Foundations Inc.

Foundations provides schools with support in two key areas: educational services and administrative services.

Educational Services
Since 1998, Foundations has provided services to public schools at all stages of development. Foundations’ services in new school development include informational workshops, assistance in the drafting and compilation of charter applications and planning grants, consultation to individual founding groups, and coaching of founding groups in preparation for public hearings. Foundations has assisted over 200 founding groups with charter applications and planning grants, and has provided implementation assistance to over 100 charter schools during the startup phase. Foundations has also supported numerous charter expansion and renewal projects.
Foundations also provides ongoing consultation and services to district and charter schools in Philadelphia, including on-site assessments to embark on a continuous improvement cycle through the use of Foundations’ accountability and improvement tools. To date, Foundations has completed assessments for more than 100 schools, including start-up charter schools, existing charter schools, and charter schools that have been renewed. To complete the assessments and make recommendations, Foundations uses a streamlined version of its On-Site School Assessment School Improvement Process (OSASIP®). Foundations anticipates conducting On-Site OSASIPs in various charter and district schools this year. Most schools that experience this process subsequently contract with Foundations for strategic planning to improve performance and/or professional development to implement their plans.
Foundations is expanding its reach by providing program accountability and business services to a number of schools in the Mid-Atlantic states, collaborating more closely with state-based organizations to expand services and awareness within the field.
Administrative Services
In providing financial guidance to schools with significant need, Foundations aims to enhance educational opportunities by allowing school administrators to focus on instruction and student performance while maximizing financial resources. The School Business Services Department has designed comprehensive business management packages for schools to help them address day to day financial operations efficiently and effectively and plan knowledgeably for the future. Foundations understands that one-size-fits-all doesn’t work, especially when it comes to running institutions as varied as local school districts and charter schools. We offer all client schools the opportunity to select from a menu of services, depending on their individual needs. These services are available on an interim or ongoing basis.
Customized and cost effective business services include assistance with accounts payable and receivable, audit preparation and compliance, budget preparation and monitoring, employee benefit management and payroll, periodic state reporting, vendor contract review, grant fiscal management, cash management and investments, debt financing, human resources, student information management, and more. Foundations’ wide range of services includes on-site visits, preparation of financial presentations to boards of trustees, and attendance at committee meetings and ad hoc committee sessions as requested. Services are performed in both off-site and on-site environments.
Professional Development

On-Site and Web-Based Trainings
Highly effective teachers and staff are the most critical element of a quality learning experience for young people, whether in the classroom, afterschool, or during the summer.
For the out-of-school time field, where many youth workers may enter without a formal background in education (but bring other talents, energy, and a passion for working with young people), professional development and on-the-job coaching is key. Positive outcomes depend on well trained staff members who blend academic content and youth development knowledge, incorporating research-based components and best practices into the design and delivery of programs. These include using effective pedagogical techniques (planning, teaching, and assessment); connecting learning opportunities to student interests; fostering positive relationships among children, adults, families, and communities; providing time for staff development; and encouraging reflective practice. In the last two years, the Center has provided face-to-face training to more than 5,300 afterschool educators from 35 states and the District of Columbia, who serve more than 292,000 children and youth.
The Center also leads the field in the use of technology for online professional development and capacity-building for out-of-school time educators. We continue to incorporate technological advancements in the field of digital teaching and learning into our online professional development offerings such as chat boxes, polls, videos, web-based resources, and more.
For school day staff, effective school leadership matters and has been proven essential to increasing student performance. Foundations’ staff has the capacity and resources to facilitate the Professional Development Planning (PDP) process for school leaders. Our team supports and guides school leadership in fully implementing the Professional Development Plan process for all staff, creating PDPs to help improve the quality of teaching and learning. Professional development and training needs for the teaching staff are assessed through staff surveys and the review of performance data. The annual PDP for school staff and administration is developed based on the results of these tools. We work with school leaders to support ongoing curriculum development and implementation initiatives. Foundations’ team members play an active role in conducting periodic joint classroom observations and monitoring of all learning environments to ensure organizational and professional learning needs are being addressed accordingly, making adjustments to the annual PDP as indicated.
Foundations develops and delivers a range of professional learning programs for primary and secondary school teachers and school leaders, as well as out-of-school time educators and leaders. Our presenters and instructional coaches are not only experts in their fields; they are also experienced teachers, with firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing teachers both in and out of the classroom. Foundations creates customized professional development programs which combine evidence-based best practices with practical strategies to bridge the gap between pedagogical understandings and real classroom solutions.

Since 1998, Foundations has sponsored annual Beyond School Hours® conferences, a premier gathering of educators and thought leaders, to improve the quality of programming across the day – and improve outcomes for children and youth everywhere. The conferences bring together individuals from across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and other countries to exchange new ideas, discuss educational trends and “best practices,” and learn about successful afterschool programs. Most importantly, the conferences focus on improving the quality of programs. Beyond School Hours is the nation’s premiere conference for educators and leaders serving K-12 students in school, afterschool, summertime, and beyond. The over 200 content-rich workshops cover topics that range from Trauma-Informed Practice and Grade-Level Reading to STEM, Family Engagement, and more.
Beyond School Hours conferences provide vital professional development opportunities for educators and leaders working with students of all ages, across the learning day, all across America. Attendees refresh, renew, and have fun connecting with peers and experts. Through hands-on workshops, institutes, keynotes, panel discussions, excursions, exhibits, and celebrations, they take home skills, tools, and a renewed passion for improving outcomes for young people. Over the past two decades, BSH has impacted the lives of over 4 million students across the country.