Educators, researchers, social entrepreneurs, legislators, and philanthropists from across the nation convened at The New Jersey Expanded Learning Time Summit on Thursday, September 23.
In advance of the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (commonly referred to as 'No Child Left Behind'), the summit highlighted the effectiveness of expanding student learning time as a cost-effective strategy for preparing New Jersey's 1.37 million public school students for success in the classroom and global economy.
The information and strategies discussed during the program set the stage for increased collaboration, communication, and data sharing across the state's education community. In addition, the summit better prepares New Jersey's education community for emerging private and federal grant opportunities meant to drive necessary reform. (You can download the Program Guide by clicking here.)
The keynote address was delivered by Dr. Milton Goldberg, former executive director of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, which issued the landmark report, A Nation at Risk. The opening plenary was facilitated by Dr. Priscilla Little, Senior Researcher for the Harvard Family Research Project. Little also authored the Summit policy brief, entitled: Expanded Learning Opportunities in New Jersey - Pathways to Student Success.
Three concurrent panel discussions followed the opening plenary that examined proven expanded learning time strategies, opportunities for greater collaboration between nonprofit organizations and public schools, and available revenue streams to launch and sustain effective expanded learning time partnerships throughout the state.
The summit was made possible through private sector contributions from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, The Frances L. & Edwin L. Cummings Memorial Fund, PSE&G, Valero, The Edwin Gould Foundation, and Caucus Educational Corporation.
Summit panelists included:
- Bela Shah Spooner - The National League of Cities
- Ben Lummis - The National Center on Time & Learning
- Carole Prest - BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life)
- Charissa Fernandez - The After School Corporation
- Elizabeth Williamson - The United States Department of Education
- Elliott Lee - JPMorganChase Foundation
- Eric Schwarz & Jarrad Toussant - Citizen Schools
- Etta Denk - Bank of America
- Gloria Bonilla-Santiago - Rutgers University
- Jeff Smink & Ashley Stewart - The National Summer Learning Association
- Mark Valli - New Jersey After 3
- Steve Adubato - Caucus Educational Corporation
- Steven Ross - Johns Hopkins University
Why this is important: A growing body of research suggests that expanding student learning time is an effective strategy for improving student achievement, particularly for low-income students, minority students, and English language learners.
As the Nation works towards the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind), The U.S. Department of Education seeks new solutions that better support the needs of students, schools and families in the 21st century. In its recently published “blueprint” for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Obama Administration outlines a series of strategies and grant competitions meant to drive education reform. This reform explicitly calls for the expansion of learning time for students and incentivizes the formal inclusion of the nonprofit community in the education process.
Opportunity: There is an existing infrastructure of evidence-based programs working throughout the State of New Jersey, across a broad spectrum of partners from the public and private sector, and spanning afterschool, summer learning, other arenas where intentional teaching and learning take place. The current levels of coordination, communication, data sharing, and measurement across these groups, however, vary greatly. As the national movement towards expanding student learning time gains momentum, and public and private resources are directed towards restructuring the amount of time and the ways students learn in our schools and beyond, it is critical that best practices be identified, studied and discussed in a coordinated fashion. This summit will be the first step in shaping a local vision for how public schools and the private and public sectors can work together to set common goals, measures, and structures that produce better outcomes for students, families and communities.
The Role of New Jersey After 3: As a statewide leader in the afterschool field, and the supporter of evidence-based programs that expanded learning time by more than 40% each school day in public school communities since 2004, New Jersey After 3 is proud to leverage its capacity, network and experience as the convener of this critical dialogue.
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Important Resources
Program Guide
A detailed overview of the summit agenda and panelists.
Summit Policy Brief - Pathways to Student Success
A policy brief prepared by Harvard Family Research Project in preparation for the summit - the brief includes critical data supporting a variety of expanded learning opportunities in New Jersey
The New Jersey Expanded Learning Time Summit Press Release
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