Better Educated Students for Tomorrow - Los Angeles

Transcription

LA’s BEST AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
PROGRAM
Better Educated Students for Tomorrow
Replication
Manual
LA’s BEST AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
Replication Manual
© LA’s BEST
200 North Main Street • Suite 700
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone 213.847.3681 • Fax 213.485.6606
The mission of LA’s BEST is to provide a safe and
supervised after school education, enrichment,
and recreation program for children ages five to
twelve in the city of Los Angeles.
THIS MANUAL WAS WRITTEN AND CREATED BY KIMBERLY FREEMAN AND
BRIAN REDDING WHO DEDICATED A YEAR WITH LA’S BEST AS VOLUNTEERS
IN SERVICE TO AMERICA THROUGH SPONSORSHIP OF WORLD HUNGER YEAR
Table of Contents
FOREWORD……………………………I
PREFACE………………………………IV
INTRODUCTION……………………….1
ALL ABOUT LA’S BEST: AN
ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE............ 7
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE .............. 30
LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL
DISTRICT/ PROGRAM OFFICE......... 33
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND
TRAINING............................................ 37
HISTORY AND GROWTH.................... 7
FINANCES……………………………...39
POPULATION SERVED ....................... 9
LA’S BEST REVENUE......................... 39
LOS ANGELES DEMOGRAPHICS
AND STATISTICS ............................... 10
LA’S BEST EXPENDITURES.............. 43
PROGRAM...…………………………...11
PAYROLL............................................. 47
PROGRAM GOALS ............................. 11
WHO PROVIDES? ............................... 45
INSURANCE ........................................ 48
HOW DOES LA’S BEST WORK? ....... 12
DAILY ACTIVITIES............................ 13
RESULTS AND EVALUATION……...49
RESULTS OF LA’S BEST ..................... 49
CITY-WIDE EVENTS AND FIELD
TRIPS .................................................... 17
RECOGNITION .................................... 51
COMMUNITY SERVICE .................... 19
PROGRAM EVALUATION................ 52
PARENT INVOLVEMENT ................. 20
REPLICATION: HOW TO CREATE
YOUR OWN AFTER SCHOOL
PROGRAM ............................................. 55
VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION ........ 22
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT &
COLLABORATIONS........................... 23
THE IDEA OF REPLICATION ............. 55
PERSONNEL…………………………...25
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE
REPLICATING ..................................... 61
L.A.’S BEST STRUCTURE.................. 25
BOARD OF DIRECTORS ..................... 27
ADVISORY BOARD ........................... 29
WHERE TO BEGIN.............................. 56
APPENDIX: SOME MATERIALS TO
HELP YOU GET STARTED ............... 63
F O R E W O R D
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I
Foreword
World Hunger Year (WHY), a national clearinghouse of innovative solutions to end
hunger and poverty by fostering self-reliance, in partnership with the Corporation
for National Service (CNS) Americorps*VISTA program, embarked on a year-long
journey with eight outstanding community-based organizations in 1997. These
grassroots nonprofits are remarkable for their proven track records in transforming
lives, enhancing their cities or regions by equipping poor people with the tools that
they need to be self-reliant. Their successes, accomplished by drawing upon the
talents and resources already available on the local level, seized our attention and
inspired us to produce comprehensive replication manuals of their work.
Staffed by AmeriCorps*VISTA Volunteers, the WHY Replication Project sought to
discover the secrets behind their achievements and to identify the elements of their
programs that could be introduced to other communities around the nation. We are
delighted to share the final products of our work with you. Our hope is that this
particular manual will be a blueprint for you to adopt the core principles, concepts,
and philosophies of LA’s BEST and create a new working model after school
program in your community.
These eight organizations are part of WHY's Reinvesting In America program,
which has spent the past eight years on the road investigating hundreds of the most
accomplished and innovative organizations fighting hunger and poverty on the front
lines in the United States. These grassroots organizations are taking a holistic
approach to their community's problems and are working with their clients to help
them realize that it is within their own power to move toward self-reliance. We have
documented our research and organized the information into a database of more
than 3,700 community-based organizations.
The model organizations in our database provide practical education, life skills,
entrepreneurial training, job training, access to food, community-supported
agriculture, food security, after school programs, transitional housing, and initiatives
that stimulate and grow regional economies. They are helping to move hungry,
homeless, and chronically unemployed people from welfare to work.
The best of these grassroots organizations are providing competent, caring services
that help poor people regain the self-reliance and self-esteem they need to restore
their own lives. They offer a road map back to a healthy American society. Of the
thousands of grassroots programs WHY has evaluated, eight particular programs
were seen to be so effective and replicable that we have designated them to the
replication project. Certain common characteristics can be recognized in these
model programs, including such effective elements as: addressing unmet needs;
involving their communities; intervening early; fostering self-reliance; seeking
partnerships; being well-managed; and understanding that charity without social
change is insufficient.
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F O R E W O R D
These replication manuals suggest progressive models for rebuilding the
infrastructure of how the United States delivers its social services. Appalachian
Center for Economic Networks is a coalition of small/family businesses in Ohio
that share a professional kitchen facility and engage in joint marketing of their
specialty food products. The Bridge project of the Southwest Leadership
Foundation matches local churches with homeless families in Phoenix, Arizona to
sponsor transitional middle-income housing. California Emergency Foodlink,
based in Sacramento, trains and employs the homeless, the previously jobless, and
welfare recipients to salvage fresh and packaged food for 1.5 million hungry
Californians each month. Esperanza Unida is a Milwaukee organization that both
assists Hispanic workers at workers compensation and unemployment insurance
hearings and runs revenue-generating on-the-job training centers in fields such as
auto mechanics, welding, construction, and day care. The Hartford Food System
is dedicated to the development of an equitable and sustainable food system in
Connecticut by connecting farmers with the people most in need of fresh produce.
LA’s BEST is a citywide after school enrichment program in Los Angeles that has
become a national model of partnership among schools, city government, and
private funders. Women Entrepreneurs of Baltimore helps economically
disadvantaged women identify unmet community and business needs and assists
them in creating businesses to fill those needs. The Women's Bean Project
teaches work skills to economically disenfranchised women in Denver by employing
them in a small gourmet bean and soup packing and catalog sales operation.
Each of these programs has been unusually effective in accomplishing its goals.
Because they offer solutions to such systemic inequities as poverty and
unemployment, and because the nationwide welfare-to-work mandate has created an
extraordinary urgency to prepare welfare recipients for useful jobs, these programs
have been the focus of much interest on the part of other grassroots organizations
and community groups. Given the current work requirements of federal and state
welfare reform legislation, there is a tremendous opportunity for government and
private funders to support fundamental social change by forming partnerships with
successful and effective local organizations. These strategic alliances would enhance
the widespread replication of the most innovative of these local programs on a
national scale. By creating these partnerships with local, state, and federal
governments, we can develop a positive and meaningful social policy.
There are a number of cautions that should be noted by the prospective replicator.
An established agency that is looking to expand must first evaluate its community’s
needs. While the conceptual framework of a model program is generally
transferable, its particulars are bound to undergo variations in being transplanted to a
new locale. The principles upon which the model program is based will apply best
when the necessary adjustments are tailored to the characteristics of the population
you aim to serve. While it is true that replication is not the same as duplication -applying a cookie-cutter approach to a problem – awareness of certain inevitable
mistakes that the model program committed in its own learning process will be most
beneficial to your efforts. Studying these errors will help you to not reinvent the
wheel, avoiding similar pitfalls in the replication process.
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F O R E W O R D
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I I I
In addition, the role of evaluation is crucial from the outset, using measurable criteria
to continually assess what is and is not working. Since both individuals and
communities are unique, the replication manual cannot be considered the
authoritative answer to all of the problems that you will encounter. Undoubtedly,
your own creativity in surmounting obstacles will write new chapters in the
guidebook! Finally, humane social change requires treating human beings in need
with dignity and respect.
These programs are exemplars of decent and
compassionate behavior between social service agencies and their clients, an element
without which the structure of a program will be sterile. More than any other factor,
it is the spirit that animates the program that engendered its success in changing lives
and communities.
WHY would like to thank several people for their help and support in creating the
replication manuals.
Special thanks are due to Bill Ayres, WHY's Executive Director, for his creative
vision and support.
We are especially grateful to Jim Scheibel, formerly of the Corporation for National
Service, for taking on the dream and allowing us the privilege to work as a national
project with seventeen VISTAs at eight local sites to conduct our research. Thanks
also to Kelly Daly and Crystal Biles of CNS Americorps*VISTA for providing the
necessary training and support for our work. Once CNS formally approved the
project, we never could have gotten it off the ground and into action without the
help and support of our VISTA Leader, Jeff King.
This particular manual was made possible by the dedicated staff at LA's BEST After
School Enrichment program. In particular, we would like to thank Carla Sanger,
Executive Director, and Tammy Johnson, Public Information Manager. Most
importantly, we would like to thank Brian Redding and Kim Freeman for giving a
year of service to this project and for dedicating their time and talents to its
implementation. It has been an absolute joy and pleasure to work with such
wonderful people.
The final versions of the manuals were produced with the invaluable editing
assistance of Selma Arnold and Vincent Romano. Thanks as well to Frank
Brunckhorst for underwriting the final stage of the project and for making it possible
to print this guidebook.
Finally, it has been my pleasure and privilege to direct this project. It is my hope that
these manuals will inspire you to adopt these creative models to help strengthen and
build your community.
Noreen Springstead
Program Director, WHY
March 1999
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P R E F A C E
Preface
Dear Reader,
Somewhere in America, right now, at this very moment, there is a grassroots
program that is helping hundreds or even thousands of people deal with the ravages
of hunger and poverty. These programs are not simply providing emergency food
and shelter. They are helping people most in need, people often viewed as beyond
help, to move from welfare to work at a living wage, and from despair to hope. If
the best of these programs could be replicated all over the country, hunger would be
virtually eliminated and poverty significantly decreased.
The problem, of course, is that all of these successful, innovative programs are local,
and as such, reach only a small percentage of the people who need them. How can
we replicate these programs so that they can become regional and even national and
meet the true scale of the problem?
As we have talked to dozens of leaders of replicable model programs over the years,
the common need we have heard was for material they could give people who were
inquiring about their program. They were simply too busy to produce a “how to”
manual for replication. That is precisely what you are reading now. Hopefully, you
will use it to bring this highly effective and creative program to your community –
and beyond.
Best wishes for your good work,
Bill Ayres
Executive Director, WHY
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1
INTRODUCTION
Mission: To provide a safe and supervised after school
education, enrichment, and recreation program for
children ages five to twelve in the city of Los Angeles.
The Problem
Never in the history of the United States have there been fewer adults at home to
care for children after school. Modern day pressures on single parents and twocareer households have resulted in a dramatic increase of school-aged children who
return to empty homes without adult supervision. The National Institute of Out-ofSchool Time estimates that out of twenty-eight million American children ages five
to fourteen, one in five is in an unsupervised household from three o’clock to six
o’clock p.m. -- the peak hours of juvenile crime, according to an FBI study.
The lack of adequate supervision leaves many young children to sit at home, alone,
bored, and sometimes scared, or out in neighborhood streets. Either alternative may
have negative consequences. Home alone, the child has no one with whom he/she
can share the excitement or frustrations of the school day, and no one to assist
him/her with homework. The child will likely wind up in front of the television; or,
left to wander the streets, the child is vulnerable to drugs, gangs, and violence.
What to Do About It
Take a tip from L.A. Recognizing the problem in April, 1988, Los Angeles Mayor
Tom Bradley set up a fifty-five member “Mayor’s Education Council,” proclaiming
that the City had a “moral obligation” to assist low-income families in need of after
school programs. The council consisted of leaders from the community, business,
education, child-care, government, and entertainment sectors. The Council was
responsible for the structure and initial implementation of LA’s BEST (Better
Educated Students for Tomorrow) After School Enrichment Program.
The city of Los Angeles took a bold step outside of traditional city business to
address the alarming rise in street gangs, school dropouts, and drug use in
communities where children lacked adequate adult supervision during the critical
after school hours between three o’clock to six o’clock p.m. Citing an estimated one
hundred thousand children who were unsupervised, Mayor Bradley envisioned a
program that would ease the pressures on the family while expanding opportunities
for inner-city children to be safe and fulfill their potential.
Six months later, LA’s BEST began operations at ten inner city elementary school
campuses serving two thousand students. Funded from the LA Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA), LA’s BEST offered more than a safe haven and
escape from the boredom of empty homes and the perils of the streets. It provided
a nutritious snack, an assisted mandatory homework session, and a potpourri of
educational and recreational activities enriching mind and body. LA’s BEST has
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THE
OF
HOURS
3:00–6:00
P.M.
THE
ARE
MOST
DANGEROUS
TO
CHILDREN.
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since expanded to serve five thousand eight hundred children every day at twentyeight elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Remember: The partnership between city, school districts, and private donors is
important: city support guarantees a stream of funds, lessening the pressure
somewhat on the need for private funding. Since 1988, city government has
provided nearly twenty million dollars in support; over four and one half million
dollars has been raised from individual donors, corporations and foundations at
about five hundred thousand dollars a year. In addition, more than one hundred
thousand dollars worth of in-kind and product donations are secured annually.
Another critical component is the healthy snack secured through the USDA Child
and Adult Care Food Program. Fund-raising was effected by converting the Mayor's
Education Council into a Board of Directors and the establishment of LA's BEST as
a private non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization.
PARTNERSHIPS
PROVIDE
IN-
KIND
BENEFITS
THAT
REAL
KEEP
COSTS
DOWN.
Results
In its ten years of operation LA’s BEST has surpassed the city’s expectations and
provided a national model for youth development. Data from the LAUSD School
Police Department found that reports of school-based crime were reduced by sixtyfour percent at the longest running LA's BEST sites. An independent UCLA study
found that children in LA's BEST like school more, show grade improvements, and
feel more comfortable approaching adults for help with important and needed
problem-solving skills. Parents also report less strain on their families due to LA’s
BEST. Appreciative youths, after moving on to junior high and high school, come
back and volunteer their time to work with children in the after school programs.
LA’s BEST has transformed elementary school campuses into community resource
centers.
Now more than ever, local, state, and federal government agencies are recognizing
the benefits of programs like LA’s BEST. What is most attractive to government is
the cost effectiveness of the LA’s BEST style of public/private partnerships that
stretch tax dollars.
Note: LA’s BEST is not a child care program which focuses primarily on the needs of
the parents. Working parents in Los Angeles have a critical need for a variety of child
care programs to meet their individual needs that are open when the school is closed,
often from six o’clock a.m. to six o’clock p.m. and longer. LA’s BEST is designed to
overcome the absence of parental supervision and academic support, as well as the
environmental factors that hinder success. LA’s BEST gives the children the support,
self-esteem, and experiences they need to help them break these barriers. The children in
LA’s BEST are at an optimal age to affect their attitudes and behavior in a meaningful
way.
Choosing the Children and Schools
What neighborhoods are heavily drug, gang and crime-ridden? What schools have
low test scores? These factors weigh heavily in selecting the neighborhood sites and
the children for the LA's BEST program. The Police Department has crime statistics
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THE
PRIMARY
BENEFICIARY
OF
BEST
LA’S
IS
CHILD,
THE
THE
NOT
PARENT.
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3
available to the public. The city’s education and children’s agencies usually can
provide information on school performance.
More information gathering is necessary. Know the population you serve. What are
its income level, marital status, education level, and language skill? What is the ethnic
breakdown in the neighborhood? Ethnic diversity between schools enables children
from one neighborhood to interact with children from other cultures and races
during city-wide field trips and sports tournaments for the LA’s BEST schools.
The LA’s BEST program is open only to children who regularly attend the school
where LA’s BEST is located. Students are enrolled on a first come, first serve basis.
Some spaces are reserved for referrals by teachers of students with special needs.
No child is excluded because of a physical or emotional problem where there is
sufficient trained staff in attendance. No fee is required, thus enabling the neediest
children to attend. Daily attendance is expected and the parent or an authorized
representative is required to pick up the child at six o’clock p.m. In registering the
child, the parent or legal guardian signs a contract to this effect. Children are signed
in by a staff member and signed out by the responsible adult.
The Program
Apart from the snack, the homework period is the sole mandatory component of the
LA’s BEST program and usually lasts an hour. The education aspect might include:
a homework assistance lab and study period; tutoring in math, reading, science, social
studies, etc.; and a library period (with instruction on its use and reading for
recreation, exploration of library resources, and internet access).
Enrichment activities might include computer instruction and practice, club and
group activities, arts and crafts, music instruction or appreciation, movies, videos,
and performances.
Children participate in service activities within their
communities, beautifying their schools, visiting nursing and senior citizen homes,
and joining in city-wide events, thereby learning the importance of being a
responsible citizen.
Recreational activities might include: team sports, tournaments, and skill contests;
individual and group physical fitness and health instruction; board games such as
chess and checkers, etc. Boys and girls teams compete against each other and hold
regional competitions in soccer, kickball, basketball, softball, track, and volleyball.
Inter-personal skills and self-esteem development could include workshops that
develop experience in resolving problems peacefully and team playing, contests and
awards, and creative activities. These might be anything from choral readings to
sophisticated theatrical productions. Children learn to sing, dance and perform
before an audience, gaining self-esteem and discovering new talent.
Safety and supervision would be provided by well-trained staff and the maintenance
of a one to twenty ratio of staff to children.
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Involvement of Parents and Children
Resilient children are emotionally competent children, and these children tend to have
three things in common: a caring and reliable adult in their lives, someone who holds high
expectations of them, and an adult who connects them with an activity that they find
meaningful and exciting to do in their leisure hours. It is best if this support comes from
within the home, but all too often, this is not feasible. LA’s BEST understands that
children not only need these things but are also entitled to them.
An effective after school program encourages and facilitates parent participation. At
the time of enrollment, the staff strives to establish a relationship with the parents.
They are given a schedule of activities and encouraged to visit, volunteer, and make
any grievances known. Informal conferences are held at least twice a year to discuss
the child's progress. Open forum group parent meetings are also held. Parents are
invited to all monthly field trips and city-wide LA’s BEST activities, enabling parent
and child to share their activities.
In the end, what the children think of the program and what they derive from it
determines the types of programming they are offered in the future. Children are
given periodic questionnaires, and their responses to particular activities are studied
by staff. If a number of children fail to choose an activity, it is reconsidered. A
recent survey of LA’s BEST children found science and sports to be the most
popular activities.
Costs
Each of the twenty-eight LA’s BEST programs operates at an average cost of
$135,000 a year for approximately two hundred students, two hundred forty-six days
a year (less than $3.50 per day per student). A project to get an after school program
off the ground should embrace at least five schools (one thousand students) and
have initially at least three months advance funding.
Staff and Training
The number of staff is of course related to the number of students, but the one to
twenty ratio should be maintained. Recruits should come from the school system
and the communities served. About one-third of LA’s BEST are credentialed
teachers; the balance are teachers’ assistants, college students, community members,
or high school students. All are hired and trained by the school district, and LA’s
BEST continues to support and supervise staff to maintain a high quality of
interaction between adults and children and developmentally and individually
appropriate practices at each program site.
Within the structure of the core activities common to all LA’s BEST programs, staff
members have the freedom to adapt their programs to the needs of their own
communities. The model provides a high degree of sensitivity and adaptability to local
needs because most of LA’s BEST staff and volunteers live in the same neighborhoods as
the children they serve. Remember that this flexibility at the neighborhood level is the
essential element in the transfer of this model to diverse neighborhoods across the
country.
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Lessons Learned from the LA’s BEST Model
By approaching inner-city children as resources to be developed instead of problems to
be solved, LA’s BEST has transformed elementary school campuses into community
resource centers that provide life-changing experiences for children and their families.
LA’s BEST serves the increasingly challenged and ever-deserving children of the inner
city of Los Angeles. By helping children overcome their struggles, communities are
strengthened.
For ten years, LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program has demonstrated a reliable
presence in neighborhoods for children and their families in the City of Los Angeles. It
has been the intent of LA’s BEST to employ as many staff as possible whom live close to
each program site. In doing so, LA’s BEST has re-connected neighborhoods to schools,
has hired as many males as females, and has shown significantly less annual staff turnover
than the average after school program.
The following factors have contributed to the capacity of LA’s BEST to offer a highquality, cost-effective program at a significantly lower cost per child than traditionallyfunded after school programs:

Although many of LA’s BEST staff are credentialed teachers, LA’s BEST does not have preservice education requirements for on-site program staff other than the Activities Consultants,
Supervisors or administrative staff.

LA’s BEST adult to child ratio for paid staff is one to twenty. Volunteers regularly augment
this number at each site.

LA’s BEST presumes eligibility for all participating families at schools selected for lowest
income and highest need.

The partnership of the Los Angeles Unified School District and the City of Los Angeles
creates a multitude of in-kind provisions that otherwise would drive up the real cost of LA’s
BEST programs (e.g. insurance, equipment, space, etc.).
The LA’s BEST model depends upon the capacity of LA’s BEST staff to articulate with
staff of the regular school day. Attention to building trust and relationships with regular
school staff has resulted in LA’s BEST consistently having access to more school
resources than most categorical programs located on school sites.
LA’s BEST has been successful in bringing parental involvement from those families who
traditionally have shown least interaction with schools. LA’s BEST staff is trained to
build relationships with parents during the numerous activities and field trips that include
parents. Staff members are trained to identify those moments which will maximize
parent readiness to talk about issues important to the child. For the young and (in many
cases) struggling parents of LA’s BEST, the traditional “parent meetings” and “parenting
workshops” have not been as effective in changing behavior as the one-to-one informal
communication opportunities taken while parents are involved in LA’s BEST activities.
Finally, food has been a critical factor in the success of LA’s BEST. In addition to the
daily snacks, cooking programs, and nutrition classes, LA’s BEST offers food basket give-
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aways as incentives for parent participation, and holds numerous family events that
include meals.
Broader Policy Implications of the LA’s BEST Model
After school enrichment programs for our country’s poorest children who otherwise
would be unsupervised after school do not have to be protected by the costly child care
regulations that traditionally have accompanied government funding. If a program
accepts the responsibility and accountability for staff training and supervision, if a
city/school district partnership ensures oversight, if outcomes can be demonstrated that
meet or exceed goals, then millions of dollars can be saved and thousands of more
children can be served in every state in the country. Neither a one to fourteen adult to
child ratio, pre-service child development college credits, nor paid “gate-keeping” staff
will ensure high quality of after school programming. In fact, extensive pre-service staff
requirements often deny access to those community residents likely to be most invested
in the program, school and community served.
All after school staff can and should be encouraged to make lifelong learning a
priority. Some will want a career track and would welcome opportunities for higher
education credit for training, and programs should be responsive to that need.
However, after school enrichment programs should be equally as responsive to the
needs of community members who have valuable knowledge, skills and abilities to
offer young children and neither have nor want corresponding college units.
Amplifying Materials
The replication manual is intended to get interested individuals started on an after
school enrichment program in their city. Detailed material on how to organize and
set up this program is available on request. See list of topics below.
Achievements (49-52)
Administration
Insurance (48)
Payroll (47)
Advisory Board (28-29)
Board of Directors (27)
Funding and Expenditures (39-48)
History and Growth (7-8)
Incorporation & Tax Exempt Requirements (58, plus additional new material)
Organizing Steps (56-60)
Parent Involvement (20-22)
Population Served (9-10)
Program Evaluation (52-54)
Program Goals and Activities (11-19)
Replicating the Program (55-61)
Structure (25-26)
Volunteers (22)
APPENDIX
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O R G A N A T I O N A L
P R O F I L E
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7
HISTORY AND GROWTH
In 1988, the need for after school care was great in the City of Los Angeles, particularly in
neighborhoods most vulnerable to drugs, gangs and crime. Then Mayor Tom Bradley
recognized this need and decided that the City of Los Angeles and its related institutions
were obligated to make a change; a change that would ease the pressures on the family
while expanding the opportunities for children in Los Angeles to learn and be safe.
To this end, Mayor Bradley appointed a fifty-five member Education Council comprised
of leaders from the community, business, education, child-care, government and
entertainment industry. This Council would ultimately be responsible for structuring and
directing the implementation of the LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program.
Although LA’s BEST is a certified non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization, the fact that Mayor
Bradley initiated its creation ties LA’s BEST to the City and to the Mayor’s Office.
Therefore, the start-up funds for LA’s BEST were to be provided by the city government.
This was at a time when federal and state support waned for enrichment activities, while
the City’s successful Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) took on a new,
expanded meaning in Los Angeles.
As a result, in his 1988 “State of the City” address, Bradley proposed that two million
dollars in CRA funds be spent to lay the foundation for one of the nation’s largest after
school education programs. It was Bradley’s intent to expand LA’s BEST into every
elementary school in the City needing an after school program with millions of dollars of
downtown tax increment revenue, through CRA, over the next two decades. This plan,
however, required the lifting of CRA’s spending cap.
This unprecedented financing set the stage for a unique partnership including the City,
the Los Angeles Unified School District, and the private sector to launch LA’s BEST as a
two-year pilot program at ten schools. The sites were selected and approved by the Los
Angeles City Council and Los Angeles City Board of Education based on the criteria of
low test scores, low socio-economic profiles, geographic distribution, high gang activity,
and high crime rates within the neighborhoods.
A year into its two-year pilot phase, LA’s BEST was expanded from its original ten
schools to fifteen schools with a grant of five hundred thousand dollars from Kaiser
Permanente, a health care organization. At the end of the pilot phase, Kaiser Permanente
donated an additional $450,000 in the form of a challenge grant which successfully
expanded LA’s BEST into nineteen schools in 1990. Subsequent expansion in 1994,
1995, and 1996, from private sector funds and the City’s Community Development
Department, raised the number of children served to its current five thousand eight
hundred at twenty-eight elementary schools. The CRA spending cap was never realized
making continued expansion unattainable.
Since 1988, city government has provided nearly twenty million dollars in support, and
over $4.5 million has been raised from individual donors, corporations, and foundations
at a level of approximately five hundred thousand dollars per year. Fundraising was made
possible through the transition of the Mayor’s Education Council into a Board of
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All about LA’s
BEST: An
Organizational
Profile
8
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O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L
P R O F I L E
Directors and the establishment of LA’s BEST as a private non-profit 501 (c) 3
organization.
In addition, more than one hundred thousand dollars worth of in-kind and product
donations are secured annually. Consequently, this public/private partnership has made
LA’s BEST highly cost effective. This cost effectiveness enables LA’s BEST to offer its
services at no cost to parents, which is essential if the most needy children are to benefit
from the program. Regulatory funding terms and conditions, imposed by state and
federal funding, will drive the cost per site from $135,000 to $160,000 per year for the
same number of children (two hundred) served annually, and for the same amount of
time (three and one-half hours per day for two hundred forty-six days per year).
“Our inner-city children are no longer looked at as
problems to be solved, but as resources to be developed.
The result is that the communities are improved from
within, and the entire city of Los Angeles is benefiting.”
David Paulson, Board Member
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O R G A N A T I O N A L
P R O F I L E
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9
POPULATION SERVED
LA’s BEST serves elementary school children at twenty-eight LAUSD school sites
deemed most challenged by gangs, drugs, and crime. Schools also are identified by test
scores, compensatory education ranking, and average income level. The most needy
schools in all of these areas are given priority. There is at least one LA’s BEST school in
each school board district. The LA’s BEST program is only open to children who
regularly attend the school where LA’s BEST is located.
Geographically, the twenty-eight schools are located primarily in East and South Los
Angeles, and in the San Fernando Valley. The schools LA’s BEST serves have poverty
rates high enough that in some of the schools, ninety-nine percent of the families qualify
for free or reduced price lunches. These are parents who often work long hours for low
wages and who constantly make choices between their families and the jobs that they
need to survive. It is only because the program is provided at no cost that the most needy
children are able to attend. If a fee were charged, many parents would decline to enroll
their child in the program, and many would rely on self-care.
Ethnically, LA’s BEST children are eighty percent Hispanic and fifteen percent African
American. The remaining five percent are Asian, Native American, and Caucasian. This
can vary a great deal from one school to another depending upon the neighborhood. For
example, Esperanza Elementary in the Pico Union neighborhood is ninety-six percent
Hispanic and most are recent immigrants. In contrast, Hillcrest Elementary in South Los
Angeles is sixty-six percent African and African-American. These differences often mean
different needs to which each site must adapt, such as language and cultural sensitivity.
This ethnic diversity between schools allows the children from one neighborhood to
interact with children from other cultures and races during city-wide field trips and sports
tournaments involving all twenty-eight LA’s BEST schools.
LA’s BEST is a program that both parents and children have supported and benefited
from since its conception. With LA’s BEST, parents are less concerned about the safety
of their children. Parents have also been very pleased with the positive changes in grades,
behavior, and social interaction that their children demonstrate through the support they
receive in the program. It is very common for parents to tell staff members how much
they appreciate that their children can be part of LA’s BEST.
Although five thousand eight hundred children served by LA’s BEST each day is a
significant number, it is only representative of twenty-eight schools out of a potential four
hundred fifteen in the school district. At least one hundred fifty schools are currently
eligible for LA’s BEST. Expansion is always a goal for the future.
Children with Special Needs
LA’s BEST has made strong efforts to integrate children with special needs into the
regular activities of the program, and has been quite successful. No child is excluded
from the program because of his/her physical or emotional challenge as long as there are
sufficient, trained staff to attend to him/her. In some cases, employees with special
training are recruited for particular students.
9
THE
POPULATION
THAT
YOU
SERVE
SHOULD
DETERMINE
HOW
YOU
ORGANIZE
YOUR
PROGRAM.
1 0
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O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L
P R O F I L E
LOS ANGELES DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS
SOME USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE AREAS SERVED BY LA’S BEST
Ethnic Makeup of Los Angeles Children
Hispanic
Caucasian
African American
Asian
Native American
54%
22%
15%
9%
.5%
Average weekly crime against children in the City of Los Angeles
Children murdered
Children kidnapped
Children raped
Other sexual offenses
Children Robbed
Children assaulted with deadly weapon
Child victims of domestic violence (reported)
1
3
9
6
97
130
664
Mayor’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families, 1995.
Families and Economics
One out of four people in Los Angeles is under 18.
Two out of three children live with married couples.
One out of five children lives with a single female parent.
Four out of five children have both parents or their single parent in the work force.
One out of four children lives in poverty.
A parent working a full time minimum wage job only earns 61% of the poverty rate income for a
family of four.
Most inner-city families spend 30% or more of their income on rent.
More than 45% of female-headed households live in poverty, compared to 25% for the city as a
whole.
There is one acre of park for every 3,500 acres of land in inner-city Los Angeles, compared to one
acre of park for every 350 acres of land in the San Fernando Valley.
Language Diversity
One in four Los Angeles households are living in “linguistic isolation,” meaning no member speaks
functional English.
Half of the population speaks a language other than English at home.
One in three Los Angeles residents speaks little or no English.
Education
66% of residents over 25 have completed high school.
Of the adults who have not graduated from high school, more than half have less than a 9th grade
level education.
The high school drop out rate is 15%, the middle school rate is 5%.
20% of adults have completed college or graduate school.
California schools rank 49th out of 50 on the number of students per computer.
In families with incomes under $20,000 a year, only 7% own a computer, compared to 49% in
families with incomes over $50,000 a year.
Source: “LA4KIDS A Youth Agenda for the 1990’s and Beyond,” The Los Angeles Mayor’s Committee on Children, Youth and Families, 1995.
10
P R O G R A M
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1 1
PROGRAM GOALS
1. To provide a safe and supervised environment for students through careful management and
planning that will ensure:

Appropriately trained supervisory staff
Enrollment by a parent required, daily attendance expected, and pick up by parent or authorized
adult by six o’clock p.m.
Maintenance of a one to twenty supervisory ratio
Regulated entrance and exit from the program site
2. To provide enhanced educational opportunities by integrating an educational support
structure into each student’s schedule through:

A homework assistance lab and quiet study period
Tutoring in the subjects of math, reading, science, social studies, etc.
A library period featuring both instruction on using the library, reading for recreation, exploration
of library resources and internet access
3. To provide educational enrichment activities to supplement the regular education
program and to provide an enticement for learning. Such activities include:

Computer instruction and practice
Club and group activities
Arts and crafts, and music instruction and/or appreciation activities
Movies, videos and performances
4.
To provide recreational activities including:

Team sports, tournaments and skills contests
Individual and group physical fitness and health instruction
Games including chess, checkers, etc.
5. To provide interpersonal skill and self-esteem development. It is important that a
“social success” environment be created and maintained wherein students develop
friendships, positive relations with authority figures, and increase their feelings of selfesteem, self-worth and independence. To accomplish these objectives, the program will
provide:

Recognition programs and activities such as contests, creative activities, participation awards and
citizenship awards that provide positive reinforcement for success and foster positive behavior and
attitudes
Motivational speakers, movies and workshops that foster enjoyment of the program, improved
communication skills and self esteem
Planned group interaction projects and workshops wherein students experience leadership and
team playing situations
11
BEFORE
STARTING
YOUR
PROGRAM,
THE
GOALS
SHOULD
CLEAR
AGREED
BY
BE
AND
UPON
ALL
STAKEHOLDERS.
1 2
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P R O G R A M
HOW DOES LA’s BEST WORK?
Each of the twenty-eight LA’s BEST school sites is funded for approximately two
hundred students. The program is available two hundred forty-six days a year, at no cost
to families. Students are enrolled on a first come, first serve basis; however, some spaces
are reserved for referrals made by the regular school teaching staff for students in special
need of the program. These are students who may endure extraordinary circumstances at
home, who may be having trouble with getting their homework done, or who may have
behavioral problems. Students enrolled in LA’s BEST must attend that school during
regular schools hours. LA’s BEST does not require any form of income eligibility to limit
the students who qualify. The fact that these children live in the neighborhoods that LA’s
BEST serves and regularly attend the local school site is enough demonstration of their
need for the program. Funding restraints preclude LA’s BEST from admitting all
students who are in need of the program, and most of the schools have waiting lists.
Once children are registered for the program, a parent or legal guardian signs a document
which lists the names of the adults who are authorized to pick up the child, and a contract
stating that the child will be picked up every day by six o’clock. Children are signed in by
a staff person every day as the program begins, and signed out every evening by the adult
responsible for them.
Each of the twenty-eight programs has a fair amount of autonomy in deciding the type
and structure of activities provided on a daily basis at a LA’s BEST site.
A typical LA’s BEST afternoon schedule after the end of the regular school day:
2:30 – 3:00 p.m.: Registration, Snack, Information Distribution
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.: Homework Lab, Tutoring
4:00 – 4:45 p.m.: Activity I (Computers, Cooking, Sports)
4:45 – 5:30 p.m.: Activity II (Art, Drama, Science)
5:30 – 6:00 p.m.: Recreation, Parent Interaction, Dismissal
“It’s not baby-sitting. This [LA’s BEST] gives children a
chance to experience culture and learning while improving
themselves.”
John Garner, Site Coordinator and Fourth Grade Teacher
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P R O G R A M
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1 3
DAILY ACTIVITIES
There are a variety of activities that the LA’s BEST children participate in on a daily basis.
There are also field trips and weekend activities, which will be discussed in a later section.
Sites organize their activities differently. Some sites group children by age and rotate
them through two activities a day. Every two weeks or so, these activities switch so that
each grade gets another two activities to try. In this scenario, the staff person assigned to
the grade rotates with the group from activity to activity.
Other schools allow children to sign up for activities, regardless of their age. Again, every
two weeks or so, the children are asked to rotate their activities and to sign up for new
ones. In this scenario, the staff people remain stationary at each activity that they
specialize in, and the children are responsible for bringing themselves from activity to
activity with staff supervision.
Most sites separate the kindergarten and first grade children into their own group,
allowing them to move at their own pace and to engage in activities at their level of ability
and interest. This group still receives the snack and must still complete any homework
assignments. Other activities may include arts and crafts, music, and library. Some sites
prefer to keep the first graders with the older children so that they are exposed to the
higher levels of education and social skills.
The activities from which the children can choose are decided by each individual site
coordinator once input from the children and parents about their needs and wants have
been considered. There are core activities common to all of the twenty-eight schools,
which include:

homework lab
reading for recreation
computer skills development
nutrition
sports including drill team
recreation activities
science club
performing and visual arts activities
activities that build empathy, help manage anger and help control impulses.
These activities are supplemented according to the specific skills of the staff and to the
interests of the children and their parents. Supplemental activities may include Folklorico
dance, cooking, flag team, etc.
Aside from these activities, children can opt to absent themselves from the rotations in
order to do sustainable projects under the supervision of a staff person. For instance, if a
child is in the science club and plans to enter him/herself into the annual science fair,
then the child can spend the activity periods researching, building and perfecting his/her
13
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P R O G R A M
science project. Other sustainable activities include animation projects, performances, or
any other preparation necessary for a city-wide LA’s BEST event.
Homework
The homework period generally lasts for an hour, and aside from the snack, is the only
mandatory component in the LA’s BEST daily program. Since LA’s BEST is more than
just after-school care and recreation, it is essential that the children do their homework
before any additional learning or recreation can take place. This assures that if the child
needs more than the allotted hour for his/her homework, then she/he will have the rest
of the afternoon to finish. Some Site Coordinators prefer to do homework before
anything else, so that the children get it out of the way. Other Site Coordinators prefer to
let the children unwind a bit after school before they begin their homework so they have
the snack period first.
Children are usually divided into homework groups by grade level or by age. Group size
therefore varies accordingly; however, groups typically have two staff members working
with them in order to maintain the mandatory one to twenty staff to student ratio.
Children have one hour to do the homework that was assigned to them that day in
school. If children finish their homework early or if they had no homework to begin
with, the staff person will assign work or create an educational exercise that is appropriate
for the child’s developmental level.
Some teachers from the regular school day stay in close contact with the LA’s BEST staff
in order to keep them updated on what goes on in the classroom, what the children are
learning and which child is having trouble with which lesson.
Sports
Every LA’s BEST school has a highly organized, competitive sports program in which all
sports have both a boys and a girls team. Throughout the year sports rotate between
soccer, kickball, basketball, softball, track, and volleyball.
Teams have a try-out period, after which the team members are selected. Once the teams
are set, the team members participate in practices each day after their homework, which
take the place of their regular activities.
The twenty-eight schools are divided into four regions based on their location within Los
Angeles. The teams within each region compete against one another during regional
competitions. The winners from each regional competition then compete in the finals to
determine the boys’ and girls’ citywide winner in each sport.
“LA’s BEST, in my opinion, is one of the best programs in the
city. Not only does it keep the students off the street at the
end of the day, but it also teaches them competitive team
spirit and to have a sense of accomplishment and worth.”
Elaine Sarfati, Grandparent
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P R O G R A M
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1 5
Throughout all of these competitions, LA’s BEST is clear and firm about its philosophy
on competition and on winning. Staff are trained to avoid a “win at all costs” mentality.
Staff are taught to separate the performer from the performance and the performer from
the outcome, while helping children to do the same for themselves. Setting realistic goals
and improving children’s ability to critique themselves are also important techniques
emphasized by staff. If not treated carefully, competition can be damaging to young
children. However, encouraging and focusing on good attitudes and healthy competition
is extremely important in guiding children toward personal success. (Please see
addendum for Points on Competitions.)
Computers
Computer learning is another important component to the “enrichment” aspect of LA’s
BEST, since computer proficiency is an important skill for any person to have today.
Therefore, LA’s BEST convened a group of teachers and technology experts to develop a
Technology Plan which would lay out a curriculum appropriate for the students and
would standardize the level of equipment and training at each school. This technology
committee assists in obtaining funds, in-kind donations, and donations of time and
expertise necessary to achieve the desired level of computer efficiency at each site.
Children engage in daily computer activities that are designed to be both fun and
educational. These activities include:

writing books on the computer
a selection of geography and spelling games
virtual scavenger hunts on the internet
designing LA’s BEST web sites
episodic story telling on the internet between LA’s BEST sites
Science and Math Clubs
These clubs are designed to be both fun and educational. Children participate in daily or
weekly workshops in which they learn important and useful concepts from hands-on
projects. Children who take a particular interest in science club have the opportunity to
compete in the annual city-wide science fair (discussed in City-Wide Events and Field
Trips), for which they design and build original science projects of their choosing under
the supervision of the science staff person.
Staff people are specifically trained to teach in this area. Their training materials and their
curriculum draw upon materials from outside sources, such as the television shows “Bill
Nye, The Science Guy,” “ 3-2-1 Contact,” and “Square One” of the Children’s Television
Workshop, as well as Girls, Inc., and local corporations such as Jet Propulsion
Laboratories (JPL).
“I like it [science] because you get to look at questions you
don’t know about, and then you can try to solve them.”
Eddie Santos, LA’s BEST Student
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P R O G R A M
Performing and Visual Arts
Activities include anything from choral readings to sophisticated theatrical productions
with special visual effects. Children learn to sing, dance, and perform in front of an
audience. Through this they gain self-esteem, and may discover hidden talent. A modern
version of “Grease” was recently performed at one site.
Reading for Recreation
There are numerous components to this important activity, the most basic of which is
reading books aloud in groups. Other components include learning to use the library,
improving literacy, subscribing to and reading magazines of interest to the children such
as “Sports Illustrated for Kids,” and weekly visits by Book Pals from the Screen Actors
Guild who come and read to the children. Special activities also include adaptations of
books, such as Where the Wild Things Are, into plays for the children to perform.
The goal of the reading program is to increase each child’s inclination to read. LA’s
BEST helps to ensure success in this by offering incentive rewards. For instance, if a
child spends so many minutes reading, or reads a certain number of books in a specific
period of time, then the child will get a ticket to an amusement park, a pizza party, or a
gift certificate to a fast food restaurant.
Recreation
Recreation does not only consist of running around on the playground. Activities include
aerobics, stretching, organized indoor and outdoor games, and trips to amusement parks.
LA’s BEST hopes to provide fun experiences that all children should be able to afford.
Empathy and Anger Management
The focus here is on allowing children to have a safe place to express, and to work with,
their emotions. Through self-esteem activities, open-ended questions and provocative
pictures of conflict situations, children and trained staff have in-depth weekly discussions
on whatever issue or emotion is triggered. LA’s BEST uses this as an opportunity to
impart the message to children that it is not their job to fix their family or a family
member’s problem. Rather, it is their job to make the best decisions that they can make
for themselves as individuals. LA’s BEST also reinforces the belief that every child has
the right to unconditionally love its family members, regardless if a brother might be a
gang member or if a mother might be using drugs.
Again, it is important to emphasize that LA’s BEST is not simply an extension of the
school day. It is an enrichment program available to children in order to enhance their
educational and personal experiences. Children are continually learning while being
physically and mentally stimulated.
16
P R O G R A M
-
1 7
CITYWIDE EVENTS and FIELD TRIPS
Each month, LA’s BEST staff and volunteers coordinate city-wide activities and
competitions that bring together the LA’s BEST children and their parents from all
twenty-eight LA’s BEST programs. Through these events, the diverse communities of
the LA’s BEST schools are brought together to promote cultural understanding and to
model positive behavior for both the children and their parents. The city-wide events are:
LA’s BEST Halloween Kidfest
Each school produces a Halloween activity on its campus including carnivals, haunted
houses, costume parades or contests. These activities are designed to discourage children
from ‘trick or treating’ on their dark, and often unsafe, neighborhood streets.
LA’s BEST “Community Jam Against Violence” Talent Showcase
Students from each school gather at a major venue and perform acts of drama, dance,
and music, all of which explore anti-violence themes.
LA’s BEST Celebrate Science Fair
Winners from science fairs held at each of the twenty-eight schools meet in this citywide
competition held at a designated venue. The top students who win this final competition
receive an all-expense-paid weekend trip to the U.S. Parent/Child Space Camp in
Huntsville, Alabama.
LA’s BEST/Raging Waters Water Park Family Day
Raging Waters donates exclusive use of its water park for LA’s BEST children and their
families, many of whom could not otherwise afford such an outing.
LA’s BEST Family Brunch
This is an annual event designed both to raise money and to honor individuals who have
made a significant contribution to LA’s BEST. Children at each of the sites enter an
art/essay contest on the theme, “Why My Family is Special,” from which winners earn
tickets for themselves and two of their family members to attend this brunch, as well as
annual memberships to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Each family is hosted
by a corporate sponsor.
LA’s BEST Dance/Drill Team Showcase
Each of the twenty-eight school sites organizes a drill team, which rehearses daily in
replacement of the rotating activities. All twenty-eight LA’s BEST drill teams then meet
at a local university to perform sophisticated dance drill routines before an audience of
over one thousand family members and supporters.
LA’s BEST/Amateur Athletic Foundation Sports League
With an on-going grant from the Amateur Athletic Foundation, boys and girls teams
compete in seasonal sports competition, with the top winners from regional tournaments
advancing to the city-wide finals. Students compete in soccer, kickball, basketball,
volleyball, softball, and track and field.
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P R O G R A M
LA’s BEST Camperships
LA’s BEST provides opportunities for its participants to compete for camperships. Such
experiences, ranging from one day to two weeks, have included the U.S. Space Camp,
music and art camps, dance camps, science camps, and a variety of sports camps.
In addition to these citywide events, individual schools and groups of schools participate
in weekly field trips. Transportation on buses is supplied by the city (ask your city council
district about arranging this) and supplemented through LA’s BEST funds. Field trips
include museums, Philharmonic performances, computer training courses, libraries, art
shows, beaches, zoos and more.
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P R O G R A M
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1 9
COMMUNITY SERVICE
LA’s BEST stresses the importance of being a responsible citizen. Children regularly
participate in community service activities within their surrounding communities.
Beautifying their own schools through organized clean-up days, planting gardens, painting
murals around the school campus, and decorating the inner walls with art projects is just
one aspect of their continued efforts. Other activities include regular visits to nursing
homes, senior citizen homes, and pre-school and daycare centers. Children sing and
perform to residents, participate in an adopt-a-grandparent program in which they
maintain one-on-one correspondence with a surrogate grandparent, and plan special
holiday events such as gift basket give-aways or Easter egg hunts. Every school also
participates in an annual LA’s BEST city-wide event such as a Heal the Bay beach cleanup day. Through these commitments, children gain as much as they give and learn the
value of community involvement.
“It’s just wonderful, and since I never had kids, it makes me
feel really good. It also reminds me of when I was growing up
and makes me realize that I still have a family.”
Pearlie Harring, ninety-four, visited by LA’s BEST children in
Convalescent Home.
19
COMMUNITY
SERVICE
ACTIVITIES
ARE
IMPORTANT
ORGANIZE
AN
TO
AND
ESSENTIAL
PART
OF
THE
“ENRICHMENT”
EXPERIENCE.
2 0
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P R O G R A M
PARENT INVOLVEMENT
An effective after school program encourages and facilitates parent participation. LA’s
BEST involves parents in the following ways:
Parent Orientation
At the time of enrollment, parents and their children meet with LA’s BEST staff for a
limited planning session. Staff members are trained to share information about
themselves with the parents, to learn the names of each parent, and to remember points
of reference for future informal conversation with parents. Parents are encouraged to
visit the program at any time, and are given specific opportunities and dates to volunteer.
Parents are also given a schedule of events to facilitate planning their own schedules and
are given a list of phone numbers of LA’s BEST people accessible to them if needed.
This information also includes emergency information and procedures. Parents are asked
about any areas of expertise and interests as well as any community contacts that may be
helpful to the program and may be an outlet for their involvement. Site Coordinators
advise parents that their satisfaction is important and teach parents the grievance
procedures for any problems that occur and that are not immediately resolved by the
LA’s BEST Site Coordinator.
Parent Conferences
Informal parent conferences are held at least twice a year to discuss the children’s
progress. Site Coordinators are joined by administrative staff or by the Activities
Consultant in cases where there is concern. This is an opportunity for both the Site
Coordinator and the parents. Site Coordinators inform the parents about their child’s
performance in various areas, while parents share with the Site Coordinator how their
child has responded to the program and how the program could better meet the needs of
that child. When parents are unavailable for a conference or repeatedly schedule
conferences for which they do not appear, staff either may conduct home visits with prior
approval or may schedule to meet with parents at evening or Saturday events.
Occasionally, if there is concern for a child, regular school staff members are invited to
join parent conferences. Every effort is made to conduct these conferences in the first
language of the parent. Informal communication is also open on a daily basis.
Parent Meetings
Open forum group parent meetings, held by LA’s BEST staff and Advisory Board Parent
Committee members as well as the school principal, have often been better attended than
parent meetings held by the regular school. These are evening meetings that may be
attended by all parents in the program. Parents’ satisfaction and recommendation surveys
are conducted prior to the meeting, and during the meeting these results are discussed
and developed. Agendas also include opportunities for feedback from the parents
regarding their own needs and interests as well as those of their children. Door prizes are
given out. There is a raffle with donated gifts, refreshments are served, and examples of
children’s work are displayed. Parents are asked ahead of time when it is easiest to attend,
and every effort is made to accommodate parents accordingly. Parents are made to
understand that their contributions are important and appreciated.
20
PARENT
INVOLVEMENT
IS
TO
KEY
A
SUCCESSFUL
PROGRAM.
P R O G R A M
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2 1
Ongoing Communication with Parents
LA’s BEST staff members are trained to build relationships with parents, and to respect
and to value parents as partners in the ongoing education of their children. Continual
communication with the parents is facilitated by:

designating a place at each school site where parents congregate
a bulletin board of relevant information dedicated to parents
a photo album and other materials of interest accessible to parents
a quarterly LA’s BEST newsletter sent to parents (printed in both English and Spanish)
newsletters produced on a regular basis by the site that their child attends.
Annual surveys are prepared by the Parent Committee of the LA’s BEST Advisory Board
in which parents are asked for input on program direction, policy and quality. Open
ended questions and checklists are translated for non-English speaking parents.
Parents are invited to all monthly field trips and city-wide LA’s BEST activities. These
activities help break down the barriers between the parents and their children’s school life
by allowing them to share these activities together. This teaches parents and families the
importance of spending quality leisure time together.
LA’s BEST staff members are trained to share positive information about the children
with their parents and to know the appropriate referrals for when families are stressed in
ways not relating to LA’s BEST.
Other Parent Involvement
A parent serves on the LA’s BEST Advisory Board to represent and communicate the
diverse views of different communities. Parents also form committees at the sites to
create programs such as “walk pools,” a group of parents that volunteer their time to walk
children home, or sewing committees that make uniforms and costumes for the children.
Many parents have also volunteered as speakers to promote LA’s BEST within the
community. These parent committees are very important in planning and implementing
many city-wide events.
“It’s not all play. They have to work. It helps my boys a lot.
Their grades have improved and it keeps them off the street.”
Jeannie Vigil, Parent
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P R O G R A M
VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION
Each year, more than three hundred fifty volunteers work at LA’s BEST school sites.
Volunteers take part in a variety of activities and are trained before they can work with the
children. Volunteers supplement activities by providing specialized enrichment
workshops ranging from storytelling to painting. Volunteers also assist LA’s BEST staff
in regular core activities. LA’s BEST has benefited from such volunteer groups as the
Screen Actors Guild Foundation, the League of Women Voters, the MonArt School of
Art, and the Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce. A large number of volunteers
also come from parents and the community and are people who know some of the
children personally. A growing number of these volunteers are people who participated
in LA’s BEST as children and want to volunteer their time to help other children receive
the same benefits. In addition, private companies often send their employees for special
programs and technical assistance as an in-kind donation.
In addition to volunteers at the program sites, LA’s BEST has a number of volunteers
who work at the administrative level in such efforts as writing grants. There are also a
large number of volunteers who help to organize special events. These volunteers
perform duties that the small LA’s BEST administrative staff would not otherwise have
time to do.
All volunteers working with the children must be tested for Tuberculosis. Because
volunteers are never alone with children, they do not have to be fingerprinted.
ENCOURAGING
COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERS
IS
ANOTHER
WAY
TO
RECONNECT
NEIGHBORHOODS
TO
SCHOOLS.
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P R O G R A M
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2 3
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT & COLLABORATIONS
Collaboration is the cornerstone of LA’s BEST and the basis for ten years of success in
cost effectiveness and keeping the program fresh. No matter how competent the staff,
without collaboration it is difficult, if not impossible, to present compelling activities and
learning experiences in inner-city after school programs on a daily basis that compete with
the excitement of the street.
In many cases, LA’s BEST assists community based organizations in producing grants or
plans to improve services to LA’s BEST children with no funds actually going to LA’s
BEST. Examples of these collaborations include: Girls Inc., Woodcraft Rangers,
Constitutional Rights Foundation, Da Camera Society, the Los Angeles Philharmonic,
Sidewalk Astronomers, Long Beach Sport Fishing, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los
Angeles Children’s Museum, California Science Center, and the Screen Actor’s Guild.
Local theaters, colleges and universities regularly donate tickets to LA’s BEST for visual
and performing arts events. By re-connecting these businesses and organizations to LA’s
BEST programs sites, these communities are strengthened and improved from within.
For this reason, LA’s BEST Site Coordinators are encouraged to assess what businesses
and organizations are in their school community that may be able to form a mutually
beneficial relationship with that LA’s BEST site.
The LA’s BEST Board of Directors, including important business and civic leaders, is
another source of collaborative efforts working within the community for the benefit of
LA’s BEST. Through their personal donations and influence in the community, the
board not only raises twenty-five percent of the revenue, but also helps increase
awareness in the community. Visibility helps with funding and opportunities for the
children through donated time and equipment by major corporations.
Each site is also encouraged to continually do informal community asset assessments in
order to identify potential resources for program support. This includes informal surveys
of community parents and local businesses.
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COLLABORATION
THE
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LA’s BEST STRUCTURE
The benefits that the children receive on the playground and in the classroom are the last
step in a long and complex chain of decision making which guides LA’s BEST.
houses LA’s BEST, providing office space, phone
services, computer hardware, software, and technical assistance, some office supplies, and
the added prestige and attention that are attached to the Mayor’s Office. The Mayor
provides an allocation to LA’s BEST in his budget.
The Los Angeles Mayor’s Office
approves the budget, which allocates the lion’s share of
annual funds to LA’s BEST. When funds ceased flowing from the Community
Redevelopment Agency (CRA) in 1998, the City Council chose to allocate funds from the
Community Development Department (CDD) federal block grant.
The Los Angeles City Council
The Board of Education,
and through it the Los Angeles Unified School District
(LAUSD), plays an intricate role in the structure of LA’s BEST. The school district
administration building houses the LA’s BEST Program Office and program staff. The
school district provides all of the school facilities in which the LA’s BEST program
operates. All program staff, both those working in the Program Office and those support
staff working at each individual school, are district employees who must be qualified and
trained by the district to work with children.
The private sector is another essential player in the functioning of LA’s BEST.
Not only
do corporations supplement the budget with private grants and donations, but they also
provide technical assistance and various in-kind and product donations.
Two boards control LA’s BEST. These are the governing Board of Directors and the
Advisory Board. The Advisory Board reviews the program and makes recommendations
to the governing board. The Board of Directors is responsible for setting the policies for
LA’s BEST based on the recommendations set forth by the Advisory Board. The Board
of Directors has the ultimate fiduciary responsibility for LA’s BEST.
The President & CEO sits as a voting member on the Board of Directors. The President
& CEO and the Administrative Office staff supporting her are responsible for fiscal
budgeting and management, public information, and implementing policies made by the
Board of Directors. They also play a large role in maintaining government relations and
in securing funding for LA’s BEST. The President & CEO reports directly to the Board
of Directors, and works hand in hand with the Program Director of LA’s BEST.
The Program Office in the LAUSD is administered by the Chief Operating Officer and is
responsible for coordinating all twenty-eight LA’s BEST sites, including implementing the
budget and overseeing all day to day operations.
The twenty-eight sites are divided by location into four clusters with six schools in each.
Each cluster has a traveling program supervisor and an activities consultant. Each of the
twenty-eight schools has a site coordinator and a support staff of varying numbers. There
is also an LA’s BEST computer consultant available to all twenty-eight school sites.
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Grant Manager; Director of Staff Development
/COO
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BOARD of DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors is made up of fifteen to thirty business and civic leaders who
have the desire as well as the potential to raise money for the organization. They are
responsible for oversight and forward planning, including the creation of a diverse,
sustainable funding base for the organization. It is the responsibility of each LA’s BEST
board member to:
1.
Review the mission of LA’s BEST and ensure that policies and practices are consistent with its
principles and values.
2.
Exercise personal influence with potential donors and personally contribute or raise a minimum
of ten thousand dollars per year.
3.
Assist the board in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibility by monitoring LA’s BEST income and
expenditures on a quarterly basis.
4.
Prepare for and participate in board and committee meetings. Board meetings will be scheduled
quarterly.
5.
Ensure, with input from the LA’s BEST Advisory Board, that current programs and services are
consistent with the LA’s BEST stated mission, purpose, and values.
6.
Adopt policies for staff selection and hiring, benefits programs, training, evaluation, promotion
and grievance procedures, as well as resource allocation.
7.
Assist the board in shaping and enhancing LA’s BEST’s public image by developing uniform, key
messages to be conveyed in order to promote a positive image of LA’s BEST in the community.
8.
Assist the board in assuring effective organizational planning.
9.
Assist the board in hiring (if necessary), supporting, and assessing the performance of the
President & CEO.
10. Assist the board in ensuring legal and ethical integrity and maintaining accountability by doing
only what a sense of fairness, ethics and personal integrity dictate, even though not obliged to do
so by law, regulation, or custom.
11. Assist the board in assessing its own performance and in recruiting and orienting new board
members.
The Board elects a chairperson who leads the Board meetings, appoints members to
committees and attends to any other duties that may be given to him/her by the Board.
The Chairperson serves a three-year term. The Board also elects a Secretary who will be
responsible for the meeting minutes and record keeping of the Board. In addition to
selecting officers, all Board members must serve as part of a committee. The committees
are chosen by the Board members and can be changed to meet future needs. The
committees are currently the Finance/Personnel Committee, the Government Relations
Committee, the Nominating and Board Development Committee, the Program
Evaluation Committee, the Parent/Community Relations Committee, and the
Technology Committee.
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ADVISORY BOARD
The Advisory Board is a group of experts in education, business, public relations and
other areas that benefit LA’s BEST. This board consists of approximately thirty
members and is open to people who may choose not to raise money but are important
leaders in the community. The LA’s BEST Advisory Board is responsible for providing
input, quality assurance, and diverse community/constituent views to the LA’s BEST
Board of Directors. The responsibilities of Advisory Board members are as follows:
1. Advisory Board members are expected to know LA’s BEST’s mission, purpose, goals,
policies, services, strengths and needs.
2. The Advisory Board conducts an annual joint meeting with the Board of Directors, and
other meetings as needed.
3. Advisory Board members are expected to:

Prepare for and participate in Advisory Board meetings and appropriate organizational
activities.
Ask timely and substantive questions at Advisory Board meetings.
Support the majority decisions on recommendations to the Board of Directors.
Maintain confidentiality.
Suggest agenda items periodically for the meetings to ensure that significant matters are
addressed.
4. Advisory Board members shape and enhance the public image of LA’s BEST by:

Communicating with elected officials on issues of importance to LA’s BEST.
Promoting and enhancing a positive image of LA’s BEST within the community.
Promoting parent/community/neighborhood involvement.
5. Advisory Board members provide input to the Board of Directors on quality and
efficiency by:

Providing advice and recommendations to the Board of Directors on programs, strategic
planning, program goals, and policies.
Providing information regarding their area of expertise.
6. Advisory Board members will advise and inform the Board of Directors on issues
relating to parent/community/neighborhood involvement.
7.
Advisory Board members will be expected to assist the Board of Directors and staff in
implementing fund raising strategies by utilizing personal influence with potential
donors (corporations, individuals, foundations and elected officials).
The Advisory Board will elect a chair and form committees as they see fit. The Advisory
Board meets on a monthly basis. The chair of the Advisory Board is also a voting
member of the Board of Directors. Although it is not a primary responsibility, members
of the Advisory Board should always be looking for ways to use their connections for
promoting the financial stability of LA’s BEST.
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The Advisory Board is a new addition to LA’s BEST and one that plays an important role
in ensuring that the program continues to be progressive and more visible to people in
the community. When recent financial situations required that the Board of Directors
place a greater emphasis on funding, the Advisory Board was created to ensure that
important program decisions continued to get the attention needed while ensuring that
the expertise of those unable to generate money was not lost. The Advisory Board has
many long standing supporters of LA’s BEST who have been with the program for its
entire ten years. The Advisory Board also includes a parent representative who has
children currently in the LA’s BEST program. Their work is crucial to the success of the
program.
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ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE
The Administrative Offices are located in City Hall in office space provided by the
Mayor’s Office. The Administrative Office is the central executive office of LA’s BEST
and is responsible for most of the policy decisions for the program. The Administrative
Offices are run with a staff of five full-time employees responsible for different aspects of
the program. Following is a list of positions and their descriptions:
President & CEO
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Masters in Education or Related Field
QUALIFICATIONS:
No less then five years experience in an executive position at a nonprofit organization;
excellent communication skills; Spanish speaking preferred.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The duties of this position are numerous and always changing; therefore, this position
requires a person with a high amount of energy and the willingness to spend the time it
takes for the varied responsibilities of LA’s BEST leadership. This person is responsible
for developing and executing programs that promote and improve the quality of services
to the children of LA’s BEST. The President & CEO is also responsible for the
development and monitoring of the annual budget. The President & CEO is also
responsible for productively promoting the organization and for assisting in securing
funds from both government and private sources. The President & CEO supervises all
aspects of the program and is ultimately the one the Board of Directors will hold
accountable for the program’s successes and failures.
Director of Fund Development
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s Degree in field relating to funding.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Familiarity with public and private foundations related to awarding grants; excellent
interpersonal communication skills; excellent writing skills.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Director of Fund Development works with the Board of Directors and the President
& CEO to develop a strategy for fundraising and lends his/her technical expertise to the
efforts of the funding process. She/he explores different areas of fundraising and is able
to sell the organization to prospective funders. Duties include grant writing, organizing a
major gifts campaign, and recruiting potential board members and potential donors, as
well as coordinating special events.
Director of Staff Development
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Three years experience in a nonprofit organization serving youth; excellent
communication skills; understanding of youth development and staff training.
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SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Director of Staff Development designs and implements a staff development plan for
the organization, creates professional development resource materials including a training
manual, organizes and facilitates staff development activities, increases the organization's
capacity to provide ongoing staff development, and serves as the liason to collaborating
organizations. This position is responsible for developing ways to continually improve
the program by giving staff the appropriate support and materials.
Grant Manager
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum of one year experience in managing a publicly funded program; excellent
communication skills; excellent organizational skills; proficient in Excel.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The Grant Manager ensures program compliance of public funded entities, and is
involved in developing systems for reporting and budget oversight. This position
prepares and submits reports as required by grants, analyzes the status of grants, and
reports any areas needing improvement to the CEO.
Director of Public Information
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Three years experience in nonprofit public service specializing in children; excellent
writing skills; excellent communication skills; Spanish speaking preferred.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
The primary responsibility for this person is internal and external communications.
She/he is responsible for writing, designing and publishing the LA’s BEST quarterly
newsletter and the LA’s BEST Annual Report. The Director of Public Information is
responsible for publicizing LA’s BEST and its many events in order to ensure that the
program receives favorable community support through both newspaper and television
coverage. She/he is also responsible for responding to inquiries from the public and for
any other writing, speaking engagements, or press conferences as needed.
Administrator
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree.
QUALIFICATIONS:
writing skills; excellent communication skills; excellent bookkeeping skills; Spanish
speaking preferred.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Provides administrative support for the organization and manages the executive office.
This person is the center of the inner workings of the office. The Administrator is the
record keeper for LA’s BEST in all areas including donations, expenditures, programs,
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and activities in which the children will take part. The Administrator also controls payroll
distribution, all accounting procedures, all insurance and benefits for employees, and
tends to staff issues and any other office needs as they occur.
Administrative Assistant
JOB TITLE:
EDUCATION: Minimum of high school diploma, college experience a plus.
QUALIFICATIONS:
writing skills; good communication skills; computer literacy; excellent organizational skills.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Acts as receptionist for the office and therefore must be present during all operating
hours. She/he assists all other staff members as required and so must be knowledgeable
in the operations of LA’s BEST. Must have functional knowledge in computer programs
and software including databases, spreadsheets and printing materials for mass mailings.
This person manages transportation, and records and prepares minutes for all meetings.
This person should be organized, pleasant and efficient.
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LOS ANGELES UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT/
PROGRAM OFFICE
The Program Office, housed at the Los Angeles Unified School District Headquarters, is
responsible for operating the program consistent with the goals and objectives of LA’s
BEST. The Program Office oversees all daily operations at each LA’s BEST site, and is
managed by the Chief Operating Officer, the Regional Recreation Director, an Office
Assistant and one part-time Administrative Assistant. The twenty-eight sites are divided
into four clusters of six schools. Each cluster is supervised and supported by a Traveling
Program Supervisor and an Activities Consultant. Each school is managed by a Site
Coordinator who is responsible for implementing the Program at his/her site. A
Computer Consultant is available to all twenty-eight schools. All employees are employed
by LAUSD. There are approximately five hundred district employees working at twentyeight school sites. Job descriptions are as follows:
Chief Operating Officer
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in recreation, education, or related field; or not less than five years
experience as an organizer, director, or supervisor, either in a continuing program of
educational, recreational, or athletic activities, or in agencies serving at-risk youth.
Valid driver’s license and use of an automobile.
SPECIAL:
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Plans, manages and administers the after school enrichment program. Acts as liaison
between the school district, the President & CEO of LA’s BEST, the Board of Directors
and Advisory Board, and all school site staff. Advises and works with the President &
CEO to establish program and policy. Prepares and monitors budgets, reviews
requisitions for supplies, and develops site curriculum. Supervises all program staff and is
responsible for hiring personnel. Represents LA’s BEST to LA Board of Education.
Traveling Program Supervisor (TPS)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in recreation, education, or related field is desirable; not less than five
years experience in supervising after school programs; bilingual preferred.
Valid Red Cross First Aid Certificate obtained within ninety days of
SPECIAL:
employment; valid CA driver’s license and use of vehicle with proof of insurance.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Responsible for a cluster of schools. Supervises activities within designated cluster
including selection of staff, organization of activities, resolution of conflicts, record
keeping, and payroll. Provides management assistance. Primarily responsible for assuring
compliance of each site with all rules and regulations set forth by the District, the Board
of Directors and Advisory Board, and the Administrative and Program Offices. Liaison
between on-site staff and Administrative and Program Offices. Responsible for
distribution and/or collection of supplies. Provides resources as needed. Responsible for
pre-service training, orientation of employees within a cluster, and staff evaluation
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Activities Consultant (AC)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Bachelor’s degree in recreation, education, or related field desirable; minimum of two
years experience in supervising after school programs; good communication and
collaboration skills; sensitivity toward the needs of school-age children; good writing and
organizational skills; bilingual preferred.
SPECIAL:
employment; valid California driver’s license and use of vehicle with proof of insurance.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Responsible for a cluster of schools. Provides technical and curriculum assistance in
order to increase program effectiveness. Advises and assists Site Coordinators in:
orientating new employees; increasing positive adult/child interactions; identifying
linguistically, culturally, and developmentally appropriate activities; developing schedule of
daily activities; and ordering appropriate and necessary supplies and materials. Works to
enhance the program at each site.
Site Coordinator
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Three months of full-time experience coordinating and conducting after school
programs; college level courses in education, recreation, or related fields preferred.
SPECIAL:
employment; valid CA driver’s license with proof of insurance.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Coordinates and implements the LA’s BEST program in conjunction with the Program
Office and the designated school administrator at each school site. Designs and
schedules a developmentally appropriate activities program. Responsible for parent/staff
communication and informatives. Coordinates field trips and weekend activities. Liaison
between site staff and Program and Administrative Offices. Selects, supervises, and
supports site staff. Orders, issues and maintains all supplies and equipment. Organizes
and conducts training of all site staff. Resolves parent/staff/child conflicts. Maintains
and prepares payroll for site staff. Coordinates on site volunteers. Responsible for
distribution and keeping records of daily snacks.
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The tactical operations of each school are conducted by the previously described Site
Coordinator with the assistance and supervision of the Traveling Program Supervisor and
the Activities Consultant. Assisting them is an array of talented and capable staff from
various levels of education and experience who work directly with the children everyday.
All staff persons at this level are school district employees. Each program maintains a
one to twenty adult to child ratio with the following staff positions:
Program Specialist (PPS)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Three months of full-time experience in conducting after school activities; college level
courses in education or related field desirable.
Valid Red Cross First Aid Certificate must be obtained within ninety days
SPECIAL:
after employment begins; a valid CA driver’s license with proof of insurance.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Plans, organizes, conducts and participates in enrichment activities; prepares special
projects; requests appropriate supplies and equipment for activities from Site
Coordinator; provides developmentally appropriate programs including group settings
which encourage positive relationships, self-selection, and enriched learning; encourages
self-control and constructive conflict resolution techniques; encourages positive selfconcepts; encourages thinking, reasoning and questioning; encourages enhanced physical
development and cooperation.
Program Supervisor (PS)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience in leading after school activities or programs desirable.
SPECIAL:
after employment begins.
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Supervises, organizes, conducts, and participates in daily enrichment activities; inspects
grounds and equipment for safety and proper operation; resolves complaints by students,
parents or public while developing community interest in enrichment activities; keeps
records and reports; assists other staff as needed; supervises and participates in weekend
activities; encourages positive self-concepts, constructive conflict-resolution and children’s
thinking, reasoning and questioning skills.
Program Worker (PW)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Experience leading after school activities or similar programs desirable.
SPECIAL:
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SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Assists in organizing and conducting various enrichment activities; assists in maintaining
safety and order; assists other personnel as needed; facilitates children’s positive selfconcepts and encourages appropriate conflict-resolution and cooperation among
children.
Part-Time Program Helper (PTPH)
JOB TITLE:
QUALIFICATIONS:
Age sixteen or older with valid work permit; interest and/or experience in working in
after school programs.
SPECIAL:
SUMMARY OF DUTIES:
Assists staff in daily enrichment activities; helps maintain order and safety daily on-site
and on excursions; facilitates children’s positive self-concepts and encourages appropriate
conflict-resolution and cooperation among children.
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STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
LA’s BEST carefully recruits staff members from within the Los Angeles Unified School
District and from the communities it serves. Many staff members are credentialed
teachers or teacher’s assistants, and the majority are currently enrolled in college. Many
staff members live within two miles of the school at which they work, helping to connect
communities to schools.
LA’s BEST personnel are qualified, hired, and trained by the LAUSD. Once an
employee is authorized by the Program Office and approved by the Program Director,
the employee is then qualified by the district. This qualifying process entails
fingerprinting, a criminal background check, and a Tuberculosis test. Once employees are
qualified, the Program Director places them at a site.
Annually, a Staff Training Day is held, in which all staff from the playground to the
Administrative Office must attend. This is typically an all-day training in which guest
speakers and experts in education or related fields lecture and design activities for staff
participation. This day not only renews the skills of the staff, but also encourages a
cohesiveness that facilitates the management of a successful program with common goals
and philosophy. First aide training is arranged as well. Additional training sessions are
implemented and scheduled for situational activities as needed.
Aside from scheduled training sessions, in-service training is continual at each of the sites
and at mandatory training sessions. For instance, each sport has a training session for the
involved staff, science and math staff have workshops which they attend, and at monthly
Site Coordinator meetings, there is a training segment and an opportunity for staff
development from an outside resource.
Ongoing training also exists at the site level through the Traveling Supervisors and the
Activities Consultants. The Activities Consultants have no supervisory authority. This
design provides the site staff with a level of comfort and support that enables them the
freedom to disclose real problem issues and concerns. The Activities Consultants have
the autonomy to decide at which schools they need to work within their clusters and their
length of stay. The interactions between the Consultants and the Coordinators are
confidential unless there is a health or safety violation, so again the Site Coordinators do
not lose their motivation to expose the weak spots in order to get help.
Interwoven throughout all staff training are important principles that LA’s BEST
reinforces:

No activity is as important as the effect that it has on the child.

Observing and listening to children helps to understand the needs and feelings
they bring to each day.
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Discipline
Staff members are trained in appropriate discipline techniques and in effective ways of
handling a situation in which a child needs discipline. In addition to following the
discipline code established at each school, each LA’s BEST site formulates its own set of
rules. These agreements are communicated to and accepted by parents and children, and
are posted for reference and review.
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LA’s BEST REVENUE
“The relationship [with city government and LAUSD] never
ceases to amaze me in its ability to move bureaucratic
mountains for children with the greatest needs and the fewest
resources.”
Carla Sanger, President & CEO of LA’s BEST
What It Means to Have Government Funding
Although LA’s BEST was started through government sources, there are many who
would ask, “After ten years, why does LA’s BEST still receive seventy-five percent of its
funding from the government?” Both inside and outside of City Hall, there are those
who have wondered if this reliance on government has occurred through a failure to raise
money in the private sector or even an unwillingness of the organization to stand on its
own. Actually, the continuance of this government support was a decision made by the
original Mayor’s Education Council when creating LA’s BEST. This after school
program was never intended to stand alone as a self-supporting organization, but rather
was created as a partnership between the public and private sectors. Some of LA’s
BEST’s greatest successes would not be possible if the government did not play such a
large role in the partnership, as was originally intended.
One of the primary government agencies involved with LA’s BEST, the Office of the
Mayor, provides resources that significantly reduce costs. This entity provides space,
telephones, equipment and supplies that would otherwise be charged to the program.
The connection of LA’s BEST to City Hall allows LA’s BEST to cut through many
administrative barriers on time-driven opportunities, which in turn makes the program
better for the children. Through the Mayor’s Office, LA’s BEST has strong working
relationships with important city departments, including, but not limited to: Cultural
Affairs, General Services, Telecommunications, Water and Power, Transportation, the
Community Redevelopment Agency, and the Commission for Children, Youth and their
Families. These departments have provided LA’s BEST with funds, volunteers, materials,
technical assistance and advocacy. In addition to these benefits, the connection to the
Mayor’s Office gives LA’s BEST a level of prestige that can help with media relations as
well as giving the opportunity to share ideas at the highest level.
LA’s BEST’s status as a non-profit corporation prohibits the organization from lobbying
to affect legislation. However, both the Mayor of Los Angeles and the City lobbyist can
act as an advocate for any city, state or federal legislation affecting the program. This is
one of the more significant benefits that the Mayor’s Office lends.
Along with the benefits to this government connection, there are disadvantages.
Although LA’s BEST is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit corporation, some potential funders see
this connection to the Mayor’s Office as a safety net for the program and conclude that
LA’s BEST does not need the kind of outside support that other non-profits need. Also,
LA’s BEST occasionally finds that a potential supporter’s opinion of the program is
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influenced by his/her opinion of government agencies. Overall though, this connection
has many more advantages than disadvantages.
LA’s BEST also has a well established relationship with LAUSD, including, but not
limited to: providing school space, materials, liability insurance for the children while they
are at the program site, accounting and disbursement, Student Auxiliary Services, and
Food Service Operations. LA’s BEST has also been made a partner and benefactor in
LAUSD’s Consolidated Giving Campaign in which LAUSD employees can choose to
have money deducted from their paychecks for one of fourteen charitable causes.
Working through the LAUSD system, LA’s BEST is able to operate almost as if it were a
part of the school district, even though it is a private organization.
As with the Mayor’s Office connection, there are some disadvantages that have arisen
because of LA’s BEST’s attachment to the LAUSD. There can be a challenge in
planning a budget. If LAUSD signs a contract granting a raise to their employees, LA’s
BEST must also give the same raise to their staff when it had not been planned in the
LA’s BEST annual budget.
Programs such as LA’s BEST reap many benefits for all levels of government. A
program like LA’s BEST carries a sound principle that makes government look ahead
rather than dealing only with current situations. The two and one half million dollars that
the government spends each year on LA’s BEST is an investment in the future. This
investment could save the much larger sums of money that would be spent on law
enforcement, corrections facilities, and public assistance if these children had not been
given the opportunity to break out of their cycle of poverty and to realize their potential.
In return, this gives people a better view of government because they can see it acting in a
positive way on behalf of their families and in their communities, rather than just seeing
the deductions that the government makes from their pay checks. LA’s BEST has
become an organization of which both city government and LAUSD is very proud, and is
recognized as being one of the most important endeavors in which they are involved.
In seeking funding from government sources, problems can arise if conditions are placed
on the funding that contradict the core principles of the organization, causing the
organization to have to either pass up important funding opportunities or to be involved
in long procedures to try to get those restrictions waived. For example, LA’s BEST
applied for a grant that would provide annualized funding, but this money required
income verification for all families of children in the program, pre-service college credits
in child development for all staff, and a one to fourteen staff to child ratio. These
conditions would require LA’s BEST to do major restructuring.
Faced with these restrictions, an organization may have to choose between compromising
on its original goals and the need for funding. For example, the income verification
would prevent many parents from enrolling their children because they are fearful of
going through the process or do not have the documentation that is required. This would
mean that many of the most needy children would not be able to attend. Also, requiring
pre-service college credits for staff members would make it more difficult to hire
employees from the neighborhoods around the schools--a practice which is considered a
great strength to LA’s BEST. In addition, changing from the current one to twenty ratio
40
GOVERNMENT
PARTNERSHIP
IN
AFTER
SCHOOL
PROGRAMS
IS
AN
INVESTMENT
IN
THE
NATIONS’S
FUTURE.
F I N A N C E S
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4 1
to the required one to fourteen would make the program less cost-effective, when LA’s
BEST has demonstrated it can achieve designated outcomes without making this change.
Sources of Income
The LA’s BEST organization is funded through a combination of public and private
sources, with the greatest emphasis placed on public sources. In the 1996-97 fiscal year,
revenues came from the following sources:
LA’s BEST Revenues (rounded figures)
Government
Foundations
Corporations
Individual Donations
Internal
Local business
Clubs and Organizations
$2,394,391
269,795
225,967
72,123
41,795
4,566
1,033
Total
$3,019,670
80%
10%
7%
2%
1%
less than 1%
less than 1%
Government:
Government funding accounts for most of LA’s BEST’s income. The
majority of this has come from a $2.1 million per year grant from the Community
Redevelopment Agency of California. In the future, it is likely that the single government
source will be replaced by a combination of city and state funds.
Foundations: LA’s BEST received twenty-five foundation grants in the 1996-97 fiscal
year that paid for much of its expansion. These grants can be as large as one hundred
thousand dollars or as small as one thousand dollars, but together they are a necessary
portion of the revenues. This is a pursuit which takes constant attention from staff but
which continues to generate more money every year.
Corporate Donations: Most corporations have a department that deals with charitable
donations. As a successful program with good media attention, LA’s BEST has been able
to tap these sources in increasing amounts, to receive significant financial donations, a
large amount of donated goods, and technical assistance.
Individual Donations: Individual contributions have been solicited in LA’s BEST from
the beginning and through these efforts, the program has gained a number of loyal
supporters. Whether small or large, collectively these donations are important and useful.
Making personal donations is an easy way for people to be involved and to have a stake in
LA’s BEST. There are several donor campaigns throughout the year using both mailers
and events to solicit donors. LA’s BEST has also begun a major gifts campaign that
involves members of the Board of Directors by using their personal contacts to get
donations from individuals.
Internal Contributions: In this case, the contributions given by people involved with the
organization play a large role in getting other people to contribute. If the members of the
Board of Directors give generously to the program, they tend to serve as an example for
others to do the same. Many potential donors see good internal giving as a sign of just
how strongly the Board and staff believe in the program. For these reasons, an annual
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4 2
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F I N A N C E S
“give or get” donation of ten thousand dollars is required of all Board members. There
will be a growing emphasis in the future on raising money through individual gifts.
Special Events: Money raised as a result of these special events has been a large part LA’s
BEST’s income. The most successful of these events are those which are mainly
dependent upon corporate giving, such as the annual Family Brunch, which is an event
sponsored by corporations buying tables and tickets, as well as individual sponsors.
Other special events have included movie premieres, the dedication of a new civic
building, and the unveiling of a large cityscape made by children using erector set pieces.
Special events are friend-raisers as well as fundraisers.
In the 1996-97 fiscal year, private funds covered ten percent of the costs of the program,
but in the future, it is the intent of LA’s BEST to have twenty-five percent of revenues
coming from the private sector, with seventy-five percent coming from government. The
private sector must share in the responsibility of funding LA’s BEST if it is to continue to
provide children and parents with the best possible program.
Fundraising is the area that makes everything else possible and takes constant attention
from all of the directors and the administrative staff. The Director of Fund Development
depends heavily on the Board of Directors and the President & CEO in the search for
donors and sustainable sources of funding. Public information also plays an important
role in funding because it increases the public’s interest in the organization.
42
F I N A N C E S
-
4 3
LA’s BEST EXPENDITURES
Since the facilities and offices are provided free of charge, LA’s BEST is able to spend
ninety percent of its revenue on direct services to children. The cost for each child has
been less than $3.50 a day, making LA’s BEST one of the most cost-effective after school
programs available. In the 1996-97 fiscal year, LA’s BEST’s expenditures were as follows:
LA’s BEST Expenditures
Administrative Costs:
Personnel
Benefits
Accounting Services
Supplies
Communications
Mileage & Telephone
Consultants
Miscellaneous
Administrative Total
$220,130
26,533
4,800
7,817
14,398
2,926
11,297
5,196
293,147
Program Delivery Costs:
Personnel
Benefits
Nutrition
Program Supplies
Program Equipment
Bus Services
Alteration/Improvements
Telephone
Program Evaluation
Consultants
Special Events
Performing Arts Support
Restricted Donation Projects
Total Program Costs
2,047,565
54,673
54,673*
117,458
20,542
9,764
5,000
5,293
992
23,132
4,246
1,000
82,592
2,559,929
TOTAL EXPENDITURES
2,853,076
* LAUSD received $340,420 in Federal funds for LA’s BEST snacks not shown above
43
4 4
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F I N A N C E S
From the overall budget, the Program Director is responsible for allocating monies to
each of the twenty-eight school sites. Following is an example of the budget for one
school site:
Sample Annual Site Budget
200 children/286 days
SALARIES
1 Site Coordinator
4 hrs/day x $15.41/hr x 246 days
$15,164
4 Program Specialists
3.5 hrs/day x $13.88/hr x 246 days
$47,802
1 Playground Supervisor
$4,395
1 Playground Worker
$8,817
5 High School Student Assistants
$22,985
Special Events/Emergency Supervision/
Shortened or Minimum days
6 hrs/day x $13.88/hr x 20 days
$1,674
Subtotal
$100,856
SUPPORT PERSONNEL
Clerical Services
$30 x 13 Pay Periods
$392
Custodial Services
1 hr/day x $18.00/hr x 246 days
$4,428
Subtotal
$4,820
EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
10.14% of Salary Total
$10,714
OTHER EXPENSES
Program Supplies
Nutrition
Administrative
Telephone
$4,518
$5,412
$8,599
$653
TOTAL
$135,551
The site budgets are made on the basis of how many students will be in the program.
Two hundred students per school is the average level. If the enrollment in a school
increases or decreases, then the site’s staffing will also change accordingly in order to
maintain a one to twenty ratio.
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F I N A N C E S
-
4 5
WHO PROVIDES?
There are many items necessary to run LA’s BEST, some of which are donated to LA’s
BEST in-kind, while others LA’s BEST purchases.
Facilities
LA’s BEST has access to most of the facilities in the twenty-eight schools in which it
operates. Which classrooms and how many is decided by each school’s Principal;
however, most are cooperative and allow access to all needed classrooms, including the
computer room, library, and auditorium. The district also covers liability insurance for
the school facilities.
Snack
Every child who attends LA’s BEST receives a snack each day during the program.
These snacks are provided for by federal money which is reimbursed to LAUSD at the
end of each year. The Child Care Food Program administered by the USDA provides
money to LAUSD for LA’s BEST based on the attendance of children at each site who
qualify for free lunch. If a child qualifies for free lunch, as most of the children in LA’s
BEST do, then they automatically qualify for this snack. Until this money is reimbursed,
however, the school district covers the cost and instructs each school cafeteria to prepare
snacks for the appropriate number of children. LA’s BEST then reimburses the school
district for costs not covered by the USDA.
“LA’s BEST has been the program that I point to as the
example of what a partnership between the city and the
school district can achieve.”
Sidney A. Thompson, former LAUSD Superintendent
Materials and Supplies
All materials and supplies, such as art supplies, computer programs, or drill team
uniforms, are either donated by parents or by private donors, or are paid for by LA’s
BEST. If the latter is the case, then there are two ways that purchasing can occur. Each
school has a supply budget that ranges from one thousand dollars for the smallest
program to three thousand four hundred dollars for the largest program. Program size is
based on attendance and the budgeted money is for a one-year period. Each Site
Coordinator controls the account for their school, but the Program Director oversees the
use of it and must approve all transactions. If the Site Coordinator has a need for
supplies, she/he reviews the budget, and then submits a requisition for the product and
the needed amount to the Program Director. Items either can be purchased with a
purchase order number through the school district, or can be purchased through an
outside vendor.
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F I N A N C E S
Supplies can also be purchased by the Site Coordinator through an imprest account. This
is essentially petty cash with restrictions that are set by the school district. Each
program’s imprest account is one thousand dollars for the year. The Program Director
houses these accounts in his/her office and then, with the proper receipts, reimburses the
Site Coordinator as needed. The school district oversees these accounts to assure that
their spending falls within district regulations. The accounts may not be used for items
such as uniforms or trophies, but may be used for food, prizes, or any similar needs.
Sports Equipment
LA’s BEST has benefited from an annual grant from the Amateur Athletic Foundation.
This grant provides for all of the needed sports equipment and coaches for all of the
seasonal sports teams, both boys’ and girls’, except drill team.
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F I N A N C E S
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4 7
PAYROLL
The distribution of payroll checks is handled differently for the Administrative Office
staff and the Program Office staff.
Administrative Office
The Administrative Office payroll is handled by a private accountant hired by LA’s
BEST. This accountant keeps records and cuts the checks for distribution. The
accountant delivers the printed checks for signature by the President & CEO and
designated Board member. Checks for less than one thousand dollars need only one
signature. Employees are paid twice a month.
Program Office
The payroll distribution for the school district staff is handled by the payroll department
at the LAUSD. LA’s BEST pays a small stipend to a regular school employee at each
LA’s BEST site, often the school office manager, to act as a payroll clerk. This clerk
collects time sheets from the LA’s BEST employees, converts them into payroll sheets,
and sends them to the district’s payroll department. Employees are paid monthly.
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F I N A N C E S
INSURANCE
The insurance coverage for the Administrative Office staff and the school district staff are
different.
Administrative Office
All Administrative Office staff are covered by a private insurance company. As stated by
law, worker’s compensation and state disability insurance are automatically deducted from
each employee’s paycheck. There is also an optional benefits package that includes
health, dental, and life insurance. Administrative Office employees do not have a
retirement plan or a pension plan.
The Board of Directors and the President & CEO are also covered under Directors and
Officers Liability Insurance. This insures against any liability lawsuits that may occur.
Program Office
All of the full-time school district employees are covered under the LAUSD Insurance
Plan. This coverage includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance. Again, as dictated
by law, worker’s compensation is automatically deducted from the paychecks. State
disability is deducted depending on the union to which the employee belongs, therefore
some of the staff have this deduction while others do not. District employees who work
one thousand hours a year or more also have a seven percent deduction that feeds into a
pension and retirement plan called PERS (Public Employees Retirement System).
All of the support staff working at the school sites or within one of the clusters work less
than one thousand hours per year and are therefore part-time workers. These employees
are not provided with insurance, and have a minimal deduction that pays into a retirement
plan.
Accidents occurring to children or to school facilities during LA’s BEST hours are
handled in the same fashion as accidents occurring during regular school hours. An
accident report is filed, is given to the school office manager or to the LA’s BEST
Program Office, and is then sent to the insurance company.
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R E S U L T S
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4 9
RESULTS of LA’s BEST
LA’s BEST is a well-respected program because it has demonstrated results, and its
effects can be measured in areas such as grades, student behavior and school crime rates.
The numerous and diverse activities children are offered do more than just occupy their
time. They also broaden their horizons and help them realize their potential.
UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation, 1995 Study
This study focused on children attending the program for at least two years in the ten
longest running LA’s BEST schools. The LA’s BEST children were compared to a
control group of children from the same school who did not attend LA’s BEST.
Extensive interviews were done with both the students and parents of children in LA’s
BEST and the children and parents in the control group. Due to the fact that most
families in the study spoke a language other than English in the home (sixty-five percent
in LA’s BEST and eighty-two percent in the control group), the interviews and
questionnaires were conducted in their native languages for best results. Following are
the findings of this study:
1.
Grades: Although LA’s BEST children generally had lower GPAs than the control
group in the beginning of the study, the grades of LA’s BEST children improved at a
faster rate than those in the control group, and many had higher GPAs than the control
group by the end of the two-year study.
2.
Attitudes: Children who participated in LA’s BEST had a more positive attitude of
themselves and of school. They felt safer after school and had more adults available to
help them with their problems. They were also more likely to choose creative and active
forms of recreation rather than passive ones such as watching television. A reported
seventy-seven percent of LA’s BEST children liked school more and were more likely to
include college in their plans for the future.
3.
Attitudes toward environment and perceived safety: The control group and
LA’s BEST children expressed similar levels of problems in their neighborhoods. A
reported eighty-five percent of children heard gunshots near their home, and fifteen
percent had actually seen people with weapons near their homes. Although these
numbers never actually changed, the LA’s BEST kids felt significantly safer than the
control group during these after school hours.
4.
Relationships with adults: Children in LA’s BEST had a more positive attitude
toward adults and found those adults in the program helpful to them. LA’s BEST
children were more likely to include these adults as the people to whom they would go
when needing help solving a problem.
5.
Attitudes toward school and school related activities: LA’s BEST children
showed a significant improvement in their attitudes toward school while the control
group showed no such change. LA’s BEST parents often commented on how much their
children had improved in their attitudes as well as in their grades.
School Crime
According to the LAUSD school police, in the nineteen longest-running LA’s BEST
programs, reports of school crime have decreased by sixty-four percent since the program
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R E S U L T S
started. This has made a great difference in the atmosphere of the schools. Langdon
Avenue Elementary, in the San Fernando Valley, was once known for its problems with
crime in and around the school. Today it no longer requires security on campus during
the program, and it has recently been recognized in the Los Angeles Times for its
improvements. Langdon principal David Balderama gives LA’s BEST the credit for this
turn around. “It fills a much needed gap in the children’s day from the time they leave
school to the time their parents come home from work,” he stated. Balderama said that
without LA’s BEST, many of his students would be involved in the drugs and gangs that
continue to plague the area around the school. The year before LA’s BEST started,
Langdon Elementary had seventy criminal acts on the school grounds, but by 1997, that
number had fallen to nine. Most results are not that dramatic, but nearly all schools in
LA’s BEST have experienced this drop in the crime rate.
LA’s BEST students, because of the higher opinions that they hold toward school, are
less likely to commit acts of vandalism against the school itself. Many of the lessons
learned in LA’s BEST include tolerance, anger management, and how to express feelings
appropriately. All of these techniques play a large role in the reduction of school crime.
LA’s BEST helps give children the values they need to be respectful of their environment.
Children gain a higher sense of pride in their school and in their community, causing
them to care more about what happens there.
Lasting Impressions
One of the best measures of LA’s BEST’s effectiveness is given by its former students.
Since LA’s BEST has been serving neighborhoods for ten years, many former students
are now in high school or college. LA’s BEST is often approached by former students
who wish to volunteer or even become part of the staff. These alumni are an important
part of the program and are committed to giving other children the opportunities that
they received when in LA’s BEST. The fact that these returning students are this
committed to the program is a good indication that LA’s BEST is having a lasting impact
on the children whom it serves.
“LA’s BEST helped me realize who I am. If it wasn’t for
this program believing in me more than I believed in
myself, I guarantee I would have been another negative
statistic. I thank LA’s BEST for guiding me to the
understanding that it is not who you are that holds you
back, it’s who you think you are not.”
Albert Tadeo, Site Co-Coordinator
50
AFTER
SCHOOL
CARE
HELPS
REDUCE
CRIME.
R E S U L T S
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5 1
RECOGNITION
LA’s BEST has been recognized as an exemplary program for responsible youth
development by several national organizations, including the Carnegie Council on
Adolescent Development, the American Association of School Administrators, the
National Association of School Boards, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National
League of Cities, the National Center for Community Education, the Children’s Defense
Fund, and the National Conference on Solving Youth Violence, as well as numerous state
and local entities.
A report released by the California State Assembly Special Committee on the Los Angeles
Riots recommended that corporations and foundations expand LA’s BEST, and the
California Senate Office of Research cited LA’s BEST as one of the nation’s most
successful after school programs for making a significant, measurable, and positive
difference in student achievement.
“LA’s BEST is an outstanding program for Los Angeles
children, providing kids with the skills and self-esteem they
need to succeed.”
Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan
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R E S U L T S
PROGRAM EVALUATION
Although the results LA’s BEST has achieved in the past are a good indication of the
quality of the program, it is still important that the program constantly evaluates itself. It
is a process that involves the input of staff, students and parents.
Parental Input
This is perhaps the most valuable part of the evaluation process. Parents are given
questionnaires in which they have an opportunity to rate the program activities and the
performance of the staff (these are the same surveys discussed at the group parent
meetings). As discussed earlier, each school then has an annual Parent Meeting where
representatives from the Board of Directors, administrative staff, and the site staff come
to answer questions and to listen to the concerns of parents. This connection to parents
is one of the real strengths of LA’s BEST. Parents’ comments and concerns are taken
very seriously by all involved. It is important for parents to know that they have a voice
in the program. Their positive comments are also much appreciated by the staff.
Input from the Children
In the end, it is what the children think of the program that will determine not only if they
want to attend the program, but also what they will get out of it. To gain their input, the
children are given periodic questionnaires, but on a regular basis, staff observe the
children’s responses to particular activities. Often, children are given a choice of activities
to attend, and if an activity is not chosen by a lot of students, it is one that needs to be
reconsidered. The goal of LA’s BEST is to have educational and enrichment activities in
which children want to take part; in fact, a recent survey of children in LA’s BEST found
that across ethnicity and geography, the two activities children enjoyed most were science
and sports.
“The most important thing that I learned was that
anything I set my mind to, I could do.”
Chalamar Sarfati, LA’s BEST Student
Site Coordinator Meetings
These meetings are held on a monthly basis and are both a major part of the interaction
between school sites and an important forum for the coordinators to share their site’s
successes and challenges. These are informative meetings for both the site staff and the
administration, but are also a forum for the Program Director to know how well the
programs on the school site are being received.
52
R E S U L T S
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5 3
Internal Evaluation
Skills evaluations are distributed to each site staff member annually. This process is
administered by the Site Coordinator to see how the staff member is performing in a
variety of areas.

Traveling Program Supervisors visit each site in their cluster not less than once a month
in order to review how that site is complying with LA’s BEST’s standards and policies.
Parents are given an annual survey assessing performance and quality followed by a
meeting to discuss results at each site conducted by the Parent Committee of the LA’s
BEST Advisory Board (as discussed earlier).
LA’s BEST Board members and visitors complete and return an evaluation checklist,
developed by the LA’s BEST Advisory Board, after randomly selecting program sites for
visitations.
How Results are Used

The results from evaluations are discussed at regularly scheduled Site Coordinator
meetings and with individual Site Coordinators as needed. An Activities Consultant is
then scheduled to conduct on-site training with staff and children to support areas
identified as needing improvement. The Activities Consultant then determines the
number of days they will need to stay at that site in order to complete the improvements.
Formal program evaluations are reviewed by the Program Evaluation Committee of the
Board of Directors for further advice and assistance in making needed changes.
Evaluations are additionally reviewed in staff conferences to set program goals and
objectives for each site.
The Board of Directors and Advisory Board of LA’s BEST, at an annual retreat, assess
the performance of the organization as a whole to determine how successfully the agency
met its objectives for the year. When concerns arise, ad hoc committees are formed to
organize corrective action. These committees may include board members, community
members, regular school staff, LA’s BEST staff, parents, hired consultants, and enrolled
children.
Future Evaluations
Proposals have been written for a long-term look at the effects of LA’s BEST on children
as they continue through high school. LA’s BEST’s goal is to have a long-term impact on
children. By showing that more children from LA’s BEST do well in high school and go
on to college, it will strengthen support for the program and will help make further
expansion possible. This study will also look at the impact that LA’s BEST has had on
the neighborhoods it serves in the areas of gangs, drugs, and crime.
Success comes from knowing where the program’s strengths are and where it needs
improvement. This mixture of internal and external evaluations gives LA’s BEST a wellrounded look at where the program stands in a variety of areas while allowing the
program to adapt to meet new challenges.
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R E S U L T S
54
R E P L I C A T I O N
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5 5
THE IDEA of REPLICATION
The replication of a complex organization takes careful planning and the cooperation of
the public and private sectors who see the need for the program and have a genuine
commitment to fulfilling this need. In order to be effective, it takes a pulling together of
many entities: the highest attainable level of leadership in the city, such as the Mayor and
Superintendent of Public Schools; suppliers of money to start and to run the program;
experts in education who have the knowledge and experience to plan the curriculum; a
school district that is willing to support and embrace the program as well as to donate the
facilities; and the government support that will insure the continuation of both funding
and the use of their resources for the long term. It is important that anyone attempting to
replicate be patient enough to take the time needed to build the base of support necessary
to make the program a success.
Replication Success Stories
LA’s BEST has been successfully replicated in three other California cities in recent years.
San Jose’s BEST was founded in 1991 through money provided by the San Jose
Mayor’s Office.
Sacramento START (Students Today Achieving Results
Tomorrow) was launched in 1996 in twenty public elementary schools in Sacramento
and currently serves over four thousand children each day. San Diego Community
School Innovation Inc. was launched in the fall of 1997. This program runs at two
middle schools serving six hundred students and helps parents become better organized.
Funding for this project was provided by a local foundation.
These examples of successful replication show the ability of the principles found in LA’s
BEST to adapt to new cities and to new populations. Although there may be great
differences in the need and the demographics of different areas, after school enrichment
focuses on the basic needs that all children have in common, which are to have a safe and
supportive environment in which trusting adults encourage them to become their best. If
a program educates, challenges, and enriches a child’s life, success will be almost certain.
With after school programs growing in recognition and popularity, there will be more city,
state, and federal money allocated than ever before, which will make it easier for similar
programs to be started.
55
REPLICATION:
How to Create
Your Own After
School Program
REPLICATION
OF
BEST
THE
LA’S
NEEDS
HIGHEST
LEVELS
OF
LEADERSHIP.
5 6
–
WHERE TO BEGIN
· Target Population
The first step is to decide what population you wish the program to serve. LA’s BEST is
designed for elementary school students, so if you choose to serve other ages, significant
changes would have to be made accordingly. For example, older children, especially high
school children, have different social and academic needs, as well as more demands on
their after school time (e.g. athletic practices, jobs). The program is also adaptable to
elementary schools that are not in challenged areas. It is important to identify a target
population keeping in mind that you will probably not have the resources to serve all of
the schools in your district.
It is very important that a new program start with a good understanding of the needs of
the target population in respect to both children and their parents. There should be
extensive surveys of parents, school administrators, teachers, and children to decide
exactly what would best respond to all parties involved. Information should be gathered
regarding:

what hours are most helpful
in what areas the children need most academic assistance
what recreational opportunities the children would like to have that are not currently
available to them
what social and economic issues facing that area need to be addressed
what the schools feel their role should be in an after school program
existing programs within the community
· Assessing the Need
As a requirement to receive any federal funding, all school districts must list their schools
in order of need determined by factors which may include, but are not limited to, test
scores, poverty rates, welfare rolls, and the percentage of students who receive free or
reduced lunches. The ranking that each school receives as a result of this list is called a
“compensatory education ranking.” It is helpful to use this ranking in determining which
schools are in the greatest need for an after school enrichment program. This is not the
only factor in determining which schools will receive a program, but it is a starting point
which ensures that all schools receiving the program are in need of it.
Some compromises may become necessary in this selection process. If you are going to
start the program with ten schools, it may seem logical to take the ten most needy on the
list. However, there are other factors to consider. For example, to win the support of
members of the local school board or the city council who will fund the program,
decisions on program placement should consider distribution within districts.
Representatives are often more likely to support an after school program if it will help
their constituents. These considerations may mean the difference between a successful
program and no program at all. In the end, what is best is determined by what makes the
after school program available to the most needy children, but there is a political reality
that comes with all government funding.
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5 7
In assessing the need and making the program fit your target population, keep the
following questions in mind:
1. How will you select and reach those who are served?
2. What specific services do they need?
3. Do these needs fit the model or will the model need to be modified or supplemented?
4. Can the model be modified to meet these needs?
5. How will the program be modified to meets these needs?
· Demonstrating the Need
Although your program will need government funding, much of the start-up work should
be done on the grassroots level with groups of parents, teachers and community leaders
who are concerned, aware of the need, and motivated. Before government can be moved
to act, they often need to see a movement from the grassroots level that is gaining
momentum and that may have political ramifications. Groups that may be supportive
include school districts, teachers unions, and parent organizations and community based
organizations that fight crime and poverty.
With a well thought-out plan, building coalitions with these organizations may get you the
people-power and influence needed to have a real chance at starting this program. LA’s
BEST is successful because it has such a broad base of input and support. The groups
that assist you in the planning stage of the program can be important in finding qualified
people who are willing to move from the planning stage to the operating stage.
· Important Organizational Steps
Once you have determined the need, identified your population and assessed your
resources, follow these steps to get your organization off the ground:
1. Form an organizing committee of interested parties that will help get the
commitment of funds and resources needed to begin the program. Ideally, this
group should be made up of representatives from government agencies, the
school district, educators and local business and civic leaders committed to using
their knowledge and resources in order to make the program work.
2. Conduct surveys of parents, children, and teachers to determine where the need
lies. From these results, set exact goals as to what you wish to accomplish and
how to go about doing it.
3. The organizing committee should then approach the appropriate government and
school district agencies with these plans in order to form the desired partnership.
The appropriate people to approach include your city council representative, the
education specialist on the mayor’s staff, or any member of the Board of
Education.
4. Apply for USDA assistance to guarantee a snack for each child in the program.
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5. Form a Board of Directors that will conduct the official negotiations with the
agencies involved in the partnership and gather the necessary start-up funds not
covered by the government or the school district. This group is also responsible
for hiring the President & CEO and assisting him/her in hiring other key staff
members. The Board of Directors should include representatives of all
government and school district agencies involved in the partnership. This Board
should form committees as needed.
6. Draw up Articles of Incorporation and apply for recognition as a non-profit
corporation, making it possible to obtain a 501 © 3 tax exemption status. This
will legally recognize your program and make it possible for donors to receive a
tax deduction.
Becoming a Non-Profit:
Getting your letter of 501 (c) 3 status requires close to six months of processing after
submitting the immense amount of documentation to the appropriate government agencies.
Plan on this being a lengthy procedure. Starting and Running a Non-Profit
Organization, by Joan Hummel, (© 1995, University of Minnesota Press), is an
excellent source of information to help you in this process. It includes a check list of basic
actions necessary to become tax exempt, as well as information from building your Board of
Directors to fundraising techniques.
7. Individual states have requirements for incorporation and annual reporting. This
information is usually obtainable from the State Department of State or the State
Attorney General's Office. Application for tax-exemption must be made to the
IRS, which requires annual income reports as well as statistical evidence that
would encourage them to continue the tax-exempt status in subsequent years.
By-laws of the corporation should also be adopted.
8. It is generally helpful to have an attorney and a CPA on the Board of Directors or
Advisory Board to help with information of this nature and to submit the proper
reports.
9. Once you have decided the logistical matters, including how many schools and
children will be involved, you can begin the process of hiring the Program
Director, followed by the remaining support staff.
10. Meet with regular school staff to discuss the program, to arrange storage space,
and to identify regular school staff who may be willing to work as program
employees or volunteers.
11. Staff orientation (including any staff involved from the regular school day)
should begin early enough so that it is completed before any of the sites open.
Keep in mind that obtaining background checks on staff can be a lengthy process.
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12. Give parents the opportunity to enroll their children in the program. Parent
orientations should be conducted so that parents understand the program and
their responsibilities. This is also a good opportunity to let parents meet the staff
in order to open the lines of communication.
13. When the program opens, it should be a very public event involving the media,
civic leaders, business leaders, and potential funders. The more attention that the
program receives, the more people who will follow the program’s progress. A
public opening also gives parents in other neighborhoods a chance to learn about
the program so that they may consider how to get it for their children.
14. The program should be regularly evaluated with an understanding that regardless
of what has been accomplished and how good the program is, it can always
improve. It is the drive to improve and to expand that keeps things moving
forward.
· Assessing Your Resources
It is important that all necessary resources be in place before setting an opening date for
the program. For this reason, it is necessary to assess early on what resources you need
and what resources are available in the following areas:
Facilities:

At each school site, the program must have access to:
classroom space
playgrounds
the cafeteria
indoor space for arts, drama, and computers
office space for staff and supplies
bathrooms
emergency supplies (e.g. water, first aid)
telephone access
auditorium/multi-purpose room
There must also be sufficient space for the program to operate in inclement weather or
darkness. Agreements must be made and approved with the school district and should
be done with the cooperation of the school administrator before the program is
implemented. It is important to note that your program may have to pay for some
needed improvements to its facilities. Over the years, LA’s BEST has upgraded outdoor
lighting, painted classrooms, purchased outdoor storage bins, renovated libraries, and
added telephone services and computer laboratories.
The program also requires office space for the administration which may be combined
with program management space. This office space should be donated if the program is
to have the cost effectiveness intended.
Personnel:
Although there is some flexibility in personnel, please refer to both the
Administrative and Program Office staff lists provided in the “Personnel” section. If the
organization is not starting with a large number of schools, it is possible to combine some
of the jobs in the Program or Administrative Offices or to fill them temporarily with
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volunteers working on a part-time basis. Essential personnel on the administrative level
include an executive chief, an administrator, and a public information director. In a small
organization, fundraising may be conducted by the previous three positions and any
volunteers, but any organization that needs substantial amounts of money that are not
provided by government sources, needs to focus a large portion of its time fundraising.
Therefore, a fundraising position may eventually be needed. The program staff must
include a program director, at least one traveling program supervisor, and a site
coordinator at each school site. Support staff working under the site coordinator can be
determined by each school’s need to meet mandatory student/teacher ratios.
Staff Qualifications:
It is important to consult the requirements for the personnel
listed in the “Personnel” section. These should be the minimum requirements if you are
to recruit staff members who are able to fulfill their obligations in their respective
positions. There may also be requirements of your state or local government that would
affect the minimum qualifications of staff working with children. It is important to stress
that if it is not required for site staff to have a college background, then it is sometimes
easier to recruit staff from within the community around the school. These communitybased staff members are considered one of the strengths of LA’s BEST. There should
also be an effort made to recruit school staff working at the site during the school day.
Staff Training: Many of the site staff have limited background in education. For this
reason, training is a very important component of planning for the program and should
be completed before any staff members begin their work with the children. All staff are
required to have instruction in first aid and emergency procedures. Staff training should
be an extended period of time in which staff are educated in the basics of how to be
supportive of and nurturing to children. Staff also need to know the ways in which
children can be disciplined without the use of force, including the laws concerning
working with children. Most importantly, the staff need to understand the mission and
vision of the program and the importance of following all guidelines.
Program Materials: There are basic materials needed for the program at each site.
Examples of these include art supplies, a TV and VCR, sports equipment, indoor games,
computer software, and general school supplies such as pens, paper, and glue. The
program should not rely on the school for any of its materials. Access to school
computers, however, is something that you do want. It is a challenge for every after
school program to gain sufficient trust with the school so that primary equipment is made
available for use with full accountability. However, if the school will not allow the use of
its computer equipment, then it may be possible to obtain donations from corporations
who upgrade their equipment periodically. What is not donated will have to be purchased
along with the rest of the needed materials.
Finances:
There should be at least three months worth of start-up funds in the
bank when beginning. It is also important to know how large a program you can
realistically start without stressing resources or sacrificing program quality. Refer to LA’s
BEST’s budget (p. 43) as a model, but the cost may vary considerably depending upon
the area you serve, the number of regulations that are attached to your government
funding, and the level of in-kind support that you are able to obtain.
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THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE REPLICATING
Throughout the replication process and the subsequent running of your program, there
are obstacles that you might incur. Some can be avoided; others are inevitable, but when
dealt with properly, can be overcome. Here are some of the challenges that LA’s BEST
has faced throughout its ten years of operation.
Teachers and Principals
There are those principals and teachers who do not feel comfortable allowing any after
school staff to use their classrooms or facilities at the end of the school day. Their main
worry is that the classroom may not be cleaned properly after the program is finished.
More often, though, the school employees are very cooperative and even work in
conjunction with the LA’s BEST staff to improve the program or to focus on a child
needing extra help. The challenge is to identify those issues that preclude cooperation
and to respond to them accordingly. Building the necessary trust can be accomplished by
accommodating the teachers’ and principals’ self interests. Enticing a teacher or a
principal with an idea of what’s in it for him/her, as opposed to mandating the use of a
classroom, works wonders!
Bureaucracy
Working as an organization tied to the mayor’s office, the school district, and the city
government, there are bureaucratic obstacles that will inevitably surface. There are
decisions that must be made which respond to political considerations while not
compromising on sound educational principles and the best interests of the participants.
In developing your organization, this aspect may seem frustrating, but keep in mind that
the added benefits of being attached to these government agencies makes it worthwhile.
Funding
The continual search for government funding through pending state and federal
legislation requires the President & CEO, the Board of Directors, and all stakeholders to
become a proactive force. They must be in constant search of hidden opportunities, and
continually educate and illuminate elected officials about the program and its benefits.
However, lobbying is not permitted in a private, non-profit corporation, so this is a thin
line to walk.
Regulatory Issues
LA’s BEST has also encountered many regulatory issues in its search for funding. The
issue here is weighing whether accepting the benefits of a grant is worth the costs of
accompanying regulations that may compromise the core values and goals of the
program. These lines are often very subtle, and so it is important to know which lines
you are willing to cross. Often, collaboration equals compromise, and the program must
determine its own threshold on when the need for money outweighs these compromises
and when it does not.
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Addendum:
Some materials
to help you get
started
Following are some sample materials developed by LA’s BEST for training
or evaluation purposes. Other materials included were developed by
individual sites for use in their own training or operations manuals:
1. Points for Competition
2. LA’s BEST at 68th St. School, Philosophy & Goals
3. LA’s BEST at Canoga Park Elementary, Daily Program Schedule
4. Sample Daily Schedule
5. Trainee Checklist
6. Site Visitation Guide
7. Parent Questionnaire/Evaluation
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LA’s BEST POINTS for COMPETITION
As staff, we want our children to develop into happy, self-confident, capable, inspired,
healthy adults. Competition itself isn’t “bad” or “good”. What is important to
understand is that there are many forms of competition (attaining or beating a personal
standard, doing better than someone else, etc.) and that the positive effects of
competition are healthy and desirable, whereas the negative effects of competition are
very damaging to both the child and his/her performance.
All competitions must occur within boundaries of appropriate and ethical behaviors and
attitudes at all times:
1. Clearly separate the performer from the performance.
Instead of saying
“good boy” or “good girl” (performer) when a new skill is learned or a sports
play is successful, say “good job” (performance).
2. Clearly separate the performer from the outcome. The outcome of a game is
not necessarily a good reflection of the player’s or team’s performance. A
child can have a great game and lose, and a team can show poor skills and
win. A cornerstone of building self-confidence and self-esteem is the ability
to recognize when we have performed well. Staff need to help children
acquire that ability at an early age.
3. This is not to say that winning doesn’t matter.
Another cornerstone of
building self-confidence is experiencing success. However, by shifting the
emphasis onto the performance, it succeeds in helping the performer do the
same, particularly under pressure.
4. Facilitate self-critique. Avoid rushing in with your own advice, even though
you know all the things a child could do better to avoid having a poor
performance again. Instead, try asking, “How did it go?” or “ What might
you do next time that is different?” Children feel better about critiquing
themselves as opposed to hearing it from someone else.
5. Help children set realistic performance goals and expectations.
6. Help children know they are doing it for themselves, not for their team and
not for you. Staff help children most when they remain unconditional
supporters of the child and the child’s efforts.
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LA’s BEST at 68th Street School
Philosophy & Goals
68th Street School LA’s BEST Program’s focus is on the children. Our aim is to have a
well-rounded program focusing on the needs of at-risk children.
We make a difference in their lives. We want to enhance their lives. In order to
accomplish this goal, we must constantly show them unconditional love, make them
realize their full potential, and constantly develop their self-esteem.
68th Street School is the BEST of LA’s BEST. We want to instill in our students that
they are “68th Street School’s Better Educated Students for Tomorrow.”
Goals for 68th Street School LA’s BEST program:
1. Make LA’s BEST a safe haven for students after school
2. Provide exciting and fun activities for students to enjoy
3. Have and enforce rules and regulations by which students abide
4. Constantly make students our top priority.
As employees of 68th Street School’s program, your job is very important. You have
taken on the task of making a difference in these students’ lives. These students look to
you for love, encouragement, support, guidance, and acceptance. In many ways, you are
responsible for making decisions that will influence their lives.
Each staff member has inner abilities that can affect our students. We employee you to
reach within yourselves and give this magic of life to the students of LA’s BEST.
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Corporation for National Service
1201 New York Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20525
(202) 606-5000
This replication manual was made possible by a partnership between thee
Corporation for National Service and World Hunger Year.
World Hunger Year
505 Eighth Avenue, 21st Floor
New York, NY 10018
(212) 629-8850
1-800-5-HUNGRY
fax (212) 465-9274
[email protected]
http://www.worldhungeryear.org