Program Quality
The Kent Community Success program utilizes the David P. Weikart Center’s Social and Emotional Learning Program Quality Assessment (SEL PQA) process to support program quality and improvement (known as Youth Program Quality Improvement, or YPQI). This includes internal and external assessments, which Site Coordinators use to inform program quality improvement goals. The program’s measurable objective for program quality and the SEL PQA was as follows:
- Measurable improvement in relevant sections of the PQA each year, at each site; or an average rating over 4.0.
Site Coordinators and site staff conducted self-observations, and the evaluator conducted external observations in December 2024. These observations provided a basis for sites’ improvement goals, as follows:
- Mill Creek’s program improvement goals focused on creating a safe and healthy afterschool program, engaging students in family events (relates to Promoting Responsibility and Leadership from the SEL PQA Interactive Environment domain, as well as youth influence on setting and activities, addressing participation barriers, and supporting linkages with families and the community), and increasing student voice (relates to Supporting Youth Interests and Supporting Plans and Goals, which are both from the Engaging Environment domain).
- Neely-O’Brien’s program improvement goals focused on creating a safe and healthy before and after school program, engaging students in family events (relates to Emotional Coaching in the SEL PQA Supportive Environment domain and Fostering Teamwork in the Interactive Environment domain), and increasing student voice (relates to Supporting Plans and Goals and Supporting Youth Interests in the Engaging Environment domain).
- River Ridge’s program improvement goals focused on creating a safe and healthy before and after school program, engaging student in family events (relates to a range of measures in the SEL PQA Supportive Environment and Interactive Environment domains, including Emotional Coaching, Scaffolding Learning, Fostering Growth Mindset, Promoting Responsibility and Leadership and Cultivating Empathy), and increasing student voice (relates to Supporting Youth Interest and Supporting plans and goals in the Engaging Environment domain).
The results below reflect average scores from external assessments. The program met the objective of an average rating score of 4.0 or greater in Safe Space, but not in Supportive Environment, Interactive Environment, or Engaging Environment. The average score in Engaging Environment increased from 2023-24, decreased in Interactive Environment, and stayed the same for Safe Space and Supportive Environment. See Table 3.
Table 3: SEL PQA External Assessment Results by Year
| Domain | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Space | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Supportive Environment | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Interactive Environment | 2.8 | 1.9 |
| Engaging Environment | 2.9 | 3.0 |