Publications

Publications

Learn more about our approach to afterschool program quality improvement, social and emotional skill-building, adverse childhood experiences and more by exploring our publications.

Our Services

Our Services

We provide coaching, evaluation, data analysis, and a variety of other comprehensive supports to programs for children and youth. Using strong science and powerful analytics, we empower programs to flourish.

FEATURED PUBLICATION

The Multilevel Person in Context ~ neuroperson (MPCn) Model

Guidance for Quality Improvement Systems (QIS) Focused on Socio-Emotional Skill Growth and Transfer Outcomes

In this working paper, QTurn introduces a model for thinking about the development of SEL skills in youth programs. We outline how SEL skills are embedded within the wider context of policy decisions, family background, and program quality. The MPCn model also elucidates how SEL skills are related to short-term youth outcomes and long-term youth achievements, such as graduation and employment. 


All Publications

January 1, 2010
Tom Akiva, Lee M. Pearson, Samantha Sugar, Stephen Peck, Charles Smith, and Anne-Sophie Denault

This paper uses pattern centered methods to describe the association between the quality of instruction available and youth’s level of mental engagement with that instruction.

March 1, 2009
Charles Smith, Thomas J. Devaney, Tom Akiva, and Samantha A. Sugar

In the fragmented OST sector, defining and measuring quality in terms of staff behaviors provides a common framework that can reduce obstacles to performance improvement and streamline data-driven accountability. This chapter views the point of service as the critical unit of study because it is ubiquitous across OST programs and because it is the place where key developmental experiences are intentionally delivered.

January 1, 2009
Charles Smith, Lee M. Pearson, Stephen C. Peck, Anne-Sophie Denault, and Samantha Sugar

This paper uses pattern centered methods to describe the association between the quality of instruction available and youth’s level of mental engagement with that instruction.

October 1, 2008
Charles Smith and Laurie Van Egeren

This paper, published in the Fall 2008 edition of Afterschool Matters: Occasional Paper Series, describes community partnerships in Michigan’s 21st CCLC programs.

June 26, 2008
Charles Smith and Tom Akiva

This chapter describes the Youth Program Quality Intervention (YPQI), a setting-level intervention model designed to raise quality in out-of-school time programs. The YPQI takes managers and staff from a network of youth programs through a process of identifying and addressing strengths and areas for improvement, using a standardized assessment tool.

January 1, 2008
Charles Smith, Tom Akiva, Juliane Blazevski, and Lisa Pelle

A presentation of baseline and post-pilot program quality ratings for 38 after school programs participating in a pilot quality improvement system in Palm Beach County, Florida.

March 26, 2006
Charles Smith, Tom Akiva, and Brenda Henry

Design theory and formative evidence to describe setting dynamics at two distinct levels, (1) the organization-level where professional learning communities are formed and (2) point-of-service level (e.g., classrooms) where professional staff and learners meet.

January 1, 2005
Charles Smith

Overall 24 sites within 17 grantees participated in the self-assessment pilot study by assembling staff teams to collect data and score the Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA). Youth PQA data collected using the self-assessment method demonstrated promising patterns of both internal consistency and concurrent validity with aligned youth survey responses.

January 1, 2005
Charles Smith and Charles Hohmann

The original validation study for the Youth Program Quality Assessment (Youth PQA). The Youth PQA was developed to assess the quality of instruction in afterschool and other education settings.

« First ‹ Previous 1 2 3