Assess your program! Collect your data!

Quality Data

Quality practices are what you see happening in a program at the point-of-service. These are the actions staff take that create the environment and opportunities for participants and is about measuring what can be observed during a youth program. It includes things like creating a physically and emotionally safe environments, scaffolding learning, and opportunities for responsibility, leadership, and youth voice.

Measurement Tools

• SEL/YPQA - Sprockets, along with other networks locally and nationally, use the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality assessment tools. The Social Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA) and the Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) are the two we provide supports around (see below). These frameworks provide a shared language that helps us think about quality across programs.
• Other tools - There are a variety of other quality measurement tools programs may consider. Afterschool Program Assessment System (APAS), Network for Youth Success (NYS), and Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring are a few examples.

Activator Supports

• Registered Activators will receive one observations from a Sprockets External Assessor.
• PQA Self Assessment Training is provided each fall to train up staff from your organization to understand the PQA framework and prepare staff for internal observations.

Find more information about Quality Data and Sprockets supports and resources here

Attendance and Participation Data

Who shows up, how often, and for how long reveals a lot. The more often young people participate in high-quality afterschool, the better the outcomes. So, tracking who shows up (by age, race, gender, ZIP code, or other factors) and how often is a goldmine of information about your ability to have an impact. This is an area of data that many people have collected over the years. Consider what you program goals are around demographics, enrollment, participation, and retention.

Measurement Tools

• Sprockets Shared Data System - Cityspan - Sprockets provide Saint Paul youth serving programs a way to track registration and participation at no cost to you. If you don't currently have a data management and reporting system, lets connect!
• Other tools - There are a variety of attendance tracking systems that programs may use including Apricot, Salesforce, KidTrax, EZ Reports, and more.

Read more about the Sprockets Shared Data System and access training and support materials here.

Experience Data

What young people think and feel about their experience is important. This data is based on the firsthand reports of people participating in the learning. While young people are the priority, this can also include caregivers, staff, and volunteers. You can collect this data through surveys (some formally designed and tested), reflection activities, interviews and focus groups, or get really creative by using photovoice and drawings.

Outcome Data

Youth outcome data articulates how young people are impacted or changed as a result of participating in your program. This can be changes in attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, skills, etc. What difference did you intentionally design your program to make? At the end of the day, this is about making a positive difference.

Measurement Tools - Common tools used to assess outcomes include pre and post-tests, retrospective surveys completed by participants, staff or caregiver, and school information like attendance and grades. Who knows how the program has impacted participants? This information may come firsthand from youth themselves! Those same activities noted above, may be adjusted, and framed around their concepts of their own skills. Family members may report on what they have observed. Staff may be able to identify pattern changes in the skills areas identified. There are a variety of outcome assessment tools available but not one tool works for everyone.

Sprockets Supports - Check the right hand side bar for resources (soon to come) that might help you identify a tool that would work for you, or decide what you can create to capture the impact your programs makes for young people. And let's connect. Sprockets staff will gladly share what they know about the pros and cons of some of the resources.