peer comparisons to control for other variables. The

evaluator will create statistically valid comparison groups based on socioeconomic status, ELL

and ESE status, promotion/retention, and the prior year's standardized testing results.

The evaluator also will analyze parent, teacher and student satisfaction surveys, and

parent responses after each family literacy activity. He will observe each site and give feedback

to the program managers and advisors, whose responsibilities include responsiveness to

stakeholder needs and interests.

Efficient Data Recording - We will monitor activity and fidelity by observations at three

10 We have acquired appropriate materials through our ESOL Dept. through a former dual language program, and have bi-literate teachers lined up for the classes.

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levels. The site coordinators will compile student sign-in sheets daily and record them on spread

sheets. The Program Coordinator will keep parent sign-in sheets monthly, teacher professional

development sign-in sheets, and all other documents for monthly deliverables.

The evaluator will make at least three site visits during the school year to interview site

coordinators, teachers, and a sample of students, observe instructional strategies and site

safety, and see student engagement, rigor of content, and teacher feedback about professional

development. He will give feedback ranging from data management to policy suggestions,

based on best practices from other sites and on expertise in program management and efficacy.

For example, evaluator feedback last year helped the program improve management structure.

The revision was adopted by the Advisory Board, and the centers saw it as an improvement.

Determining Program Impacts - The evaluator will analyze each measure described in

the objectives against comparison groups for each school and each applicable grade. To

isolate program effects, he will compare gains achieved by regularly attending students (30+

days) with those of comparable groups attending fewer days and those not in the program.

The program structure provides strong user feedback daily. The site coordinators

interact daily with students, teachers and parents, and communicate several times per week

with the Program Coordinator. Principals participate on the Advisory Board with major partners,

at least two parents, educators, and School Advisory Council members representative of

student demographics. The evaluator’s interviews with advisors and students yield rich and

truthful communications that can be translated quickly into helpful and corrective actions.

Use of Evaluation Results - The Advisory Board will review the consultant's detailed

evaluation plan early in the year, and review the overall program at least twice annually to

measure progress against the best practices in the Florida After-School Network Quality Self-

Assessment and Improvement Guide. The evaluator will debrief in person with the program

leadership at the end of each visit to invite reflection on specific strengths and weaknesses and

consider possible courses of action in response. The evaluation plan will specify that regular

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reports to the Advisory Board will include recommendations for program improvement.

Community Dissemination – We share reports from the third-party evaluator on the

program website, as well as aggregate data gathered by the Program Coordinator. We also

post reports shared with the Advisory Board, and email them to district administrators who make

up the Superintendent’s Executive Committee. The Grants Director provides updates through

participation in several community groups listed below under “Community Notice.” All feedback

goes to the Advisory Board to inform program modifications.

5.3.b Measureable Objectives (Online form completed)

After-School Adventures addresses student needs with aligned objectives to 1) improve

student achievement through all aspects of the program, 2) teach pro-social skills through

explicit instruction and practice; and increase personal resiliency and motivation through

fitness/nutrition and high-interest, collegial physical activity, and 3) build family capacity to

provide stable, secure homes and healthy parental support.

Our goal for academics is to reverse the existing trend at both schools in which targeted

students’ grades decline rather than improve over time. The low rate of improvement in

English/Language Arts, detailed across both schools below, means having 40% of targeted

students improve would be a gain of 14-18% (the range being for grades 2, 3, 4 and 5). For

mathematics, the 40% benchmark is 15% better. For science, a benchmark of 60% predicts

improvement of 12-18%.

Table 2, below, lists the project objectives aligned with needs, and shows how project

activities will support the objectives. It divides activities by those that are grant-supported and

those contributed by business, civic, and nonprofit partnerships.

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Need Objectives Activities provided by Grant

Activities provided by Partnerships

1. Improved student achievement to lessen risk of dropping out

Student Achievement: 40% of regularly participating students will improve to a satisfactory ELA grade or above, or maintain a high grade.

Student Achievement: 40% of regularly participating students will improve to a satisfactory Mathematics grade or above, or maintain a high grade

Student Achievement: 60% of regularly participating students will improve to a satisfactory Science grade or above, or maintain a high grade across the program year.

Daily small-group instruction using STEM-infused, project-based model-eliciting activities from CPALMS, with differentiated extension projects

Homework supervision Take 10! kinesthetic lesson

enhancements with differentiated expressive activities

Weekly Books Bridge mobile library lessons with monthly take-home books to build home libraries

Dialogic reading instruction for parents to help children with vocabulary development

Daily adult education classes for enrolled parents to increase literacy and capacity to help their children

Family subscriptions to highly engaging, online learning games

Volunteer tutors and mentors Access to parent portals for online

student assignments and records2. Skills for healthy

interpersonal behavior and motivation to increase feelings of efficacy.

Pro-social behavior: 75% of participating students will improve their positive behavior as measured by perceptual survey

Personal health and nutrition: 50% of participating students will increase their activity levels as measured by perceptual survey

Skillstreaming curriculum with corresponding family series and take-home exercises

Take 10! Curriculum with fitness practice and infused with information about healthy nutrition

Community speakers for students to explore interests and affiliations

Social family events to promote belonging and celebrate local cultures

5-2-1-0 lessons, materials, incentives for eating fruits/vegetables, increase physical activity, lessen “screen time” and eliminate sugary drinks

3. A safe place to be after school for children from fragile homes due to poverty, food insecurity, family disruption, and lack of resiliency.

Family performance: 50% of participating family members will report enhancement of their parenting skills as measured by perceptual survey

Supervised after-school recreation

Transportation home Pro-social skills to boost

resiliency against stresses and for gang resistance

Daily nutritious snacks Relationships with caring adults Youth Mental Health First Aid Skillstreaming pro-social skills training

for parents in positive reinforcement Financial literacy classes for parents Emergency financial assistance Public assistance access

Table 2: Alignment of Needs, Objectives, Grant Activities and Partner Activities

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5.4 Applicant’s Experience and Capacity

Program Experience - After-School Adventures is completing its second successful year

of operating two 21st CCLC centers. Regularly participating students achieved greater state

FCAT Developmental Scale Score gains in reading11 and mathematics12 than their peers.

Similar trends presented in FAIR data (mean reading ability score growth) and FCAT Science.

Parent surveys in 2014 indicated 100% overall program satisfaction, and 81% reported

being “very satisfied” with the program as a whole. These programs serve mostly Puerto Rican,

Mexican, and Colombian Hispanics at one site and a rural ranching community at another, both

economically and geographically challenged. Despite these hard-to-reach clients, we have had

93% attendance thanks to busing, translators, and homework help.

Partners’ Capacity - The United Way was recognized as the district’s Outstanding

Business Partner in 2013 for contributing $3 million to education initiatives. Executive Director

Penny Borgia is an early childhood expert who originated the local Success by 6 program and

Master Teacher for child development at day care operators. This year United Way won a

national grant to pilot a public school Early Warning and Response System.

HELP of Ft. Meade is a longtime United Way member agency. It wins continued funding

by measurable community impacts. Its web site is hosted by the town government. Elementary

Principal Sue Bizerra and County Commissioner Melony Bell are two of its board members.

Partnering Farmworkers Program Manager Nilda Soto, a former harvester herself, won

national recognition from the Association of Farmworker Opportunities Programs in 2012 for

outstanding recruitment and job placement success.

Management – Grants Director Marcia Ford has 28 years’ experience, recently

11 Participants gained 13 percentage points compared to a growth of 8 points for nonparticipants. Participants increased from an average 200 Developmental Scale Score points in 2013 to 213 points in 2014. Nonparticipant growth was from an average 202 points in 2013 to 210 in 2014.12 Participants gained an average 14 Developmental Scale Score points compared to an average 9 points for nonparticipants. Means for participants were 202 in 2013 and 216 in 2014. Means for nonparticipants were 202 in 2013 and 211 in 2014.

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managing $14.2 million from Race to the Top and $5.1 million in School Climate Transformation

and related mental health grants. The Finance Dept. manages $89 million in grants, and

Human Resources manages 13,000 employees. All accounting and personnel records are in

an SAP database. These professionals bring the expertise of the county’s largest employer.

5.5.a Community Notice

The Grants Director has consulted with education stakeholders throughout the

community through the United Way Education Committee, the Polk Vision Education

Committee, the Align Polk PreK-5 Education Action Team, the Polk Education Partnership

Education Committee, chambers of commerce, and the K-12 Education Showcase Feb. 10,

2015 at Polk State College in Winter Haven. These reach a broad spectrum of the community.

21st Century Program Coordinator Jim Bracey has consulted with professional services

contractors and business partners. Both principals surveyed parents to determine participation

and preferences. Mr. Bracey has oriented both faculties. Planning has been a year-long

process gathering opinions and researching best responses to impact the schools.

The proposal appears on the program’s web site, which is “tweeted” to parents. Public

review and approval by the School Board is subject to Florida’s “Sunshine Law.” The Advisory

Board considered and endorsed the plan when it met February 18, 2015 and March 5, 2015.13

5.5.b Collaboration with Private Schools

The Grants Director emailed private schools about the 21st CCLC application on March

17, 2015. She invited principals at all private schools listed in Polk County on the DOE website

to help plan the proposal, and offered equitable services to private school children, should it be

funded. We asked private schools to respond by April 15, 2015. Read receipts came from six

recipients, delivery notices from dozens more, and six were undeliverable. We received two

telephone inquiries that satisfied the callers with information about the opportunity.

During student enrollment periods, we will send emails to private schools reminding

13 http://www.polk-fl.net/Community/communitycenters/21stcclc.htm

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them their students may participate and seeking their help with recruitment of targeted students.

The names of all 15 private schools listed for the same cities as the proposed After-School

Adventures centers (14 in Winter Haven, 1 in Ft. Meade) appear on the “Subrecipient

Assurances Form” submitted with this application.14

5.5.c Partnerships

Partner letters and the descriptive form are attached, Services will be co-located at the

Parent Resource Center at Garner and the Adult School’s Riverside Center near Lewis.

HELP of Ft. Meade

Interface with Ft. Meade’s disadvantaged populations to make mutual referrals between After-School Adventures and Formal adult school ABE, GED and ESOL classes Informal English classes and tutoring to meet ABE prerequisites Financial literacy classes – 2 per year, supported by United

Way/Florida Prosperity Partnership Emergency financial help for rent, food, clothing, school supplies Assistance to access public services such as Medicaid,

unemployment, food stamps Citizenship classes for immigrants

READ Polk and the Ft. Meade Literacy Council

Training for adult tutors, 3 sessions annually Tutor support to work with adults who lack literacy, ongoing Outreach and recruitment to reach adults who lack literacy from

among After-School Adventures families, ongoing Tutoring for adults to achieve 3rd grade literacy in English to

make them eligible for Adult Basic Education – upon demand, with referrals from partnering schools and agencies

East Area Adult School

ABE, GED, and ESOL instruction for family members ages 16+ of After-School Adventures participants at no cost to participant, including materials and online support. These are ongoing. Adults work at their own pace to achieve benchmarks.

Books Bridge Mobile Library

Increase student exposure to high-interest books and favorite authors with weekly, 2-hour visits at each site

Distribute free monthly books to participants for home libraries Dialogic reading practice for parents to help their children with

language development and vocabulary, regardless of the parent’s literacy level

iPad classes Online subscriptions for participating families to high-interest,

active-learning web-based instruction Hands-on training for parents to access and use the district’s

online parent portal to track student information (assignments, grades, absences, lunchroom use) and interact with school programs

14 DOE does not list grades served by these schools, but most appear to serve secondary students.

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Winter Haven Public Education Partnership

Volunteer recruitment to provide tutors and mentors, ongoing through the Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce

Community speakers to interact with students, minimum four per year, including presentations that enrich students with exploratory experiences

Business contributions to fund specific classroom needs In-kind contributions from Chamber of Commerce members for

student incentives, ongoing

United Way of Central Florida

Materials to promote family literacy Materials to promote healthy childhood development Communitywide Comprehensive Parent Resource Guides (free) Funding for HELP of Ft. Meade to provide financial emergency

assistance Financial literacy classes for families upon request via Florida

Prosperity Partnership

Farmworkers Career Development Program

Make referrals to and receive referrals from potential mutual client families

Prepare eligible adult farmworkers and their children ages 16+ for career occupations leading to economic self-sufficiency and improved quality of life

Support adult career-path students with stipends, instructional materials, tools, uniforms at no cost to the student

Support adult career-path students with unemployment counseling, job seeker counseling, and access to the online Employ Florida Marketplace

Social family events to promote belonging and celebrate local cultures

Polk Vision / Align Polk

Aligned fundraising Recruitment for at least two presentations per center from

comprehensive communitywide project to improve school attendance

representative on Advisory Board Recruitment for at least one presentation per center from

comprehensive communitywide project featuring 5-2-1-0 Health Initiative, coordinating Health Dept., Employers Wellness Coalition, hospitals and other health providers

Parent Resource Centers and Parent University

One-stop resource information center for parents Spanish-English translator Engaging, grade-appropriate learning materials for parents to

check out and use at home with their children Rosetta Stone software to learn English Monthly workshops for healthy eating, reading fundamentals,

and other topics at parent request

Mindful Schools

Youth Mental Health First Aid professional development for both site coordinators and for Garner staff

Increased capacity at Garner to take referrals for social work and psychology

School Nutrition Daily nutritious snacks

Ft. Meade Dixie Youth Baseball

Sequential student workshops to build skills for baseball, softball, football and cheerleading during the corresponding seasons, by

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volunteer coaches who also work with organized teams.

5.5.d Collaborations with the Regular School Day

Consultation with the Schools - Conversations with the school principals began in

August 2014. Multiple meetings ensued to discuss the needs of their students and families,

program plans, scheduling, and community partnerships. The principals distributed a family

survey that helped define activities and operating hours. The principals chose personal

enrichment activities that match the needs and interests of their respective populations. The

principals will recruit and select students and staff and will serve on the Advisory Board.

Protocols - Communication with participating students’ daytime teachers (including those

at private schools) is written on students’ agendas, or calendars they carry to record

assignments and send messages between home and school. 21st CCLC staff will use

distinctive green ink to communicate with daytime teachers about homework, behavior,

progress on specific interventions, and celebrations. Site Coordinators communicate with

school-based administrators via email and orally to keep all parties up on program changes or

issues. The Program Coordinator includes school-based administrators in emails to after-

school staff for a clear line of communication between the day school and after-school staffs.

Documentation – The letters upload for this proposal includes documents from both

principals committing to After-School Adventures. These include use of facilities, outreach and

publicity. We also uploaded a letter of endorsement from the Regional Assistant

Superintendent who supervises these principals.

5.5.e Sustainability

During years 3-5 of the grant, After-School Adventures will continue using

nonconsumable curriculum and equipment purchased during the first two years. It will benefit

from staff training in years 1-2 and continue community-based education adapted and provided

by our partnerships. At the end of the project, we do not anticipate maintaining teacher payroll

or school bus transportation without the grant. However, we and our partners will pursue

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additional grants such as the Innovative Approaches to Literacy grant that launched our Books

Bridge mobile libraries and benefits these new, expansion of the United Way’s Early Warning

and Response System, business support by the Winter Haven Public Education Partnership

such as mentor recruitment and publicizing “Find It, Fund It” classroom project sponsorships,

and philanthropic contributions to READ Polk. All of these are documented in uploaded letters.

5.6.a Target Students

Targeted Students - Each center serves students from the host school attendance zone.

Students to be served at Garner Elementary are mostly from racial minority groups.

Many families move during the school year, and have different adults as caregivers at different

times due to illness or incapacity, short-term incarcerations, unemployment and issues with

extended families. Because of this and the principal’s eagerness to improve school climate, the

district chose Garner to concentrate mental and behavioral health services through a federal

School Climate Transformation grant. Called “Mindful Schools.” (See letter) This project will

bring additional social services to the school and help address depression and anger resulting

from unmet needs in both adults and children. After-school site coordinators will join the faculty

in a full day of Youth Mental Health First Aid training. This is an evidence-based program where

they learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for

how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. After-

School Adventures will expand the venue for children forming healthy adult relationships.

Lewis-Anna Woodbury serves a geographically large, sparsely populated rural area.

Families are engaged in agricultural labor for citrus and ranching and in support services for

phosphate strip mining. Ft. Meade has proactive churches and few other social services.

Children here often live with extended family with multiple generations and siblings.

Schools Meeting Eligibility – Table 3 matches the center sites with eligibility criteria, and

Table 4 depicts the populations in the school attendance zones. Based on planning sessions

that included parent input about interest levels, we anticipate more students per grade at Lewis-

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Anna Woodbury. Ft. Meade’s targeted population tends to large families. Most will have

multiple siblings in grades 2-5 who fill the after-school slots. For younger students, the school

plans other Title I-funded activities to meet more intensive English and school readiness needs.

Table 3: School Qualifications for 21st CCLC

After-School Adventures

Centers

Title I Status

School Grade 2014 / 2013

% Qualified for free lunch

Grades to be

Served

Avg. Daily Attendance

Garner Schoolwide D / F 77% K-5 70Lewis-A.Woodbury Schoolwide D / D 75% 2-5 70

Table 4: School Demographics

School Enrolled Black Hispanic White ESE ELL % Free Meals15

Garner 611 45% 27% 24% 13% 22% 100%Lewis-A.Woodbury 669 15% 49% 33% 9% 30% 100%

Priorities Aligned with Needs – After-School Adventures will first register students who

struggle to stay on grade level. Current-year report card grades show that large percentages of

students with grades of C or below in reading and math can benefit from more help. After-

School Adventures has shown it can effect student gains to improve school performance,

At Garner, in quarter 1 this year, the reading grade distribution in grades 2-5 revealed

104 “C”, 43 “D”, and 48 “F” grades. In quarter 3, “C” grades decreased to 94, while both “D” and

“F” grades increased to 58 and 62 respectively. Mathematics had the same trend, with “C”

grades dropping from 103 to 99, while “D” and “F” grades increased to 60 and 46 respectively.

This was a 29% increase in failures and a 35% jump in “D’s.”

Garner will prioritize invitations to kindergarten and first grade students based upon

recommendation by teachers and the guidance counselor. They will consider risk factors from

the Florida Resiliency Mapping Project and the Polk Mentoring Alliance. They will informally

rate these young students with an indicator checklist that points to the following risk factors: a)

low self-esteem, b) lack of a positive adult role model, c) parents with anti-social behavior, d)

15 Community Eligibility Option program by USDA, offering free breakfast and lunch to all students based on level of community participation in public assistance programs.

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difficulty getting along with others, and e) early academic failure.

At Lewis-Anna Woodbury, in quarter 1 this year, the reading grade distribution in grades

2-5 revealed 143 “C”, 51 “D”, and 50 “F” grades. In quarter 3, “C” grades decreased to 126,

while both “D” and “F” grades increased to 67 and 55 respectively. In mathematics, “C” grades

increased from 101 to 118, and “D” and “F” grades increased to 60 and 46 respectively. This

suggests a number of students earning a grade of “B” in the first quarter dropped to a “C” in

quarter 3. Failures increased by 10%, and “D’s” increased by 31%. The final lists of targeted

students will be based on results of report card grade comparisons between quarters 1 and 4.

5.6.b Recruitment and Retention

Recruitment Plan – We will send invitation letters during the summer. Program staff will

follow up with telephone calls. Should there still be vacancies, we will offer applications to non-

targeted students. We will keep a waiting list once the program fills, and prioritize placements by

academic need. We will continually recruit based upon recommendations of daytime teachers

at each center, and place students to keep the program filled.

Engaging Families – In addition to program promotion at school, our business and civic

partners have promised to broaden our reach with posters, announcements, newsletter articles,

and word of mouth. For example, the Farmworker Career Development Program is distributing

After-School Adventures information at its Cinco de Mayo festival in Ft. Meade.

When the program opens, families of targeted students will receive a calendar of events

with explanation of family literacy opportunities and an invitation to volunteer or serve on the

Advisory Board. Family members are invited to follow the program on Facebook, Twitter, and

the Internet. The locations/links to these outlets are included on all print distributions.

Consistent Attendance – After-School Adventures promotes consistent attendance

through monthly recognition programs. Students with perfect attendance for the month receive

a certificate and gift, courtesy of donations from our partners. Each month, one student at each

center with perfect attendance is selected as Student of the Month and featured on the program

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bulletin board at the center. Student sign-in sheets are evaluated weekly by the coordinators,

who check with daytime teachers if students miss multiple days of the 21st CCLC program. If

they are in school, we ask parents to be sure they stay after school. If they miss school, our

policy does not allow them to attend After-School Adventures the same day.

Parents of students with unexplained absences are contacted by telephone. All efforts

are made to accommodate families so students may attend the program. Examples of past

efforts include changing a class assignment due to conflicts with teachers or other students, and

working with parents through work-schedule changes and providing flexibility between bus

transportation and parent pickup.

5.6.c Student Program Activities

Daily student program activities include a snack, social/recreation time, homework time,

an academic/PBL session, and participation in personal enrichment activities. Based upon

recommendations to our Advisory Board by the district’s P.E. Specialist, each daily session

begins with 20-30 minutes of self-selected, supervised physical activity. The exercise provides

a brain-break and launches the after-school session with a playful, cooperative flavor. Action for

Healthy Kids16 says, “Physical movement increases blood flow bringing more oxygen to the

brain and leads to improved concentration. Brain breaks can energize a group after lunch or

relax and calm a class before a test, after lunch or at the end of the day….The idea is to provide

moderate activity that gets the blood pumping, so form and skill are not the focus of activity

breaks.” Snacks are distributed after the physical activity break.

Time is allocated daily for homework. Students are grouped by grade level and

supervised by a teacher or other staff member for 30 minutes. Principals advised this is

sufficient daily time for homework. Students engage in homework, self-study, or independent

reading/journaling. Staff assures that each student is actively engaged.

With students still grouped by grade, they then have 40 minutes per day for active

16 www.actionforhealthykids.org

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learning that supports the Florida Standards in English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, and

Science. The academic/PBL requirements of the 21st CCLC grant are met through

implementation of Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs) provided by the Department of Education

through the Collaborate, Plan, Align, Learn, Motivate, Share (CPALMS) website. CPALMS was

created by the Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and

Mathematics (STEM) at Florida State University using evidence-based practice.

MEAs are small-group activities that encourage students to invent and test models.

They look like real-world problems and require students to work in teams to generate solutions.

Research shows MEAs support cooperative learning, require students to interpret problem-

solving situations, and promote mathematical reasoning17 We extend STEM into English

Language Arts via MEAs by critical reading of scenarios describing problems, and challenging

students to find solutions under given perimeters/constraints. MEAs support critical reading in

content areas.18 Students’ final products consist of written documentation and oral presentation.

Research suggests argumentative writing among K-6 students improves through collaborative

problem solving. Student interest levels in writing increased with the implementation of MEAs.19

We have chosen specific MEAs aligned to daytime curriculum and instructional

timelines. The Program Coordinator, using the district’s curriculum maps and instructional

sequences in ELA and Math, selected MEAs that focus on the same standards students are

learning during the daytime. MEAs are specific to the grade level.

MEAs are facilitated by certified teachers and supplemented by hands-on activities to

further engage students and increase differentiation. For example, one fifth grade MEA charges

students with managing beach equipment rentals. Extension of this MEA could include making

17 Kahveci, M., & Imamoglu, Y. (2007). Interactive learning in mathematics education: Review of Recent Literature. The Journal of Computer in Mathematics and Science Teaching, 26(2), 137-153.18 Thomas, A., & Bostic, J. (2015). Improving argumentative writing through mathematics and collaboration. Voices from the Middle, 22(3), 38-49.19 Thomas, A., & Bostic, J. (2015).

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scaled, two- or three-dimensional models to test hypotheses and support recommendations.

Materials costs to implement MEAs are minimal. The plans are available at www.cpalms.org at

no cost. The staff-to-student ratio is 1:15. Should demand for the program require larger

groups, a non-certified assistant may assist the certified teacher. Each grade will complete 2-3

MEAs per month.

The remaining 40 minutes per day is for personal enrichment. After-School Adventures

has two enrichment objectives: a) improve students’ pro-social behavior and problem-solving

skills; and b) improve students’ knowledge of and participation in healthy activities and nutrition.

We are using proven curriculum: Skillstreaming, and TAKE 10! These programs target use

learning styles of elementary children and are vetted through research.

A study of Skillstreaming effects on students with diagnoses of emotional and/or

behavioral disorders revealed the following outcomes: a) participants were excited about

Skilllstreaming and anxious to attend the sessions; b) participants received zero suspensions

while participating in the program reduced from an aggregate average of one every two weeks

prior to the program; and c) office referrals decreased from daily to less than three per week.20

Skillstreaming uses modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization to

promote students’ understanding and acceptance of pro-social skills. The elementary school

program consists of five skill areas: classroom survival; friendship making; dealing with feelings;

alternatives to aggression; and dealing with stress. Lessons are designed to respond to varying

learning styles and promote collaborative learning. A sample Skillstreaming lesson objective is

being able to tell others in a sincere way that you are sorry for doing something that caused a

problem. The lesson indicates four steps to meeting this objective and includes skill refinement

practice activities, such as making an apology poster, identifying scenarios where an apology is

necessary, and role-playing situations in small groups. The activity extends students’ thinking

20 Leonardi, R., Roberts, J., & Wasoka, D. (2001). Skillstreaming: A report to the Vermont State Department of Education. Retrieved from http://eric.ed.gov

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by having them apply their learning to situations around the school and at home. Without this

type of explicit instruction, demonstration, and application elsewhere, children struggle in the

schools setting to the extent it interferes with academic focus. The skills addressed are

sequenced to provide ongoing support for learned skills.

TAKE 10! is a product of the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) Research

Foundation Physical Activity and Nutrition Program. Research indicates: a) students who

participated in one daily session of TAKE 10! during the school year burned enough calories to

prevent 1-3 pounds of excess weight gain;21 b) TAKE 10! Increases attraction to physical activity

among young children;22 c) following TAKE 10! activities, off-task behavior was reduced by over

20%;23 and d) students participating in TAKE 10! Improved math scores. Both math and reading

scores improved among poorly adapted students.24

TAKE 10! integrates 10 minutes of physical activity into core academic lessons in

language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. The activities appeal to multiple

learning styles through movement, singing, listening, and visual modeling. Each TAKE 10!

activity is differentiated for three levels of physical and academic readiness to meet the needs of

all learners. One TAKE 10! lesson for third grade is “Stories in Space.” As the teacher reads

“First Kid on the Moon,” students perform jumping jacks, squats, vertical jumps, arm pumps, and

marching in place as the teacher reads these verbs. Intermediate learners add actions to the

story, while advanced learners may work together to create original action stories. Then the

teacher leads discussion based on Earth/Space Science standards, and students build their

own space city. The set of lessons for each grade also has activities about healthy eating.

21 Stewart, J., Dennison, D., Kohl, H., Doyle, J. (2004). Exercise level and energy expenditure in the TAKE 10! In-class physical activity program. Journal of School Health, 74, 397-400.22 Kohl, W., Moore, B., Sutton, A., Kibbe, D., & Schneider, C. (2001). A curriculum-integrated classroom physical activity promotion tool for elementary schools: teacher evaluation of TAKE 10!. Medicine, Science, Sports, Exercise, 33(5), 179.23 Metzler, M., & Williams, S. (n.d.). A classroom-based physical activity and academic content program: More than a pause that refreshes? Journal of Classroom Interaction. In press.24 Dubose, K., Mayo, M., & Gibson, C. (2008). Physical activity across the curriculum (PAAC): rationale and design. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 29, 83-93.

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Skillstreaming and Take 10! together offer opportunity for non-combative competition

development among students who don’t have other accessibility to organized team sports. In

addition, athletic activity promises to be of high interest. Volunteer community coaches have

pledged baseball, softball, football and cheerleading skills workshops and to promote strong

character, responsibility and citizenship at After-School Adventures. (See letters)

Each center will add attractive opportunities and experiences for the students such as

arts and culture education aligned to Hispanic Heritage and Black History months, introduction

to second-languages, and music education. Individual sample site schedules are uploaded.

5.6.d Adult and Family Member Program Activities

We expect to significantly involve and show perceived growth in a minimum of 10

parents/family members per site, representing 20-30 participating children per site. We know

we will have additional family adults at family sessions who reap benefits but struggle to

participate consistently. The Family Literacy series will have at least six sequenced sessions per

site. We know as a whole parents at Lewis-Anna Woodbury have a strong interest in student

behavior and believe that positive behavior is connected to student achievement. Parents at

Garner report needing help with effective discipline. To meet these needs, After-School

Adventures is using Skillstreaming for adult and family services. Skillstreaming lessons,

described in section 5.6.c, all have home connections and activities. Parents and children will

learn and work together on specific skills (e.g. dealing with anger, accepting “no,” invoking self-

control). Parents will use the Student Skillstreaming Checklist to recognize and reflect on

changes at home. Helping parents become teachers honors and encourages parental

leadership and inspires return participation.

Our partnership organizations will enrich family literacy with services of varying intensity,

ranging from ABE/GED education to presentations on financial literacy.

5.6.e. Staffing Plan and Professional Development

Administrative Obligations Addressed - 21st Century Program Coordinator Jim Bracey

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reports to the Grants Director, provides program oversight, curriculum and instruction leadership

and program administration. He selects Site Coordinators, supports them with weekly visits,

and monitors fidelity and progress toward objectives. He archives all reporting data on

deliverables and works with the third-party evaluator for timely reports to the state. This process

has produced complete and on-time reports for the past year. He is liaison with district and

community partners, the Advisory Board, and vendors. Mr. Bracey has a master’s degree in

Teaching and Learning and a specialist’s degree in Education. He is an experienced teacher

and teacher coach in Title I schools with additional background in business management.

Adequate Staff - The Site Coordinators manage the staff, student enrollment, site

scheduling, program promotion, attendance monitoring, and transportation, snacks, and student

discipline. They work closely with school-based administrators to maintain a continuum of

goals, procedures, and expectations between the regular school day and the after-school

program. Site Coordinators work four hours per day, arriving during the school day and

available after hours until the last bus run is completed. Site Coordinators make classroom

visits and manage transitions. Their extra hours allow them to prepare attendance and food

service documents, handle bus transportation issues, communicate with daytime teachers,

extend marketing, and support the Program Coordinator.

Site Coordinators must have a high-school diploma and at least one year of successful

experience working with youth. Basic computer skills including e-mail, word processing, and

spreadsheets are required. Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred in high ELL schools. A

contractor employs Site Coordinators so they have no other school obligations. They are level 2

background screened, must be CPR and First Aid Certified, and train in food service guidelines

for snack distribution, accounting, and management. These trainings are provided at no cost by

the district. The Program Coordinator recruits applicants and screens them with the site

principal and contractor.

An onsite Program Assistant at each center helps families seeking information about the

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program and students needing additional support. Assistants help the Site Coordinators meet

the needs of the staff by providing breaks if necessary, assisting with intake and dismissal, and

providing extra supervision on campus. Program assistants must be at least 16 and able to

communicate effectively and professionally, orally and in writing. Bilingual is preferred in high

ELL schools. This position is staffed by a contractor if a suitable volunteer is not able to commit.

A Curriculum Technician procures, prepares, and delivers curricular and instructional

materials at both centers. This individual helps teachers with small group instruction and

interventions, and substitutes for teachers and Site Coordinators; and plans, schedules and

supervises Family Literacy events with Site Coordinators. This position requires a diploma and

one year of experience as an instructional paraprofessional, or equivalent. An Associate’s

degree and experience with 21st Century Community Learning Centers are preferred.

Staffing Provided in Budget - Certified teachers lead the PBL/MEA lessons and facilitate

academic interventions. The program budgeted for 3-4 academic teacher slots per center to

keep staff-to-student ratios low. Enrichment staff provide supervision during physical activity

time and assist with enrichment and homework. Enrichment staff may be certified teachers,

paraprofessionals, substitute teachers, or others with experience working with elementary

school students. The uploaded sample site schedules demonstrate the team-teaching model.

Using the two-member team format keeps staff-to-student ratios at 1:15.

We will hire teachers first from the host schools, and then reach out to fill vacancies with

teachers from nearby schools. We have also attracted staff from Polk State College’s Educator

Prep Institute and by referral from partnering non-profit groups. Principals recommend

substitutes who express interest. All staff are level 2 background screened by the district.

Professional Development – All staff will receive copies of and be trained in the After-

School Adventures Handbook, which details safety plans, confidentiality, attendance

documentation, payroll documentation, student and parent communications, student behavior

management, and site-specific schedules and procedures. Academic teaching staff will be

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trained in MEAs and lesson extension in differentiated, hands-on PBL activities. Enrichment

staff will be trained in the TAKE 10! and Skillstreaming curriculums. Training will include how to

supervise activities and procedures for administering surveys.

5.6.f. Program Site

Environments - Principals at each site have committed to provide After-School

Adventures with classrooms, media centers, computer labs, P.E. fields, cafeterias, and front

offices. Each grade will have its own standard classroom.

Space - Each classroom and computer lab is large enough to accommodate up to 25

students. Each Site Coordinator will have dedicated office space, telephone access for making

and receiving calls, a laptop computer and Internet access for record-keeping and email.

Safety - Each school is completely fenced and accessible only through the front office.

All classrooms are equipped with emergency escape widows, maps of exit routes, and school

district emergency procedure plans. They have regular fire inspections and routinely serviced

fire extinguishers. Food storage and service adhere to USDA guidelines.

Accessibility - All facilities meet ADA standards for disabilities accommodations. Site

Coordinators confer with guidance counselors when enrolling students to insure the program

meets special education IEP, 504, or behavior intervention plans. Each center has a familiar

and readily accessible venue to co-locate partner services through the community centers.

5.6.g. Safety and Student Transportation

The Site Coordinators keep records of student locations and schedules throughout the

program hours and have student emergency cards with contact information for adults authorized

to access students. Students learn classroom emergency procedures and escape routes on

their first day, with monthly refreshers. Classroom doors are locked during program hours.

Students are not allowed out of class without a “buddy” and this should only occur in cases of

students being escorted to the office for early check-out. Early check-outs should be limited to

doctor’s appointments and family emergencies.

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All staff wears district- or vendor-issued photo ID. Volunteers must be registered with

the school and approved by the district after fingerprinting. Valid state ID is required for all

campus visitors at the front office, which issues photo-ID stickers.

Each student has a backpack tag designating the assigned bus or car number. Car

riders are released only to cars with corresponding number tags issued to authorized adults.

Two buses service LAW, and one services Garner no ride exceeds 45 minutes. Parents receive

the bus number, stop, and drop time in writing, and must be present to meet their children. Bus

drivers work for the School Board of Polk County and meet the same criteria as daytime drivers.

Parents requesting that their children be dismissed from After-School Adventures to walk or ride

a bike home without adult supervision must provide written notice of this request.

5.6.h Dissemination Plan

After-School Adventures has a website with program schedules and information about

special events, updated at least monthly. It gives contact information for the Program

Coordinator and Site Coordinators. Further, Mr. Bracey makes frequent posts on our Facebook

page and via Twitter to promote the Family Literacy series and special events. He uses email

lists of participating parents to send monthly newsletters. Schools send paper and voice

communications in English and Spanish, with Haitian Creole translations as needed.

Advisory Board meeting dates are published at the beginning of the year. They include

updates on progress toward objectives, which also go to district administration and the web site.