A Case Study on Best Practices for Out of School Time Intermediary Organizations

The After-School Corporation (TASC) Capstone team conducted case studies of six cities that were representative of the diversity of intermediary organizations currently engaged in systems building across the nation. The following intermediaries were examined: Columbus, OH’s After School Counts; Detroit's Mayor's Time; Fairfax Partnership for Youth; Fresno Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning (CORAL); Houston's Harris County Department of Education (CASE); and St. Louis for Kids. The case studies purposes are to illustrate the strategic contributions intermediary organizations have made to building the local after-school system and improving outcomes for kids since their participation in recent TASC conferences. Capstone team members conducted interviews with stakeholders and gathered research on relevant baseline data in each city; changes in the core functions and model of each organization; and subjects related to the scale of the after-school system, outcomes measurement for after-school programs, alignment with the school day, accountability, and the challenges of serving youth successfully across race, class, gender, and age.