Improving Quality Systemwide
October 11, 2012
What is your role in
afterschool?
NEW RESOURCE:
BUILDING CITYWIDE SYSTEMS FOR QUALITY
NEW resource from The Wallace Foundation and
the Forum for Youth Investment, available online:
http://forumfyi.org/building_system_quality
Includes:
• How-to guide
• Six case studies
• Capacity self-assessment tool
TODAY’S SPEAKERS
Nicole Yohalem
Director, Special Projects
Charles Smith
Executive Director, CYPQ
VP for Research, Forum for Youth Investment
Laura La Fuente
Director, Target Graduation
Denice Williams
Assistant Commissioner
WHY FOCUS ON QUALITY IMPROVEMENT?
•
Quality Matters
•
Quality is Measurable
•
Quality is Malleable
QUALITY MATTERS
In a 2007 meta-analysis of 73 evaluations, afterschool
programs on average had positive effects on:
 Attitudes toward school
 Social behavior
 School grades and achievement test scores
 Reduced problem behaviors from aggression
But programs without specific quality features had NO
effect.
-Durlak & Weissberg (2007)
QUALITY IS MEASURABLE
Tool & Developer
Afterschool Program Assessment System
National Institute on Out-of-School Time
Youth Program Quality Assessment
David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality
Youth Program Quality Monitoring Tool
Policy Studies Associates
Common Elements of Quality
Youth Engagement
Skill-Building
Relationships
Environment
Routines & Structure
Behavior Management
Organizational Management
Family/Community Linkages
QUALITY IS MALLEABLE
Key findings from the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) Study
A continuous quality improvement strategy:
• Improves program quality (and the more, the better).
• Works across different types of afterschool systems as well as
challenging staffing conditions, and may increase staff tenure.
• Appears to be sustainable and cost-effective.
- Smith et al (2012)
www.cypq.org/ypqi
Improving Quality Systemwide
Charles Smith
Executive Director, Center for Youth Program Quality
VP for Research, Forum for Youth Investment
COMPONENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE
QUALITY IMPROVEMENT SYSTEM (QIS)
Shared definition of quality
Lead organization
Engaged stakeholders
Continuous improvement model
Information system(s)
Guidelines and incentives for participation
Adequate resources
BUILDING A QIS: STAGES AND TASKS
How far along are you in
building a quality
improvement system?
Improving Quality Systemwide
Laura LaFuente
Director, Target Graduation
United Way for Greater Austin
HISTORY OF YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY AT
UNITED WAY FOR GREATER AUSTIN:
Fall 2008
Spring 2008
2007
Austin’s Ready by 21
Coalition awarded
Quality Counts grant
United Way, Central
Texas Afterschool
Network and Ready
by 21 began building
and implementing
Austin improvement
systems.
First Austin sent
first cohort of
Methods trainers
United Way
trained first set
of assessors
Fall 2012
Out-of-School
Time Agenda
Since 2008:
• 294 assessments were conducted
• 38 organizations were assessed
• 481 individuals have participated in at least one training
• 34 individuals were trained as Methods trainers – 17 are still active
• 32 individuals were trained as External Assessors – 22 are still active
YOUTH PROGRAM QUALITY INITIATIVE
CYCLE OF IMPROVEMENT
Assess Program (External
or Self Assessor): Collect
data about your program.
More Professional
Development: If the plan
was successful, have more
staff attend the
professional development.
Assess Program Again
(External or Self Assessor):
Reassess the program and
see if areas have improved.
Create Improvement Plan:
Develop a plan based on
collected data.
Attend Professional
Development: Staff
attends professional
development sessions that
align with what they want
to improve.
Improving Quality Systemwide
Denice Williams
Assistant Commissioner
New York City Department of
Youth & Community Development
NYC Department of Youth and Community
DYCD Out-of-School Time Initiative
Development
DYCD funds nonprofits to provide a
wide range of high-quality programs
including:
Adolescent Literacy
The Out-of-School Time Initiative
Beacon Community Centers
Cornerstone
Summer Youth Employment
TEEN Action/Service Learning
17
Elements of the
Out-of-School Time System
Quality
Services
Evaluation
Capacity
Building
INFRASTRUCTURE
DYCD
Out-of-School Time
2013 Program Orientation
TO SUPPORT QUALITY
New Workscope
and Budget
Program Quality Monitoring
Tool (PQMT), Coaching &
Observing for Quality &
Annual Evaluation
(VENDEX )
DYCD Online
RFP, New Program
Design & Required
Program Activities
Programs
Professional
Development, Technical
Assistance &
Conferences
19
KEY ISSUES IN BUILDING A QIS
1. Stakeholder engagement
2. Clarifying purpose
3. Sustainability
NEW RESOURCE:
BUILDING CITYWIDE SYSTEMS FOR QUALITY
NEW resource from The Wallace Foundation and
the Forum for Youth Investment, available online:
http://forumfyi.org/building_system_quality
Includes:
• How-to guide
• Six case studies
• Capacity self-assessment tool
Improving Quality Systemwide will be archived at:
www.wallacefoundation.org
and www.forumfyi.org
Please direct follow up questions to:
Nicole Yohalem at nicole@forumfyi.org or
(202) 207-3344
Thank you for participating!