Summer Essential Standards
We've picked 12 essential standards from the Summer PQA tool. These standards will be embedded in the curriculum, the PLCs, and used by the coaches when they're in your classrooms during programming. The standards are listed below. If you want to use the entire tool for internal evaluation purposes, you can access it here. We will choose 3 as a cohort to focus on for this year!
Domain: Interaction
Belonging: Youth have opportunities to develop a sense of belonging.
Staff sets program culture by communicating valued ideals and principles and integrating them into most program activities and rituals.
Collaboration & Leadership: Youth have opportunities to collaborate and work cooperatively with others.
Staff provides all youth one or more opportunities to lead a group (e.g., teach others; lead a discussion, song, project, event, outing or other activity.
Adult Partners: Youth have opportunities to partner with adults.
Staff shares control of most activities with youth, providing guidance and facilitation while retaining overall responsibility (e.g., staff uses youth leaders, semiautonomous small groups or individually guided activities).
Domain: Engagement
Planning, Choice, and Reflection: Youth have opportunities to direct their own learning.
Staff provides multiple opportunities for youth (individual or group) to make plans for projects and activities, (e.g., how to spend their time, how to do a task).
Staff engages all youth in an intentional process of reflecting on what they have done (e.g., writing in journals; reviewing minutes; sharing progress, accomplishments or feelings about the experience).
Learning How to Learn: Youth are supported developing learning initiative and persistence.
When youth make errors or need to make improvements, staff guides or supports youth in attempting to figure out for themselves how to correct the error, or how to improve (e.g., “So, what could you do differently?” “So what did you forget to do in that subtraction problem?” “Next time, what could you do to keep yourself focused?”).
Higher Order Thinking: Youth are supported in developing higher order thinking skills.
Two or more times, staff encourages youth to deepen or extend knowledge (e.g., staff asks youth questions that encourage youth to analyze, define a problem, make comparisons, predictions, applications, inferences, generate alternate solutions).
Two or more times, staff has youth make connections between session activities and other knowledge or experience (e.g., youth’s prior knowledge, personal interests, hobbies, goals; related careers, “real world” applications or issues).
Staff encourages youth in using their creativity, curiosity, or imagination (e.g., staff encourages youth to think “outside of the box”; to use knowledge or skills in new ways, encourages “wonder”).
Domain: Summer Supplemental
Greeting Time: Youth are greeted by name to create a sense of peaceful welcome.
Staff great all youth as they enter program by name to set a positive emotional tone of the day and make them feel welcome.
Program has structures in place to ensure a prompt arrival routine.
Welcome leverages space to foster a sense of belonging, establish program norms/culture and incorporate chosen programmatic themes.
Transitions: Youth transition smoothly, quickly and orderly.
Transitions are organized to be smooth, orderly and timely.
Staff clearly explains and practices routine procedures for each transition and what students can expect next.
Departure: Youth follow a clear procedure for safe departure.
Program has an organized structure in place to ensure a safe departure process.
Staff provides constructive activities for youth while they are waiting to be picked up.
Staff updates parents about all departure procedures and has parents acknowledge these procedures.
Math: Youth are supported in mathematical problem-solving.
Youth have an opportunity Youth are given opportunities to solve mathematical problems or apply mathematical knowledge and skills in two or more contexts.
Staff support youth in conveying concepts through symbols, models, or other nonverbal languages.
Youth develop or evaluate mathematical arguments using reasoning.
Literacy: Youth are supported in reading and writing.
Youth read or participate in literacy activities
Staff encourages all youth to write about their experiences, feelings, or opinions.
Books and a comfortable reading space are readily available.