Currently, there is a large body of research examining Out-of-School Time (OST) programs, the goals of these programs, and their reported impact on the youth they serve. However, there is little evidence of research on how organizations determine which goals best fit the needs of the communities they serve. Concurrently, studies of how organizations put these goals into action are virtually non-existent in the literature. This study examines how organizations in Massachusetts receiving federal 21st Century Community Learning Center funding make decisions about Out-of-School Time programming. Although the federal grant requirements and the Massachusetts Department of Education impose some uniformity on these programs, they still vary considerably in their design and the target audiences they serve. Through an online survey, document review and semi-structured interviews, the research identified several themes about the decision making used in these organizations. Cohen, March & Olson's Garbage Can Model of Organizational Choice was used as a framework to better understand the data and to organize the discussion. A stakeholder analysis was also used to evaluate the influence of participants on the decision making within the Out-of-School Time programs. The research identified a loose connection between the decisions made about the types of activities selected and the prescriptive goals of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs. There were several factors that contributed to this loose connection, including the influence of stakeholders, the learning outcomes identified by the assessment tools, and the evaluation of programs by the state. The research also leads to several recommendations about the evaluation of these programs in Massachusetts, including a review of the assessment tools designed by the state and a study of whether the mission shift evidenced in these communities is a tacit decision made by the Department of Education and grant recipients. Further research on the alignment of federal and state programming goals is also recommended.

Esta tese tem como objetivo compreender como o tempo escolar ampliado proposto pelo Programa Mais Educação é operacionalizado na instituição educacional e de que maneiras sua ampliação produz efeitos no currículo escolar. O estudo prioriza o tripé conceitual educação integral, tempo escolar e currículo, a partir de uma aproximação com os Estudos Culturais. Os dados foram discutidos utilizando a análise do ciclo de políticas de Ball, a noção de “representação” de Hall e o conceito de “ambivalência” de Bauman, para ressaltar que as ambiguidades convivem com processos de negociação de significados e sentidos na implantação e implementação da política. A pesquisa, de caráter quali-quantitativo, com inspiração etnográfica, foi desenvolvida em duas escolas de uma mesma cidade do Rio Grande do Sul que aderiram ao Programa Mais Educação em 2008. Todavia, essas escolas tinham a particularidade de serem integralizadas na sua totalidade de alunos e de desenvolverem um projeto municipal de turno integral. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação, elaboração de diário de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores, alunos e equipe diretiva de cada uma das escolas investigadas, questionários aplicados aos alunos e professores de ambas as instituições de ensino, além da análise documental referente ao Programa Mais Educação, ao Projeto Municipal de Turno Integral e aos projetos político-pedagógicos de cada uma das escolas analisadas. Como resultados, esta pesquisa demonstrou que o aumento do tempo escolar induzido pelo Programa Mais Educação e recontextualizado, pelo processo de hibridismo cultural, no município investigado torna-se indispensável para a efetivação da educação integral como política curricular. Entretanto, os obstáculos encontrados atualmente para sua execução – quanto a repasse de recursos financeiros, conquista de profissionais qualificados e comprometidos com a promoção da jornada ampliada, ampliação dos espaços para a realização da proposta de turno integral, clara divisão de turno e contraturno praticada – tendem a esvaziar o tempo ampliado, dificultando a constituição de uma proposta pedagógica de educação integral em tempo integral. Dessa forma, os tempos educacionais dessas escolas continuavam amarrados a uma perspectiva linear e cronológica de formação de um currículo que evidenciava a relevância dos saberes disciplinares e não efetivava uma política de integração curricular. A operacionalização da integralização verificada demandou uma organização espaço-temporal mais rígida, de tal forma que o tempo ampliado assumiu marcas ambíguas: (a) da disciplina; (b) do improviso/inventivo; (c) do conhecer e conviver; (d) da proteção. O estudo possibilitou compreender também que, se os efeitos da ampliação do tempo escolar demonstravam-se singelos ante a possibilidade de provocar uma reestruturação curricular da escola, por outro lado, eles demonstraram que a ação mais significativa estava ressaltada nas figuras do ser professor e ser aluno no desenvolvimento da escola de turno integral. A extensão da jornada ampliada demonstrou-se cansativa tanto para alunos quanto para professores, ao mesmo tempo que evidenciou uma forte representação da escola como local de proteção e convívio e uma queda de interesse pela jornada ampliada de educação à medida que aumentava o ciclo de formação do estudante. / This thesis aims at understanding how the school extended time proposed by the Brazilian Program: More Education is implemented in the educational institution and in which ways its expansion effects the school curriculum. The study emphasizes the conceptual tripod: integral education, school time and curriculum, from an approximation with the Cultural Studies. The data were discussed using Ball's analysis of policy cycle, Hall's notion of "representation" and Bauman's concept of "ambivalence" in order to emphasize that the ambiguities live with meaning negotiation processes and senses in the deployment and implementation of politics. The qualitative and quantitative research within an ethnographic inspiration was developed in two schools in the same city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which joined the More Education Program in 2008. However, these schools had the distinction of being fulfilled by students and by developing a Full-time Municipal Project. The data were collected through observation, preparation of field diary, semi-structured interviews with teachers, students and management team of each of the investigated schools, questionnaires given to students and teachers from both educational institutions, in addition to document analysis regarding the More Education Program, the Full-time Municipal Project and the political-pedagogical projects of each of the analyzed schools. As a result, this research demonstrated that the increase of school time induced by the More Education Program and (re)contextualized by the cultural hybridity process in the investigated city is indispensable for the accomplishment of comprehensive education as a curriculum policy. However, the obstacles currently encountered for execution - for the transfer of funds, achievement of qualified professionals committed to promoting extended working day, increase opportunities for the realization of the full-time proposal clear shift division and practiced after/before school time - They tend to empty the extended time, hindering the formation of a pedagogical proposal for comprehensive full-time education. Thus, the educational time of these schools were still tied to a linear and chronological perspective of forming a curriculum that showed the relevance of disciplinary knowledge and would not implement a curricular integration policy. The operationalization of verified payment demanded tighter space-time organization, such that the extended time assumed ambiguous marks: (a) the subject; (B) the improvisation/inventive; (C) the meet and mingle; (D) the protection. The study made it possible to understand that although the effects of expansion of school time showed up to be simple at the possibility of causing a school curricular restructuring, they demonstrated that the most significant action was highlighted in the figures of being a teacher and being a student in the development of full-time school. The extent of the extended school day proved to be tiring for both students and teachers, while it showed a strong representation of the school as a place of protection and socializing and a decreased interest in the extended school day inasmuch as student training cycle would increase.

Esta tese tem como objetivo compreender como o tempo escolar ampliado proposto pelo Programa Mais Educação é operacionalizado na instituição educacional e de que maneiras sua ampliação produz efeitos no currículo escolar. O estudo prioriza o tripé conceitual educação integral, tempo escolar e currículo, a partir de uma aproximação com os Estudos Culturais. Os dados foram discutidos utilizando a análise do ciclo de políticas de Ball, a noção de “representação” de Hall e o conceito de “ambivalência” de Bauman, para ressaltar que as ambiguidades convivem com processos de negociação de significados e sentidos na implantação e implementação da política. A pesquisa, de caráter quali-quantitativo, com inspiração etnográfica, foi desenvolvida em duas escolas de uma mesma cidade do Rio Grande do Sul que aderiram ao Programa Mais Educação em 2008. Todavia, essas escolas tinham a particularidade de serem integralizadas na sua totalidade de alunos e de desenvolverem um projeto municipal de turno integral. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação, elaboração de diário de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores, alunos e equipe diretiva de cada uma das escolas investigadas, questionários aplicados aos alunos e professores de ambas as instituições de ensino, além da análise documental referente ao Programa Mais Educação, ao Projeto Municipal de Turno Integral e aos projetos político-pedagógicos de cada uma das escolas analisadas. Como resultados, esta pesquisa demonstrou que o aumento do tempo escolar induzido pelo Programa Mais Educação e recontextualizado, pelo processo de hibridismo cultural, no município investigado torna-se indispensável para a efetivação da educação integral como política curricular. Entretanto, os obstáculos encontrados atualmente para sua execução – quanto a repasse de recursos financeiros, conquista de profissionais qualificados e comprometidos com a promoção da jornada ampliada, ampliação dos espaços para a realização da proposta de turno integral, clara divisão de turno e contraturno praticada – tendem a esvaziar o tempo ampliado, dificultando a constituição de uma proposta pedagógica de educação integral em tempo integral. Dessa forma, os tempos educacionais dessas escolas continuavam amarrados a uma perspectiva linear e cronológica de formação de um currículo que evidenciava a relevância dos saberes disciplinares e não efetivava uma política de integração curricular. A operacionalização da integralização verificada demandou uma organização espaço-temporal mais rígida, de tal forma que o tempo ampliado assumiu marcas ambíguas: (a) da disciplina; (b) do improviso/inventivo; (c) do conhecer e conviver; (d) da proteção. O estudo possibilitou compreender também que, se os efeitos da ampliação do tempo escolar demonstravam-se singelos ante a possibilidade de provocar uma reestruturação curricular da escola, por outro lado, eles demonstraram que a ação mais significativa estava ressaltada nas figuras do ser professor e ser aluno no desenvolvimento da escola de turno integral. A extensão da jornada ampliada demonstrou-se cansativa tanto para alunos quanto para professores, ao mesmo tempo que evidenciou uma forte representação da escola como local de proteção e convívio e uma queda de interesse pela jornada ampliada de educação à medida que aumentava o ciclo de formação do estudante. / This thesis aims at understanding how the school extended time proposed by the Brazilian Program: More Education is implemented in the educational institution and in which ways its expansion effects the school curriculum. The study emphasizes the conceptual tripod: integral education, school time and curriculum, from an approximation with the Cultural Studies. The data were discussed using Ball's analysis of policy cycle, Hall's notion of "representation" and Bauman's concept of "ambivalence" in order to emphasize that the ambiguities live with meaning negotiation processes and senses in the deployment and implementation of politics. The qualitative and quantitative research within an ethnographic inspiration was developed in two schools in the same city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which joined the More Education Program in 2008. However, these schools had the distinction of being fulfilled by students and by developing a Full-time Municipal Project. The data were collected through observation, preparation of field diary, semi-structured interviews with teachers, students and management team of each of the investigated schools, questionnaires given to students and teachers from both educational institutions, in addition to document analysis regarding the More Education Program, the Full-time Municipal Project and the political-pedagogical projects of each of the analyzed schools. As a result, this research demonstrated that the increase of school time induced by the More Education Program and (re)contextualized by the cultural hybridity process in the investigated city is indispensable for the accomplishment of comprehensive education as a curriculum policy. However, the obstacles currently encountered for execution - for the transfer of funds, achievement of qualified professionals committed to promoting extended working day, increase opportunities for the realization of the full-time proposal clear shift division and practiced after/before school time - They tend to empty the extended time, hindering the formation of a pedagogical proposal for comprehensive full-time education. Thus, the educational time of these schools were still tied to a linear and chronological perspective of forming a curriculum that showed the relevance of disciplinary knowledge and would not implement a curricular integration policy. The operationalization of verified payment demanded tighter space-time organization, such that the extended time assumed ambiguous marks: (a) the subject; (B) the improvisation/inventive; (C) the meet and mingle; (D) the protection. The study made it possible to understand that although the effects of expansion of school time showed up to be simple at the possibility of causing a school curricular restructuring, they demonstrated that the most significant action was highlighted in the figures of being a teacher and being a student in the development of full-time school. The extent of the extended school day proved to be tiring for both students and teachers, while it showed a strong representation of the school as a place of protection and socializing and a decreased interest in the extended school day inasmuch as student training cycle would increase.

Esta tese tem como objetivo compreender como o tempo escolar ampliado proposto pelo Programa Mais Educação é operacionalizado na instituição educacional e de que maneiras sua ampliação produz efeitos no currículo escolar. O estudo prioriza o tripé conceitual educação integral, tempo escolar e currículo, a partir de uma aproximação com os Estudos Culturais. Os dados foram discutidos utilizando a análise do ciclo de políticas de Ball, a noção de “representação” de Hall e o conceito de “ambivalência” de Bauman, para ressaltar que as ambiguidades convivem com processos de negociação de significados e sentidos na implantação e implementação da política. A pesquisa, de caráter quali-quantitativo, com inspiração etnográfica, foi desenvolvida em duas escolas de uma mesma cidade do Rio Grande do Sul que aderiram ao Programa Mais Educação em 2008. Todavia, essas escolas tinham a particularidade de serem integralizadas na sua totalidade de alunos e de desenvolverem um projeto municipal de turno integral. Os dados foram coletados por meio de observação, elaboração de diário de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas com professores, alunos e equipe diretiva de cada uma das escolas investigadas, questionários aplicados aos alunos e professores de ambas as instituições de ensino, além da análise documental referente ao Programa Mais Educação, ao Projeto Municipal de Turno Integral e aos projetos político-pedagógicos de cada uma das escolas analisadas. Como resultados, esta pesquisa demonstrou que o aumento do tempo escolar induzido pelo Programa Mais Educação e recontextualizado, pelo processo de hibridismo cultural, no município investigado torna-se indispensável para a efetivação da educação integral como política curricular. Entretanto, os obstáculos encontrados atualmente para sua execução – quanto a repasse de recursos financeiros, conquista de profissionais qualificados e comprometidos com a promoção da jornada ampliada, ampliação dos espaços para a realização da proposta de turno integral, clara divisão de turno e contraturno praticada – tendem a esvaziar o tempo ampliado, dificultando a constituição de uma proposta pedagógica de educação integral em tempo integral. Dessa forma, os tempos educacionais dessas escolas continuavam amarrados a uma perspectiva linear e cronológica de formação de um currículo que evidenciava a relevância dos saberes disciplinares e não efetivava uma política de integração curricular. A operacionalização da integralização verificada demandou uma organização espaço-temporal mais rígida, de tal forma que o tempo ampliado assumiu marcas ambíguas: (a) da disciplina; (b) do improviso/inventivo; (c) do conhecer e conviver; (d) da proteção. O estudo possibilitou compreender também que, se os efeitos da ampliação do tempo escolar demonstravam-se singelos ante a possibilidade de provocar uma reestruturação curricular da escola, por outro lado, eles demonstraram que a ação mais significativa estava ressaltada nas figuras do ser professor e ser aluno no desenvolvimento da escola de turno integral. A extensão da jornada ampliada demonstrou-se cansativa tanto para alunos quanto para professores, ao mesmo tempo que evidenciou uma forte representação da escola como local de proteção e convívio e uma queda de interesse pela jornada ampliada de educação à medida que aumentava o ciclo de formação do estudante. / This thesis aims at understanding how the school extended time proposed by the Brazilian Program: More Education is implemented in the educational institution and in which ways its expansion effects the school curriculum. The study emphasizes the conceptual tripod: integral education, school time and curriculum, from an approximation with the Cultural Studies. The data were discussed using Ball's analysis of policy cycle, Hall's notion of "representation" and Bauman's concept of "ambivalence" in order to emphasize that the ambiguities live with meaning negotiation processes and senses in the deployment and implementation of politics. The qualitative and quantitative research within an ethnographic inspiration was developed in two schools in the same city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, which joined the More Education Program in 2008. However, these schools had the distinction of being fulfilled by students and by developing a Full-time Municipal Project. The data were collected through observation, preparation of field diary, semi-structured interviews with teachers, students and management team of each of the investigated schools, questionnaires given to students and teachers from both educational institutions, in addition to document analysis regarding the More Education Program, the Full-time Municipal Project and the political-pedagogical projects of each of the analyzed schools. As a result, this research demonstrated that the increase of school time induced by the More Education Program and (re)contextualized by the cultural hybridity process in the investigated city is indispensable for the accomplishment of comprehensive education as a curriculum policy. However, the obstacles currently encountered for execution - for the transfer of funds, achievement of qualified professionals committed to promoting extended working day, increase opportunities for the realization of the full-time proposal clear shift division and practiced after/before school time - They tend to empty the extended time, hindering the formation of a pedagogical proposal for comprehensive full-time education. Thus, the educational time of these schools were still tied to a linear and chronological perspective of forming a curriculum that showed the relevance of disciplinary knowledge and would not implement a curricular integration policy. The operationalization of verified payment demanded tighter space-time organization, such that the extended time assumed ambiguous marks: (a) the subject; (B) the improvisation/inventive; (C) the meet and mingle; (D) the protection. The study made it possible to understand that although the effects of expansion of school time showed up to be simple at the possibility of causing a school curricular restructuring, they demonstrated that the most significant action was highlighted in the figures of being a teacher and being a student in the development of full-time school. The extent of the extended school day proved to be tiring for both students and teachers, while it showed a strong representation of the school as a place of protection and socializing and a decreased interest in the extended school day inasmuch as student training cycle would increase.

No description available.

Thesis advisor: Anderson J. Franklin / The differential effects of the achievement gap on lower-income youth persist in this country (National Association of State Boards of Education, 2013). Recognition of the role of Out-of-School Time (OST) factors contributing to achievement differences has been growing (Gordon, Bridglall, & Meroe, 2005). As a result, OST programs have been gaining popularity; however, program efficacy varies. Socio-emotional climate represents one area of quality that likely influences student outcomes. Socio-emotional climate was assessed through a custom observation tool from a larger study. Social competence and resilience was the outcome variable as measured by the DESSA-RRE. Factor analysis empirically profiled the socio-emotional climates of 37 summer learning programs from five school districts across the country, resulting in four “GROW” dimensions of socio-emotional climate: (1) Growth-promoting Instruction, (2) Resolve and Focus, (3) Organization, and (4) Warmth. Given the randomized control design of the larger study, variability among the 37 climates was limited. Thus, hierarchical linear regression examined the influence of climate on students’ outcomes. HLR found that the socio-emotional climate explained a statistically significant (R2=0.12, p<0.001, f2=0.14) amount of variance in students’ social competence and resilience, above and beyond demographics alone (􏰀 R2=0.005, p=0.007, f2=0.01). Moderation results were non- significant. Limitations to the study centered on data collection and quantitative methodology. Implications for both counseling psychologists and OST providers were discussed at length, notably supporting programs towards Growth-promoting Instruction. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2018. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

abstract: There has been growing interest among learning scientists in the design and study of out-of-school time (OST) learning environments to support equitable development of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) interests among youth from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields. Most of these design studies assumed the youth came to the learning environments without well-developed STEM interests. I challenged this assumption by enacting a social design participatory study to engage youth (aged 11 to 14), from groups that are underrepresented in STEM fields, as partners in designing an OST networked club to support the youth in growing their own STEM interests. Based on longitudinal ethnographic data, I report a three-year iterative design of this networked club. I characterize the heterogeneity of STEM interests that emerged and grew across the networked club. Building on ecological theories of interest development, and leveraging the cultural assets of the nondominant community, I argue that heterogeneity of interests, resources, and practices served as a design tool and a catalyst for the development of STEM interest in the OST networked club. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Learning, Literacies and Technologies 2019

<p>The problem focused in the thesis has its ground in the crossroads between a manifold school-time and shared as well as individual rhythms of pupils. The thesis builds on a theoretical assumption that cultural structures in time are of meaning for an understanding of ourselves and of others, and works as a frame for contemporary values and constraints, especially in school. The aim is to understand and create a thick description of the phenomenon time as a condition for positioning, as young high school pupils see and deal with it. The contexts for their descriptions are three specific schools, challenging traditional ways of studying in time by offer independency, one by distance education, one by mobility between independency and timed lessons, and one by an independent project in an otherwise ordinary timetable. </p><p>The empirical material is mainly based on interviews, letters and drawings, collected from thirty pupils, ten from each school. The study is conducted and analysed in means of an abductive methodology, and use senzitising concepts to withdraw units of meaning, relating the descriptions of pupils to theoretical assumptions.</p><p>Time as a condition for positioning is a way of balancing between structure and individual acts. Time in school is created and dealt with in the crossroads between feelings of freedom to, of being in control of and/or close to, and their opposites, feelings of freedom from, or being controlled by and/or on distance. Dreams of spontaneity, closeness and intensity give way to certain temporal dilemmas in a school-time with contradictory values. The rhythms outlined by some of the pupils support the dreams described, as well as they underline the pupils’ need for temporal frames that see and confirm their performances here and now, as well as in the future. Time as an analytical filter reveals a meaning of time as enclosing lines and circles, present moments and stretched lives, school-time and other times. </p>

The problem focused in the thesis has its ground in the crossroads between a manifold school-time and shared as well as individual rhythms of pupils. The thesis builds on a theoretical assumption that cultural structures in time are of meaning for an understanding of ourselves and of others, and works as a frame for contemporary values and constraints, especially in school. The aim is to understand and create a thick description of the phenomenon time as a condition for positioning, as young high school pupils see and deal with it. The contexts for their descriptions are three specific schools, challenging traditional ways of studying in time by offer independency, one by distance education, one by mobility between independency and timed lessons, and one by an independent project in an otherwise ordinary timetable. The empirical material is mainly based on interviews, letters and drawings, collected from thirty pupils, ten from each school. The study is conducted and analysed in means of an abductive methodology, and use senzitising concepts to withdraw units of meaning, relating the descriptions of pupils to theoretical assumptions. Time as a condition for positioning is a way of balancing between structure and individual acts. Time in school is created and dealt with in the crossroads between feelings of freedom to, of being in control of and/or close to, and their opposites, feelings of freedom from, or being controlled by and/or on distance. Dreams of spontaneity, closeness and intensity give way to certain temporal dilemmas in a school-time with contradictory values. The rhythms outlined by some of the pupils support the dreams described, as well as they underline the pupils’ need for temporal frames that see and confirm their performances here and now, as well as in the future. Time as an analytical filter reveals a meaning of time as enclosing lines and circles, present moments and stretched lives, school-time and other times.

Previous research suggests that parents can benefit from youth participation in after-school programs. However, little research has explored parent involvement in after-school programs as an important program characteristic leading to youth development. Bioecological Systems Theory suggests that individuals are influenced by the interactions of others within their environment. Building from this theory, it was posited that parent benefits resulting from involvement in after-school programs can facilitate positive youth development. Surveys were completed by 117 parents whose daughters participated in the Cool Girls, Inc. after-school program, a program serving primarily low-income, African American, urban youth. Using Exploratory Factor Analysis, a three factor structure of parent benefits was identified. Parent benefits include increased (1) parent-child communication, (2) parent social capital, and (3) parent-school involvement. A fourth parent benefit of help for working parents was identified in subsequent analyses using a smaller sample of only working parents (n = 86). Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that more parent after-school program involvement was associated with increases in each of the four parent benefits. As predicted, each of the four parent benefits mediated the association between parent involvement in after-school programs and parent reported changes in positive youth development outcomes due to participation in Cool Girls, Inc. These results suggest the importance of further research into ways parents benefit from their child’s participation in after-school programs and how those benefits can influence youth developmental trajectories. These findings also demonstrate the importance of involving parents in after-school programs.