Zigler Schools of the 21st Century

1) Category:
General program

2) Issues Behind the Program:

Due to a lack of affordable, accessible high-quality childcare services, the Schools of the 21st Century program was created. Schools of the 21st Century are based on the belief that public schools have the ability to lighten the stress that is often caused by poverty and by a lack of reliable and accessible resources for child education.

3) Objectives:
To promote the optimal growth and development of children starting at birth To help families prepare their children for school To prepare the school for the arrival of the children

4) Environment:
Daycares and primary schools

5) Target Group:
Children from 3 to 12 years old

6) Key Words:
Zigler Schools of the 21st century, coeuraction, school-family-community partnership, general program, community schools, family assistance, child development, school preparation, health

7) Program Description:
The program consists of a community school model that integrates childcare and family assistance services within the school itself. The program transforms the traditional school into a multiservice center for children where high-quality services are available from morning to early evening. The program has six basic components: o o o Guidance and support for parents Early care and education for children aged 3 to 5 Before school, after school and holiday daycare for school-age children

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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o o o

Health education services Network and training for childcare providers Information and referral services

8) Steps:
I. Assessing needs: This is done in order to determine the needs of the community, as well as the resources already available in the community. Gathering information on the needs of families and children can be accomplished by means of a survey, focus groups and interviews. Generating support: Personnel and other members of the school community must believe in the importance and necessity of the program. Members of the personnel of the Zigler Center can visit school districts to discuss the potential impact of such a program on the school and on the community. They can also meet members of the district school board to explain the program, research outcomes and setup steps in detail. Fundraising Planning: New programs will need financing for initial renovations, personnel training, program sustainability and program expansion. Action planning: The Zigler Center asks 21st century schools to develop a 4-5 year action plan. The plan must explain the way in which the components will be introduced into the program. It must also lay out the strategies and the activities the school will employ in order to reach its goals, and include a timetable, as well as evaluation methods. Collaboration: This can prove to be a difficult step to undertake, but is a key element for the success of 21st century schools. Collaboration is essential in order to offer the best services to families and children, and to avoid service overlap. Collaboration is also needed to ensure additional funding and to make the services more comprehensive. Evaluation: Once the program is operational, it is important to know if it responds to the needs it was designed to cater to. Evaluation, which is undertaken by the school and the Zigler Center, is indispensable.

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9) Activities/Actions:
Each school organizes activities responding to the needs identified at the first step of the setup plan. Schools of the 21st Century acts within the community in numerous ways: o o o o o home visits as well as parent workshops aimed at teaching parents concepts concerning cognitive, social, linguistic and motor development; frequent opportunities to meet with other parents and discuss different subjects, worries and questions regarding parenthood and child rearing; a quality childcare service that is appropriate for the children; diversified and supervised activities for children during after-school hours; health, nutrition, education and physical activity services for families as well as care for children with special needs, in addition to developmental evaluations, dental checkups and mental and physical health services; nutritional meals and snacks offered in schools; workshops and training, support groups and information to help existing childcare services, whether in the school or in home daycares within the community;

o o

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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assistance to create partnerships with other organizations and community officials in order to meet the needs of children and of families and to stay up to date on which community programs and services are available; assistance for choosing childcare services, health care services, financial aid, social services and other services that offer assistance to families.

10) Resources Required:

Human resources: o o o o o School team (school principal, teachers, administrators, support personnel, psychologists, nurses, specialized educators, etc.) Parents Community partners (social workers, psychologists, career counselors, nurses, etc.) Edward Zigler Centers personnel Budget for personnel training and for program sustainability and promotion

Financial resources:

11) Roles of the Participants:

Parents: o o are involved in the education of their children and participate in meetings. procures evaluation tools and services (analysis of the setup procedure and of results) in order to evaluate needs, gives advice on how to recruit hard-to-reach populations and helps schools present their results in a language that is understandable and persuasive; assists schools in developing their action plan through help with determining objectives and choosing proven strategies; helps schools identify potential partners and helps in the collaboration process; helps schools to develop a strategy. collaborate with schools and make sure that the schools are attuned to community needs. respects the steps described above in order to promote students optimal growth and development. The Edward Zigler Centers personnel:

o o o o

Community partners:

The school team: o

12) Scientific Basis or Validity:

Benefits for children: o Children who participated in the program for at least 3 years had significantly superior results in math and in reading when compared with children who did not attend a 21st century school. According to teachers, the 21st century preschool program helped them to screen early for children who would need special help and customized instruction.

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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Benefits for parents: o o o o Parents who participated in the program experienced less stress than those who did not. They spent less money on childcare services. They took fewer days off work. The program helped parents maintain a better relationship with the school. There is less vandalism in the schools. Greater parent involvement is seen. Zigler, Edward F.; Finn-Stevenson, Matia; Stern, Barbara M., Supporting children and families in the schools: The School of the 21st Century, American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, July 1997, Vol. 67, No. 3, 396407, 1997. (http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm? fa=main.showContent&view=fulltext&format=HTML&id=1997-05442-005) The School of the 21st Century Is Making a Difference: Findings from Two Research Studies (http://www.yale.edu/21c/research21c.html)

Benefits for the school: o o

To consult the evaluation reports, see: o

Various research projects out of Yale University concentrate on the program's effectiveness as well as on other relevant subjects (http://www.yale.edu/21c/projects.html).

13) Program Material:

Evaluation tools to assess needs and a variety of training workshops offered by the Edward Zigler Center Schools of the 21st Centurys website

14) Additional Information:

1 300 schools within the United States (urban, rural, and suburban areas; wealthy, middle-class and underprivileged communities) have used the 21st century schools model. Yale University recommends that schools apply the setup strategy based on the evaluation of the community in order to determine which components should be given priority. The model is flexible, which allows schools to adapt it to their specific needs and resources. Leadership and teamwork can help overcome the difficulties that schools may encounter along the way. The information contained in this factsheet was taken from: http://www.yale.edu/21c/.

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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15) Contacts:
The Edward Zigler Center for Child Development and Social Policy 310, Prospect Street New Haven (CT) 06511 Tel.: (203) 432-9944 Email: Yale21c@yale.edu

This factsheet was taken from the following website: http://rire.ctreq.qc.ca/.

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