Ready by 21 Quality Counts Sites Reflect on the First Year

On December 4-5, teams gathered in Washington DC from across the 13 Quality Counts sites to reflect on progress made during the first year of the initiative and to fine-tune their work plans for the coming year. It was an energizing meeting that showcased a rich variety of local and state strategies and underscored the value of the peer learning and networking that under girds Ready by 21. The theme of the meeting was sustainability, with an emphasis on how to strengthen and embed quality improvement efforts  at the local and state levels. During year one, common accomplishments include:

• Some type of cross-sector “master plan” or comprehensive youth agenda is being developed or refined in 6 communities and 3 states.
• Efforts to document the programmatic landscape (focus and reach of programming) are underway in 6 sites and upcoming in another 3.
• Eleven of 13 sites are now using the Youth PQA, and plans are in place to initiate Youth PQA training in the 2 remaining sites in early 2009. 650 people were trained in the tool last year across sites, and assessments occurred or are now underway in roughly 300 program sites across the country.
• Professional development capacity has increased substantially in most sites, reaching more youth workers with new content.  Many sites now have trainers cross-trained in both Advancing Youth Development and Youth Work Methods.

Common challenges include:

• Ensuring that “big picture” planning efforts on behalf of children and youth connect to the work on quality improvement
• Addressing ongoing fragmentation (between systems, providers, initiatives)
• Providing adequate pacing and support for agencies engaged in program improvement
• Sustainability and the current financial context

Coming out of the meeting, staff are reviewing sites’ year two plans and budgets, developing a menu of cross-site learning opportunities, and launching myQC – a password-protected web site where sites can share local materials, examples, and works in progress. To learn more about the initiative, visit the Quality Counts Page.