Resources for out-of-school time programs

Here is some great information on afterschool programs, courtesy of the Promising Practices in Afterschool Practices (PPAS) listserve…

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The Finance Project’s Report, “The Cost of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs,” commissioned by the Wallace Foundation:

Out-of-school time (OST) programs are increasingly expected to be of high enough quality to produce real benefits for children, but until now there has been little information on what such quality programming costs. This groundbreaking report fills that gap, providing a data-filled examination of the costs of 111 diverse, quality OST programs in six cities. The report finds that costs vary widely depending on a range of factors from program goals to times of operation and the ages of the children served. The report is also distinctive because it looks at the full costs of programming, including non-cash contributions OST operators often depend on such as free-of-charge space for programming.

To bring these findings to life, Wallace and the report’s research team also created an online “OST cost calculator” on Wallace’s website to help users calculate the costs of various options for high-quality OST programs. To visit the site – which includes the cost calculator, examples of program costs and options, quality strategies and other resources – click here.

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The Connecticut After School Network reports that every dollar invested
in after school programs will save taxpayers approximately $3, not
including the savings from reduced crime. For more information about the
Connecticut After School Network visit:
http://www.ctafterschoolnetwork.org/

Florida’s Afterschool Network has developed a brochure of the Florida
Standards for Quality Afterschool Programs. To obtain a download of the
brochure and find out more information:
http://www.myfan.org/resources.html

The response to why is quality in after school important and how to
recognize a quality program when you see it is provided in Iowa Policy &
Community Leaders’ Guide to Quality Afterschool. The Iowa Afterschool
Alliance’s Standards and Corresponding Indicators of Quality Afterschool
in Iowa provide a basic foundation for providing the most effective
afterschool program – a program that prepares all its students to
succeed in school, work and life. For more information on the Iowa
Afterschool Alliance’s quality Research and Assessment Effort, contact
Michelle Rich  (mrich@sppg.com) or Brooke Findley (bfindley@sppg.com).
For more information on afterschool in Iowa:
http://www.iowaafterschoolalliance.org/

Development of the California After-School Program Quality
Self-Assessment Tool (QSA Tool) was informed by research regarding
program quality and review of multiple after-school program assessment
tools. The QSA Tool provides a way to conduct a process evaluation for
the internal assessment of programs and is intended to supplement
outcome evaluation results and other informal data. To download the QSA
Tool:  http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org/qsatool.

Play, think…
J.R. Atwood