Continuous Improvement Process for Afterschool Programs (CIPAS)

 

Background

The CIPAS was developed originally by the National Community Education Association (NCEA). It began with a set of seven comprehensive program review rubrics covering program administration, financing, family and community relations, and more. In April, 2005, the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, along with over 80 directors of 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CLCs) across the state, developed eight additional rubrics to address specific program components, such as math and literacy programming.

In the first stage of CIPAS, rubrics are used to assist local afterschool program directors in conducting self-assessments. In the second stage, a coach works with the assessment team to help develop an action plan and strategies for implementation.

The Evolution of CIPAS

August 2005: Twenty-five CLC directors/staff and others participated in a one-day CIPAS team member training hosted by DPI. Dr. Duane Rupert from NCEA faciltated the training.

November 2005: Pilot CIPAS reviews were conducted in the Birchwood, Black River Falls, Green Bay and Milwaukee school districts. Based on these experiences, CIPAS is being fine-tuned for site visits in 2006!

April 2006: Seven team leaders and twenty team members were trained to conduct CIPAS reviews. These reviewers then conducted five additional site visits. The development of these review teams has provided Wisconsin with a significant infrastructure and capacity for continuing to support the CIPAS model.

July 2006: Nine DPI-CLC programs had conducted a CIPAS site visit and self-assessment.

Spring 2007: As a result of an evaluation of the CIPAS process by the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, DPI decided to revise the CIPAS guide and adjust the rubrics.

March 15, 2007: Twelve school and community based afterschool sites were trained to use the revised CIPAS model. After completing the initial assessment these sites piloted the coaching model.

March 12, 2008: Eleven school and community based afterschool sites were trained in CIPAS and will receive support through the coaching model.

In addition, DPI has been working with Learning Point Associates, under a research grant from the W.T. Grant Foundation, to evaluate the validity of the coaching model. The study hopes to show what impact the coaching component has on program change and improvement.

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CIPAS Training Session Webcasts

The Continuous Improvement Process for After School Programs (CIPAS) Training Session was held March 15th, 2007. Following are webcasts of portions of the training:

• Wisconsin CIPAS Training: Overview of the WI-CIPAS Self-Assessment Process
  
• Wisconsin CIPAS Training: The History of CIPAS
  
• Wisconsin CIPAS Training: Logic Modeling Using Theory of Change
  (PowerPoint available here)
  
• Wisconsin CIPAS Training: The Action Plan and Action Plan Meeting

These archived webcasts are available for viewing at anytime.

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For questions about this information, contact Stanley J. Potts (715) 425-3759

Last updated on 3/21/2008 6:54:56 AM