High Quality Career Readiness through Out-of-School-Time Programs

Presented by: Nora Niedzielski-Eichner

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 Partners

Public Partners Nonprofit Partners Regional Networks Association of NYS Youth Bureaus NYC Department of Education AfterSchool Works! New York The Children’s Aid Society NYC Department of Youth and Community Development NYS Education Department NYS Office of Children and Family Services Cornell University Cooperative Extension NYU Metro Center for Urban Education Partnership for After School Education NYS Student Support Services Center NYS 21 st CCLC Technical Assistance Resource Center NYS Center for School Safety TASC (The After-School Corporation) Alliance of New York State YMCAs Liaison to Private Funders After School Network of Western New York Central New York Out-of School Time Network Expanded Learning Network of the Southern Tier Greater Rochester After School Alliance Hudson Valley Afterschool Network Long Island Partnership for After School Education North Country Afterschool Network 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 skills  How Children Succeed, Paul Tough  Employability skills  http://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

: 21 st 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 Medicine

Location:

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 Program

Location:

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 8 th 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 8 th grade students from corporate volunteers    Students improve academic performance in math and science Students set long-term goals for college and career Program follows 8 th grade students through graduation

Hudson Bluehawk Nation Afterschool Counselors in Training

Location:

Hudson

Funding Source:

ESD Advantage After School, 21 st CCLC,

Partners:

Hudson School District

Workforce Activities:

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

ExpandED Options

Location:

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 Programs

Location:

Southern Tier

Funding Source:

21 st 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 Levels

4: 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 Snacks

Do 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/de tail/3810

Final Questions?

Nora Niedzielski-Eichner

Executive Director [t] 646.943.8670 [f] 646.943.8800 [email protected]