● Why is this contract needed?

This contract allows schools access to high-quality Out of School Time (OST) programs grounded in enrichment. In order to foster stronger, safer communities with District schools as the hub, students need opportunities to engage in learning activities beyond the regular school day. OST programs offer research-based approaches to enrichment, engagement, and student growth opportunities centered in student interest, social-emotional learning, skills acquisition, relationship-building, and more.OST programs give students unique opportunities to explore their interests via enrichment activities that are aligned to academic, social emotional, and college and career focus areas. Furthermore, OST programs promote general economic stability for families across the District by offering programs, both during the school year and in the summer, that support working schedules in a variety of ways. OST programs also are critical resources for violence prevention as they allow families to ensure that their children are able to remain engaged in safe environments with caring adults beyond regular school hours. 

● How is this work connected to the District’s plan to achieve Goals & Guardrails?

OST programming is connected to the District's plan to achieve the Goals and Guardrails in several ways. First, it provides students with additional opportunities to learn and grow outside of the school day. This can help students develop academic, social-emotional, and career skills that they need to succeed in school and in life.
Second, OST programming provides students with a safe and engaging environment after school. This can help to prevent students from engaging in risky behaviors, such as truancy, substance abuse, and violence.

Third, OST programming is inclusive of all students, regardless of their background or abilities. This provides all students with the opportunity to benefit from the program. Specifically, OST programming is aligned with Guardrail Two, for students to have consistent, equitable access to enriching and well-rounded experiences. OST programming provides students with opportunities to participate in activities that are both enriching and fun. This can help to boost students' motivation and engagement in school. 

● How will the success of this contract be measured?

The Office of Student Life will develop program quality measures modeled on industry-based measures from the National Institute of Out of School Time’s A Program Assessment System (ASAS), including the SAYO- Surveys of Academic and Youth Outcomes, to consistently monitor and support the quality of programs in alignment with the expectations of the contract as outlined in the RFP. 

In addition, the Office of Student Life will collect enrollment and participation data to measure program engagement and drive continuous improvement efforts. The Office will work with the Office of Evaluation, Research, and Accountability to explore systems for analysis to examine overall program impacts on student progress in academics, attendance, and social-emotional well-being wherever possible. 

The Office of Student Life will also utilize stakeholder survey data from students, families, schools, and providers to drive support and improvement efforts, and any additional scaling of programs. 

● If this is the continuation of a contract, how has success been measured in the past and

what specific information do we have to show that it was successful?

In 2021, the District engaged in an RFQ process that ultimately granted contracts to a number of vendors to provide both vendor-led after school enrichment activities and vendor-led teacher training opportunities for school-based clubs through the use of ESSR-ARPA COVID relief funds. As of September, 2023, a total of 88 individual  vendor-led programs were offered in 65 District schools and at 4 community-based sites. These programs serve over 4,600 students via 14 contracted providers. Additional students access the benefits of this initiative as a result of teacher training carried out by 6 vetted providers. Like other ARPA programs, funding for these programs will sunset in September 2024.

Attendance and participation data has been collected throughout implementation from 2022. The growth of programs across school communities shows the overall appetite for access to OST programs. In September of 2022, the programs served 926 students in 61 programs. By December of 2023, program engagement had increased dramatically to over 4,600 students served across 88 programs, serving in 65 SDP school buildings. 

● When applicable, is this an evidence based strategy? If so, what evidence exists to support this approach?

There is an abundance of available research that delineates the impact that careful, strategic investments in after-school enrichment programs have on student progress and on their ability to sustain both social-emotional and academic progress. Studies from the Wallace Foundation and the National Institute for Out of School Time are frequently referenced sources that host a wide variety of research and evidence related to the efficacy of after-school and summer enrichment opportunities for student academic and social-emotional growth and achievement. 

● When applicable, was a larger community of District community members and/or stakeholders involved in this selection process? If so, what groups and how?

The Office of Student Life engaged in a rigorous Request for Qualifications process to vet and select the high-quality providers awarded contracts to serve in District schools. The application scoring process invited the voice of a variety of representatives from cross-functional District Offices, including Strategic Partnerships, Family and Community Engagement, Curriculum and Instruction, the Arts, Athletics, and school principals. The Office of Student Life will further engage stakeholders when engaging in an intentional and data based program-to-site matching process so that the vetted services are placed in school communities that are a best fit. This process will survey students, families, school teams, and community members to support the matching process.