quality Standards & Tools
OregonASK, as a collaboration, regularly updates the Oregon Quality Framework for Afterschool and Summer Programs. The intention of these documents are to guide programs and professionals in assessing their own level of quality, to assist policy makers in recognizing and supporting quality improvement efforts, and to enhance the overall development and enrichment of children and youth in Oregon.
We are currently updating all Quality documents so please contact us with any questions. More information about Quality Standards is below.
Goals for Quality Standards and why they are critical for the field:
- Define what quality afterschool and summer programming looks like
- Serve as a foundation for decisions and practices in all settings and programs
- Establish a set of standards that support the professionalization of the child care and youth development field
- Utilize the latest research
- Provide an ongoing framework to advance the field and increase the quality of programs offered
The Evidence Base for Summer Enrichment and Comprehensive Afterschool Opportunities- Check out HERE how Comprehensive Afterschool Supports Youth & Communities
“Emerging research on afterschool program quality and its relationship to outcomes indicates that…quality afterschool programs also share the following features: Appropriate supervision and structure, well prepared staff, intentional programming with opportunities for autonomy and choice and strong partnerships among the various settings…schools, programs and families.” -Harvard Family Research Project (now Global Family Research Project)
What are quality standards?
Quality Standards and indicators capture the practices that have been demonstrated, through research, to lead to quality programs. Quality programs, combined with highly qualified staff, result in positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool and summer programs.
Who are quality standards for?
Quality standards apply to programs that work with children and youth in afterschool and summer settings. Some examples are 21st Century Community Learning Centers, youth development programs, childcare programs and recreation.
Resources and Research on Quality
- Supporting Success: Why and How to Improve Quality in After-School Programs
- After-School Toolkit Tips, Techniques and Templates for Improving Program Quality
- The Cost of Quality Out-of-School-Time Programs
- Quality Standards (Coming Soon)
- Oregon’s Core Competencies (Coming Soon)
The Evidence Base for Summer Enrichment and Comprehensive Afterschool Opportunities
Make sure to check out the most updated brief on The Evidence Base for Summer Enrichment and Comprehensive Afterschool Opportunities positively impacting students. Also, please feel free to take a look at Dr. Terry Peterson’s presentation slides on the importance of Quality afterschool. Quality afterschool and summer programs are a key piece to student learning and recovery.
Terms of Use
The Oregon Quality Framework for Afterschool and Summer Programs documents are the intellectual property of the Oregon Afterschool Network and its component parts, and are protected by relevant local and federal laws. The content in these documents may be reproduced or distributed for informational and educational uses only. The content of the documents may not be modified or edited without the written permission of the Oregon Afterschool Network. If you are referencing or adapting any part of the Oregon Quality Framework as a resource for creating a similar instrument, please acknowledge use of the document(s) in your publication. Prior to referencing or adapting any part of the Oregon Quality Framework, please contact us here.