A New System of Classifying Out-of-School Time Job Responsibilities

Authors

  • Jennifer Buher Kane Univeristy of Pennsylvania
  • Nancy Peter University of Pennsylvania

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5195/jyd.2009.252

Abstract

Out-of-school time (OST) is a burgeoning field with both research and policy implications. Efforts to improve professional development for OST staff members are of particular interest, as funding streams increasingly target interventions which promote positive changes in student outcomes. Professional development evaluation in particular is hindered by a lack of consistency among job titles and responsibilities across OST organizations. This mixed-method study utilizes original data to explore underlying patterns of job responsibilities within the field and offers a new classification system based on exploratory factor analyses. The classification includes five categories, each with a unique combination of common job responsibilities to assist survey respondents in choosing the appropriate category: upper-level administration, mid-level administration, direct-service, capacity-building, and “other.” Results suggest this new system is user-friendly to both respondents and researchers, and will garner more accurate and comparative information for future OST research and application.

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Published

2009-09-01

Issue

Section

Feature Articles