Finding the link between 21st century community learning centers and school day classrooms: Expanding the policy coherence paradigm in education.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to explore 21st CCLCs as academic support systems. Expanding upon previous theories that analyzed coherence among educational systems, this study sought to understand how 21st CCLC after-school programs throughout Michigan aligned their academic program to what students learned during the day and how programs provided complementary activities to the school day curriculum. Analyzing the perspectives of program directors, site coordinators, and teachers in the daytime classrooms, this study found that the after-school programs formed, at best, a weak link with the school day in terms of collaboration, communication, consistency, and coherence. Without these structures in place, after-school programs most likely will not demonstrate large academic gains with its participants.;Aside from various evaluation reports, no academic study has examined if a coherent link exists between the after-school programs and what students experience in the regular school day. For that matter, few studies closely examine the academic tasks that students engage in during these programs. Consequently, policies concerning after-school programs make few references to how they connect to what students do during the school day. The purpose of this study is hence to explore 21st CCLCs as academic support systems. Expanding upon previous theories that analyze coherence among educational systems, this study seeks to understand how seven 21st CCLC after-school programs throughout Michigan align their academic program to what students learn during the regular school day and how programs complement or supplement activities to the school day curriculum. The centers offer a unique program to meet the needs of the individual school each serves such as specific student demographics or particular academic challenges students face.;Using the Four C framework defined as collaboration, communication, consistency, and coherency, this study analyzes how the 21st CCLC programs throughout Michigan integrates each of these into its daily routines to connect to the school day. By collaborating and communicating with teachers, after-school program staff learn about what students are doing in classrooms during the day and can devise program strategies to effectively complement and enrich the children's academic learning. Coherence and consistency needs to occur between the after-school program and the school day program so students understand the expectations and receive the most benefit from both programs.;Throughout a day, students must adjust to a variety of environments from their home and school to some sort of after school environment. When students find themselves in one environment, however, they draw on the experiences from the other communities in which they interact. Since students may spend an additional three hours at the after-school program, linking the after-school program instructional policies to the school day policies develops this dynamic and offers students a more coherent academic atmosphere to spur more cognitive development.