Curricular Planning
Planning lessons in advance is essential to delivering effective instruction. Lesson planning helps instructors establish learning goals and objectives, while organizing content, linking it with the school day, devising instructional strategies and gathering materials. Activity leaders can also identify ways to incorporate social emotional learning and college and career readiness.
21st CCLC requires that programs and activities are:
- Aligned with the Next Generation Learning Standards, school and district goals.
- Designed to improve student academic achievement as well as overall student success.
- Based on successful existing models, research or other information.
- Linked with the regular school day and school day teachers.
- Preparing students for college and careers.
- Incorporating social emotional learning as per NYS Guidelines for Social and Emotional Development and Learning.
- Integrating hands-on experiences that make learning relevant and engaging.
- Link With the School Day
- Prepare Students for College & Career
- Incorporate Social Emotional Learning
- Organize Field Trips
- Link With the School Day
- Prepare Students for College & Career
- Incorporate Social Emotional Learning
- Organize Field Trips
Link With the School Day
Link with the school day
CBOs can coordinate with school leaders on creative ways they can link with school day learning. At a teacher staff meeting, the site coordinator and / or activity leads can facilitate a discussion about any specific schoolwide or classroom themes that they would like after school programs to integrate.
If it’s difficult to get time during a teacher meeting, site coordinators can distribute this brief questionnaire with this introductory letter to teachers to learn more about their classroom priorities. For schools who leverage Google tools, the site coordinator can convert this to a Google Forms survey to send around to teachers as well.
Dear Teacher,
[NAME OF ORGANIZATION] is providing [TYPE OF ACTIVITY] in your school this semester. We’re reaching out to teachers to learn what they are teaching during the school day to see if we might be able to integrate some themes and materials in our after school activities.
Can you please take a few minutes to fill out this form and submit it by [DEADLINE]? Please place it [ROOM # / LOCATION] when complete. We will make our best effort to incorporate it into our after school lesson planning.
Thanks,
[Site Coordinator]
[ORGANIZATION]
Prepare Students for College & Career
Prepare Students for College & Career
Career readiness is the attainment and demonstration of the following competencies that prepare college graduates for a successful transition into the workplace. These competencies are:
Incorporate Social Emotional Learning
Incorporate Social Emotional Learning
New York State Department of Education has adopted the Social Emotional framework from Collaborative Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), which uses a set of five competencies that all young people and adults need to learn to be successful in school and in life. This framework has been widely accepted across the country.

SAFE
Effective Social Emotional Learning (SEL) instruction has four elements represented by the acronym:
- Sequenced lessons - connected and coordinated activities to foster skills development;
- Active - active forms of learning to help students master new skills;
- Focused - containing activities that clearly emphasize developing personal and social skills;
- Explicit - targeting specific social and emotional skills.
Tools
Organize Field Trips
Organize Field Trips
Field trips are a terrific way to enrich learning. Your CBO should have a written policy regarding its rules and regulations for program field trips. The policy should include guidelines such as parent consent requirements, student conduct, staffing and supervision, allowable times and locations for trips, and emergency procedures. Additionally, your CBO’s liability insurance should cover field trips.
What Regulation governs school trips?
Chancellor’s Regulation A-670 sets forth the rules and procedures governing all school trips, including international trips. The regulation provides guidance for planning and executing field trips for students, and outlines the responsibilities of superintendents, principals and staff. It also establishes required supervisory ratios and protocols for handling emergencies.
What is considered a DOE-sponsored school trip?
School trips organized by special programs within the school (e.g., clubs), trips that are planned by the school or school staff, and trips that will include school staff are DOE-sponsored school trips. When a trip is sponsored by a parent association or an outside group such as a community-based organization that has a relationship to the school, the principal should determine whether the trip is a DOE trip or whether it is an independently run trip. For example, if a community-based organization that works with the school during the day or after school is organizing a trip, the principal should look at the following factors in determining whether the trip is a DOE-sponsored trip: (a) the purpose of the trip and whether it supports the curriculum/purpose of the school or is simply a travel opportunity; (b) what involvement the DOE has in planning the trip; and (c) whether any DOE staff members are chaperoning the trip. If it is determined that the trip is not a DOE trip and is an independently run trip, parents must be advised in writing that the DOE is not sponsoring the trip, and therefore is not responsible and will not be providing supervision.
How do we secure transportation?
The following are considered appropriate means of transportation for field trips:
- Student MetroCards – Schools distribute student MetroCards to eligible students at the beginning of each semester of the school year. Student MetroCards are distinct from MetroCards used by the general public. Student MetroCards are only for use by the student to whom it was issued and whose name is written on the card. Additional policies that apply are:
- Good for travel to and from school and school-related activities between 5:30 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., only on days when the student’s school is in session.
- Good for three trips each school day. Three trips allow a student to travel to school, from school to an after school activity, and then from that activity to home. A special four-trip Student MetroCard is available on request for pupils whose trip to school requires multiple transfers.
- Good for an entire school semester.
- Intercity buses or transit systems (e.g., Amtrak, Greyhound); and/or
- Registered commercial airlines;
- Private authorized buses, including school buses.
- To request a bus for a school trip from the Office of Pupil Transportation, contact the Field Trip Unit at 718-784-3313. This unit sends information to all schools prior to the start of each school year about the procedures for obtaining buses for trips. Please refer to these procedures when requesting bus service from the DOE Office of Pupil Transportation.
How many supervisors need to attend?
The chart below outlines the stipulations on supervision as per DOE policies.
Routine Day Trips within NYC
Middle Schools
One Day Out-of-the-City or Overnight Trips
High Schools