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A New Cohort of Cambridge OST Programs Begins
Quality Improvement System (QIS)

The Quality Improvement System (QIS) is a continuous and collective quality improvement process that advances organization and program quality by engaging the voices and perspectives of people at different levels of the organization. 
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This QIS overview offers more information about the Quality Improvement System, but if you have more questions, contact Susan Richards at [email protected]. ​

As the 2024-25 QIS Cohort of Cambridge Out-of-School Time wraps up their quality improvement work, AFCOST is launching a new application for the 2026-27 Cohort.   

Timeline:        

• Applications open on Wednesday, September 24th and close on Wednesday, October 29, 2025
• RSVP for one of the following QIS Information Sessions: 
  • ​Tuesday, October 7th at 10:30 and 
  • Friday, October 17th at 11:00
• QIS Cohort Programs notified by Wednesday, November 12th
• Save the Date: Cohort Launch on Zoom on Friday, December 12th 10:30-12:00pm
• QIS Cohort Programs will begin work with QIS Coaches from January 2026 through the Fall of 2027.

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Quality Improvement System

​The Quality Improvement System represents one of the most comprehensive quality improvement efforts in the out-of school time (OST) field. It supports Cambridge OST programs and organizations from within through leadership coaching and self-assessment processes, while building support across the OST professional community through peer leadership, mutual learning, and sharing of challenges and promising practices. 

​The process is composed of three major elements, each supported with Quality Coaching:

Leadership ​Support

OST programs in Cambridge are paired with Quality Coaches to support and guide them through the Quality Improvement System. Coaches model and teach the practices of the self assessment cycle to program leaders, helping them to identify program strengths, implement facilitative leadership, and improve program quality from within. Quality Coaching provides support to leaders at the executive and program levels.  ​

Program Level
​Self-Assessment

The Agenda for Children utilizes the National Institute on Out of School Time's (NIOST) Assessment of Program Practices Tool (APT) for program-level observations. These standards develop a common language for discussing quality in three central areas:  Quality of Activities, Positive Behavior Guidance, and Staff-Youth Relationships.  Research shows that strong program practices in these three areas lead to positive outcomes for youth. Our model engages members at every level of the organization in the observation process, guided by a Quality Coach over multiple years.      ​

Organizational
​Self-Study

Staff at all levels of participating programs complete a 21-item organizational health study developed by the Agenda for Children. The Organizational Self-Study (OSS) helps sites better understand how they function as an organization, how they think about and work towards quality, and how they build a solid foundation on which they can continuously build. The OSS helps programs look at the bigger picture of organizational health in order to support quality on the ground.     ​

Read more about the QIS Approach

Programs in the 2025-2025 QIS Cohort

We are excited to celebrate the work of this group of OST Programs to participate in the 2025-26 Quality Improvement System (QIS) Cohort.  For the last 18-24 months, OST Leaders have worked with Quality Coaches to engage in multiple rounds of multi-staff level orientations, data gathering through program observations or surveys, debriefs, and action planning.  QIS participants have come together periodically to share their experiences and learning.   

Cambridge Community Center

East End House

Frisoli Youth Center

King 2-5 Afterschool

Maria L. Baldwin Community Center

Morse Community School

Morse K-2 Afterschool

Moore Youth Center

Tobin Community School

Tutoring Plus

The OST programs involved in the Quality Improvement System serve children and youth all around the city of Cambridge. Our participants represent all forms of OST programs serving young people from pre-K to 12th grade.  There is no cost to programs to participate in the Quality Improvement System. Programs do, however, commit significant staff time for meetings, observations, training, and coaching. 
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If you are interested in joining the Quality Improvement System or have questions, please contact Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School Time Co-Director Susan Richards.

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