[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-590553-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":81,"doc-detail-590553-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","getting-the-right-fit-designing-a-professional-learning-community-for-out-of-school-time","Getting the Right Fit - Designing a Professional Learning Community for Out-of-School Time","","A research-based discussion examines why high-quality out-of-school time (OST) programs depend on effectively prepared staff, noting that typical training workshops often fail to meet youth developmental needs or create learning environments distinct from school. The document argues for professional learning communities (PLCs) as a practice-focused alternative shown to improve staff work with youth, then outlines how PLCs function in OST settings, including cohort structure, workshop goals, lifecycle phases, and facilitator techniques.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/getting-the-right-fit-designing-a-professional-learning-community-for-out-of-school-time/590553/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/getting-the-right-fit-designing-a-professional-learning-community-for-out-of-school-time/590553.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Stanley","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-06","2026-10-15",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",5,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why does the document focus on professional learning communities for OST programs?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"It explains that common OST staff training workshops are not adequately preparing practitioners to deliver quality programs for youth, while PLCs have a track record of improving staff practices.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How is a typical PLC structured in the document?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"A PLC engages a cohort of about 10 to 15 professionals across multiple workshops aimed at a shared goal; workshop length and frequency depend on group needs.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What are the lifecycle phases of a thriving PLC mentioned in the document?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"The document lists six phases: building group understanding, acquiring expertise, practicing skills, solving problems, contributing new knowledge, and creating original products, after which the PLC either renews or disbands.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},590553,1792166344,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,92,96,100,105,110,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":85,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":89,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":91},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":93,"show_sort_weight":94,"slug":95},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":55,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":97,"show_sort_weight":98,"slug":99},"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":101,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":102,"show_sort_weight":103,"slug":104},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":106,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":107,"show_sort_weight":108,"slug":109},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":55,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":131},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":111,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":112,"preview_page_count":4},2336477405376,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_29158cc5080c5b710cf443261637dec0","Getting the Right Fit:  \nDesigning a Professional Learning Community for Out-of-School Time  \nFemi Vance, Emily Salvaterra, Jocelyn Atkins Michelsen, and Corey Newhouse  \nA skilled workforce is critical in high-quality out-ofschool time (OST) programs (Smith, Devaney, Akiva & Sugar, 2009) . However, the workshops commonly used to train OST staff are not adequately preparing practitioners to deliver quality programs that can benefit youth (Durlak & Weissberg, 2007; Smith et al, 2009) .  \nThis issue is evident from ongoing discussions about how to train OST staff to respond to youths’ developmental needs while creating a learning environment distinct from school (Bouffard & Little, 2004; Bowie & Bronte-Tinkew, 2006) . Professional learning communities (PLCs) are a practice-focused alternative that has a track record of improving the way staff work with youth (Thompson, Gregg, & Niska, 2004; Vescio, Ross, & Adams, 2008) .  \nPLCs, though relatively new in OST, are growing in popularity. For instance, the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality encourages programs to create PLCs for continuous quality improvement (Smith et al. ,  \nFEMI VANCE, PhD, is a research associate at the University of San Diego who studies professional development for informal educators and skill building in youth programs. She partners with school and community-based programs to provide evaluation and technical assistance. Her PhD is in educational policy from the University of California, Irvine.  \nEMILY SALVATERRA, MPA, is a researcher in the fields of youth development and housing and homelessness. Currently a policy analyst at HomeBase, she holds a master of public affairs degree from the University of San Francisco. Her professional experience includes program implementation and evaluation, data management and analysis, and community policy planning.  \nJOCELYN ATKINS MICHELSEN, MPA, is a senior research associate at Public Profit, an evaluation consultancy for youth service organizations. Her experience includes leading projects assessing public health, professional development, out-of-school time, and community partnerships in the U. S. and abroad. She earned a master of public administration degree from New York University. COREY NEWHOUSE, MPP, is the founder and principal of Public Profit, an evaluation consultancy for youth service organizations. She has a wide range of experience in evaluating programs that serve children and families, including multisite evaluations of educational and youth development programs. She earned her master’s degree in public policy at the University of California, Berkeley.  \nTable 1. Professional Learning Community Sample Agenda  \nLearning Targets  \n• I will reflect on my program’s strengths and challenges and then develop at least one strategy to address a challenge.  \n• I will practice at least one new facilitation strategy that I can use in my program.  \nActivity  \nCheck in and debrief on progress since last session  \nIntroduction of new content  \nTime to practice new content  \nDebrief practice  \nHomework, feedback, reflection, closing  \nDescription  \nCheck-in questions: What’s one thing you’ve been thinking about since we last met? What’s one thing you’ve done to make progress on the goal you set last session?  \nFacilitator introduces and shows examples of new activity.  \nWorking in small groups, participants taking turns role-playing different parts of activity. Facilitator circulates.  \nDiscussion or write-up in small groups and then in the large group: What felt easy? What didn’t feel so easy? What might feel different when you take this back to your program?  \nHomework: schedule observation of another participant’s program  \nFeedback: session evaluation form  \nReflection questions: I learned… I will… I would like to know more about    \n2012) . In California, district and state partners created several PLCs in an effort to improve OST staff knowledge and practice in specific content areas such as science and character","cbCaivRZCEivwJXD","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaivRZCEivwJXD","pdf",174501,12,"English","# Learning Targets and PLC Agenda\n## Session activities and homework\n# PLC Lifecycle and Implementation\n## Phases of a thriving PLC\n# Methods\n## Interviews with PLC facilitators","[{\"question\":\"Why does the document focus on professional learning communities for OST programs?\",\"answer\":\"It explains that common OST staff training workshops are not adequately preparing practitioners to deliver quality programs for youth, while PLCs have a track record of improving staff practices.\"},{\"question\":\"How is a typical PLC structured in the document?\",\"answer\":\"A PLC engages a cohort of about 10 to 15 professionals across multiple workshops aimed at a shared goal; workshop length and frequency depend on group needs.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the lifecycle phases of a thriving PLC mentioned in the document?\",\"answer\":\"The document lists six phases: building group understanding, acquiring expertise, practicing skills, solving problems, contributing new knowledge, and creating original products, after which the PLC either renews or disbands.\"}]","Getting the Right Fit - Designing a Professional Learning Community for Out-of-School Time | PDF",1792069875]