Research for Action

Our new report, funded by the William Penn Foundation, offers the most complete picture yet of where OST programs exist for children from Pre-K through grade 8 in Philadelphia, where they fall short, and who is missing out. The report also highlights several “bright spots”: areas where, despite high concentrations of children experiencing poverty, available programs are adequate to meet the demand.

Our new report, funded by the William Penn Foundation, offers the most complete picture yet of where OST programs exist for children from Pre-K through grade 8 in Philadelphia, where they fall short, and who is missing out. The report also highlights several “bright spots”: areas where, despite high concentrations of children experiencing poverty, available programs are adequate to meet the demand.

By Kate Callahan When I read Steffen Bohni Nielsen and Sebastian Lemire’s recent article, “What Happens When a Black Swan Meets a Gray Rhino?,” I recognized RFA on almost every page. The authors name what evaluators have been feeling for more than a year, but haven’t had a clean way to talk about. The federal funding collapse under DOGE was a Black Swan: sudden, disorienting, impossible to plan for.

Developmental education (DE) has come under increasing scrutiny as researchers have identified that a) many students placed in DE would be successful if placed in college-level coursework; b) lengthy DE course sequences lead to decreased retention and completion rates; and c) racialized disparities in placement mean that Black, Latine, and Indigenous students are more likely to experience DE’s harmful effects.

Developmental education (DE) has come under increasing scrutiny as researchers have identified that a) many students placed in DE would be successful if placed in college-level coursework; b) lengthy DE course sequences lead to decreased retention and completion rates; and c) racialized disparities in placement mean that Black, Latine, and Indigenous students are more likely to experience DE’s harmful effects.

Throughout this mini-brief series, we have explored ten principles that help multipurpose out-of-school (OST) time organizations build and sustain high-quality arts programs. Drawing on lessons from Raising the Barre, Designing for Engagement, and Setting the Stage, we examined what quality looks like in practice, the challenges organizations face in achieving it, and strategies for overcoming those challenges.

By Tracey Hartmann While multipurpose out-of-school time (OST) organizations provide supportive environments for youth development and social-emotional growth, in the context of the arts, safety requires an approach that mitigates physical harm and creates an emotionally safe space for youth to express themselves.

While multipurpose out-of-school time (OST) organizations provide supportive environments for youth development and social-emotional growth, in the context of the arts, safety requires an approach that mitigates physical harm and creates an emotionally safe space for youth to express themselves.

By Tracey Hartmann Multipurpose out-of-school time (OST) organizations partner with families to support children’s needs and gather input on programming. These organizations also collaborate with community groups to access resources, enrich content, and bolster sustainability.

Multipurpose out-of-school time (OST) organizations partner with families to support children’s needs and gather input on programming. These organizations also collaborate with community groups to access resources, enrich content, and bolster sustainability.