Making the Case for more Quality After-School Programs in Providence

In recent years, Providence leaders have engaged in candid dialogue with youth and parent leaders in this city. The results of these conversations paint a similar picture time and again: there simply are not enough quality after-school opportunities available to youth in the city. Faced with a choice of a bad program or no program, a young person will choose the latter. For youth that have no supervision and nothing to do after school, this can lead to unhealthy, even harmful choices such as alcohol and drug use, sexual activity, and gang involvement.

In 2004, Market Street Research, Inc. conducted a survey of 200 middle school youth and 200 parents in Providence. Both parents and youth cited safety as a top concern (youth 78%, parent 94%) and also the lack of fun, exciting activities (youth 91%, parent 77%). Providence is not alone in this belief - a nationwide survey conducted by Public Agenda and commissioned by the Wallace Foundation found that 45% of low-income and 66% of higher-income parents were not satisfied with the quality of after-school activities that their children have to choose from.

Through the Market Street Research survey and additional data collected in the community, it was estimated that of the approximate 26,000 school-age youth in Providence, only 10% were regularly participating in after-school programs- that is, 3 or more days per week. Clearly, something needed to be done to improve access to and quality of after school programs in Providence. PASA made quality improvement a key component of its strategy. 

What Do We Need to Support Quality Improvement?
The Providence After School Alliance's Quality Improvement strategy focuses on systemic capacity building efforts in after-school programs and after-school staff. The cycle below illustrates PASA's approach to Quality Improvement, highlighting the various components that make up a well-rounded and comprehensive plan to provide more quality programs to more young people:

Rhode Island After School Quality Standards, Indicators, and Self-Assessment Tool 

In conversations about after-school opportunities, many Providence residents expressed the need for a common language to use for setting goals and measuring progress. Three major pieces of research and discussion confirmed that quality standards would be helpful: 

- Stepping Up: Out of School Time and Youth Development in Providence: A School-Community Analysis . This research, prepared by Community Matters and commissioned by the United Way of Rhode Island and the Providence Public School Department in 2002, examined the state of after school programming in the city and explored opportunities to improve and expand to better meet the needs of Providence children and youth. Click here to view the full report.

- Learning in Communities/Providence . Led by Rhode Island Kids Count, this 2003 citywide convening, research, and planning process mapped opportunities to increase the participation of children and youth in high-quality out-of-school time programming. Click here to visit the Resources page, where you can find all of the Learning in Communities/Providence documents.

- Market Street Research . The Market Street Research firm convened groups of students and parents to explore middle school youth's participation in after-school programs, including barriers to participation and program interests and preferences. Click here to view a summary of the Project.

This research not only informed the need for the Providence community to place an increased emphasis on quality in after school programs, but also underscored the need for an intermediary organization to assist organizing and bringing together after-school programs to provide increased quality and access to after-school programs.

As an initial step in the quality improvement strategy, PASA convened after-school providers, youth, parents and funders to build on previous discussions related to quality in after-school. After-school providers worked to identify the most important aspects of quality and what they should be working toward to provide the best possible programs for Providence children and youth. This work led to the development of quality standards for after-school programs that are broken into 5 major categories:

- Health, Safety & Environment 
- Relationships
- Programming & Activities
- Staffing & Professional Development 
- Administration

To learn more about this process and view the Guide to Rhode Island After-School Quality Standards , click here.

PASA's goal in leading the development of this work is that the Rhode Island After School Quality Standards will be:

- Applicable to any age group and any type of after school program 
- Embraced by ALL- providers, parents, and participants 
- Measurable through ongoing assessment, tracking, and meaningful observation 
- Feasible and realistic; achievable 
- Designed to act as a means against which programs can measure themselves and work toward continuous progress  and improvement

Quality standards are a necessary first step in describing the activities that support quality in after school programs. By themselves, they articulate the overall benchmarks that after-school programs across the state strive to achieve. Naturally, not every after-school program will achieve the highest level of quality in every area right from the start. We know from extensive research that even the best programs are constantly striving to make their work even better.

PASA, with community participation, has also developed a set of quality indicators , which identify specific, observable activities that show consistent, quality programming. Click here to view a document containing the quality standards and indicators.

In order to help make the quality standards and indicators more useful and practical, PASA has partnered with the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation to develop the Rhode Island Program Quality Assessment Tool (RIPQA). Together with a group of providers and after school advocates, PASA developed this self assessment tool that combines elements of High/Scope's nationally validated program quality assessment tool with Rhode Island's specific quality standards and indicators.  The result is a tool all after school providers can use to measure their performance and track their success in improving over time.  The tool is currently being used by all the 21st Century Community Learning Centers across the state as well by more than 25 of PASA's program partners.  For more information about the tool or to request a copy, click here.  To learn more about the High/Scope Foundation, click here .

Participation Tracking Tool

PASA has made a high quality participant tracking tool, youthservices.net, available to 40 providers that are offering programming in the AfterZones.  This tool, developed by Cityspan Technologies, is a city-wide data sharing system that allows individual providers to track enrollment, participation and retention in their programs while at the same time enabling PASA to track city-wide participation.  The tool will also be useful for evaluation purposes to help PASA measure its success in increasing access to high quality after school programs.  Click here to read an article PASA wrote for the Harvard Family Research Project's Evaluation Exchange on the use of youthservices.net in Providence.

Capacity Building and Professional Development

In addition to the activities described above, PASA offers a number of professional development opportunities for providers designed to improve staff capacity to offer high quality programs:

Building Exemplary Systems for Training Youth Workers (BEST)

The BEST youth worker training is a 32-hour, 8-week program offered in partnership with the Boston Medical Foundation.  The training is designed to build a better understanding of youth development principles and practices.  Click here for more information on the BEST training and to see future training dates.

Workshops

PASA hosts occasional workshops for providers on a range of topics such as the social and emotional development of adolescents; engaging families; creating a safe program environment; retaining good staff; and working with diverse populations.

Best Practice