Best Practices: Is My Program
Making the Most Impact?
September 2011
A Field Guide to Best Practices and Indicators for Out-of School
Time Programs in the District of Columbia (2009)______________
Overview: The DC Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation
created this field guide to present examples of the best in youth
programming, particularly those developed in urban environments. The
guide organizes best practices based on four broad categories of program
quality:
Featured Resource:
After-School Toolkit:
Tips, Techniques and
Templates for
Improving Program
Quality (2008)
1. Youth Development Philosophy and Low Student-to-Staff Ratio. The
program provides positive interaction between youth and trained, caring adults
through a youth development philosophy and low student-to-staff ratio.
2. High-interest, Hands-on Activities. Youth are engaged in high-interest,
hands-on activities that offer a balance of age appropriate programming that
includes academic support, enrichment, recreation, arts, job skills, college prep, etc.
3. Connections to Families and Community. The program has strong
connections to local community with opportunities for engaging parents and
contributing to the community.
4. Organizational Infrastructure. The program is offered in a safe, structured,
nurturing environment by a sustainable, well-run organization.
Where to find this article: http://www.cyitc.org/resources/default.asp
Practices to Foster in Out-of-School Time Programs (2010)______
Overview: Childtrends draws from research and conducts a series of
roudtables with practitioners and youth to identify 10 practices that can
foster positive outcomes for participants in out-of-school time programs.
1.
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10.
Positive and sustained relationships with caring adults.
An organizational culture that focuses on the whole child.
Engaging and varied activities.
Volunteer opportunities for children and youth to have input into programs.
Age-appropriate volunteer opportunities in which children and youth can
participate.
Engaged and involved parents and families.
A program environment that has staff “buy in” for data and evaluation.
Culturally appropriate programs.
Varied and engaging approaches to staff training.
Treatment of children and youth as individuals.
Where to find this article:
http://www.childtrends.org/Files/Child_Trends2010_01_28_RB_Practices2Foster.pdf
Summary:
Public/Private Ventures
(P/PV) developed this
toolkit to help afterschool managers create
and sustain quality
academic programs. It is
based on lessons learned
during a three-year study of
the Communities Organizing
Resources to Advance
Learning (CORAL) initiative
funded by The James Irvine
Foundation in five California
cities.
This guide provides a
practical, hands-on guide
for implementing highquality after-school literacy
programming. It supplies
program managers with
tested tools and techniques
employed in CORAL.
Where to find it:
http://www.ppv.org/ppv/
publications/assets/228_
publication.pdf