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School-Age Program Quality Assessment

NCRLAP is expanding North Carolina’s assessment toolkit to include a new evaluation option for school-age care. Effective July 1, 2026, school-age-only programs will have the option to use the School-Age Program Quality Assessment (SAPQA) with Supplemental Scales for Activity Structure, Homework Help, Recreation Time, Transitions, and Departure. Developed by the David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, this tool is designed specifically for afterschool and summer camp environments serving young people ages 5 to 12, focusing on environmental safety, staff-youth interactions, and engagement frameworks.

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Quality afterschool and summer experiences help school-age children build relationships, explore interests, and develop skills that support lifelong success.

About the Scale

The SAPQA measures quality across five domains that reflect key components of children's experiences in school-age programs. Together, these domains provide a comprehensive picture of how programs support children's safety, engagement, relationships, leadership, choice, and learning.

Safe Environment

Children learn and grow best when they feel physically and emotionally safe. This domain examines practices that support emotional safety, healthy environments, emergency preparedness, accommodations for children's needs, and access to healthy food and drinks.

Supportive Environment

This domain focuses on how staff create welcoming, engaging, and supportive experiences for children. It includes practices related to active engagement, skill-building, encouragement, thoughtful planning, and child-centered environments that promote participation and learning.

Interaction

Positive relationships are at the heart of quality school-age programs. This domain examines how staff support belonging, help children manage feelings and conflicts, foster leadership opportunities, and build positive interactions between adults and children.

Engagement

The SAPQA recognizes that children learn best when they are active participants in their experiences. This domain focuses on opportunities for children to make choices, participate in planning, reflect on experiences, and take responsibility within the program.

Supplemental Scales

In North Carolina, the SAPQA is used along with five Supplemental Scales that provide additional information about children's experiences throughout the program day. These scales examine:

Activity Structure
Homework Help
Physical Activity
Transitions
Departure

Conceptual Differences At a Glance

Environments vs. Interactions

The SACERS-U focuses on a variety of aspects in the environment, including furnishings, activities and materials, safety features, staff interactions, and the way the program is set up. The SAPQA address some aspects of the environment but places emphasis on how staff and children interact within those environments. It specifically evaluates how staff build relationships, support learning, encourage participation, foster belonging, and create meaningful experiences for children.

Varied Activities vs. Observed Offerings

The SACERS-U evaluates the variety, accessibility, and availability of materials and specific activities in addition to the observed interactions. The SAPQA focuses on the quality of children's experiences, regardless of the specific materials being used, including how children engage with ideas, participate in discussions, solve problems, collaborate with peers, build skills, and connect learning to their experiences.

Specific Requirements vs. Broad Practices

The SACERS-U uses specific indicators that define particular environmental features, materials, schedules, interactions, or program requirements. The SAPQA uses broad quality indicators that focus on staff practices, examining concepts such as engagement, leadership, planning, reflection, responsibility, and skill-building.

What to Expect During the Assessment

Observation Length

The SAPQA observation lasts a minimum of 2 hours and up to a maximum of 3 hours.

Questions

Assessors will ask a few questions about the flow of the program before the observation begins and may ask a few follow-up questions afterward. There is no standard interview.

Observation Notes & Materials

Assessors will take notes about what occurs during the observation, review materials, and photograph materials and environment set-ups. Photos do not include children or staff.

Resources

Explore these resources to learn more about the School-Age Program Quality Assessment and how it is used in North Carolina.

Coming Soon

Thinking More About worksheets for self-study related to the SAPQA, as well as a contact hour training "Introduction to the SAPQA" will be made available soon. Keep checking back.

Curious to learn more or ready to schedule your Outreach Assessments? We’ve got you covered! Reach out to NCRLAP today and take the first step towards enhancing your program’s quality and readiness.

Connect with us today!

Email: ncrlap@uncg.edu

Phone: Toll Free (866)-362-7527

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