— How Is the Afterschool Field Defining Program Quality? A Review of Effective Program Practices and Definitions of Program Quality By Kristi L. Palmer, Stephen A. Anderson, and Ronald M. Sabatelli A review of studies on what constitutes high-quality afterschool programming concludes that the field is reaching consensus on its definitions of quality— which means that funders, policymakers, and providers increasingly have a sound basis on which to make informed decisions. 12 pages. — Does Your Organization Welcome Participants with Disabilities? A New Assessment Tool By Fred Galloway and Mary McAllister Shea Afterschool programs that strive to be inclusive should remember to welcome participants with disabilities. A new instrument can help afterschool programs determine how well they are doing at including kids with disabilities and assess whether those providing the services—leaders and staff—overestimate their organizations inclusiveness as compared to those who use the services. 7 pages. — The Differential Role of Youth Development Program Participation for Latina/o Adolescents By Ingrid Nelson The notorious achievement gap for Latina/o youth cant be explained only by ethnic and socioeconomic factors—and cant be overcome by schools alone. Out-of-school time programs can also make a difference. The question is, how much of a difference can they make, and for which young Latina/os? 14 pages. — Defining Our Terms: Professional Development in Out-of-School Time By Nancy Peter Professional development, training, workshop, technical assistance—from program to program or region to region, these can mean the same, or quite different, things. Lets start a conversation toward consensus in the OST field on common definitions of our professional development terms. 8 pages. — Rowing and Growing We talked with Kennise Farrington, a September 2009 senior at John Bowne High School in Queens, out-of-school time rowing in Meadow Lake, Queens. 2 pages. — Also available on the The National Institute on Out-of-School Time site: https://niost.org/Table/Afterschool-Matters/Afterschool-Matters-Fall-2009/
