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.
The Plan, Do, Study, Act Process is central to the improvement of instructional routines. Watch one of the Better Math Teaching Network members in real time and in a real classroom setting introduce the Plan, Do, Study, Act, or PDSA, process.
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.
As part of our commitment to addressing the harmful effects of inequality, the AIR Equity Initiative supports and fosters partnerships with those who are directly affected by the inequities we seek to address and those who influence and drive decision-making. Our active and upcoming funding opportunities are here for your ...
The National Center for Healthy Safe Children offers resources, training, and technical assistance to support states, tribes, territories, and local communities as they promote overall wellbeing for students and their families. Learn more about what we do.
The National Center for Healthy Safe Children offers resources, training, and technical assistance to support states, tribes, territories, and local communities as they promote overall wellbeing for students and their families. Meet our leaders and researchers.
Credentials certify performance based on a set of defined skills and knowledge and allow established or emerging staff to be recognized for their competence and commitment to professional growth. To date, though research suggests that well-trained staff, such as those with credentials, are more likely to deliver high quality programs, ...
The Guide for Reflecting on Instructional Depth, or GRID, helps teachers reflect on their instruction, identify areas where they can be more student-centered. The four-part video GRID series provides step-by-step guidance for determining students’ depth of mathematical justifications and who is driving those justifications. ...
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 ...
Developing a rationale and approach for expanding access to preschool or other early care and education(ECE) programs is an important part of the planning process. AIR offers tools for planning and budgeting for quality preschool initiatives on a “system-wide” basis, such as within a state, county, city, or one or ...