Date of Award

Spring 6-13-2025

Document Type

Dissertation in Practice

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

Organizational Unit

Morgridge College of Education, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies

First Advisor

Erin Anderson

Second Advisor

Kristina A. Hesbol

Third Advisor

Starla Pearson

Fourth Advisor

Bonnie Hain

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Keywords

After-school, Improvement science, Out-of-school time, Program quality, Expansion

Abstract

This study examines how Pathfinders After School, a national after-school provider can improve program quality amid rapid expansion. As enrollment has grown, program quality has declined, evidenced by decreasing net promoter scores (NPS), rising student behavior incidents, and terminated district partnerships. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory (1979), this mixed-methods study uses improvement science methodology to test systemic interventions that empower key user groups and enhance program effectiveness. An improvement team, composed of crossfunctional organizational members, conducted root-cause analysis to identify primary drivers of after-school program quality. Core focus areas included staff training, student engagement, feedback mechanisms, and implementation fidelity. Using plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles, the study introduced and evaluated change ideas across five elementary after-school program sites in California. Practical measures were embedded throughout the process to assess implementation and impact in real-time. Findings inform practitioner-focused strategies for building and sustaining high-quality after-school environments, particularly in historically underserved communities. By addressing training and feedback gaps with iterative, data-informed interventions, this study contributes to the broader field of after-school program research and offers a scalable framework for continuous improvement within dynamic educational ecosystems.

Copyright Date

6-2025

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Kate Marie Vincent

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

233 pgs

File Size

6.9 MB

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