Innovative Learning Solutions

Why do kids with ADHD space out on some things and hyperfocus on others? How come they are able to sustain attention on activities they enjoy? Dr. Sam Goldstein explains that ADHD is more a problem of self-control than attention.
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From a great resource: LD Online, the world’s leading website on learning disabilities and ADHD.

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Out-of-school programs can help children improve their academic and social skills, but only if managers improve staff “point of service” interactions with children and youth. This Forum for Youth Investment commentary draws lessons from successful programs in Michigan and Chicago.

http://www.forumfyi.org/files/OSTPC15.pdf

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The Forum on Child and Family Statistic’s signature report, America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being, provides annual updates on the well-being of children and families in the United States across a range of domains. A more detailed report alternates every other year with a condensed version that highlights selected indicators. This year, the Forum is publishing the full report and will produce a brief report in July 2010. View the 2009 report…

For highlights from each section of America’s Children, 2009, please click here.

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A new Child Trends brief finds that youth who have not participated in out-of-school time programs are significantly more likely than are their participating peers to live in an unsupportive neighborhood; to spend more than two hours a day watching TV or playing video games; and to have parents who are in poor health, who don’t exercise, and who have less than a high school education.

Click here for the report

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This policy brief presents recommendations from the Youth Activity Policy (YAP) project funded by Kaiser Permanente, Northern California Regions Healthy Eating Active Living Initiative. The brief examines the neighborhood structures that are already serving youth and assesses how they might become engaged in community health initiatives that strengthen or expand physical activity opportunities for young people. Eight recommendations are outlined for this process.
To download go to:

Click to access CANFITExpandingASOpportunities.pdf

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Three new Child Trends briefs present research findings and effective strategies to implement high-quality out-of-school time programs.  These briefs complete a six-part series on the drivers for implementing evidence-based practices in out-of-school time programs, available at www.childtrends.org/youthdevelopment.

How Program Administrators Can Support Out-Of-School Time Staff
Research on out-of-school time programs has found that effective program managers-referred to as facilitative administrators-promote high-quality implementation in multiple ways: by providing organizational leadership; selecting program staff; ensuring that staff receive training and supervision; and identifying and addressing implementation problems. This brief presents effective strategies for facilitative administration in out-of-school time programs.

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_FaciliteAdm
in.pdf

<http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_FaciliteAdm
in.pdf>

Building Systems-Level Partnerships
Partnerships among out-of-school time programs, schools, and the community have been recognized as a feature of high-performing programs. In addition, systems-level partnerships can play critical roles when programs decide to implement new evidence-based practices or activities. This brief links research findings to effective strategies for building systems-level partnerships in out-of-school time programs.

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_SystemsPart
ners.pdf

<http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_SystemsPart
ners.pdf>

Data-Driven Decision Making in Out-Of-School Time Programs
The use of high-quality data facilitates program management, reduces reliance on anecdotal information, and ensures that data are available for decision-making purposes. Both research and program experience have shown that decision-support data systems are effective tools for gathering high-quality data.  This brief offers recommendations and action steps to support the use of high-quality data to inform the implementation of evidence-based practices. 

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_Decision-Su
pport.pdf

<http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends-2009_06_23_RB_Decision-Su
pport.pdf>

RELATED WORK FROM CHILD TRENDS:
Strategies for the Effective Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Out-of-School Time Programs, Part 1 (PowerPoint presentation PDF)

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//ProgImp1to3.pdf
<http://www.childtrends.org/Files/ProgImp1to3.pdf>

Strategies for the Effective Implementation of Evidence-Based Practices in Out-of-School Time Programs, Part 2 (PowerPoint presentation PDF)

http://www.childtrends.org/Files//ProgImp4to6.pdf
<http://www.childtrends.org/Files/ProgImp4to6.pdf>

Child Trends is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research center that studies children at all stages of development.

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