The Governor's Task Force on Best Practices for After-School and Summer Programs pursued its mission and goals with a clear recognition of the long history of dedicated providers of these programs in Arkansas, the growing body of research that supports the positive impacts of high-quality programs with measurable outcomes, and the critical role that education has in shaping the future economic success of the state. The Task Force held monthly meetings to hear from after-school and summer program providers, state experts, and the general public about their interests and concerns for after-school and summer programs and it also reviewed the work of other states seeking to define best practices and establish policy recommendations. The Task Force subcommittees met separately and reported monthly to the Task Force on their progress and to review initial drafts of their recommendations. The recommendations presented in this report were adopted by the full Task Force. This report provides a summary of the rationale, guiding principles, and seven major themes that shaped the Task Force's final recommendations. It also includes the specific recommendations made by the full Task Force. (author abstract)