Learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings

As a lifelong South Carolinian educated in public schools, it pained me to read the recent U.S. News & World Report study ranking our state last in education. Nothing is more important to our future health and prosperity than ensuring a good education for every one of our children.

I firmly believe that we can do that. But we need to invest in programs that work across the spectrum of a child’s educational experience. And that means thinking more broadly.

Take, for example, high-quality after-school programs.

__________

Key to improving poor schools: a good teacher in every classroom

Legislature should follow House education task force’s road map

Want more state money? School districts should merge services first, SC superintendent says

__________

An array of high-quality after-school and summer learning programs is available in communities across the state from schools, faith-based centers and local youth organizations.

Driven by the needs of the kids, families and communities they serve, these programs complement what kids learn in school, encourage them to explore their passions and provide them with a safe place to grow and even learn from failing.

These programs work. Research shows that when children participate in afterschool, they attend school more often, they do better in school, and they are more likely to graduate. Regular after-school attendance also improves children’s homework completion, class participation and classroom behavior.

One large study found that S.C. students who attend after-school programs focused on science, technology, engineering and math are more interested in science and are improving their skills in areas such as critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, perseverance and experimentation. These are important skills for succeeding in virtually any job.

There’s a reason kids get excited about these programs. They provide informal environments where kids can tinker with coding, robotics, circuit-building and other hands-on projects. Kids learn by doing and by working with each other.

Parents love these programs too. In fact, 91 percent of S.C. parents surveyed said they are satisfied with their children’s after-school programs, with 77 percent agreeing that after-school programs provide them with peace of mind, knowing that their kids are productively engaged in a safe and nurturing environment after school hours. This is especially important to working parents.

In addition, parents agreed that after-school programs provide a wide range of benefits to their children — exciting them to learn and helping them gain important workforce skills. Seventy-three percent of parents also said that after-school programs can help reduce the chances that kids will get into trouble with the law, use drugs or become a teen parent.

Here’s the rub, though: Although 98,111 S.C. children participated in after-school programs in 2014, there were another 330,964 children who would have participated in an after-school program if one had been available to them. Unfortunately, it wasn’t.

The S.C. Afterschool Alliance, on whose board I’ve had the honor of serving, has done great work in supporting and strengthening programs across the state. Last year, the alliance trained more than 1,100 after-school educators who interact with more than 60,000 students. But additional support for professional development and training is needed.

After-school programs complement learning that takes place during the school day; they are not a substitute.

But we ought to stop thinking of learning as something that ends when the school bell rings. And we ought to provide opportunities for kids to learn in different ways.

Our children deserve the very best we can give them, and it’s clear that, when it comes to education, we need to do better.

After-school programs work. Children love them, and parents want them. We must do more to ensure that all our children in South Carolina can participate in after-school programs that enhance their learning and help prepare them for the future.

This story was originally published April 16, 2017 at 6:03 PM with the headline "Learning doesn’t stop when the bell rings."