Wanted: Your Input on Extended Learning

Learning doesn’t take place just in a classroom. It can happen before school, after and during the summer.

Called in educational circles “extended learning,” it enhances students’ overall educational experiences. The best programs, research shows, involve both school and community involvement.

And to that end, the Iowa General Assembly directed the Iowa Department of Education to produce a report due Dec. 15 on best practices for extended-learning opportunities in the state. To accomplish this, the Department and the Iowa Afterschool Alliance are seeking input from Iowans on extended learning, both in the form of a survey as well as a series of meetings hosted around the state.

The report for the extended learning pilot model comes from funds appropriated by the 2013 Iowa General Assembly in House File 215.

The survey can be accessed here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/extendedlearningIA2013.

For specific information on the individual state meetings, go to http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2962:wanted-your-input-on-extended-learning&catid=666:headlines