Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative. Case Studies 2010-2011
Author: Caven, Meghan
Date: 2012-06-01
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Elementary Schools,Middle Schools,Extended School Day,Extended School Year,Case Studies,Program Implementation,Program Effectiveness,Outcomes of Education,Enrichment Activities,Academic Support Services,Student Experience,Elementary School Students,Middle School Students,Learner Engagement,Teaching Methods,Teacher Student Relationship,Individualized Instruction,Test Preparation,Data,Elementary School Teachers,Middle School Teachers,Focus Groups,Interviews,Observation,Ethnography,Principals,Quasiexperimental Design

The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative was launched in 2005, and it provides grants to selected schools across multiple districts to increase instructional time by at least 300 hours per academic year. Participating schools receive an additional $1,300 per student to lengthen the day and/or year. Schools are expected to use the additional time to provide more instructional opportunities in core academic subjects, integrate additional enrichment opportunities into student learning, and to increase opportunities for educators to plan for instruction and participate in professional development. ELT schools are also encouraged to provide students with dedicated academic support time as part of the school schedule. Such targeted support is intended to fill gaps in students' knowledge and skill sets by providing them with individualized academic attention. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE), with support through a research grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education, commissioned a multi-year quasi-experimental study of its Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative. The purpose of the study was to examine implementation of the ELT initiative, compare academic and non-academic outcomes, and assess the relationship between implementation of core elements of the ELT initiative and outcomes. The study found that implementation of the core ELT components varied considerably across schools. The schools considered for the case study were characterized as having high-level ELT implementation, and were also selected with assistance from ESE and other stakeholders. The three ELT schools included are the A.C. Whelan Elementary School in Revere, Frank M. Silvia (formerly known as North End) Elementary School in Fall River, and Clarence R. Edwards Middle School in Charlestown. This report has two major sections. The first section includes descriptions of key themes within each of the three schools, and it also presents illustrative examples of student and teacher activities from classroom observations in text boxes alongside the descriptions. The second section presents a discussion of cross-school findings and conclusions. The following are appended: (1) Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Implementation Index, 2009-10; (2) Case Study Data Codebook; (3) ELT Student Scan for Engagement (ESSE); (4) Administrator and Teacher Interview Protocol; and (5) Student Focus Group Protocol. [This document was written with assistance from: Rodolfo de la Cruz, Eric Friedman, Kristina Kliorys, Rachel McCormick, and Missy Robinson.]