"Schools See Flex Time As Valuable Exercise" (Wash Post, 02/12/09)

High schools in Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties have been inserting these chunks of time -- from 40 to 90 minutes, depending on the school -- for several years, often to reduce after-school tutoring costs but also to raise achievement in the era of the federal No Child Left Behind law.

"Mason students hone, share writing skills" (Lansing State Journal, 02/09/09)

Whether it’s a poem, short story or novel, eighth-grade language arts teacher Kristine Brickey said she knows how scary it is for writers to share their work.

So the Mason Middle School teacher created an after-school writing club to help students feel more comfortable sharing and discussing their writing. Sometimes, she even shares some of her own.

"Students urged to learn inside and outside school in DARE2XL program" (Uniontown Herald-Standard, 02/09/09)

This is the second installment in a three-part series on an after-school enrichment program designed to motivate students to learn. The program is used in elementary schools in the Uniontown, Connellsville and Brownsville school districts.

"'Expanded Learning Opportunities': Re-Branding 'After School' for the 21st Century" (EdWeek, 02/04/09)

SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: After school no longer adequately describes the depth and breadth; in fact, it no longer even correctly captures the time and place. In essence, the field has outgrown the term as it has matured and diversified, and a new brand for its offerings can better capture the expanded universe of activities, experiences,...