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Matching Method to Purpose: Using Standardized Observational Assessment to Enhance Point of Service Quality
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| Presenter(s):
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| Tom Devaney, Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, tom@cypq.org
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| Abstract:
This paper will describe the Youth Program Quality Assessment (Youth PQA; HighScope, 2005), a standardized, research-validated observational assessment tool designed for out-of-school-time settings. Participants will learn how various out-of-school networks are using performance data produced by the Youth PQA to engage program managers and front-line staff in continuous quality improvement initiatives. They will also discover how to use the Youth PQA to produce performance data aligned with local improvement objectives and purposes. Specifically, this paper will describe how the Youth PQA can be deployed for program self-assessment (appropriate for low stakes, non-normative learning purposes), external assessment (appropriate for higher stakes, normative comparisons and performance accountability), as well as various hybrids that combine elements from each approach.
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