New Evaluation Tool for Afterschool Programs

Posted by on February 25, 2005

NEW YORK STATE AFTERSCHOOL NETWORK RELEASES NEW EVALUATION TOOL FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS
New York State Department of Education Requires the Tool’s Use By All 21st CCLC Programs

The New York State Afterschool Network (NYSAN) today released the “NYSAN Self-Assessment Tool” for afterschool programs that uses a common set of quality standards to help assess, plan, design and execute strategies for ongoing program improvement.

The New York State Department of Education requires all programs receiving 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) funding to use the Self-Assessment Tool. The tool is the result of collaboration among more than 200 afterschool program providers, stakeholders and advocates over the past several years. It was piloted in approximately 30 programs across New York State during 2004 to get feedback about its design and usefulness.

“The NYSAN Self-Assessment Tool will help improve the quality, creativity and effectiveness of out-of-school-time programs for children and families in New York,” said NYSAN Co-Chair and President of The Afterschool Corporation Lucy Friedman. “With so many different types of programs offering a wide range of activities for kids during non-school hours, a streamlined, easy to use evaluation tool like this helps those providing services to by providing common standards when defining what makes a quality afterschool program. The tool will assist program providers, community organizations and schools to better plan, implement and evaluate programs, which will greatly improve the outcomes for students.”

The Tool is free and available online by logging onto http://www.nysan.org. The Self-Assessment Tool is made up of nearly 100 questions and is divided into 10 “essential elements” that are characteristic of effective afterschool programs. The essential elements include: environment/climate; administration/organization; relationships; staffing/professional development; programming/activities; linkages between day and afterschool; youth participation/engagement; program sustainability/growth; parent/family/community partnerships; and measuring outcomes/evaluation.

“NYSAN’s leadership in creating the Self-Assessment Tool has been valuable since it was able to involve so many different stakeholders from across the State. The Tool provides a consensus, based on research and practice, for essential ingredients of a quality program,” said John A. Soja, State Education Department Supervisor and NYSAN Co-Chair. “The Tool also makes it easier for programs to identify what they are doing well and which areas might need a bit of improvement. It will help raise the bar even higher for the quality of out-of-school-time programs in New York. Our children and families deserve to have high quality, enriching programs right in their own communities.”

New York State’s Afterschool Network is a public-private partnership of statewide, regional and local groups dedicated to promoting young people’s safety, learning and healthy development outside the traditional classroom. NYSAN’s activities are directed toward building the capacity and commitment of communities to increase the quality and availability of programs during non-school hours. NYSAN’s partners include The After-School Corporation, Association of New York State Youth Bureaus, Children’s Aid Society, Coalition for After-School Funding, Cornell University: The Cornell Early Childhood Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension, Partnership for After School Education, New York City Department of Education, New York State Center for School Safety, New York State Education Department, New York State Office of Children and Family Services, New York State School Age Care Coalition, and United Way of New York State. In 2003, this partnership formally became NYSAN when it was granted funding by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. NYSAN is one of 25 Mott-funded afterschool networks across the nation.