The Power of Expanded Learning/School Partnerships: Perspectives from the Field
California invests over $4.5 billion per year in expanded learning programs. This funding provides before-school, after-school, summer, and other intersession programming to more than a million students in schools across the state. Almost every school district serving TK-6th grades receives an annual apportionment of Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) funding. Many also receive grants under the After School Education and Safety Program (ASES) and funding (primarily for secondary students) through the federal 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) program.
Expanded learning programs are a valuable resource for schools. Multiple research studies have demonstrated that strong expanded learning programs boost school day attendance (among other metrics of school success). Most expanded learning programs in California are delivered on school sites through partnerships with community-based organizations. In an ideal scenario, the expanded learning provider and the school work together closely to provide activities and services that engage students in learning and support their healthy development. The ability to deliver a high-quality expanded learning program for students hinges in great part on the strength of the partnership between the expanded learning provider and the school.
This brief profiles two school/expanded learning partnerships in order to demonstrate the conditions and practices that support high-quality programming which in turn inspires student learning and engagement leading to better attendance and student outcomes overall.
Buena Vista Horace Mann (BVHM) K-8 School/Jamestown Community Center San Francisco Unified School District
The partnership between BVHM and Jamestown serves more than 300 of BVHM’s 600 students daily in the Mission District of San Francisco. The after-school program provides a wide range of activities including tutoring, dance, theater, music, soccer, creative writing, coding, leadership development among other activities. Two summer programs - for elementary and middle school students - offer hands-on, youth-driven activities, field trips and leadership opportunities. Jamestown also offers formal and informal family support services as well as connections to community resources, programming and events. Finally, Jamestown staff work during the school day through the Linked Day program, helping teachers in classrooms, organizing activities on the school yard, tutoring in small groups and supporting individual students’ social-emotional wellbeing.
Interviews with the BVHM Principal, Claudia DeLarios Moran, and the Jamestown Beacon Director, Nancy Hernandez, describe the depth of partnership between BVHM and Jamestown. Both DeLarios Moran and Hernandez talked about the trusting relationship that allows them to collaborate smoothly across multiple functions and activities throughout the day and year. Both have long tenures at BVHM, with DeLarios Moran in her 9th year and Hernandez in her 20th year. DeLarios Moran says, “Nancy basically grew up at BVHM. Given her relationships with families and the community, I often defer to her on issues of school and community culture.” Because the school serves students from transitional kindergarten (TK) through 8th grade, both DeLarios Moran and Hernandez build deep relationships with families who have multiple children attending the school over many years.
Hernandez and Jamestown have long-held relationships with staff at the many community organizations in the Mission District that come into the school, offering high-quality supports rooted in the culture of this diverse community. Examples include the creative writing classes offered by Valencia 826 and mental health services through Instituto Familiar de la Raza. The fact that DeLarios Moran knows and trusts Hernandez and Jamestown makes it possible to open the school doors to these outside organizations and gives families and students access to resources beyond what the district would otherwise be able to offer. This trust has developed because BVHM and Jamestown have proven to each other that they will meet their obligations and follow through on commitments. When things go wrong - as they inevitably do - there is an open line of communication to discuss and resolve challenges.
The Jamestown Beacon Director sits on the school’s Leadership Team, helping DeLarios Moran and other school leaders strategize about how the school and the expanded learning program operate symbiotically. DeLarios Moran refers to Hernandez as the “principal of the after-school program,” and, given her many years of experience in the community, actively seeks her advice about school climate, culture and specific challenges that arise. There is a high degree of trust and transparency in the relationship, with each party willing and able to disagree, receive constructive criticism, and ask for help. This shared leadership adds a critically important community perspective into the school’s planning and decision-making, allowing school staff to see beyond the school walls and better understand student, family and community needs and assets.
Jamestown and BVHM have overlapping goals and priorities, for example boosting school attendance, that respond to the different requirements and deliverables of their funding agencies. These goals and priorities are developed in conversation with each other and reflect their shared commitment to support students and families. DeLarios Moran explains that Jamestown and BVHM holding their own identities is not an issue as long as they are able to work collaboratively.
Through shared leadership, the BVHM Principal works collaboratively with the Beacon Director to allocate resources, including funding, to meet the needs of the school community. Sometimes, this collaboration involves DeLarios Moran identifying flexible funding in the school budget to, for example, increase hours for Jamestown’s support during the school day. Other times, Jamestown uses its grant funds to develop new programming components - like parent support programs - that meet the student and family needs.
Because the school and program leadership model strong partnership, school-day teachers and staff also collaborate well with Jamestown staff. BVHM and Jamestown work together to create intentional pathways for staff in both institutions to have sustainable jobs and careers. Paraprofessionals, for example, extend their hours by working in the before- and after-school programs. Jamestown staff gain hours and experience through the Linked Day program. BVHM teachers find positions in Jamestown’s summer programs. Whenever possible, and despite scheduling challenges, Jamestown staff are included in the school’s professional development where they are often paired with their grade-level counterparts to understand what students are learning during the day and explore how to extend that learning into the out-of-school hours. These connections by grade level mean that staff are able to communicate directly with each other without involving the Beacon Director or Principal. This deep collaboration promotes everyone’s sense of shared commitment, practices and understanding.
The strong partnership between BVHM and Jamestown improves the experience for students and families. DeLarios Moran explains that many parents are choosing to leave their students in the program not because they need it for child care but because they know it helps their children academically and socially. Hernandez shares that Jamestown staff are communicating frequently with parents with updates about their children’s progress and areas for growth. Jamestown staff intentionally talk about how WE - the school plus Jamestown - can support their children. Jamestown and BVHM’s shared focus on relationships gives students and families a sense of belonging and connection to the school community overall. BVHM staff attend Jamestown events and Jamestown staff are present in the morning, during the day and into the evening. Families see familiar faces whenever they come to the school. Students want to come to school because of the connections they have with staff across the day and because of the access to fun, engaging activities.
Of course, there’s always room for improvement. Hernandez hopes to work on sharing data about students’ academic progress so that after-school staff can better target their work with specific children. DeLarios Moran hopes to free up some of Hernandez’s time from programmatic issues so she can be more involved in systems coordination and improvement.
DeLarios Moran advises other principals to “listen to your after-school coordinator. It’s just as important that I hear what’s happening in Jamestown as with our instructional coaches. These conversations help us to operate in the most functional way.” She also emphasizes the value of the Linked Day program. “This is like gold for us. We get high-quality support to the school, and it’s a boost to the staff. They stay because they feel valued and have relationships. The first priority when the budget comes up is Linked Day.”
Hernandez encourages her peers to be transparent with school leadership about your organization’s values and approach to working with students. Shared values are the foundation of a strong partnership that allow you to work through any of the challenges that arise. These values include focusing on the students and keeping a growth mindset that allows you to ask for help when you need it. She also advises her peers to lean into data about students’ needs in order to make decisions. And finally, she encourages kindness and empathy, particularly noting how hard the Principal’s job is, and considering the small gestures - a cup of coffee, a warm greeting - that strengthen the shared work.
John Reith Elementary School/Sacramento Chinese Community Center Elk Grove Unified School District
Reith Elementary School and the Sacramento Chinese Community Center (the Center) serve about 200 of Reith’s 700 children daily in their expanded learning program. The program provides a variety of activities, including homework help, science, dance, sports, arts and crafts among other enrichments. It also organizes school-wide events like family nights, youth performances, and staff/student sports events. The Center also brings in outside providers to do specialized activities like a district-wide soccer tournament and visual and performing arts activities. All of this programming is organized through a strong partnership between the school and its Principal, Katie Hedrick, and the Sacramento Chinese Community Center and its Program Manager, Mali Caldwell.
This partnership is grounded in the strong commitment of leadership on both sides. After 30 years as a teacher, Principal Hedrick ran the after-school program at another Elk Grove Unified School District school site. She deeply understands the value of after school and sees it as an extension of the school day. She wants the Center staff to feel like part of the community, and knows that, the more she embraces the program, the more her staff will partner with Center staff. Caldwell has been the program manager at Reith for ten years. He is deeply embedded in the community, calls the school his “second home,” and knows the staff really well.
This shared commitment is the basis for a trusting relationship between Hedrick and Caldwell that includes open lines of communication and access to spaces across the school campus for the expanded learning program. This trust goes beyond their personal relationship because the Center has proven to be a reliable partner, addressing issues that arise quickly and providing substitutes when there are staffing issues or shortages in the program. Caldwell feels comfortable going to the school administration for advice and knows that they will keep him informed about changes at the school. Caldwell also has strong communication with teachers who come to him first if there is an issue they want to address. Having visited other Center sites, Caldwell knows that this level of trust is not always there.
Structures in the school and at the Center help to keep the partnership running smoothly. Caldwell, for example, has regular formal and informal check-ins with the school administration and sits on the school’s Safety Committee. The Center has a strong staff development focus, including intentionally growing the next generation of program leaders through coaching and training. When staff is not working out, the Center is quick to provide support or make changes.
Another strength in the partnership is the integration of staff between the school day and expanded learning. Caldwell described how a Kindergarten teacher, who also works in the after-school program, helps other Center staff improve their classroom management and instructional strategies. Hedrick shared that several teachers are on contract with the Center to provide intervention support to specific students during after-school hours. Three other school-day teachers were previously after-school teachers at Reith, and several of the school’s paraprofessionals work in the after-school program. This flow of staff between the institutions means that students see familiar faces and experience consistent learning strategies across the day. It also offers a pathway for after-school staff and paraprofessionals into the teaching profession.
The partnership maintains a culture of continuous improvement. Hedrick is “open to the constant cycle of cleaning up the system” because there are always issues that need to be addressed. Last year, for example, there were problems in the bathroom. Together with Caldwell, they changed staffing routines to quickly address the challenge. Hedrick doesn’t think of the after-school students as “those kids” and understands that they are “our kids.” When Caldwell has concerns, he is comfortable bringing them to the administration so they can be resolved collaboratively.
The program is exceedingly popular. When registration opens, the program is full within two weeks, and unfortunately, there’s an active wait list all year. Students are excited about the program overall and specific events - like the Wednesday soccer program - are a particular draw. Caldwell hears from students that they are eager to come to school so they can participate in these programs.
As advice to her peers, Hedrick underscores that leadership creates the tone on campus and models partnership, especially in addressing the inevitable challenges. Knowing how hard the principal’s job is, Hedrick encourages other principals to “lean into the expanded learning partnership and invest the time to create the structures that make the program better. This work will reduce your burden on the negative side and allow you to focus on supporting great opportunities for students.”
Caldwell’s advice to peers is to focus on building trust in the partnership. “This trust makes it much easier to do the work because you are given access to facilities and most importantly, to the school’s master key.” On a similar note, Caldwell adds that positive relationships with the custodian and office staff make everyone’s work easier. He also encourages peers to create schoolwide events that bring everyone together. While it’s a lot of work, these events create the sense of community and shared culture that lead to strong relationships between students, parents and staff.