IES Guide: Structuring Out of School Time

Additional learning time can help close the gap between low- and high-performing students. It can provide academic support that extends beyond the help that students receive during regular school hours. An expert panel developed a Practice Guide featuring five recommendations to help districts, schools, and program providers design, implement, and evaluate local programs. The guide describes the research supporting each recommendation, how to carry it out, and how to address roadblocks for implementation. For the purposes of this website, these five recommendations have been merged into four practices.