Quality Improvement
What is a high-quality afterschool program?
Research has demonstrated that youth benefit from high-quality afterschool programs. According to the National Afterschool Association report, Why Afterschool Quality Matters, and the Utah Education Policy Center’s report, Afterschool Program Quality Improvement in Utah, high-quality afterschool programs:
- Foster positive relationships between program participants and staff
- Offer a blend of academic and developmental skill-building activities
- Rely on data-driven best practices and standards
- Promote high levels of student engagement
- Provide appropriate levels of structure as well as opportunities for autonomy and choice
We provide a variety of quality improvement resources for afterschool program staff and the community, including:
Quality Improvement Assistance
We employ a team of Out-of-School Time Specialists that implement an ongoing cycle of continuous improvement and assessment to support quality improvement efforts of afterschool programs throughout the state. Available services include in-person coaching, training and presentations, consultation, observations, and more. Read More
To help you on your quality journey, we've put together the Year of Quality Improvement, which will help you map out self-assessments, set goals, and implement best practices throughout the year. It is a great resource to review and share with your team to show what a continuous improvement cycle can look like.
If you work at a childcare center with school-age youth, check out all of the quality resources provided by the Department of Workforce Services, Office of Child Care.
Self-Assessment and External Evaluation Tools
An essential factor in increasing program quality is determining how a program is implementing best practices. Use our Quality Assessment and Improvement Tool (Quality Tool) to evaluate your program or request an external observation from one of our Out-of-School Time Specialists. Read More
- Want to learn more about how our specialists conduct observations? Click Here
- Looking for more information on the Weikart Center's Program Quality Assessment Tools? Click Here
Professional Learning Opportunities
Highly trained staff better understand the goals and objectives of programs and are able to build stronger relationships with the youth, families, and communities they serve. Afterschool professionals from the front lines all the way up to the administrative level can take advantage of our conferences, workshops, and online learning opportunities. Read More
Quality Improvement Research
UAN partners with the Utah Education Policy Center to utilize program data and research to determine program outcomes and ultimately inform the best practices and standards we recommend. Read More