In June 2005 the Council created the Extended Learning Opportunities Taskforce in order to give states an opportunity to inform the Council’s work in the area of extended learning opportunities.. The taskforce consists of fifteen members representing 11 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. Taskforce members will be involved in revising CCSSO’s existing Policy Statement on Extended Learning Opportunities and informing the planning process for events for Chiefs that focus on the potential role of extended learning opportunities in fostering student success and supporting broader school improvement and reform efforts.

The first meeting of the taskforce took place on June 15, 2005 via audioconference call. On that call Council staff provided a broad overview of current work focused on researching high-quality extended learning initiatives that serve children attending high-poverty schools, and technical assistance to states around building the state education agency’s capacity to effectively implement the 21st Century Community Learning Centers(21st CCLC) and Supplemental Educational Services (SES) programs. Call participants discussed issues that they hope the taskforce would collectively address including: relating current research on the impact of afterschool programs on student development to state level policies, integrating multiple funding streams to sustain extended learning opportunities (21st CCLC, SES, state-based programs, etc.), and connecting extended learning opportunities more explicitly to state, district, and school reform efforts.

• Summary and Materials from the ELO Task Force Meeting 02/26/07
• Summary and Materials from the ELO Task Force Meeting 07/19/06
• Summary and Materials from the ELO Task Force Meeting 11/18/05
• ELO Task Force Membership
• ELO Task Force Audioconference Call Summary
• Research and Evaluation of Extended Learning programs.

For additional information regarding the ELO taskforce, contact:
Ayeola Fortune, Project Director, Extended Learning Opportunities at ayeolaf@ccsso.org or 202-326-8680.