After school programs that focus on oral language practice can help improve English proficiency for English learners. Students who participate more frequently in after school programs in LAUSD score higher on English tests and are more likely to be reclassified as fully proficient in English compared to their peers. Recommendations for effective after school programs include ensuring high levels of participation, aligning the curriculum with regular school subjects, adapting instruction to meet individual student needs, using assessments to improve the program, and providing engaging learning experiences.

1. Increasing Literacy Through Oral Language Practice

2. After School Programs and
English Learners
English Learners in LAUSD who participate in
ASP at a high frequency:
•Are more likely to communicate in English after school than
their counterparts who are on the street or in their homes.
•Score higher than peers on the California English Language
Development Test
•Reclassify at a higher rate
(Frankel and Daley, 2012)

3. LAUSD English Learners After
School Participant Data
Los Angeles Unified
Section 1.2 – Grade Level and English Learner (EL) Status
Figure 3 Figure 4
9th 10th 11th 12th
26.2% 24.4% 22.8%
26.6%
35.9%
24.7%
18.8% 20.6%
Grade Level Composition
2012-2013
After School Participants Non-After School Participants
EL Non-EL
16.1%
83.9%
21.3%
78.7%
English Learner Composition
2012-2013
After School Participants Non-After School Participants

4. 21st
Century Community Learning
Centers After School Safety and
Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs)
Supplemental: Equitable Access Grant
“Increase access to the 21st
CCLC Program with information such
as, but not limited to…English-language learners, whose
participation in the 21st
CCLC Program is likely to be affected by a
lack of access to programs.” - 21st
CCLC grant RFA

5. Recommendations for designing after school
programs to promote student achievement
1. Quantity of participation: Dosage
- Intensity: amount of time a student attends
- Duration: history of attendance in terms of years
- Breadth: variety of activities in a given time frame
1. Alignment with Regular School Day Curriculum
2. Adaptation of Instruction to Small Group and Individual
Needs
3. Use of Assessment for Program Improvement
4. Provide Engaging Learning Experiences

6. Dosage
• Immersion Week: Five days, two hour sessions
• Follow up sessions: Once a week for ten weeks, sessions last
for and hour and a half
• Culminating Event: Saturday college trip, six hours
(total of 31 hours)
• Returning students serve as mentors for students who are
new to the program
• During follow up sessions, agency site coordinator advertises
and recruits students to participate in additional after school
programs

7. Alignment with School Day
The importance of oral language development in ELD
•“There is well-established research evidence that
supports the importance of oral language proficiency.
The development of oral language is positively related
to the development of literacy. (August & Shanahan,
2006)
•“Recent research suggests that increased time spent on
oral language instruction leads to stronger oral
language outcomes without compromising literacy
outcomes.” (Saunders & O'Brien, 2006)

8. Small Group and Individual Needs
• 40 students targeted for program
• Agencies provide three to four facilitators per session
• Grant requires staff to student ratio of 20:1
• Language in Action Program has a staff to student ratio of
10:1
• Activities engage students in small groups ranging from two to
four students

9. Assessment for Program
Improvement
• Four traveling mentors to observe, assess and provide
feedback on instruction for agency facilitators
• Observation form that is submitted to program administrator
and distributed to agency leads
• Frequent agency facilitator meetings to discuss observation
feedback, review curriculum and share best practices
• Student surveys conducted pre and post for immersion week
and follow up sessions
• ERC evaluation, collects student data and produces analysis of
program outcomes
• End of year review with agency facilitators to discuss and
improve program curriculum

10. Provide Engaging Learning
Experiences
Immersion Week
•Team Building Activities with an emphasis on creating
conversations to help students get to know one another, and
create a safe environment for practicing English
Examples:
Mingle Icebreaker Song Lyrics
Landmine Game Main Idea Game
I Like My Neighbor Who Cupstack
Group Juggle Lego Memory
School Tour

11. Lego Memory

12. Provide Engaging Learning
Experiences
Follow Up Sessions
•Sessions begin with a team building activity and vocabulary
review (Thesaurus Chart)
Name__________________________!
!
!
Personal Thesaurus
Introduction:
Who? t? When?
Introduction:
Who? e? When?
Academic!Word!
!
Alphabet!Letter:!
! ! !
Academic!Word!
!
!
! ! !
!
!

13. Provide Engaging Learning
Experiences
Immersion Week
•Students engage in a Service Learning Project
•Serve project topic is chosen by students based on their
perceived needs of the community
•Lessons include activities needs to complete their project
Example:
Researching Organizations
Writing a business letter
Making a business phone call
Writing an email

14. Provide Engaging Learning
Experiences
Immersion Week
•Facilitators scaffold for students using various SDAIE strategies
including:
– Sentence starters
– Choral reading
– Cloze reading
– Pair share (Cooperative Learning)
– Graphic Organizers
– Personal Thesaurus
– Brainstorming
– Manipulatives

15. Service Projects
Language in Action students have engaged in a
variety of Service Learning Projects including:

16. Culminating Event
• Students attend a Saturday college trip
• Past campuses include: UCLA, LMU, Whittier College,
Woodbury College & CSUN
• Students make a presentation about their Service Project to
students from other schools
• Students engage in a tour of campus
• Breakout sessions cover topics including College
requirements, the DREAM act, AB 540 and talking to parents
about college

18. Initial Results
Gap: 73.7
Gap: 37.9