Did you know that California provides 90 days of expanded learning for public school students each school year?
Through the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES, funded through Proposition 49), $650 million is invested statewide in local programs created through partnerships between schools and local community resources to provide literacy, academic enrichment and safe constructive alternatives for students in kindergarten through grade 9.
“California has an outstanding expanding learning infrastructure that we don’t often hear about,” said Mary Jo Ginty, coordinator of LACOE’s Expanded Learning Technical Assistance Unit. “Before school, after school and summer learning programs are helping to close the achievement gap for thousands of students.”
In Los Angeles County, districts and charter schools receive more than $185 million in grants that support expanded learning in 1,202 elementary and middle schools serving some 137,000 students daily.
The state funding requires programs to be open at least 15 hours per week and provide such services as academic enrichment, tutoring, homework assistance, physical activity and meals. The result is that students receive an additional 90 days of expanded learning beyond the regular school day.
According to Ginty, many of these grantees also receive federal 21st Century Community Learning Center funds that allow them to serve more students during the academic year and provide summer, before school and high school programs.
This additional funding allows other 135,000-plus students countywide to participate in expanded learning programs.
Ginty’s unit at LACOE provides consulting and technical assistance services to the more than 1,500 sites offering expanded learning.
The team uses six strategies to promote effective, high-quality expanded learning programs: coaching, consultation, training and professional development, mentoring and facilitation in addition to providing or brokering resources. Their clients include more than 12,000 grant managers, program directors, site coordinators and frontline staff.
Learn more about LACOE’s Expanded Learning Technical Assistance Unit here.
Photo: County Supervisor Hilda Solis (in green jacket) visits the summer learning program at the Dorris Dann Kids Campus in El Monte, one of 1,500 sites supported by LACOE’s Expanded Learning Technical Assistance Unit.