Presented by: Nora Niedzielski-Eichner

High Quality Career Readiness through

Out-of-School-Time Programs

Agenda About NYSAN College and Career Readiness: The Roles of

Afterschool and Summer Programs Program Examples Assessing and Supporting Quality

Programming Facilitating Partnerships Questions

New York State Afterschool Network (NYSAN)

NYSAN is a statewide public-private partnership dedicated to promoting young

people's safety, learning and healthy development outside the traditional

classroom.

NYSAN defines afterschool broadly, to include structured activities that take place in school and community-based settings, and are offered before school, afterschool and during summer and holiday breaks.

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NYSAN PartnersPublic Partners Nonprofit Partners Regional Networks

Association of NYS Youth Bureaus

AfterSchool Works! New York After School Network of Western New York

NYC Department of Education The Children’s Aid Society Central New York Out-of-School Time Network

NYC Department of Youth and Community Development

Cornell University Cooperative Extension

Expanded Learning Network of the Southern Tier

NYS Education Department NYU Metro Center for Urban Education

Greater Rochester After School Alliance

NYS Office of Children and Family Services

Partnership for After School Education

Hudson Valley Afterschool Network

NYS Student Support Services Center

TASC(The After-School

Corporation)

Long Island Partnership for After School Education

NYS 21st CCLC Technical Assistance Resource Center

Alliance of New York State YMCAs

North Country Afterschool Network

NYS Center for School Safety Liaison to Private Funders Upper Hudson Afterschool Network

COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS: THE ROLES OF AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS

Potential Roles of Afterschool and Summer

College- and Career-Aligned Content High School Credit and Credit Recovery Career Engagement College Engagement “Soft” Skills and Character Development Direct Employment

College- and Career-Aligned Content

Science, Techology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)

Global Learning Common Core Alignment

High School Credit and Credit Recovery

Students have the opportunity to get HS credit for work done in afterschool or summer programs

Can include credit for internships Substantial oversight be accredited

teachers in the subject area is required Principals must approve Other states, like NH and RI, have gone

much farther than New York.

Career Engagement

Career Counseling Job Shadowing Mentorships Internships

College Engagement

College visits Recent graduate return visits to share

college experiences College application support College financial aid support

“Soft” Skills and “Character” Development

Noncognitive skillsHow Children Succeed, Paul Tough

Employability skillshttp://cte.ed.gov/employabilityskills/

Direct Employment

Summer Youth Employment Junior Counselors/Staff Building Career Ladders

Questions?

PROGRAM EXAMPLES

Child and Adolescent Treatment Services SYEP

Location: Buffalo

Funding Source: 21st CCLC, ESD/SVP, private, SYEP

Partners: Buffalo School District, other summer programs

Workforce Activities: Credit Recovery for SYEP participants Supplemental orientation on working with younger children

and other work skills Attend 2.5 hours of summer program based on credits

needed for approved credit recovery Receive lunch and hold small group discussion on job

successes and challenges Work for 3-4 hours at placement in a summer camp

Mentoring in MedicineLocation: New York City

Funding Source: Private

Partners: NYC DOE, Montefiore

Workforce Activities: Afterschool program disadvantaged high school students to generate interest and skills for pursuing a health career Human biology curriculum Visits to local health professionals Trips to local colleges and hospital labs Service-learning projects about health careers

Website: www.medicalmentor.org

Business Institute in Utica

Location: Utica

Funding Source: 21stCCLC

Partners: Utica School District

Workforce Activities: Jobs & Life Skills Training Comprehensive job readiness and life skills curriculum Part-time job placement afterschool and on weekends Completion of NYS Career Portfolios for future use Recently expanded to Special Education students

NYAS/SUNY Afterschool STEM Mentoring

Location: New York City, Albany, Utica

Funding Source: National Science Foundation

Partners: New York Academy of Sciences, SUNY, NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, local afterschool programs

Workforce Activities: New York Academy of

Sciences Afterschool STEM Mentoring program SUNY graduate and postdoctoral fellows volunteer to

mentor middle school students in STEM at local afterschool programs

Website: http://www.nyas.org/landing/afterschool.aspx

 

Girls, Inc. STEM ProgramLocation: Albany

Funding Source: Private

Partners: College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering at University of Albany, State Employees Federal Credit Union

Workforce Activities: Eureka!, a 5 year program for girls, starting in 8th grade, centered on nanoscience. STEM Programs Sports Workshops Volunteer Opportunities Earn Eureka! Credits

Website: http://www.girlsinccapitalregion.org/

Corporate Campus Academic Mentoring Program

Location: Syracuse

Funding Source: Private

Partners: SRC Inc., Syracuse City School District

Workforce Activities: Corporate Campus Academic Mentoring Program One-to-one academic mentoring for 8th grade students

from corporate volunteers Students improve academic performance in math and

science Students set long-term goals for college and career Program follows 8th grade students through graduation

Hudson Bluehawk Nation Afterschool Counselors in Training

Location: Hudson

Funding Source: Advantage After School, 21st CCLC, ESD

Partners: Hudson School District

Workforce Activities: Counselor in Training (CIT) program for former afterschool participants in 9th grade Guidance from Site Coordinators On-site training in job readiness and professionalism Mock job interviews 35% of staff members are former CITs

ExpandED OptionsLocation: New York

Funding Source: Pinkerton Foundation, New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, RCN-Becom,Inc., Summer Workforce Development Grants

Partners: NYC DOE, local businesses

Workforce Activities: Afterschool and summer internship and credit recovery program for high school students Apprenticeships to prepare for internships College and Career Fair, including resume review and

mock interviewing

GST BOCES College and Career ProgramsLocation: Southern Tier

Funding Source: 21st CCLC

Partners: Local Businesses

Workforce Activities: Career and College programs for Middle School Students Career speakers College/career related field trips Mock interviews through Career Development Council

Website: http://www.gstboces.org

Questions?

ASSESSING AND SUPPORTING QUALITY PROGRAMMING

Program Self-Assessment Why Self-Assessment?

It helps program providers to understand overall program quality and to identify steps needed for improvement.

It is a low-stakes process. It gathers best practices guidance into an interactive,

action-oriented resources for providers.

What is the NYSAN QSA Tool? The QSA Tool is organized around 10 elements of quality. It uses a set of indicators to help program providers

determine their strengths and areas in need of improvement.

It is structured to lead to an action plan for increasing program quality.

The tool was developed by experienced program and TA providers to be relevant and reasonable.

What is Program Quality? Ten Essential Elements of a Quality Afterschool Program

Environment/Climate Administration/Organization Relationships Staffing/Professional Development Programming/Activities Linkages Between Day- and After- School Youth Participation/Engagement Parent/Family/Community Partnerships Program Sustainability/Growth Measuring Outcomes/Evaluation

NYSAN QSA Tool is not an Evaluation

NYSAN QSA Tool: provides structure for

dialogues around outcomes and quality;

strengthens communication between stakeholders;

helps build a collective vision;

uses data gathered to inform practice and build capacity; and

is often facilitated by program staff and/or other stakeholders.

Formal Evaluation: uses observation tools,

survey instruments, and other data to assess programs and determine what outcomes they are producing;

often uses data gathered for accountability and compliance;

has higher stakes and fewer gray areas; and

is often facilitated by an external observer.

Benefits of Using QSA Tool Self-assessment helps develop consensus and

strengthens buy-in from stakeholders. Self-assessment directly drives quality

improvement by developing consensus on an action plan and professional development plan.

Funders recognize and/or require use of self-assessment tools.

Prepares programs for meeting expectations of funders, which are generally increasing.

Cycle of Improvement

QSA Tool and User’s Guide

QSA Tool Structure

Performance Levels4: Excellent / Exceeds Standards Is prepared to help and work with others in this area.

3: Satisfactory / Meets Standards Needs help to prepare staff to work with others in this

area.

2: Some Progress Made / Approaching Standard Could use additional focused assistance in this area.

1: Must Address and Improve / Standard Not Met Needs significant support in this area.

• Organizations are expected to strive for a Satisfactory level (3) and, over time, continue to strive for an Excellent level (4).

QSA Supports

Indiana Afterschool Specialty Standards- College and Career Readiness Access at: www.indianaafterschool.org under Afterschool Standards Elements:

Program Culture and Environment Positive college and career-going culture Builds partnerships focused on college and career readiness

Staff Development and Expectations Staff/volunteers receive support and training to deliver college and career

readiness programming Program Focus

Supports academic preparation and success Engages youth in college and career exploration Helps youth and families prepare financially for college and careers Develops college and workforce skills

Data Collection and Impact Utilizes a variety of data to measure impact of college and career readiness

programming

Indiana Afterschool Specialty Standards- STEM

Access at: www.indianaafterschool.org under Afterschool Standards Elements:

Program Culture and Environment Creates inspiring STEM learning environment for all youth Resources, equipment, and supplies support STEM learning Engages families, schools and community

Staff Development and Expectations Staff/volunteers receive professional development that increases their

confidence and ability to facilitate quality STEM learning Program Focus

Inspires and engages youth in STEM learning Provides opportunities for youth to learn STEM content, skills, and

knowledge Data Collection and Impact

Utilizes a variety of data to measure impact of STEM programming

Asia Society’s Partnership for Global Learning with NYSAN- Global Learning

Access at: www.nysan.org under Quality Assurance Sample Domains:

Vision, Mission, Culture, and Environment Clear vision, mission, and goals around global learning Global content is infused throughout the program Staff and participants respect and value learning about diverse cultures

Program Planning Offers a range of global learning options and opportunities that incorporate

development of academic, social, and emotional skills Offers language instruction, field trips, and service learning to promote

global competence Youth Development and Outcomes

Supports youth to investigate the world around them Supports youth to apply cross-cultural thinking Supports youth to take action on global issues

Developing an Action Plan

Cycle of Improvement

Continuous Improvement Programs should know:

Staff skill sets What other skills do they need?

PD can be offered through a variety of venues: program observations; peer mentoring/coaching; supervision; staff meetings; conferences; networking events; and higher education courses. RESOURCE: PASE Professional Development Planning Tool

PASE Professional Development Planning Tool

Access to the QSA Tool and User’s Guide

Quality Assurance menu http://nysan.org/section/quality Includes links to program quality resources

and detailed definitions of the performance levels

Download User’s Guide and Tool as PDFs Multiple languages available

Questions?

FACILITATING PARTNERSHIPS

Finding OST Partners

Use NYSAN’s map of government-funded and state-licensed programs: http://nysan.org/section/policy/maps

Contact your Regional Network: http://nysan.org/section/networks

Contact NYSAN

Finding Workforce Partners

Contact your local Workforce Investment Board

Contact NYATEP Other ideas?

Identifying Needs What are the growth industries in your

community? Where are jobs going unfilled? What do your students say they want to

learn or be when they grow up? What are parents asking for their children

to study?

http://regionalcouncils.ny.gov/

Identifying Needs What jobs are your businesses having

trouble filling? What skills are students and applicants

missing? What industries do you expect to grow in

the next 5 to 10 years? Which employers see investment in the

local workforce as an good business investment?

Planning Partnerships What activities would attract potentially

interested students? What activities would develop the

necessary skill sets? How long would the program need to work

with students to create effective outcomes?

What age students would it be most effective to reach?

Planning Partnerships Can this program be part of a larger,

existing program? What other stakeholders (e.g. school

districts) should be involved? What staff/volunteers would be needed

and who might be able to pay for or volunteer the time?

How often and how long should it meet?

Best Practices Use the QSA Tool to help facilitate the

planning process. The Indiana Afterschool Specialty

Standards and the Global Learning in Afterschool Self-Assessment can also help guide the plans.

Bringing partners together around these standards will help clarify expectations and ensure a quality program from the start.

Suppers and SnacksDo you know that programs that provide enrichment and educational activities to low-income students after school, on weekends and over the summer likely qualify for the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP): At-Risk Afterschool Snack and Supper Program? http://

www.nysan.org/content/document/detail/3810

Final Questions?

Nora Niedzielski-Eichner

Executive Director

[t] 646.943.8670

[f] 646.943.8800 neichner@nysan.org