--- title: Six Roles of Principals in After School Programs | Extended Notes description: Effective principal involvement is crucial for after school program success. image: https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/principal_roles_main__800x400.jpg --- # Six Roles of Principals in After School Programs February 23 - [Home](https://www.extendednotes.com/) - [Articles](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog) - Six Roles of Principals in After School Programs Share this Post [mailto:?subject=Sharing%20a%20blog%20post;body=Check%20out%20this%20ExtendED%20Notes%20blog%20post:%20https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/six-roles-of-principals-in-afterschool-programs](mailto:?subject=Sharing%20a%20blog%20post;body=Check%20out%20this%20ExtendED%20Notes%20blog%20post:%20https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/six-roles-of-principals-in-afterschool-programs) [Leadership & Professional Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/leadership-professional-development) ![Principal roles main](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/principal_roles_main__800x400.jpg)   ## The Roles of Principals in After School Programs   Effective principal involvement is crucial for after school program success. In fact, one researcher concluded that the program director’s relationship with the principal has the potential to make or break a school-based after school program.   Dr. Paul Young – past president of the National Association of Elementary School Principals and author of [*Principal Matters*](https://shop.gryphonhouse.com/products/principal-matters?variant=48015405678884) (now sold via Gryphon House) – believes “continuous effective collaboration between the school principal and the after school program director is a key ingredient for program success and positive outcomes for children.” Once both parties have a clear understanding of their respective roles and responsibilities, they can the program achieve their desired outcomes.   In honor of **School Principals’ Day** on May 1, we focused on principals’ roles in after school programs. Here are six roles of principals adapted from a 2007 report in After School Matters titled *[The Multiple Roles of Principals in School-based After School Programs](https://www.niost.org/pdf/afterschoolmatters/asm_2007_6_spring/asm_2007_6_spring-2.pdf)*:   - **Principal as Communicator: **The role of the communicator has at least two parts: 1) Communicating with the coordinator and 2) Facilitating communication between the after school program and other school groups. - **Principal as Resource Provider: **Principals must be aware of the real needs of after school programs and allocate limited resources fairly. - **Principal as Liaison:** In order to ensure that curricula and student expectations are consistent before and after the school bell rings, principals integrate school and after school by facilitating a positive connection between classroom teachers and after school staff. - **Principal as Visionary:** Principals and coordinators must be aligned in their vision and goals for the program, and principals should share their vision with staff and families. - **Principal as Decision Maker: **As decision makers, principals should maintain a vision of the “big picture” and support the coordinators’ decision-making process. - **Principal as Supporter:** Principal support and advocacy for the after school program must be both action-oriented and ideological. Read the full report from Niost about how the principal’s roles in your after school program can help lead to program success. #### Article Categories ![afterschool advocacy icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/afterschool%20advocacy%20icon.svg) After School Advocacy ![bullying safety icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/bullying%20safety%20icon.svg) Bullying and Safety ![leadership icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/leadership%20icon.svg) Leadership & Professional Development ![parental engagement icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/parental%20engagement%20icon.svg) Parental Engagement ![physical activity icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/physical%20activity%20icon.svg) Physical Activity ![program development icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/program%20development%20icon.svg) Program Development ![social emotional learning icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/social%20emotional%20learning%20icon.svg) Social-Emotional Learning ![stem icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/stem%20icon.svg) STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) ![teaching strategies icon](https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/teaching%20strategies%20icon.svg) Teaching Strategies ![extended notes fb page banner](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ExtendED%20Notes%20Blog/extended%20notes%20fb%20page%20banner.png?width=342&height=130&name=extended%20notes%20fb%20page%20banner.png) [Follow Page ](https://www.facebook.com/385747254841303?ref=embed_page) ![ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge Base-01](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge%20Base-01.jpg?width=300&height=300&name=ExtendedNotes_Logo_Knowledge%20Base-01.jpg) ExtendED Notes 974 followers Connect with us to get the latest Articles & Insights. ## Related Articles ![related post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_231366088_(1)__800x400.jpg?width=352&name=shutterstock_231366088_(1)__800x400.jpg) #### 10 Expert Tips for Clarifying Your Program Vision Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been in service for a while, your program vision is... [Program Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/program-development) [After School Advocacy ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/after-school-advocacy) ![porgram director and school admin collaboration post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/teacherstogether-2__800x400.jpg?width=352&name=teacherstogether-2__800x400.jpg) #### 6 Tips for Effective Collaboration Between Program Directors and School Principals School principals play an integral role in after school program success, particularly school-based... [Program Development ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/program-development) [Teaching Strategies ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/teaching-strategies) ![related post image](https://www.extendednotes.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/shutterstock_154155695_(1)__800x400.jpg?width=352&name=shutterstock_154155695_(1)__800x400.jpg) #### 4 Unique Ways After School Programs Support Middle School Students Children in grades six to eight who participate in after school programs gain immense support for... [After School Advocacy ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/after-school-advocacy) [Teaching Strategies ](https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/tag/teaching-strategies) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "ExtendEDNotes", "url" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/author/extendednotes" }, "dateModified" : "2025-04-15T17:33:08.068Z", "datePublished" : "2016-02-23T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Six Roles of Principals in After School Programs | Extended Notes", "image" : [ "https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/principal_roles_main__800x400.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/blog/after-school-articles/six-roles-of-principals-in-afterschool-programs", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.extendednotes.com/hubfs/KELC/Branding/KELC%20Logos/extended%20notes%20logo%20vector.svg" }, "name" : "Kaplan Early Learning Company" } } ```