1. Afterschool Program Quality H210D Class 3 April 9, 2008

2. Understanding the Customer—Youth Perspective Chapin Hall and P/PV studies

3. H210D, Spring 2008 Chapin Hall In-depth interviews with 99 tenth graders in Chicago public schools Highest and lowest quartiles of OST availability What influences choices about participation?

4. H210D, Spring 2008 School vs. community services Valued personal relationships Earlier experience influences later participation Indirect peer influences and decisions to remain over time

5. H210D, Spring 2008 Neighborhood influences-safety considerations and civic action potential Gaps in availability and in compelling activities

6. H210D, Spring 2008 Adolescents Speak Exposure to new ideas, challenges and people Comfort, welcome, respect, acceptance Freedom from unnecessary rules, inflexible adults, and strict expectations Autonomous exploration, interaction and relaxation and fun

7. H210D, Spring 2008 Implications Outreach-schools, relationships and novelty, potential for youth leadership and social potential of activities Support for continuous involvement Staff training—capacity to deal with youth and organizational capacity building Youth input and an array of activities different from school Importance of developmental perspective Parent roles

8. “Youths can become frustrated over time with adults who are not effective leaders, and do not provide a sense of safety and structure.”

9. “This is complicated by the fact that different youth have different expectation, and respond differently to adults’ styles of interaction, which may lead young people’s selecting in or out of particular activities at any given time.”

10. “…you want to have somebody to care. You don’t want to be there even though you’re with your friends and you’re having fun, you’re still with the person who’s in charge of you and who don’t care. So there’s no point of going if they don’t care about you.”

11. H210D, Spring 2008 P/PV study Five Philadelphia Beacon centers 402 youth surveys, 45 staff surveys and 50 activity observations and open-ended interviews with 16 strong instructors and 22 teen interviews What conditions lead to attendance, engagement and youth perceptions of learning?

12. H210D, Spring 2008 The two most important things for engagement and learning are: Effective group management so that youth feel respected by adults and other youth Positive adult support for learning and youth engagement

13. H210D, Spring 2008 Group management Youth report they get more from the activity at each step in the learning process and they are more engaged. Four behavior management techniques: reasonable ground rules; ongoing positive reinforcement; consistent and fair reinforcement of expectations; firm, not harsh responses, when ground rules broken.

14. H210D, Spring 2008 Positive Adult Support Youth are more engaged, enjoy the experience more, perceived they learned more. Level of enjoyment most affected by adult support for middle school youth Importance of emotional and instructional support

15. H210D, Spring 2008 Emotional Support Forging trusting relationships Learning about youth culture Allowing informal socializing Taking time to talk with individual youth as needed

16. H210D, Spring 2008 Instructional Support Careful one-on-one instruction Challenge youth to move beyond current skill level, balanced feedback with a mix of positive reinforcement and critical assessment of progress.

17. Youth Voice The more input or voice participants felt they had in shaping an activity, the more engaged they felt and the more they liked the activity.

18. H210D, Spring 2008 Youth input and agency Quantitative and strong instructor results Observations: clear expectations on type of youth input and direction on task completion; instructors removed from decision-making and youth craft project or solution; instructors step back, recognize progress and support next steps to carry project to completion

19. H210D, Spring 2008 Implications Intensive focus on high-quality instructional methods keyed to developmental trajectory Directors supervision and coaching Funder-Quality costs money and need time for quality enhancement and continuous improvement

20. H210D, Spring 2008 What’s Up Study Exploration of participation in five diverse communities (rural and urban high poverty and alternative schools and mental health centers) Written surveys and interviews with middle and high school youth (ages 10 to 15) and their parents

21. H210D, Spring 2008 Findings Parents are key in participation and promote or discourage it Parents and kids: do well academically and socially and not waiting for activity to fill their time Youth want physical and recreational activities and opportunities to socialize with friends Those involved have been so from an earlier age Uninvolved may be put off by structure in structured programs

22. How do we merge what we know about quality learning environments with what young teens want?

23. H210D, Spring 2008 Less structure and more connection (the wizard) Organic and free-spirited—does it “flow”

24. H210D, Spring 2008 Walker and Larson Tensions in relating to youth in a personal and a professional way Reacting intelligently to difficult situations as they arise, situations where competing objectives, values and warrants come into conflict Quality hinges on how staff respond to these challenging situations

25. The demands of being a professional and an authority can come into conflict with those of being a sympathetic participant.

26. “that’s a really tough thing to learn and figure out: how to really be a friend to young people, how to meet them where they’re at. But the challenge is to take them where they haven’t been.”

27. H210D, Spring 2008 KEY TAKE-AWAYS 1.Research points to four critical program quality features: - Appropriate structure and supervision - Well prepared staff - Intentional programming - Effective partnerships 2.Quality and participation are two sides of the same coin. 3.Using a program quality assessment tool is essential to support and maintain a quality program. 4.Responsibility for program quality is shared across programs, initiatives, and systems.

28. H210D, Spring 2008 Quality is … Quality is shaped by conditions and features that: Reflect community needs and priorities Align services to achieve goals and promote sustainability Encourage regular program attendance...  That fosters sustained engagement…  In enriching, structured experiences…  That correspond to important developmental tasks…  That can enhance cognitive, social and physical

29. H210D, Spring 2008 Process (a.k.a. “point of service”) features examine aspects of the program that directly affect a participant’s experiences:  Youth-adult relationships and interactions, variety in program offerings  Availability of activities that promote sustained cognitive engagement  Opportunities for autonomy and choice  The organizational supports necessary to promote effective staff practices

30. H210D, Spring 2008 Youth Development Community’s Definition of Quality  Physical and psychological safety  Appropriate structure  Supportive relationships  Opportunities for meaningful youth involvement  Positive social norms  Learning-oriented, with skill-building activities  Balance of autonomy and structure  Connections with school, home and community From Eccles & Goodman (2002) Community programs to promote youth developments. Washington, DC: National Academy press.

31. H210D, Spring 2008 Does Program Quality Make a Difference in Getting Good Outcomes? YES

32. H210D, Spring 2008 Quality is possible only when : Adequate numbers of participants... Can be recruited and retained... To permit the employment of trained, motivated staff... Who encourage youth attendance at levels of frequency and duration needed... To promote individual growth

33. H210D, Spring 2008 Participation is possible only when… Key features of program quality are in place:  Higher director salaries  More advanced education credentials  Parent liaison on staff  Youth reported a greater sense of belonging  More positive interactions between youth and staff  Higher academic self-esteem  Strong academic or arts focus  Improved academic performance through enrichment www.policystudies.com/studies/youth/OST.html