The new and improved, second version of the California Afterschool Program Quality Self-Assessment Tool (QSA) and User’s Guide were revised with extensive input from the California expanded learning field and released to the field in 2009. The tool focused on big picture program design elements, as well as important consideration at the point of service and was conceived to be used as a tool to self-assess their program and plans for program improvement.

Now as the field has continued to grow and the focus has centered on improving quality while using the Standards as our North Star, CAN and its many partners realized it was time to revisit the Self Assessment Tool so that it is more inclusive to the work that is currently happening in the field. So beginning in August 2017, we have started working on the QSAT 2.0. This tool will align even more closely with the Quality Standards, as well as addressing some items that may not have been as clearly defined in the Standards, such as Social Emotional Learning, Cultural Competencies, English Language Learners and Summer. The goal is to make a much more comprehensive tool that entire stakeholder groups can tailor to the needs and questions of their specific sites and use to inform their Continuous Quality Improvement process all the way from the site level to creating cultures of learning in entire organizations.