What are the components of high-quality after-school care for children ages 5–12? How can we evaluate these programs? These are the challenges facing caregivers, schools, agencies, and parents as after-school programs proliferate. The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale®, Updated Edition provides an easy-to-use resource for defining and assessing the quality of both public and private programs caring for school-age children during out-of-school time.

This updated, spiral-bound edition is re-formatted so that each Item appears on its own page, along with Notes for Clarification and Questions. The expanded Scoresheet can be copied from the book or downloaded from the TC Press website: www.tcpress.com. Selected revised Items make scoring more accurate and informative.

The SACERS Updated Edition consists of 47 items, organized under 7 categories:

Space and Furnishings
Health and Safety
Activities
Interactions
Program Structure
Staff Development
Special Needs Supplementary Items

The SACERS Updated Edition is designed to be comprehensive in coverage and easy to use. Instructions for using the scale provide options for self-assessment in addition to formal assessments.

Who should use the SACERS?

Program directors
Organizations, states, and agencies doing QRIS and continuous improvement evaluations
School districts
Program funders
School principals
Community-based out-of-school programs
States receiving Race to the Top funds
Teachers
Teacher educators
Researchers