poster abstractAn increasing percentage of our nation’s children are participating in some form of out-of-school time
(OST) programming. One estimate reports that from 1995 to 2005, the percent of K-8 students
participating in OST programs rose from six to 20 percent. One of the most prevalent forms of OST
programs are after-school programs (ASPs). Traditionally, ASPs vary in terms of providers and offerings.
Many are community-based or take place within schools. Activities include academics, sports, arts,
enrichment, or some combination of each. As a result of this convergence of stakeholders and purposes
within the after-school field, assessing program quality has been notably difficult. The purpose of the
current research was to investigate the strength of school and after-school partnerships in place within six
ASPs and the subsequent connection between these partnerships and after-school program quality. This
mixed-methods study draws from the findings of an evaluation of a multi-site school-based after-school
program in a large Midwestern city as a result of funding from a 21st Century Community Learning
Centers grant. Data include program observations, staff questionnaires, site director interviews, and a
student survey regarding the after-school environment. Findings reveal that programs with strong
partnerships between the school day and after-school staff showed higher quality after-school program
implementation. Conversely, when school day staff demonstrated avoidant behaviors near the after-school
programs run in their schools, or considered them to be little more than after-school child care, afterschool
programs showed lower quality implementation. In addition to identifying positive characteristics
of school/after-school partnerships linked to overall program quality, an analysis matrix compiling high
and low quality “ingredients” was created based upon these findings. Varying degrees of program
features appeared to mediate a program’s implementation fidelity, level of student engagement, structural
constraints, and overall program quality
