Implementation Quality and Positive Experiences in After-School Programs

Data collected during an evaluation of a multi-site trial of an enhanced after-school program were used to relate quality of program implementation to student experiences after school. The enhanced after-school program incorporated a drug use and violence prevention component that was shown to be ef...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of community psychology 2010-06, Vol.45 (3-4), p.370-380
Main Authors: Cross, Amanda Brown, Gottfredson, Denise C., Wilson, Denise M., Rorie, Melissa, Connell, Nadine
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
After school programs
Behavioral Science and Psychology
Clinical Psychology
Community and Environmental Psychology
Data collection
Evidence based practice
Health Psychology
Humans
Implementation
Intervention
Management
Original Paper
Personality and Social Psychology
Prevention
Program Development - methods
Program Development - standards
Program Implementation
Psychology
Public Health
Quality Control
Quality of education
Schools - manpower
Schools - organization & administration
Schools - standards
Students
Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology
Substance-Related Disorders - prevention & control
Time Factors
Trials
United States
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Data collected during an evaluation of a multi-site trial of an enhanced after-school program were used to relate quality of program implementation to student experiences after school. The enhanced after-school program incorporated a drug use and violence prevention component that was shown to be effective in previous research. Building on Durlak and Dupre’s (Am J Community Psychol 41:327–350, 2008 ) dimensions of implementation, we assessed the level of dosage, quality of management and climate, participant responsiveness, and staffing quality achieved at the five program sites. We evaluated how these characteristics co-varied with self-reported positive experiences after-school. The study illustrates how multiple dimensions of program implementation can be measured, and shows that some but not all dimensions of implementation are related to the quality of student after-school experiences. Measures of quality of management and climate, participant responsiveness, and staffing stability were most clearly associated with youth experiences. The importance of measuring multiple dimensions of program implementation in intervention research is discussed.
ISSN:0091-0562
1573-2770
DOI:10.1007/s10464-010-9295-z