May 2002

Editor's note: The following article is reprinted from After School Issues brief (March 2002, Volume 2, Issue 2 Setting Standards) produced by the National Institute on Out-of-School Time (NIOST) for the Cross Cities Network for Leaders of City Wide After School Initiatives. The article involves The After-School Institute, a capacity-building organization established by Safe and Sound, Baltimore's Campaign for Children and Youth; and standards and support structures in Philadelphia provided via the Children's Investment Strategy developed by the Philadelphia Safe and Sound Campaign.

In Baltimore, complying with the "Standards for Baltimore After-School Opportunities in Youth Places" also means receiving funds and technical assistance. Baltimore's approach to standards compliance has been to hold out the Baltimore Standards as a more fluid document. Rebkah Atnafou of the After-School Institute explains that "There is a three year commitment to implementation so programs can prioritize which standards to implement first…which are most doable for an agency at a specified time. The only exception to the three-year implementation is safety standards."

This strategy may prove helpful to many after-school initiatives. Having a gradual and supportive implementation strategy keeps the focus on long-term change and quality development instead of quick improvements to satisfy crisis funding needs.

A similar strategy is employed in Philadelphia. The Core Standards of Philadelphia, based on a number of national youth advocacy organization standards, including NSACA, are divided into eight categories. Under the categories there are three levels of Standards: Minimum or Level 1 Standards which should be in place at the start of the program; First Year or Level 2 Standards which should be fully implemented by the end of the first year; and Continuous Improvement or Level 3 Standards which are tailored to the particular characteristics of the program and serve as longer-term quality goals. Paul DiLorenzo, Director of the Office of Children's Policy explains that in choosing this accountability structure the city could be supportive to providers. "We didn't want to be just about quantity. We provide as much help as possible to reach quality. Progress on Level 2 and 3 Standards is done through developing a work plan that comes with training and technical assistance contracted through the United Way."

Editor's note: Philadelphia Safe and Sound is working with city partners, such as the United Way, to translate its standards into a self-assessment process that is attached to a Management Information System (MIS). Through this process Safe and Sound will work with the provider community to continually monitor progress and customize training and technical assistance services. This MIS will also allow the City to correlate standards achievement with performance outcomes reported in Philadelphia's Children's Report Card.

In Baltimore, according to Atnafou, after-school providers are thankful that they have the standards because it provides a framework to develop quality programs. "Resources such as a funding stream, technical assistance and training are real carrots. The After-School Strategy Team continuously advocates for increased funding, so there is a clear benefit to programs complying with the After-School Strategy and embracing the standards." The Baltimore Standards are "research-based." Atnafou explains that this means "we are always in the process of reassessing the standards as more information and research becomes available. As we get more feedback from programs, new issues and concerns emerge."

In order to promote increase utilization of programs it is essential, in program design, to always keep the end-users in mind. One area that Baltimore is currently evaluating is the inclusion of children's voices. "We are beginning to take steps to get youth more actively involved and grant them a say in the kinds of activities implemented in the programs. We have hired a youth engagement specialist to help us."

(This article was written by Georgia Hall, NIOST Research Scientist. The After School Issues brief from which it is reprinted was made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The statements made and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the author.)

For more information on this website about Baltimore's Safe and Sound Campaign, click here; for information about Philadelphia Safe and Sound, click here. For more information on this website about after-school programming, click here.