IAP BOOK SERIES

Current Issues in Out-of-School Time

About the Book Series
In 2016, Information Age Publishing (IAP) launched a seminal and timely series on the Current Issues in Out-of-School Time (OST). The Series promotes and disseminates original theoretical and empirical research, promising practices, and policy perspectives from practitioners to further grow the OST field.

The OST field has grown significantly over the past twenty years. Strengthened by 21st Century Community Learning Centers funding, an annual federal investment of over $1 billion, millions of children have increased access to before- and after-school and summer learning programs. Research and field-wide focus on continuous improvement and capacity building have led to the development and implementation of quality standards and practices. In addition, systemic, coordinated local and state efforts have created ongoing investments and incentives for intentional linkages across diverse institutions in support of OST learning. Today, the OST field has visibility, legitimacy, and relevance in the public sphere as a central partner in young people’s development and learning across contexts.

The Current Issues in Out-of-School Time book series bridges research and practice by stimulating discussion about: research-informed practice and practice-informed research; emerging, innovative strategies in the field; groundbreaking research that is deepening our understanding of the what, why, and how of OST; and areas left unexplored or issues that demand our urgent attention in order to improve the equity, access, quality, and diverse outcomes for all children and youth.

The first book in the series, The Growing Out-of-School Time Field: Past, Present, and Future (2017) lays the foundation on which the series rests. The Social and Emotional Learning in Out-Of-School-Time: Foundations and Futures (2018) offer a clear framing of SEL in relation to other OST concepts and initiatives. Our third book, Changemakers! Practitioners Advance Equity and Access in Out-of-School Time Programs (2019), addresses through an equity lens considerations organizations, programs, and OST professionals should hold when engaging traditionally underserved young people and their communities. Fourth and fifth books are in production.

The audience for the book series. The audience for this book series is wide-ranging, including: teachers and youth-serving professionals, school districts, education and youth development leaders at all levels (including intermediaries, direct-service national/regional/local organization, membership organizations), college students and faculty, evaluators and researchers, funders, and other decision-makers and policy influencers. We look for book volumes that offer diverse perspectives on cross-cutting issues in OST field, such as cross-sector collaboration across OST, education, and workforce sectors, international lessons learned, as well as cutting edge topics within the field.

About the Call for Book Volume Ideas
The call for edited book volumes will be open from October 1 to December 1, 2019. The series welcomes ideas for book topics that bring a multi-disciplinary approach, illuminate relevant issues in the field, and would appeal to a broad range of audiences both within the OST field and beyond. We are looking for individuals and/or editorial teams who bring diverse perspectives. Book editors should have expertise in the subject matter proposed in their book. Prior book production experience is preferred.

The call for book topics is open ended, and we welcome fresh, innovative ideas from scholars and practitioners alike. Ideas that are covered by previous published or forthcoming books in this series will not be considered. We also do not accept proposals that are outside of the OST field or are too narrow and niche. Below is a list of principles and a sample list of broad topics that is designed to stimulate ideas and is in no way intended to be exhaustive:

Guiding Principles for the Books in this Series:
• Includes a focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and culture
• Bridges and includes chapters on research, policy, and practice
• Appeals to a variety of OST audiences – including researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and philanthropy
• Elevates youth voices
•Is intended to spark cross-sectoral conversations and collaborations

Topic Ideas:
1. Rethinking the organization and structure of the youth field by bridging education, youth development, workforce, etc.
2. Investigations of OST programs’ impact across diverse outcomes (e.g., school performance, educational attainment, youth development, health)
3. Approaches to quality improvement, organizational and systems development, and scaling
4. Analysis of content-based learning in OST programs (e.g., STE[A]M, arts, college and career preparation, civic education)
5. The role of OST in prevention and supporting healthy lifestyles
6. Research and strategies supporting OST staff learning and development
7. Research on factors influencing anytime, anywhere learning (e.g., the role of technology in rural contexts)
8. Leveraging public/private/philanthropic dollars to support OST programs and systems
9. Diverse global voices and cultural perspectives on OST.

Submission Requirements
To submit your book idea, please provide the following:
1. A tentative title (subtitles allowed, no more than 15 words total)
2. Overview/summary of the proposed book volume (250-word max)
3. Rationale (up to 2 double-spaced page)
      a. Purposes and objectives
      b. Theoretical framework/guiding literature
      c. Significance – How does the book expand current knowledge in the OST field?
      d. Contribution to all the outlined guiding principles
4. An exploratory, annotated table of contents (up to 6 double-spaced pages)
A list of proposed chapter titles, inclusive of suggested authors for each chapter (the number of chapters will vary by volume; most books will be between 200-300 print pages), and up to 100 words description of the scope/aim of each proposed chapter.
5. 250-word biographies of book proposal editors emphasizing subject matter expertise and experience working on collaborative projects. Prior publishing experience is preferred.
6. Please tell us how you heard about this call (1-3 sentences).

Please adhere to the page limits. Use 1” margins, 12-point Times New Roman font. All proposals will undergo a peer review process. Feedback on the proposals will be available by the end of February 2020.

Deadline for submission is December 1, 2019. Please email your submission as one Word Document attachment (file name structure: IAP_OST_Book_Idea_) to Brenda McLaughlin at bmclaughlin@bellxcel.org, Co-Chair of the Editorial Review Board.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Are there topics of particular interest or topics that are not likely to be selected? The list of topics included in the call is meant to stimulate your thinking but is not exhaustive. Our emphasis is on pressing topics for the OST field broadly. Please consider the timeliness of your topic, relevance, and applicability across the OST field, and whether it is likely to remain timely given the length of the publication process. Proposals that duplicate topics from the series’ volumes, as well as niche topics or those outside of the OST field, will not be considered.

• What are the primary review criteria for proposals? Book proposals will be reviewed on: a) the overall fit and quality; b) theoretical framework and approach(es) that bridge research and practice; c) intentional connection to the guiding principles; d) clear outline of goals and objectives; e) timeliness and relevance of the topic to the OST field; f) clear description of each chapter, inclusive of chapter titles and suggested authors.

• What credentials do authors need? How do I know if I am qualified to propose a volume? There are no right or wrong authors or editors for these volumes. The goal is to represent a wide cross-section of research and practice for the OST field. Our hope is that authors will represent both those who study OST and those who work in the field. The Editorial Review Board for the book series is available to help editors identify individual chapter authors and to help authors shape their chapters and hone their writing once a volume is in development. At this stage, the most important consideration is a core idea that is timely and relevant to the field, an idea that is evidence/practice based.

• If my proposal is not selected for publication, are there other avenues to publish my work/ideas? There are a variety of options for practitioners and researchers to publish. The journals Afterschool Matters, the Journal of Youth Development, the Journal of Expanded Learning Opportunities, and School Community Journal are peer-reviewed journals accepting articles at least once a year. The National Afterschool Association, the Afterschool Association, and The Forum for Youth Investment, for instance, also have regular newsletters and occasionally seeks contributors. There may also be opportunities to contribute a chapter for another book in the series.

• What kind of editorial support is available to editors and authors? Selected book proposal will receive comprehensive feedback from the Editorial Review Board (ERB) at large, in addition to the peer review feedback. Volunteer members of the ERB will be matched with the book editor(s) to offer assistance as needed on: author identification and outreach, exploration of themes within the book, writing and editing support. The publisher offers typesetting services; however, editors and authors are responsible for editing, copyright clearances, and indexing. All editorial responsibilities and duties will be articulated within the book contract and the accompanying Memorandum of Understanding. For more information from IAP about developing a manuscript, see their general manuscript guidelines here.

• How often will calls be released for book proposals? A call for proposals will be released annually in the fall, with a submission window starting Oct. 1st and concluding Dec. 1st.

• What is the general timeline for publishing a book? The books in the series will be spaced out 6-8 months apart. The process from final manuscript submission to the publisher to book release takes approximately 6 months. The development process depends on editors and authors, but typically takes 8-12 months. The series is currently looking to identify books that could be released in the Spring of 2021.

• How/where will the book be sold and marketed? The books are sold through Information Age Publishing and their digital distribution partners. Learn more at http://www.infoagepub.com/series/Current-Issues-in-Out-of-School-Time. The Publisher offers broad domestic and international marketing and promotional services through its website. It markets and promotes materials to librarians, professors, and professionals throughout the world. The Publisher also has prominent presence at major professional conferences in the field. The book series’ Advisory and Editorial Review Boards, alongside in-kind partners, will promote individual books via diverse channels. Potential book launch opportunities could include: Twitter chats, webinars, exposure at professional conferences and via e-newsletters of major membership organizations in the out-of-school time field.

Questions/More Information
For questions about this book series, please contact Dr. Helen Janc Malone, Series Editor at Helen_Malone@mail.harvard.edu (personal email).

ADVISORY BOARD: Dr. Helen Janc Malone (Series Editor), Vice President for Research and Innovation, Institute for Educational Leadership. Dr. Dale Blyth (Chair) Extension Professor Emeritus, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Dr. Nickki Dawes, Director, Center for Community-Based Learning and Internship Programs and Associate Professor of Psychology, Lasell College. Ayeola Fortune, Senior Director, Impact and Global Results, United Way Worldwide. Ellen Gannett, Senior Strategist, National Institute on Out-of-School Time. Dr. Reed Larson, Professor Emeritus, Family Ecology, Department of Human and Community Development, University of Illinois. Priscilla Little, Evaluation and Strategy Consultant. Dr. Deborah Moroney, Managing Director, American Institutes for Research. Dr. Gil Noam, Founder and Director of the Program in Education, Afterschool & Resiliency (PEAR), Harvard University; Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital. Dr. Mavis Sanders, Professor of Education, Department of Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Dr. Deborah Vandell, Professor, School of Education, University of California, Irvine. Gina Warner, CEO, The National AfterSchool Association.

EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD: Dr. Helen Janc Malone (Series Editor), Vice President for Research and Innovation, Institute for Educational Leadership. Brenda McLaughlin (Co-Chair), Chief Strategy Officer, BELL. Dr. Femi Vance (Co-Chair) Researcher, American Institutes for Research. Dr. Jennifer P. Agans, Assistant Professor, Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management, Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Thomas Akiva, Associate Professor, School of Education, University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Ken Anthony, Director of Professional Development, Connecticut After School Network. Dr. Corey Bower, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education, University at Buffalo. Dr. Katie Brohawn, Vice President, Research, ExpandEd Schools. Elizabeth Devaney Director, Social and Emotional Learning Center, Children’s Institute, Rochester, NY. Jessica Donner, Director, Every Hour Counts. Dr. Nia Imani Fields, Principal Agent, 4-H Youth Development, University of Maryland Extension. Dr. Aisha Griffith, Assistant Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago. Sarah Lohnes, Writer and Consultant for Social Causes, Sarah Lohnes Writer & Consultant. Dr. Sabrina Mitsuko Kataoka, Managing Editor, School of Education, University of California, Irvine. Dr. Kolbrún Þ. Pálsdóttir, Dean, School of Education, University of Iceland. Chris Smith, President & Executive Director, Boston After School & Beyond. Deepa Vasudevan, Doctoral Candidate, Harvard Graduate School of Education.