It's not always easy to nail down what quality really means. When we talk about "quality" in Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELOs), we're looking at different things than what we look at for during the school day or in child care programs that don’t have a connection to schools. 

A quality ELO program is one that is reflective and willing to improve, change, and grow.  It believes in successful outcomes for students participating in their program and understands that improving program quality is an ongoing process.  Beyond School Bells recently developed a series of best practice guidelines to help programs assess and identify strengths and weaknesses free from the pressures of external monitoring and evaluation. These guidelines were built upon the experience, knowledge, and research of afterschool practitioners from across the state and country.  The BSB ELO Best Practices Guidelines are intended to be used as a guide for reflecting on your ELO program will help your organization recognize what it’s doing well and uncover strategies that can be implemented to improve on areas needing improvement.