Quality standards are a foundational aspect of an afterschool system, where the goal is to ensure that all youth have access to high-quality programs. The resources on this page are intended to support networks that are developing, implementing, and refining statewide quality standards.
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.
Your state has successfully designed a set of quality standards for the afterschool field, and practitioners are now using the standards across the state to improve their program practices. But are you really done? As the field advances, you may need to adapt the standards or add new components for ...
A shared vision for using 21st CCLC funds as a platform for improving the lives of students and families, and for contributing to community cohesion, is an important precursor to leveraging the full potential of community and school partnerships.
The AIR Equity Initiative is addressing systemic inequalities in the U.S. and globally through our focus on four key areas—educational equity, public safety and policing, workforce development, and community health and well-being. Explore our project library.
On June 29, the Supreme Court ruled that race-conscious college admissions policies are unlawful under the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. In our role as a convener of ideas and insights, we are publishing essays from three leading scholars on affirmative action, higher education policy, and diversity. ...
The COVID-19 and Equity in Education Community is a collaborative network of emerging, established, and local researchers dedicated to advancing equity in education through focused research and engagement on the pandemic and pandemic recovery experiences of Black and Latino students and/or students experiencing poverty. ...
AIR is convening a network of communities from California, Florida, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington that want to develop community-based research-practice partnerships in order to focus educational improvement efforts after the pandemic.
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.
Afterschool staff working with youth are essential partners in any program’s efforts to implement quality programming. Ultimately, strong relationships are key to whether youth feel safe and can authentically engage with peers and adults. Building staff members’ capacity to strengthen relationships and align program offerings to quality standards will help ...