Welcome to the Council’s Online Toolkit for Extended Learning Opportunities (ELO). ELOs are initiatives that provide safe, structured environments for students outside of the regular school day and year. ELOs include extended day/year initiatives; before- and after-school programs; Saturday, weekend, and summer programs; distance learning, and early childhood education initiatives.

This online toolkit was developed by the ELO Project at the Council of Chief State School Officers to support chief state school officers and state education agency staffs in your efforts to implement high-quality ELOs. This toolkit includes research on ELOs, content related to state implementation of federal ELOs (e.g. 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Supplemental Educational Services), as well as information about state-based programs.

This toolkit can help you:

• Learn more about the Council’s policy position regarding the importance of ELOs in American education and our ongoing activities to support chiefs and state education agencies
• Find state-specific resources related to policy and legislation; evaluation; standards and assessments focused on extended learning opportunities
• Identify tools developed by state education agencies, and other local and national organizations to support ELOs
• Locate timely and useful research on the benefits of ELOs for participants and the characteristics of successful programs
• Learn about activities and products that other national and regional organizations have developed related to extended learning opportunities

We encourage you to submit or recommend additional resources; give us feedback on how you are using the toolkit and how it might be improved; and share it with your colleagues in your state department of education.

To submit a resource for inclusion in the ELO Toolkit, please send an e-mail to elo@ccsso.org, that includes the title of the resource; the state name; and, if possible, a copy or link to the resource.

For additional information on the ELO Online Toolkit, or the Council’s Extended Learning Opportunities Project, please contact Ayeola Fortune, Project Director for Extended Learning Opportunities (ayeolaf@ccsso.org, 202-326-8680).