Standards and Quality Committee
Afterschool Program Quality Guidelines
 This Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN) resource can assist with setting benchmarks for providers, serving children from elementary age through high school age, to use for self-assessment and quality improvement; and for program funders, both public and private, to use in evaluating programs and/or quality-improvement initiatives for funding purposes. Tell us what you think about the tool. Click here to submit your comments
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Afterschool Core Knowledge and Competencies
 This Afterschool Initiative (ASI) tool can assist with increasing the quality and professionalism of Ohio’s afterschool programs by documenting the knowledge and skills that afterschool professionals must strive for if children in their care are to thrive.
As Dr. Doug Downey, Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University explained at the May 2008 OAN membership meeting, by the time a child reaches 18 years of age, he or she will have spent only 13% of his or her waking hours in school; and that the kinds of experiences children and youth have in the other 87% of waking hours play a major role in their development. Research underscores the importance of high-quality out-of-school enriching and learning experiences. But how do providers, parents and funders know if an afterschool or summer program is quality? How do we assess the professional skills of staff to determine if they are prepared to offer high-quality out-of-school time programs? What does staff need to know and be able to do to provide experiences that prepare participants for success in school and life? Ohio has created these two afterschool quality improvement tools both answering these important questions and will be used in creating professional development and other quality supports for organizations and staff.
Seeking more resources related to program standards and quality, please click here.
Interested in joining the OAN Standards and Quality Committee, please send an email to oan@occrra.org.
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