While most California districts are still figuring out what to do with their ELOP allocations, Riverside Unified has built a program that students actually want to attend. Dr. Jessica Black explains how — and why belonging and empathy turned out to be the foundation of all of it.
What We Covered
- How Riverside Unified approached ELOP implementation differently from the start, and why that approach produced outcomes most districts are still chasing
- What makes students choose to show up to an expanded learning program instead of going home — and how RUSD designed for that choice deliberately
- How to integrate ELOP planning into the LCAP process in a way that produces coherent strategy rather than compliance paperwork
- The mistakes other districts make when they treat ELOP as an extended school day rather than a genuine enrichment opportunity
- Why belonging and empathy are not soft add-ons to an expanded learning program — they are the operating system
About Dr. Jessica Black
Dr. Jessica Black is the Expanded Learning Opportunities Coordinator at Riverside Unified School District, where she has led the development of one of California’s most recognized ELOP programs. Her work has drawn attention from districts across the state looking to understand how Riverside Unified moved from allocation to impact so quickly. She is a practitioner’s voice on what strong expanded learning looks like when it is designed for students rather than for compliance.
Key Takeaway
The districts that are succeeding with ELOP are the ones that asked a different first question. Not “how do we use these hours?” but “what would make a student choose to be here?” Dr. Black’s answer to that question — belonging, choice, real projects, and adults who know your name — is both simple and operationally demanding. Getting there requires intentional design from the start, not iteration after the fact.
About Education Unlocked
Real conversations with the superintendents, principals, and district leaders who are changing what is possible in public education. Hosted by Sri Narayanan, founder of Kodely.