WHOLE DAY, WHOLE YEAR, WHOLE CHILD
Whole Day, Whole Year, Whole Child is an initiative on reimagining how schools use time, space, and talent across the school day and year to best support students.
California’s significant investments in expanded learning programs present a unique opportunity to rethink traditional structures of the school day and year. As we explore the possibilities of reimagining when and how learning takes place, below are some tools and resources to help get us to think innovatively about the opportunities.
LAUNCH EFFORTS – TOOLS & RESOURCES
Think Together aims to convene a group or “Think Tank” of practice and policy leaders in the visioning and conceptualization of a reimagined learning day and year innovation effort.
RESEARCH
Strengthening Coherence Across Initiatives: A Whole-Child Lens
More Than Just Another “To-Do”
TK-12 – Strengthening Coherence Across Initiatives: A Whole-Child Lens
Strengthening Coherence Across Initiatives: A Whole-Child Lens in Secondary
Perspectives That Bind: Reshaping Partnerships in Education
Expanded Learning Partnerships
A Case for Coherence: Fulfilling California’s Community Schools Promise. Policy and Practice Brief
BACKGROUND
It is widely understood that the current construct of U.S. public schools with a roughly 6-hour day and long summer break is woefully outdated and doesn’t meet the needs of kids and families.
California has long been a leader in expanding the day with its investments in expanded learning. However, California’s multi-billion dollar investments in expanded learning programs (ELO-P), have been slow to be utilized by districts.
OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATION
Think Together, as a leading provider of expanded learning programs in California, seeks to leverage this opportunity to integrate academic, social, emotional, and enrichment activities, breaking down traditional divides between the regular school day and afterschool programs.
We know from experience in the expanded learning field that when school day and expanded learning staff and resources are aligned and complementary, it’s better for kids
It is useful to consider highly successful examples
- Additional Days School Year (ADSY) initiative in Texas
- TASC’s ExpandED Schools
- The Partnership for Children & Youth study on site-level expanded learning partnerships
THINK TOGETHER’S EXPANDED LEARNING PRESENCE
