Child and Early Education Research Connections
Although research indicates that regular participation in high-quality after-school programs yields many positive developmental benefits for school-age youth, the programs themselves sometimes struggle with assessing and improving their quality. This brief examines research linking program quality to positive outcomes; reviews current practices in program quality assessments; and lists program quality assessment tools.
Examples of key quality features include appropriate supervision and program structure; an environment that fosters positive youth-adult relationships; programming with opportunities for autonomy and choice; and good relationships among the various settings in which program participants spend their days. Research Connections is a partnership between the National Center for Children in Poverty, the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, and agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Free. 16 pages. (202) 690-7885, http://www.researchconnections.org/SendPdf?resourceId=12576.
