Improving afterschool program quality must begin with a commitment on the part of practitioners to examine their programs with a critical eye. A quality program is one that is reflective, willing to improve, change and grow, and believes in successful outcomes for its participants. Moreover, practitioners must understand that improving program quality is an ongoing process. It is upon these concepts that the NYSAN Program Quality Self-Assessment (QSA) Tool is based.
The QSA Tool is one of few self-assessment instruments available. It is intended to help program leaders and staff, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to better understand the indicators of a high-quality program and reflect on all aspects of their program's operation. Self-assessment provides an important opportunity for programs to identify strengths and weaknesses free from the pressures of external monitoring and evaluation. In fact, ongoing self-assessment is a key program development practice that can assist in preparing for program licensing, accreditation, monitoring or evaluation. For more information on how the QSA Tool compares to other leading assessment instruments, see Measuring Youth Program Quality: A Guide to Assessment Tools published by the Forum for Youth Investment.
The NYSAN QSA Tool has been in use since 2005. Since its introduction, the QSA Tool has been adopted by program practitioners, public agencies and intermediaries across New York State and nationally. The New York State Education Department (SED) requires that all 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs use the QSA Tool, and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) has adapted the QSA Tool for use in monitoring its Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. For more detailed information on how programs in New York State have used the NYSAN QSA Tool, see the New York State Center for School Safety research brief Use of a Quality Self Assessment Tool for Afterschool: A New York Experience (PDF).
In 2008, NYSAN introduced the QSA Tool User's Guide to provide practical guidance and tips on how to implement an effective program self-assessment. NYSAN recommends that program stakeholders read the User's Guide before (and during) the self-assessment process.
For funders, public agencies, intermediaries, training providers and others who may wish to promote, reference or adapt the QSA Tool or the User's Guide, please acknowledge use of the document(s) in your publication. Prior to referencing or adapting any part of the NYSAN Program Quality Self-Assessment Tool or the User's Guide please contact us to let us know how you intend to use the tool.
NYSAN staff are available to share information on a wide range of topics from organizing a self-assessment at your afterschool site to developing your own self-assessment tool for local, statewide, or national use. We also offer high-quality, customized services and trainings on program self-assessment. Contact us for more information.
If you wish to place an order for hard copies of the QSA Tool or User's Guide, please contact us for more information. (The minimum order size is 50 copies.) Scroll down to download the QSA Tool in English, and click "See all Documents" to download the Tool in Spanish, Chinese, Russian, and Haitian-Creole
The QSA Tool is intended to help program leaders and staff, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to better understand the indicators of a high-quality program and reflect on all aspects of their program's operation.
