WRAP Program Quality Assessment (WRAP PQA)

School's Out is proud to announce that this year all regions of the Washington Regional Afterschool Project (WRAP) will be implementing the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality’s Program Quality Intervention (PQI) using the School Age Program Quality Assessment (SAPQA) tool in lieu of the Improving Program Quality (IPQ) project. Your site could become one of five selected in your region to be involved in this process.

Background: School’s Out Washington believes that quality doesn’t occur by accident. Some people may have a natural talent for connecting with youth or organizing fun activities, but ensuring that school-age children and youth are getting the best possible experience from a program takes intentionality.

Much research has been done in recent years to identify the program components that correlate to better outcomes for kids in one aspect or another. The focus of this research may be anything from academic outcomes to social/emotional health to increased attendance rates to generally positive experience. Some program components, like staff-youth relationships, appear as key items across several quality studies.

What is PQA?: The Youth Program Quality Intervention is a comprehensive system for improving the quality of youth programs. It begins with training on the use of the Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) tool, a validated instrument designed to evaluate the quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs. Programs use the Youth PQA to conduct a self-assessment. Data from the self assessment is used to set improvement goals tied to the observable measures in the PQA. Programs then are supported in reaching those goals and increasing program quality. This ASSESS-PLAN-IMPROVE sequence establishes a supportive system for continuous improvement.

WRAP PQA is the Program Quality Assessment (PQA) process implemented by our Washington Regional Afterschool Project (WRAP) using the Weikart Center’s School Age Program Quality Assessment Tool.

The WRAP PQA process is designed to enhance the skills and abilities of youth work staff to deliver high quality programming. During the process program participants will engage in both an internal and external program assessment process, develop customized goals and attend professional development opportunities to address self identified areas of improvement.

How the YPQA Process Affected One Community

From the Weikart Center, "This inspiring 12-minute video documents how the Georgetown Divide, a small community in the Sierra foothills of Northern California has embraced a positive youth development approach across the settings where youth spend time and has anchored that commitment through widespread use of the Youth Program Quality Assessment."

 

What are the qualifications?

The site must be a Department of Early Learning (DEL) licensed/certified program serving a significant number of school age youth ages 5-12.

What are the benefits?

  • Measurable program quality improvements
  • FREE professional development for your staff
  • 1 on 1 coaching
  • Quality Enhancement grant up to $1000.00 to support improvement efforts
  • Data collection and information, from a research-based tool that can be used to apply for grants and other funding opportunities

What does the process involve?

  • Click here to connect with your WRAP Specialist to find out more about your region's application process and site expectations
  • Site agrees to participate in the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI) system
  • Site meets with their coach/WRAP Specialist regularly throughout the process. Site attends a kick-off event.
  • Site participates in the use of the School Age Program Quality Assessment (SAPQA)
    • This process includes a self- assessment and an external evaluation
  • Site receives scores and participates in a “Planning with Data” event
  • Site sets goals with their coach / WRAP Specialist
  • Site attends workshops and learning community meetings and meets regularly with the coach/WRAP Specialist to achieve the set of measurable goals.
  • Site is re-assessed

Click here to connect with your regional WRAP Specialist.