After-School Adventures:
Polk City and Loughman Oaks Elementary Schools
1. PROJECT SCOPE OF WORK
A. Program Design - The School Board of Polk County seeks $352,044 to serve 235 students in grades K-5 at new 21st Century Community Learning Centers at two elementary schools. After-School Adventure centers are our answer to opening doors for kids with too few life experiences to know how much they can accomplish. Polk is launching extended learning centers, ultimately supported by multiple funding streams, which change the self concept of reticent students into innovators and leaders.
Each center will open five afternoons per week, after school, with a nutritious snack, homework help and late activity bus to take students home. Monthly family evenings will include activities based on current student projects, with activities addressing immediate community needs such as gang resistance and financial literacy. Services will start October 28, 2013, and run through the end of May, opening again in August, 2014, at the start of the school year. Certified teachers will teach integrated, core subjects in student-led projects based on issues that touch the lives of local families. The centers will open at the following schools:
· Polk City Elementary in Polk City, opening at 2:45 daily for an average 2.5 hours to 75 students for 154 days over 33 weeks.
· Loughman Oaks Elementary north of Davenport, opening at 3:00 p.m. daily for an average 2.5 hours with 160 students for 154 days over 33 weeks.
Each center will have certified teachers at a 1:20 ratio daily, additional trained volunteers from the community for enrichment, and hourly college students to lower the adult-to-student ratio, and to supervise recreation and small group activities. Faculty will host parent and family sessions with numerous, local, volunteers bringing a variety of activities responsive to requests.
B. Facilities - All campuses have modern media centers, computer labs, commercial-grade kitchens and cafeteria, classrooms equipped to accommodate young children, and security fencing with camera surveillance at entrances and in most student traffic areas. All campuses have wireless Internet connectivity, SMART Boards in most classrooms, "clicker" student response systems, and document cameras.
A fulltime, district, 21st CCLC Program Coordinator will carry out the After-School Adventures project plan, with work directed by an Advisory Board that includes expertise about families in the immediate community, about implementing rigorous curriculum, about local business and industry, and about supporting students with various disadvantages. Each school has recruited qualified advisors to serve on this board, that will meet at least quarterly.
2. EVIDENCE OF EXPERIENCE
A. Prior Experience - Polk Schools operated a 21st CCLC program between 2003 and 2009, opening with three schools and building to 14 centers. The program enjoyed favorable audits and program reviews. Coordinator Noreta Bish was a presenter at state conferences.
Late in that period, Polk nearly led the state in both unemployment and mortgage foreclosures. Revenues from sales taxes and property taxes plummeted. The district declined to renew its final 21st CCLC grants when the economy forced budget cuts and reduced staff.
Prior Operations - The 2007-2008 final report of the third-party evaluator said, "Polk’s 21st CCLC program has … impressive communication and collaboration between the director and coordinators (e.g., regular meetings to discuss objectives and programming), [and] the entire administration was knowledgeable about their responsibilities as well as those of their colleagues. The program offered students a wide variety of well-established activities that blend academics, enrichment, recreation, and character development. It also has methods of collecting and analyzing data beyond what is required by the state department of education in place. For instance, the program utilized additional parent and student opinion surveys and performance assessments. Moreover, the program adjusted activities and processes based on findings. Take-home materials were provided for parents to engage participating students at home. Such efforts have resulted in a large number of parents expressing interest in volunteering for special events. Strong communication exists between the school day and after-school teachers, strengthening program effectiveness by allowing more accurate and consistent monitoring of student progress, academic needs, and behavioral challenges."
Prior Outcomes - In part, this report concludes, "As stated, the 21st CCLC students significantly outperformed their like peers in FCAT/SAT10 math gains over the previous year. Likewise, for reading on the standardized assessments, greater percentages of the 21st CCLC program students in the sample demonstrated improved scores when compared to their like peers in the comparison group. Moreover, fewer students in the 21st CCLC sample were retained a grade level compared to their like peers in the sample….The 21st CCLC program was able to show that it had a positive impact on its students’ school attendance."
B. Leadership Capacity - District Administration - Kathryn M. LeRoy was appointed Polk superintendent in May, 2013. She is former chief academic officer in Duval County schools, where 21st CCLC grants started in 1998. A civic group creating community and education alliances has continued after-school programming in 29 Duval public schools after 21st CCLC expired. Mrs. LeRoy will lay plans for similar coordination in Polk.
Grants Director Marcia Ford will render administrative services for Polk's Learning Centers, at district expense. She meets each Monday with the Superintendent's Academic Leadership Team. Mrs. Ford's master's degree is in Guidance and Counseling. She coordinates Polk's $14.2 million Race to the Top grant, due to expire this school year.
Mrs. Ford is the administrator responsible for the accuracy of program records, who will authorize payroll and purchases, and who will submit contracts for School Board approval.
Program Management - The fulltime, grant-paid, 21st Century Program Coordinator must have at least a bachelor's degree with background in youth development; and experience in contractual negotiations, budgeting and payroll, and public speaking. The coordinator must know prevention programs; government regulations, policies and procedures; project management, and evaluations. The coordinator will handle purchasing and payroll processing, coordinate community services and partnerships, and research best practices.
The attached organization chart illustrates what positions will be grant-supported, and how the Program Coordinator will support the schools that host Community Learning Centers.
All school activities are supervised by Principals under management by Regional Assistant Superintendents, who will work directly with the Program Coordinator. Polk has multiple 21st CCLC grant applications pending, each with a project coordinator in the proposed budget. Should the district receive two or more awards, it will still hire one project coordinator and one, grant-paid curriculum specialist (an 11-month teacher with experience developing and adapting curriculum). Each after-school center will have an hourly Site Coordinator assisted by the district Program Coordinator.
The district's Business Services office will issue financial reports. Through S.A.P. accounting, it has redundant systems in place for accurate, timely and understandable fiscal accountability and audit trail.
Primary partners for these two elementary school centers are listed below, followed by greater discussion of their qualifications and commitments.
· Learning Resource Center (hereafter "LRC") - LRC has contracted with some of the county's best teachers to develop fun, creative, and productive project-based units of instruction, and is providing these resources to the district as a community service. In addition, this agency is collaborating with district planners from the Community Involvement and Grants offices to expand After-School Adventures, with complementary funding including LRC's United Way supplements, to additional communities in Polk, with other funding for sustainability.
· Magnify Credit Union - This credit union has teamed with TrueWealth Inc. to provide financial literacy lessons specifically designed for students and their families. Magnify contributes the first $5 to each student choosing to open a savings account.
· United Way of Central Florida - United Way will contribute speakers and parent education regarding early literacy, materials which support this message, and information to families so that they can reach out beyond schools for other early learning opportunities through various United Way agencies. Most serve the disabled, offer services on a sliding fee scale, and coordinate with school curriculum to promote student success.
Learning Resource Center - LRC is a non-profit, United Way agency spun off from the Junior League of Lakeland in 1975. The Learning Resource Center has more than 500 certified teachers who provide countywide services to more than 4,000 students ages five through adult. It is the district's Title I contractor for many of Polk's private schools, and tutors students with disabilities for the district. LRC already provides academic services for the 21st CCLC program serving other schools through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lakeland. LRC enhances its community-based services with United Way funds to benefit low-income families. In June, 2013, Polk Transit partnered with LRC to provide free transportation to LRC students in the bus system's Universal Transit Program, which also serves Polk State College.
LRC participates in United Way-commissioned evaluation studies each year that examine comparison-group outcomes for United Way's 27 local partner agencies offering education programs, and consistently shows favorable results.
Dr. Pam Craven, Executive Director at LRC, is an adjunct with Florida Southern College’s graduate program and Polk State College’s Early Childhood Department. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from USF. Her many civic activities are Polk Businesses for WorldClass Education, READ Polk (adult literacy) board of directors, the Leadership Polk Steering Committee, Polk Vision Steering Committee, and the Mentoring Alliance of Polk County.
Financial Literacy for Kids Foundation - TrueWealth Ventures, Inc. supports the charitable Financial Literacy for Kids Foundation, whose mission is financial literacy. Partnering Magnify Credit Union provides materials and opens fee-free savings accounts for course completers. The curriculum, "TrueWealth-KIDS," teaches "Keep, Invest, Donate, Spend." It teaches that true wealth incorporates other life values that contribute to deeper satisfaction and personal peace. Students explore the concepts of risk and reward, success and failure, choice, attitude, compassion, and wants versus needs. They emerge with the ability to intelligently discuss investment opportunities, types of return, responsible budgeting and philanthropy.
United Way of Central Florida, - United Way in Polk, Highlands and Hardee counties anchors the annual communitywide evaluation of student education programs among its member organizations through DIME Systems of South Carolina. These services include tutoring, mentoring, and summer academic camps. Continued funding is contingent upon evidence that the investment is improving academic performance.
In addition, United Way recently added a fulltime financial literacy coach, sponsored by the Florida Prosperity Partnership, to build financial assets for low-to-moderate income residents. The United Way will measure the number of families who, because of improved training, amass sufficient savings to overcome unforeseen life obstacles such as car repairs or threats to health. This will reduce family crises that can interfere with student learning.
Students served by both Polk County Schools and United Way partner programs outperformed a comparison group of students who did not receive services funded by the United Way. Scores on FCAT in both reading and math were higher when students attended United Way-funded programs, and school attendance was higher in four of the last five years.
Outreach - The district sent certified letters of notification about this proposal, inviting input about needs and implementation, to all 49 private schools listed in Polk by the Florida Department of Education. Staff had contacts with dozens of organizations, including: New Bethel Christian Academy, City of Winter Haven Community Services Department, Students Opting 4 Success, Church of Resurrection Catholic School, Winter Haven Public Education Partnership, Word of Life School, Winter Haven Community Development Corporation, Lake Wales Charter Schools, Doors to Change healing arts project, Boys and Girls Clubs of Lakeland; Boys and Girls Clubs of Winter Haven, Winter Haven Public Education Partnership, Winter Haven Community Development Corporation, Winter Haven Chamber of Commerce, Polk City Municipal Council, Lakeland Public Transit, the United Way Community Impact Cabinet, ESOL services, Title I services, Professional Development services, Food Services, Transportation Services, the Mark Wilcox Center, Architectural Services, Library Media Services, and individual parents in Winter Haven, Eloise, and Poinciana.
3. PROJECT NEED
A planning committee of several district coordinators and school leadership teams, together with the project partners, gathered information over three months and from several venues to assess school needs. The students to be served need more experiences and background information than their parents can provide, just to keep up with their peers. Some, encountering a book about Niagara Falls, didn't know what a waterfall is. Others wondered if sharks swim in their local lake. After-School Adventures not only aims to backfill these needs for supports and experiences, but will extend learning to help these children become ready for college and productive careers.
1. Poverty rates in the communities to be served
An overriding need throughout Polk schools is combating the ill effects of poverty. In 2010, the Brookings Institution reported Polk County had the nation’s fifth-highest rate of suburban poverty. Poverty among children younger than age 18 is 21.4% in the U.S., 23.2% in Florida, and 28.9% in Polk. A third of Polk's children who are younger than age five live in poverty. Last year Polk City had 13 homeless students and Loughman Oaks had 38.
The economic stresses of poverty impact families in many ways. They tend to lack the resiliency to keep small problems from becoming large problems. Their rate of having family members incarcerated is higher than the general population. Lack of transportation and child care adds to the stress.
After-School Adventures can impact these families quickly and with appreciable impact by helping to relieve some of these stresses. This ranges from child supervision and feeding to gaining coping skills and the company of peers who help each other. The students, especially, will gain from cooperative learning in diverse groups that, through carefully supervised, group exploration and assistance, teaches mutual respect, the value of asking for help, discipline, and sensitivity to intrinsic reward.
2. Percentage or growth of limited-English proficient students and adults
Loughman Oaks and Polk City both occupy far northern Polk, which stretches into the Green Swamp west of Orlando. But their populations are very different. Polk City is an old, traditional, ranching community. It has its own veterinarian, but residents have to go to Lakeland for a doctor or dentist. Compared to 11% for the district, Polk City has only 6% English Language Learners. Loughman Oaks, with 20% English Language Learners, is closer to the Disney tourist area. This school was built since the U.S. 27 hospitality service area grew south from Osceola and Lake counties in the 1990s.