tips for managers for using this presentation

© David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality 1

Tips for Managers for Using this Presentation

Do your own learning first Take the online Basics course. Read through the entire CFPQA to familiarize yourself with it.

Have several copies of the CFPQA available for staff to thumb through and explore.

Try these activities along with the presentation: Have staff sort the playing cards into three piles (low, medium, and high)

as a mini self assessment. Have staff score between one and three items based on their experiences

at their own programs Have some staff role play a scene from a program and other staff take

objective notes on what they see. Create example scenarios and notes and have staff use them to score a

few items of the PQA.

© David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality 2A joint venture between the Forum and High/Scope.

Camp Fire PQA Program Self Assessment

Crash Course


DO NOT Proceed unless….

You plan to be completely honest in your self assessment. Otherwise, you are wasting your time.


What is the Youth PQA?

A validated instrument designed to assess the quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs.

A set of items which measure youth access to key developmental experiences.

A tool which produces scores that can be used for comparison and assessment of progress over time.


Active engagement

PlanMake choices

Reflect

LeadershipCollaboration

Experience belonging

Engagement

Reframing conflictEncouragement

Skill building

Active engagement

Welcoming atmosphereSupportive Environment

Interaction

Safe Environment Healthy food and drinks

Program space and furniture Emergency procedures

Psychological and emotional safety

Physically safe environment

High Expectations for Youth and Staff

Youth Centered Policies and Practices

Pyramid of Program Quality

Respect for family &culture

Access

Staff preparation

Appropriate challenge


Camp Fire USA Program Standards

I. Safe EnvironmentII. Supportive EnvironmentIII. Youth InteractionIV. Engagement

V. Youth Centered Policies and PracticesVI. High Expectations for Youth and StaffVII. Access

Form B: Organizational Items

V. Youth Centered Policies and PracticesVI. High Expectations for Youth and StaffVII. Access

Form A: Program Offering Items

I. Safe EnvironmentII. Supportive EnvironmentIII. Youth InteractionIV. Engagement

Camp Fire USA Program Quality Assessment


Sample item

III. InteractionIII-L. Youth have opportunities to develop a sense of belonging.Note: Structured refers to the quality of being intentional, planned, and/or named; it does not refer to informal conversation.

Indicators Supporting Evidence

1 Youth have no opportunities to get to know each other (beyond self-selected pairs or small cliques).

3 Youth have informal opportunities to get to know each other (e.g., youth engage in informal conversations before, during, or after session.

5 Youth have structured opportunities to get to know each other (e.g., there are team-building activities, introductions, personal updates, welcomes of new group members, icebreakers, and a variety of groupings for activities)

The CFPQA consists of:2 forms (Form A and Form B); 7 domains (4 in A, 3 in B) 38 scales (18 in A, 20 in B) Form A has 72 items and Form B has 92 items.

“Domain”

“Scale”

“Item or Item Row”


Camp Fire Program Quality Assessment Field Test

CFUSA asks each Council to: conduct a program self assessment of up to five

program sites complete one CFPQA Form A for each of the sites

assessed complete one CFPQA Form B for each type of program

in which you completed a CFPQA Form A (afterschool program, camp, club, etc.).


CFUSA Program Self Assessment Step-by-Step

1. Select your team2. Attend training3. Collect Data (Form A) or

Gather Documentation (Form B)

4. Have Scoring Meetings5. Enter and Report Data6. Make an Improvement Plan

Three aspects of a constructive program self assessment process:

working as a team basing scores on

observational evidence

focusing on conversations about quality


1. Select your team.

Program administrator At least two others involved in the program

Direct-delivery staff Volunteers Council members Parents

Each program looks different, do what works for you!


2. Attend training.

Team members Trained to participate in self assessment process

CFPQA Basics online OR

1-hour CFPQA Intro OR

Program administrator can talk staff through the process using the CFPQA Crash Course PowerPoint presentation and the CFPQA Playing Cards.

Staff can practice using the activities in the CFPQI Training Guide Stickies activity is provided on labels in the box set and the answers are in the

Training Guide You can make copies if you would like more people to be able to do this

activity!


3. Collect data.

CFUSA asks each Council to conduct a program self assessment of up to five program sites and complete one CFPQA Form A for each of the five sites assessed.

Team members collect data by observing programs. Plan enough time to observe a program activity in its entirety plus transition times to and from the activity.

Team members collect objective, anecdotal records of the programs they observe.


3: Collect data(Weak Anecdotes)

1. There was some reflection.

2. Youth got to choose where the furniture went.

What makes these anecdotes weak?How would you re-word these anecdotes to make them

more effective?


3: Collect data(Stronger Anecdotes)

With 10 minutes left, staff distributed index cards and asked youth to “write one thing you liked about today’s session and one thing you would have changed.” She then collected the cards.

As youth and staff were setting up folding chairs for movie night, staff said. “How do you think we should set these up so people can see and still get to the bathroom?”


Note Taking GuidelinesEffective Ineffective• Objective as possible

• Rich detail in snapshot form

• Focus on interactions between– Staff and youth– Youth and youth– Youth and environment

• Allow time for interactions to reach completion

• State the outcome of interactions

• Who, what, when, where

• Quotes: what youth and staff say

• Lists of materials

• What you see in the room

• Anecdote can stand alone

• Subjective terms such as ‘good’ or ‘bad’

• Rater’s opinions• Assumptions about internal states:

she felt angry; he did not get it• Anecdotes are too vague; lack detail• Lacking facts: what you see and hear• Summary in the place of quotes• Raters repeat what the indicator says• For a 3 involving some positive and

some negative, raters have one but not the other

• Anecdote does not fit the indicator• Anecdote could support more than

one score


3. Collect data.Your Program

Three aspects of a constructive self assessment process:

working as a team basing scores on

observational evidence focusing on conversations

about quality


4. Have scoring meeting(s).Form A

Complete one CFPQA Form A for each of the program sites observed. Use the CFPQA Help Desk to assist with challenging scores.

Plan a meeting with the self assessment team Everyone who observed or was observed Bring anecdotal notes

Agree upon a score for each indicator using the anecdotal notes from the observations.


4. Have scoring meeting(s).Form B

CFUSA asks each Council to complete one CFPQA Form B for each type of program in which you completed a CFPQA Form A (afterschool program, camp, club, etc.).

Plan a meeting with the self assessment team Program Administrator On-Site Directors of assessed programs Direct-Delivery staff

The team conducts a group interview, providing documentation or evidence for each indicator.

Visit the CFPQA Help Desk to communicate questions.


5: Enter and Report Data

Enter your scores on Online Scores Reporter Your login information and instructions to use the

online system will come soon.


6: Create an Improvement Plan

1. Set Goals 2. Measure Success3. Set Steps Toward Reaching Goals4. Ask for Support


The staff of the Center for Youth Program Quality will be available to offer assistance as needed as you complete the CFPQA self assessment.

For more information:http://www.cypq.org/CampFireUSA

Please do not hesitate to contact Amanda Sutter should you have any questions or need support: [email protected] 734-961-6900 ext.217

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