A volume in Family-School-Community Partnership Series Editor Diana B.
Hiatt-Michael, Pepperdine University (sponsored by the Family School
Community Partnership Issues SIG) This concise monograph addresses the
expanding field of family involvement to out of school time (OST). OST
may be defined as time outside of state required time limits for
compulsory school attendance but time in which students are engaged in
planned academic or enrichment activities. During the past decade, OST
programs have burgeoned across the United States. OST programs are
offered to children and youth, elementary through high school, as
structured and safe venues to increase student academic achievement, and
extend students' interests. Chapter authors share promising practices
from a range of backgrounds, including nonprofit organizations,
faith-based, health, and governmental agencies as well as
university-school connections. Contents describe the benefits and
concerns of parent engagement in OST, such as student outcomes of parent
engagement in OST, how parents select appropriate programs, ways to
connect with parents to assure regular attendance of youth, methods to
solicit families to participate in OST activities, and evaluation
measures.