John Spence is a senior technical assistance consultant at AIR. He has over 17 years of experience directing large-scale initiatives in public education with a solid track record of expanding operations, initiating and maintaining strategic partnerships, managing technical assistance and professional development for educators, developing and sustaining meaningful relationships with ...
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of collecting and using data with intentionality—especially when it comes to the well-being of young people. The Every Hour Counts Measurement Framework can help out-of-school time system leaders leverage data to improve the lives of young people. ...
Researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and funders are increasingly aware of the powerful potential for summertime experiences and the need to design, implement, and continuously improve summertime experiences for all.
Research shows that afterschool and expanded learning programs work best when they are high quality and evidence-based. Beyond the Bell ® is a suite of professional development services, products, and practical tools designed to help afterschool and expanded learning program leaders and staff members create and sustain high-quality, effective afterschool ...
Matthew Vinson is a senior researcher working on out-of-school time (OST) initiatives with at AIR. Vinson is the project lead for OST evaluation efforts in New Jersey and Ohio, as well as analysis support for OST evaluations in Texas, Oregon, and Washington. He is the outcomes evaluation lead for the ...
Martyna Citkowicz is a principal researcher at AIR with expertise in quantitative methodology, particularly in the areas of program evaluation and meta-analysis. Dr. Citkowicz currently serves as the Principal Investigator of two residency program evaluations funded by the Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) Grants Program and is leading several meta-analyses ...
Lacy Wood is a principal TA consultant for AIR. Wood has over 20 years of experience with information and support systems for school improvement and over 19 years of experience in family and community engagement. In her current role, Wood is the associate project director supporting technical assistance for the ...
Core competencies are the capabilities that are critical for afterschool staff to deliver high quality programs. These competencies are intended to set a foundation for professional development, provide opportunities for career advancement, and inform program quality and continuous improvement.
Jaime S. Singer is a principal technical assistance consultant at AIR in the Education Systems and Policy program area. Singer is a skilled facilitator, trainer, and subject matter expert in both formal and informal education, with a focus on working across intersecting systems that support youth and their development. She ...
Effective and thoughtful planning is the first step in developing afterschool quality standards. In this phase, you will build a strong case for establishing quality standards. In the sections that follow, we outline the principal components of planning to develop quality standards.