Quality

The Quality Campaign

Through the Quality Campaign process out-of-school time providers commit to continuous quality improvement by assessing their program, creating, and implementing an improvement plan.

The Quality Campaign is a cohort of out-of-school time providers that commit to continuous quality improvement (CQI). APOST’s Quality Campaign started in 2012 with a cohort of 12 Quality Campaign Members and currently includes 59 Member Organizations.

Our Approach

To support providers in continuous program quality assessment & improvement, APOST facilitates the Quality Campaign by working with the Weikart Center for Program Quality and their Youth Program Quality Improvement Process (YPQI).

Using The Weikart Center’s Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) approach of Prepare – Assess – Plan – Improve, we work with youth program leaders and staff to incorporate self- and external assessments, meaningful and actionable improvement plans, and professional learning supports (i.e. coaching, training and peer learning) to drive improvement and create powerful developmental environments for youth.

APOST supports a cohort-based learning model with the YPQI process – shared learning experience with peers moving together through a cycle of CQI throughout the year. The Prepare - Assess - Plan - Improve sequence establishes a supportive system for continuous improvement and The Quality Campaign is structured around this process.

The Process

The Quality Campaign follows a process with set workshops and meetings led by either The Weikart Center or APOST, along with deadlines for deliverables throughout the 2025-2026 program year. APOST will guide and facilitate participants through this process during the program year.

Your program will need 3-4 members to participate as a team for the Quality Campaign process, including one Site Leader. The Site Leader is responsible for ensuring all expectations, requirements and deadlines are met.

Program Quality Assessment

During this phase, the YPQI Kickoff webinar, the PQA Basics Workshop and the Self-Assessment Webinar occur.

Improvement Planning

Participants will complete the Planning with Data and Quality Coaching workshops during this phase.

Youth Work Methods & SEL Workshops

Staff are encouraged to attend Youth Work Methods & SEL workshops offered through APOST each season for skill-building.

Visit The Weikart Center website to learn more about Staff Roles & Responsibilities in this process.

Coaching by Site Leaders to support staff practice

Site Leaders will bring back their coaching skills to there organization’s team to support their program implementation.

Workshop Descriptions

Each workshops holds specific attendance requirements, indicated in bold. Visit The Weikart Center website to learn more about Staff Roles & Responsibilities in this process.

  • This 1-hour webinar provides a general overview of the importance of program quality, an introduction to the Program Quality Assessment (PQA) tool, and a summary of the Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) approach. Your organization's full assessment team is invited to attend and your Site Leader MUST attend.

  • This foundational 1-day, in-person, workshop provides an introduction to the Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) Approach and Program Quality Assessment. Participants will learn how to use a Take-It-Back agenda to conduct a team-based self-assessment at their site. It is recommended that the Site Leader and at least one other person per participating organization attend the PQA Basics workshop before starting the team-based self-assessment process.

  • This webinar reviews the program self-assessment process and the process of entering data into the online Scores Reporter. Participants will reflect on program self-assessment to date, learn how to interact online with Scores Reporter, and review next steps and timelines. The Site Leader MUST attend.

  • This webinar reviews the program self-assessment process and the process of entering data into the online Scores Reporter. Participants will reflect on program self-assessment to date, learn how to interact online with Scores Reporter, and review next steps and timelines. This session is optional for anyone who wants a refresher or has specific questions.

  • This 1-day, in-person workshop prepares the self-assessment team to read and interpret their PQA data, make improvement plans based on the story and interpretation of their data, and build skills to implement and sustain successful change initiatives. The Site Leader MUST attend along with at least one other assessment team member.

  • This half-day, in-person workshop prepares program managers to support direct staff in improving instruction through one-on-one coaching. The Quality Coaching method is designed to improve the manager-staff relationship by starting with a foundation of respect, taking time to observe staff at the point of service and then supporting staff to develop professionally and improve their practice with youth. This workshop is for site leaders/managers only.

Quality Campaign Partners

Our existing partners are dedicated to providing high-quality afterschool and youth programs throughout Allegheny County. By collaborating with APOST, they commit to continuous improvement and making a positive impact on the lives of children.

*Indicates this partner participated in the 2024-2025 Pilot Year

Want to join the Quality Campaign?

Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 program year. To learn more, visit our 2025-2026 Quality Campaign page.