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Below is a list of commonly asked questions regarding
the School of the 21st Century program:
Do
all schools implement 21C in exactly the same way?
What if my school already has some of
the 21C components in place?
How do schools pay for 21C services?
Does 21C target specific children or families?
Does 21C work?
Who provides training and technical assistance
for schools interested in 21C?
How does my school become a 21C school?
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Do
all schools implement 21C in exactly the same way?
No, each school tailors the model to match its own needs
and resources because every community is unique. Implementation
of 21C begins with a needs assessment to determine which
of the 21C core components are necessary in a given
community, and implementation is guided by those findings.
What
if my school already has some of the 21C components
in place?
Many schools have one or more of the core 21C components
in place before they become a 21C school. However, they
value becoming a 21C school because 21C provides a guiding
framework to examine what additional services are needed.
The 21C model also stresses the importance of connections
-- ensuring that programs and services work together
to benefit children and families.
How
do schools pay for 21C services?
There is enormous variety in the ways that different
schools and districts finance their 21C programs. Most
schools use a combination of parent fees (for the child
care programs); federal and state funds (such as Title
I and pre-kindergarten dollars); grants from local foundations;
and donations from businesses and community organizations.
The most successful 21C programs also receive significant
in-kind contributions from their districts (space, utilities,
custodial services, etc.)
Does 21C target specific children
or families?
One of the unique strengths of the 21C model is that
it does not target at-risk children or their families.
Based on the belief that all families, at some time,
can benefit from support, 21C services are available
to all families in a community regardless of income
or family circumstances.
Does
21C work?
Through evaluations at several 21C sites, the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy has
gathered evidence of the efficacy of the School of the
21st Century model. Moreover, 21C builds on individual
components that have been successfully evaluated on
their own. The findings from both sources provide compelling
evidence that 21C benefits children, parents, and the
school as a whole.
Who provides training and technical
assistance for schools interested in 21C?
Yale University serves as the national center for the
School of the 21st Century and provides training, technical
assistance, and evaluation services to 21C schools.
Schools interested in the 21C model are encouraged to
join the national 21C Network established and maintained
by the Zigler Center in Child Development
and Social Policy. Through the network, 21C schools
stay informed about relevant research, new funding opportunities,
evaluation findings, and implementation strategies.
How
does my school become a 21C school?
Yale University designates schools that meet certain
criteria as 21C schools. These criteria include, but
are not limited to, having support from district and
school leaders, appointing a 21C Coordinator, developing
an action plan for implementation, and attending 21C
training activities sponsored by Yale University. These
steps ensure that the school has the knowledge, commitment,
and ability to implement a high-quality program. If
your school is interested in becoming a School of the
21st Century, please contact us.
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