Prime Time's Impact
Building Citywide Systems for Quality: A Guide and Case Studies for Afterschool Leaders
While an increasing number of afterschool providers have made quality improvement a priority, addressing quality in a systemic way is complicated: It requires research, planning, building consensus, developing resources, managing new processes and sometimes redefining old relationships. Building Citywide Systems for Quality is a how-to guide designed to support the development of quality improvement systems (QIS) in afterschool settings. The guide can help those working to create better, more coordinated afterschool programming start building a QIS, or further develop existing efforts. It describes what constitutes an effective QIS and the tasks involved in building one, and includes examples and resources from communities whose work is blazing a trail for others. To view publication, click here.
School's Out: Policy Implications of Quality Accountability and Assessment in Afterschool Programs
On October 14, 2010, Prime Time's Palm Beach County Quality Improvement System (QIS) was featured in a webinar that was conducted by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality. In webinar entitled, "School's Out: Policy Implications of Quality Accountability and Assessment in Afterschool Programs," Palm Beach County's system is highlighted as a case study of what is referred to as a "lower-stakes" accountability model, in which the focus is less on periodic ratings of quality and more on continuous quality improvement. Panelists discuss what is meant by "high-stakes" and "low-stakes" accountability and describe the development and implementation of the QIS by Prime Time. View the webinar.
A System that Works: Highlights of Effective Intervention Strategies in a Quality Improvement System
Published in the September 2010 issue of Afterschool Matters, this article describes Palm Beach County's Quality Improvement System, our quality standards, and evidence of its effectiveness using Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality's reports. This article is a credit to all of Prime Time's partners who have worked diligently to create this system and all of the afterschool practitioners, both directors and frontline staff, who have been dedicated to increasing the quality of their programs.
Read article
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago Evaluation Reports
Chapin Hall has documented Prime Time's growth for the past six year starting with the creation of 
the Quality Improvement System and most recently the piloting of the Palm Beach County Afterschool Educator Certificate program. Chapin Hall has used multiple methods including interviews with afterschool practitioners and other stakeholders, surveys, review of assessments and documents, and direct observations to produce these reports that have helped Prime Time to improve its supports and services.
Year 2 Report
Year 3 Report
Year 4 Report
Year 5 Report
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