Resources

Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO)

The Council's Expanded Learning Opportunities project was established in 1998 to build state capacity to implement high-quality expanded learning opportunities (ELOs). ELOs are initiatives that provide students additional opportunities for enrichment, personal growth, and engagement outside of the traditional school day. ELOs include extended day/year initiatives; before- and after-school programs; Saturday, weekend, and summer programs; distance learning, and early childhood education initiatives. ELOs are a strategy for rethinking the time and learning continuum for students. They present a unique opportunity to forge collaborative relationships among schools, youth, community organizations, cultural institutions, and other entities to enhance the educational and developmental experiences of children and youth.

Key activities of the ELO Program include:

• Collaborating with national partners as part of the Afterschool Technical Assistance Collaborative (ATAC) to support the Mott-funded statewide afterschool networks to strengthen their capacity to improve the quality and quantity of ELOs within their states
• Researching and developing reports that synthesize key issues in expanded learning opportunities
• Developing and maintaining an online ELO Toolkit for chiefs and state education agency staff

Related Resources

• WebsiteExpanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Toolkit
• PublicationSummer Learning Opportunities in High-Poverty Schools
• PublicationThe Quality Imperative: A State Guide to Achieving the Promise of Expanded Learning Opportunities
• PublicationExpanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Policy Statement
• PublicationSupporting Student Success: The Promise of Expanded Learning Opportunities
• CCSSO, NCSL, and the NGA Center Release Joint Report on the Promise of Expanded Learning Opportunities
• PublicationConnecting High-Quality Expanded Learning Opportunities and the Common Core State Standards to Advance Student Success
• CCSSO Releases Policy Brief on Common Core State Standards Implementation Through Expanded Learning Opportunities