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nFocus Software
Partners with NIOST on Integrated Youth Assessment Solution
nFocus
Software has partnered with The National Institute on
Out-of-School Time (NIOST) to develop an automated
assessment system that helps afterschool programs
improve program quality and reach desired youth
outcomes. The system, referred to as “The Afterschool
Program Assessment System" (APAS), is one of a few
assessment systems available that helps afterschool
programs link quality and youth outcomes in a
comprehensive, flexible, and integrated fashion.
“APAS takes program assessment to a whole new level,”
states Ellen Gannett, director of NIOST. “The
combination of our research-based assessment tools with
nFocus Software’s KidTrax®
database management tool
offers afterschool programs a unique web-based solution
to guide continuous quality improvements easily and
effectively.”
APAS
includes two measurement tools
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the Survey of Afterschool Youth Outcomes (SAYO) and the Assessing
Afterschool Program Practices Tool (APT). Unlike other
assessment systems, these scientifically field-tested
tools allow users to focus on evaluating specific,
observable practices rather than more general quality
characteristics. KidTrax provides the web-based
interface that integrates the information in a
user-friendly data management program. Users can
quickly and easily generate reports to guide program
improvements.
For more
information on APAS, contact NIOST at 781-283-2547 or
visit their website at
www.niost.org.
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