Homepage> The Self-Assessment Process: What, How, When, and Who> Engaging Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Process

Engaging Stakeholders in the Self-Assessment Process

• Youth

• Program Staff

• Families

• School Staff

Engaging Youth in the Self-Assessment Process
When young people agree to participate in the self-assessment process and to share their experiences, they are involved, but there are still steps to take to have them be engaged. To engage youth implies action – a take-youth-seriously stance that is crucial to quality programming. Engaging young people in this type of process helps teach leadership skills and encourages youth to become more invested in the program. It is not a secret that young people want to be listened to and valued for who they are, to give back to their communities, to be supported when they make mistakes, and recognized when they succeed.

Youth Participation through the Self-Assessment Process

• Host a community meeting to explain why it is important to get young people’s input in the self-assessment process.

• Administer a mini-survey to ask young people how they would like to contribute.

• Conduct youth focus groups or individual interviews. Make sure to ask plenty of open-ended questions about the program that will encourage youth to elaborate.

• Have a written reflection as an opening activity to accommodate young people who do not feel comfortable sharing out loud.

To learn more about the range of ways to involve youth in program assessment and evaluation, see A Continuum of Youth Involvement in Evaluation developed by The Innovation Center.

To view sample questions for a youth focus group on Programming and Activities, click here.

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Engaging Program Staff in the Self-Assessment Process
Having positive relationships among staff members is essential for having a productive self-assessment, but it takes a lot of work. What will help?

• Staff should have the chance to practice what they learn about quality.

• Staff should be able to voice their opinions without consequence.

• Staff should have opportunities to implement ideas that come out of the self-assessment process.

• Everyone should understand how his or her work supports the organization’s mission.

• Staff should feel comfortable holding their colleagues (including supervisors!) accountable for following through on action steps.

Staff Participation through the Self-Assessment Process

• Staff should be able to suggest how they would like to contribute to the process. For example, they may wish to facilitate focus groups with young people or manage outreach efforts to parents.

• A description of how the self-assessment will be conducted and a schedule of meetings should be distributed. By doing so, surprises are minimized and everyone can prepare for the self-assessment.

• Program successes should be celebrated. By doing so, staff will be more excited about the process.

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Engaging Families in the Self-Assessment Process
Strong partnerships with families are fostered and sustained through positive interactions with program staff. Engaging families as true partners in a self-assessment isn’t a one-time shot; rather, it happens over time. According to Christenson and Sheridan, In Schools and Families: Creating Essential Connections for Learning, meaningful connections with families occur when the following characteristics are embedded into your organization on a regular basis:

• A focus on building positive relationships

• Collaboration as an attitude, not an activity

• Opportunities for creating a common vision for youth learning and development

• Shared information and resources

• Meaningful and cooperative roles

Family Participation through the Self-Assessment Process

• Reach out to families in multiple ways to get input from those who are able to visit the program site as well as those who can not.

• Administer surveys with questions that focus on specific elements of program quality. This will clarify the process and the intended outcomes.

• When working with families that are not native English speakers, keep in mind that the QSA Tool is available in several languages. If you develop additional surveys, make them available in several languages or have a staff person translate the questions.

• To gauge how welcoming the environment is for families, conduct a walk through assessment of your program with them. Parents can be partnered with staff that are able to answer questions. Don’t forget to bring the group back to share their findings and brainstorm possible areas of improvement.

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Engaging School Staff in the Self-Assessment Process
School staff, including principals, administrators, and teachers, are often important partners in the self-assessment process. Whether your program is school-based or community-based, engaging school staff in your program will have a positive impact on your afterschool program. In order to engage school staff in your program, you might have a conversation with them about the benefits of partnership. The self-assessment process provides an opportunity for:

• Providing increased consistency for youth between the school day and the afterschool program.

• Joint planning around best use of shared resources such as classrooms and other facilities.

• Strengthening relationships among multiple community partners.

• Sharing information about academics, learning standards, social and emotional development, and other key aspects of youth development and education.

• Networking among educators and youth developers.

School staff Participation through the Self-Assessment Process

• Scheduling a meeting between school and program staff can be difficult. Try to map your program calendar onto your school district’s calendar to look for opportunities to meet.

• Principals are important partners, but often have full calendars. If you’ve invited a principal who cannot attend, consider inviting other administrators to come in their place.

• Don’t forget about all of the different school staff who may have a relevant interest or skill from which your program can benefit. This includes guidance counselors, health professionals, teaching artists, coaches, and parent coordinators.

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