What do strong high school afterschool programs have in common? Several characteristics consistently emerge as keys to success. They include student enthusiasm, high levels of parental and community support, school administration buy-in, and the quality of program staff.

In the past two years, H. Grady Spruce High School in Dallas, Texas has revamped its 21st CCLC program and transformed it into a role model for best practice programs in Texas.  Now in its fourth year, the program serves over 300 students, 50 parents, and 30 student siblings. Draper Roussell, Site Coordinator at H. Grady Spruce, is known for his good relationship-building ability with students and for being a great motivator. Since he joined the afterschool program, it has grown in popularity and has become essential to the school, parents, and the surrounding community.

A successful high school afterschool program like the one at H. Grady Spruce is particularly in tune with the independence of its students and responsive to their interests. Both Mr. Roussell and Shunia Taylor, Program Manager of this afterschool program, have worked to promote creativity. Students choose from a variety of creativity-oriented classes and activities, which include Networking Basics, Ultimate Genre Readers, Drama Club, Chess Club, and Extended Library Hours. Speech Masters focuses on teaching speech writing, public speaking, and debate skills.

But the most popular classes are those in the Fine Arts Explosion category. The Fine Arts Explosion consists of classesin Dance, concentrating on jazz dance; Vocal Techniques, in which participants form a singing group; Theatre Arts; and Photography. In the Photography class, students have also learned technological skills and created a Web site. The popular Afterschool Band offers an opportunity for students who cannot be part of the school band to stay involved in music. The band alone draws about 35 students!

The H. Grady Spruce High School afterschool program has also had great success in involving parents. According to Jean Dickerson, Technical Assistance Coordinator (TAC) for the Dallas-Fort Worth Area, “Grady Spruce HS is providing activities for an adult population that is highly engaged and enthusiastic about participating.” About 50 parents attend the free GED and ESL classes or have been active in events such as a student/parent cooking class.
                             
Recruiting parents can be as challenging as recruiting students. One advantage at Grady Spruce is that Ms Taylor used to be a parent liaison herself. Her networking skills and previous connections with parents have helped increase parent attendance.  Parent recruitment during drop-off in the mornings, personal phone calls, and word-of-mouth have been successful strategies.  Another important stimulus to parent involvement in the afterschool program has been collaboration with the school district. The Adult Basic Education Department at Dallas I.S.D. acknowledges that the afterschool schedule is a great tool for getting parents and siblings into the program.   The district has now partnered with the afterschool program to provide classes for parents. This partnership has benefited the district, the afterschool program, and, most importantly, many parents!

The H. Grady Spruce afterschool program has earned buy-in from the school day staff and the administration. Recently each teacher donated $50 for afterschool program activities. Many program volunteers include teachers and even the associate principal.  The principal, Mr. Leon James, is also an active supporter of the afterschool program. Like the site coordinator, he has a reputation for being a very good motivator and has a genuine interest in student success. His good relationships with Mr. Roussell and Ms Taylor help increase his support for the afterschool program.  Ms Taylor’s advice on how to increase administration buy-in is to “explain to them … this is what we can offer, this is how we can help. We aren’t here to take over your school or tell you what to do. We need collaboration.”

Promoting a relationship between your TAC and your school administration is another best practice strategy. After her first visit to H. Grady Spruce, Jean Dickerson sent a memo to the school’s principal congratulating him on having a strong afterschool program. Simple messages like these serve as positive reinforcement and encourage continued support between school administration and the afterschool program.

Many planets have to align to get things working right. Congratulations to H. Grady Spruce High School for creating a convergence of opportunities for its staff, students, and families!

TIPS FROM THE H. GRADY SPRUCE HIGH SCHOOL AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM
STUDENT INVOLVEMENT
Have a variety of CREATIVE classes
Always ask the kids what THEY want
Show that they will be learning while having FUN

PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Recruit an active parent liaison
Recruit parents in the mornings while they drop their kids off
Call the parents
Create word-of-mouth buzz about what the program has to offer them

DAY SCHOOL SUPPORT
Encourage teachers and school administrators to volunteer in the program
Maintain a close relationship with your school’s principal

STRONG PARTNERSHIPS
Integrate what your vendors offer with the overall program schedule
Recruit a community liaison
Seek support from your school district and, if possible, partner with its Adult Basic Education departments

OUTREACH TOOLS
Use your messaging systems: Create intercom announcements, make phone calls
Recruit parents at different times of the day, such as in the morning when they are dropping their kids off at school

SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
Increase all possible forms of in-kind support
Encourage your vendors to provide in-kind services
Focus on volunteer recruitment