Strategies for Quality After School Programs & Activities _ the Wallace Foundation

8/13/2019 Strategies for Quality After School Programs & Activities _ the Wallace Foundation

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12/20/13 Strategies for Quality After School Programs & Activities | The Wallace Foundation

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Strategies for Quality After School Programs & Activities | TheWallaceFoundation

Id walk a mile for a quality program. But I wouldnt walk across the street for a bad one.

- Ben-Oni Jean-Pierre, student, Providence RI

A comm itment to quality has to begin with an understanding of program characteristics likely tobenefit children. Drawing on research on youth development, education and related areas, a 2005study by the RAND Corporation entitled, Making Out-of-School-Time Matterlisted som e of thoseconditions, including:

a clear mission;

high expectations;

a s afe environment;

supportive em otional climate;

small total enrollment;

stable, trained personnel;

appropriate content and pedagogy;

and frequent program assessment.

A range of resources are available to help communi ties, schools and com munity-basedorganizations improve the quality of their out-of-school time (OST) programs. The list of resourcesin this s ection was updated in January, 2009.

Index to This Section

General Quality Strategies

Asses sment and EvaluationLessons Learned

General Quality Strategies

Title: Helping Youth Succeed Through Out-Of-School-Time Programs

Author: American Youth Policy Forum

Description: Presents research on the effectiveness of out-of-school-time programs and how

they contribute to positive skill development for youth; what some of the more advanced

communities around the United States are doing to integrate Out-of-School-Time programs intotheir vision for the healthy development of their youth; and recommendations on whatpolicymakers and practitioners can do to institutionalize high quality out-of-school time programsfor youth.

Title: The Leverage of After-school Value

Author: Terry K. Peterson

Description: Makes the case with s chool adminis trators for more of their time, money andinvolvement in expanding quality afterschool programs .

Title: Promoting Quality in Afterschool Programs through State Child Care Regulations

Author: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children andFamilies, Child Care Bureau

Description: This strategy brief describes child care licens ing regulations and the challenges thatstates face in applying them to afterschool programs .

Title: After-School Advantage Powerful New Learning Opportunities(Link opens in a newwindow.)

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Research Methodology andData Collection

Reasons for Creating theCalculator

How to Plan for Quality

Funding Sources

Strategies for Quality

Community-Wide Planning

How Seven Communities

Have Done It

Resources

The Wallace Foundation / Cost of Quality / Quality Strategies Print | Email
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Author: Lucy N. Friedman and Sylvia M. James

Description: This compilation of strategies is a guide for building quality afterschool programs,covering a range of issues including arts, technology and entrepreneurship.

Title: Exploring Quality in After-School Programs for Middle School-Age Youth

Author: Harvard Family Research Project

Description: This brief describes som e of the key issues and challenges in providing qualityprograms for middle s chool-age youth and discusses how program quality standards can beused to improve them.

Title: The Quality of School-Age Child Care in After-school Settings

Author: Priscilla M. Little: Harvard Family Research Project

Description: An overview of the features of high-quality after school settings, including anexamination of key research on links between program quality and developmental outcomes, areview of current practice in program qual ity asses sment, and a s et of quality-relatedconsiderations for policymakers.

Title: Massachusetts Afterschool Research Study (MARS)

Author: National Institute on Out-of School Time and Intercultural Center for Research inEducation

Description: This executive summary of the Massachusetts After-School Research Study explores

the relationship between youth experiences and youth outcomes, and identifies those programcharacteristerics that are most closely related to high-quality implementation.

Title: The Impact of After-School Programs That Promote Personal and Social Skills

Author: Joseph Durlak and Roger Weissberg: Collaborative for Academic, Social and EmotionalLearning

Description: This report evaluates systematically the impact of after-school programs that attemptto enhance youths pers onal and social s kills, identifies the nature and magnitude of theoutcomes of s uch programs, and des cribes the features that characterize effective programs.

Title: A 10-Step Guide to Adopting and Sustaini ng Evidence-Based Practices in Out-of-SchoolTime Programs

Author: Allison J. R. Metz: Child Trends

Description: In this brief, ten concrete steps are outlined that practitioners can take to help theirprograms adopt or adapt evidence-based practices.

Title: Putting It All Together: Guiding Principles for Quality After-School Programs ServingPreteens

Author: Rachel A. Metz, Julie Goldsmith and Amy J.A. Arbreton: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This practical guide reports on the characteristics for developing a quality afterschoolprogram for preteens based on the latest research.

Title: Getting It Right: Strategies for After-School Success

Author: Rebecca Raley, Jean Gross man and Karen E. Walker: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This report focuses on how to run effective programs that are funded to producespecific policy-relevant outcomes.

Title: Supporting Success: Why and How to Improve Quality in After-School Programs

Author: Jessica Sheldon and Leigh Hopkins: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This report examines the program improvement strategies, step-by-step, thatallowed The James Irvine Foundation's CORAL initiative to achieve the levels of quality needed toboost the academic s uccess of participating students.

Title: After-School Toolkit: Tips, Techniques and Templates for Improving Program Quality

Author: Nora Gutierrez, Molly Bradshaw and Kathryn Furano: Publi c/Private Ventures

Description: A practical toolkit designed to help afterschool providers create and s ustain quality
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/228_publication.pdfhttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/227_publication.pdfhttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/190_publication.pdfhttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/234_publication.pdfhttp://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_06_04_RB_EBP2.pdfhttp://www.casel.org/downloads/ASP-Exec.pdfhttp://www.wcwonline.org/proj/mars/MARSfinalexec.pdfhttp://www.researchconnections.org/http://www.hfrp.org/var/hfrp/storage/fckeditor/File/summit-2005-handout.pdf


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afterschool program s.

Title: Adminis trative Management Capacity in Out-of-School Time Organizations: AnExploratory Study

Author: John Summers and Lana Price: The Wallace Foundation

Description: This study examines 16 high-quality OST providers in New York and Chicago. Itdescribes in detail the administrative and managerial challenges confronting OST organizationsand recommends possib le solutions for OST leaders, public and private funders, and otherinterested parties.

Title: Making Out-of-School-Time Matter: Evidence for an Action Agenda

Author: Susan Bodilly, Megan K. Beckett: RAND Corporation

Description: This RAND report, commiss ioned by The Wallace Foundation, summarizes currentknowledge in quality programs and building capacity to help providers, policymakers and othersmove ahead to improve OST programs and identifies areas in significant need of further evidence-based research.

Title: The Importance of Professional Development for Youth Workers

Author: Lillian Bowie and Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew: Child Trends

Description: This brief summ arizes the im portance of professional development, identifies corecompetencies for youth workers, highlights profess ional development training delivery modelsand s ets forth next steps for professional development that can benefit youth programs .

Title: Improving After-School Program Quality

Author: Robert C. Granger, William T. Grant Foundation; Joseph Durlak, Loyola UniversityChicago; Nicole Yohalem , The Forum for Youth Investment; Elizabeth Reisner, Policy Studies

Associates , Inc.

Description: As a summ ary of two recent reports on policy and practice, this report aims to helpthe field understand how aferschool can suppo rt important youth outcomes. In addition, it explainsan emerging consensus on effective practice and stresses the need for improving programquality.

Assessment and Evaluation

Title: Building Quality, Scale, and Effectiveness In After-School Programs

Authors: Elizabeth R. Reisner, Richard N. White, Christina A. Russell, Jennifer Birmingham,Policy Studies Associates, Inc. prepared for The After-School Corporation (TASC)

Description: To assess TASCs effectiveness, four foundations including the Charles Stewart MottFoundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the William T. Grant Foundation, and the

Atlantic Philanthropies s uppor ted an external evaluation that ans wered questions about: qualityand scale in program implementation, program effects on participating students, and programpractices linked to student success . The evaluation collected data over four school years from 96TASC after-school projects and their host schools in New York City.

Title: Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools

Authors: Nicole Yohalem and Alicia Wilson-Ahlstrom, the Forum for Youth Investment with SeanFischer and Marybeth Shinn, New York Universi ty

Description: This guide was designed to compare the purpose, s tructure, content and technicalproperties of several youth program quality assess ment tools.ograms and desired academic and

behavioral outcomes for low-income students.

Title: Promoting Quality Through Professional Development: A Framework for Evaluation(Linkopens in a new window.)

Author: Harvard Family Research Project

Description: A prelim inary framework for unders tanding and implementing evaluations o f OSTprofessional development initiatives. In so doing, it draws on res earch from early childhood andelementary education and highlights the evaluation methods and res ults of recent OSTprofessional development initiatives at both local and national levels.

Title: How Can I Assess the Quality of My Program? Tools for Out-of-School Time ProgramPractitioners

Author:Jordan Kahn, Jacinta Bronte-Tinkew and Christina Theokas: Child Trends
http://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2008_02_19_Eval8ProgramQuality.pdfhttp://www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/promoting-quality-through-professional-development-a-framework-for-evaluationhttp://www.forumfyi.org/files/MeasuringYouthProgramQuality_2ndEd_0.pdfhttp://www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/TASC%20Summary%20Report%20Final.pdfhttp://-/?-http://www.wtgrantfoundation.org/usr_doc/Improving_After-School_Program_Quality.pdfhttp://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_06_15_RB_ProDevel.pdfhttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/MakingOut-of-SchoolTimeMatter.pdfhttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/administrative-management-capacity.pdf


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Description: This brief identifies quality asses sment tools and explains the advantages of usingthem for self-assessm ent and program improvement.

Title: Advancing Achievement: Findings from an Independent Evaluation of a Major After-School Initiative

Author: Amy Arbreton, Jess ica Sheldon, Molly Bradshaw and Julie Goldsmith with Linda Jucovyand Sarah Pepper: Public/Private Ventures

Description: Findings described in the report demonstrate the relationship between high-qualityliteracy programming and academic gains and underscore the potential role that quality programsmay play in the ongoing drive to improve academic achievement.

Lessons Learned

Title: Program Implem entation: What Do We Know?

Author: Lillian Bowie, Sarah B. Garrett, Akemi Kinukawa, Krystal McKinney, Kristin A. Moore, ZakiaRedd, Christina Theokas and Brooke Wilson: Child Trends

Description: By examining afterschool program implemen tation, this report identifies andsynthesizes what is known about specific program features for children and youth aged 6-17 thatmight be m anipulated or regulated components such as staff wages, group size, activities andtheoretical approach.

Title: Implementing Evidence-Based Practices: Six 'Drivers' of Success

Author: Allison J. R. Metz, Karen Blase, and Lillian Bowie: Child Trends

Description: As the third part to a series on evidence-bas ed practices, this brie f definesimplementation, highlights why the effective im plementation of evidence-based practices is criticalto achieving outcomes and outlines s ix core components that drive success ful program

implementation.

Title: Multiple Choices After School: Findings from the Extended-Service Schools Initiative

Author: Jean Baldwin Grossman, Marilyn L. Price, Veronica Fellerath, Linda Z. Juvocy, Lauren J.Kotloff, Rebecca Raley, Karen E. Walker: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This report examines school-based, afterschool programs run by community-basedorganizations in collaboration with schools. Results showed that when well planned andimplemented, such programs can be a s ubstantial option within a potentially larger networkof diverse programm ing that provides a range of opportunities for all children and youth.

Title: Quality Time After School In Brief

Author: Jean Grossman, Margo Campbell and Becca Raley: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This brief focuses on key findingsand their im plications for policymakers andfundersfrom Quality Time After School: What Instructors Can Do to Enhance Learning.

Title: A Place to Grow and Learn: A Citywide Approach to Building and Sus taining Out-of-School Time Learning Opportunities

Author: The Wallace Foundation

Description: Drawing on early less ons from a Wallace initiative in five cities, this report des cribesa novel, coordinated approach to achieve wides pread, sustained improvements in the quality andreach of OST programs so that many more children can benefit.

Title: Strengthening Out-of-School Time Nonprofits: The Role of Foundations in BuildingOrganizational Capacity

Author: Heather B. Weiss, Priscilla M. D. Little: The Wallace Foundation

Description: In this white paper, seven possible approaches to strengthening OST organizationsare highlighted, including methods to ensure that OST providers become stronger partners withother groups and more adept advocates for their field.

Title: A New Day for Youth: Creating Sus tainable Quality in Out of School Time

Author: Gil G. Noam: The Wallace Foundation

Description: This white paper advocates m ore leadership and management training for OSTexecutive leaders; training for OST staffers in es tablishing s trong relationships with young people;and ass istance in establishing clear learning goals for students.
http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/after-school/financial-management-for-nonprofits/Documents/whitepaper_noam.pdfhttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/after-school/financial-management-for-nonprofits/Documents/whitepaper_weiss.pdfhttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/Knowledge%20Center/Attachments/PDF/APlacetoGrowandLearn.pdfhttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/217_publication.pdfhttp://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/116_publication.pdfhttp://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_10_01_RB_6SuccessDriversRev.pdfhttp://www.childtrends.org/Files//Child_Trends-2007_06_01_FR_PrgmImplementation.pdfhttp://-/?-http://www.ppv.org/ppv/publications/assets/225_publication.pdf


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Title: A View from the Field: Helping Comm unity Organizations Meet Capacity Challenges

Author: Lucy N. Friedm an: The Wallace Foundation

Description: In this white paper, investments in four areas are h ighlighted that could strengthenOST providers: training for staffers and executives; educating principals and other educationleaders about the role of OST; improving the content of programming; and s trengthening the

financial managem ent and governance of OST provider groups.

Title: Gaining Ground: Supporting English Learners Through After-School LiteracyProgramming

Author: Julie Golds mith, Linda Jucovy and Amy Arbreton: Public/Private Ventures

Description: This brief presents findings that demons trate a relationship between keyapproaches in CORAL, an eight-year, $58 million after-school initiative of The James IrvineFoundation, and the academic progress of English learners.

Title: Beyond Safe Havens: A Synthesis of 20 Years of Research on the Boys & Girls Clubs

Author: Amy J.A. Arbreton, Jess ica Sheldon and Carla Herrera: Publi c/Private Ventures

Description: This report reviews the range of evaluations that have been conducted on Boys &Girls Clubs over the past 20 years . Specifically, it identifies the potential benefits of the manydiscrete programs provided by Clubs and discusses three additional studies that examined thebroader club experience.

Title: After-School Pursu its: An Examination of Outcomes in the San Francis co BeaconInitiative

Author: Karen E. Walker and Amy J.A. Arbreton: Public/Private Ventures

Description: P/PV's 36-m onth evaluation examined key developmental and academic outcomes inThe Beacon Initiative which established after-school programs in eight public s chools in low-income San Francisco neighborhoods.

Title: Challenges and Opportunities in After-School Programs: Less ons for Policymakersand Funders

Author: Jean Baldwin Grossman, Karen Walker and Rebecca Raley: Public/Private Ventures

Description: As this report describes, locating programs in s chools brings m any benefits, but asthe experience of at least one broad-bas ed initiative is demonstrating, it also brings challengesthat should be taken into consideration as programs are planned and funded.

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