Resource Category: Quality Improvement

About this guide Substantial research confirms that high-quality afterschool and youth development programs positively impact social skill development, academic achievement, and risk reduction for the youth they serve. While a variety of factors contribute to quality, research shows that trained and skilled staff are essential to creating safe, engaging, interactive, youth-centered programs. The Washington State Quality Standards for Afterschool and Youth Development Programs have been created to support Washington State programs in achieving positive youth outcomes by providing staff with guidelines for what quality looks like in a program setting. The Standards are intended to be a clear and concise … [ ]

What child and youth development professionals need to know and do to provide quality services for children and youth ages 5 – 18 years old and their families. The development of this document was supported by School’s Out Washington, with leadership and coordination by Jackie Jainga Hyllseth and Emily A. Emerson. The statewide core competency committee, School’s Out Washington, in partnership with the Next Generation Youth Work Coalition undertook an extensive review of existing core competency documents. This document takes its starting framework from the Kansas and Missouri Competencies for Youth Development Professionals. Thank you for sharing your work.

Sustained participation in out-of-school-time programs benefits children and youth in myriad ways. However, it is critically important that these programs be of high quality. This guide from Public Profit makes the case for program quality, and provides program leaders with practical guidance on building the organizational infrastructure that makes quality possible. Key practices described in this guide include building a culture of feedback, using a common observational tool, and creating systems to use the data that is collected. For each practice that the authors identify, they provide illustrative examples from the field.