Tools

Our Tools

Our powerful, time-tested surveys and assessments were developed to facilitate continuous quality improvement in youth programs.

Overview

“Measure Once, Cut Twice”

The old adage, “measure twice, cut once,” works well in the world of carpentry where wood, once divided, is difficult to repair. In the world of research, on the other hand, where measurement is central to impact evaluation and continuous quality improvement, the ideal is to measure once and use the results to guide practices well into the future (or to “cut twice”).

QTurn has developed innovative measures to enhance the quality and impact of educational and out-of-school time (OST) programs. Our tools are designed to support educators and program staff in fostering a positive learning environment and promoting the socio-emotional growth of youth.

Here, you will find detailed summaries of three of our key instruments. Together, these tools are integral to our mission of improving educational outcomes and supporting continuous quality improvement.

ARY

Adult Rating of Youth

Provides valuable insights into the behavior and development of youth

TPI

Teacher Practices Instrument

Offers a comprehensive assessment of teacher and staff practices

TWI

Teacher Wellness Instrument

Evaluates the mental wellness of educators

CHILD SKILLS

Adult Rating of Youth (ARY)

The ARY (Adult Rating of Youth) measures specific, observable socio-emotional behaviors in children and youth aged 5 to 18 within Out-of-School Time (OST) programs. It evaluates basic self-regulation (schemas) and advanced self-regulation (awareness).

Constructs measured by the ARY tool:

Broaden and Build

Positive schemas from supportive relationships, making youth feel safe and curious

Narrow and Constrain

Negative schemas from non-supportive relationships, leading to anxiety and difficulty in new situations

Awareness

Ability to focus attention intentionally, influencing behaviors like listening and managing impulses

How It Works

  • Ratings are based on direct observations by trained adults using 12 primary items and six optional items for adolescents, plus two background questions.
  • Baseline assessments can be done after two weeks in the program. Follow-up assessments should be conducted after two to three months to track skill growth.
  • Data can be considered at the item and construct levels at each time point or as multivariate profiles (high, moderate, and low skill) to aid in planning and the evaluation of socio-emotional skill growth over time.

Features

  • Helps program staff understand youth development and the impact of OST programs on socio-emotional skills.
  • Effective for all types of OST programs, including programs for youth with individualized education programs (IEPs).
  • Intended for planning, improvement, and program evaluation, not for clinical assessments.

ADULT PRACTICES

Teacher Practices Instrument (TPI)

The Teacher Practices Instrument (TPI) is an observational rating measure developed by QTurn to assess the quality of teacher and staff practices in school classrooms and out-of-school time (OST) programs. It is designed to build a quality-focused organizational culture, develop improvement goals, identify staff training needs, and provide information on how instructional quality relates to children’s socio-emotional skill growth.

Constructs measured by the TPI:

Warmth

Emotional tone communicated through verbal and non-verbal behavior

Responsiveness

Immediate responses to children’s verbal and non-verbal behavior

Scaffolding

Behavior calibrated to a child’s skill level or zone of proximal development

Encouragement

Behavior that acknowledges, validates, and motivates children’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior

How It Works

  • The TPI helps evaluators and staff understand and improve the quality of instructional practices at the point of service, supporting the growth of children’s socio-emotional skills.
  • Use any time during the school year or program period.
  • Includes 24 items describing staff practices used to promote socio-emotional skill growth.
  • Each item is rated on a scale from 1 to 5 and comes with detailed scoring protocols.

Features

  • Suitable for all staff delivering school or OST instruction and can be used for both lower-stakes continuous quality improvement and program evaluation.
  • Designed for children ages five and up with a focus on both basic and advanced socio-emotional skill development.
  • Effective for any type of school classroom or OST program, including programs serving children and youth with individualized education programs (IEPs).
  • Effective for external assessment and team-based self-assessment.

Reliability and Validity

Inter-rater reliability for TPI items has averaged 75% perfect agreement. Construct validity has been supported by statistically significant relationships with the School-age and Youth PQA.

The TPI and its accompanying manual are copyrighted materials by QTurn LLC with specific licensing terms for use and reproduction.

ADULT HEALTH

Teacher Wellness Instrument (TWI)

The Teacher Wellness Instrument (TWI) is a self-report measure designed by QTurn to assess teachers’ mental experiences during the school day. It identifies staff training needs and provides information on how specific aspects of teacher wellness relate to instructional quality at the point of service.

Constructs found in the TWI are similar to those measured by the ARY:

Broaden and Build

Positive mental experiences generated from supportive relationships

Narrow and Constrain

Negative mental experiences resulting from traumatic encounters

Awareness

Conscious control over attention in relation to current thoughts and feelings

How It Works

  • The TWI can be used as a self-assessment tool at any time during the school year or program period.
  • Includes 12 items focused on mental experiences related to burnout, vicarious trauma, emotional reactivity, and pathways to wellness.
  • Each item is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, reflecting the frequency of specific mental experiences over the past two weeks.
  • Scores are calculated by averaging the response values for items within each domain.

Features

  • The TWI helps educators and program staff understand and improve their mental wellness, contributing to better instructional quality and overall program effectiveness.
  • Effective for all staff delivering school or out-of-school time (OST) instruction or other learning experiences.
  • Can be administered once to get a general idea of teacher wellness or multiple times to assess changes and inform improvement goals.   
  • Reports generated from TWI data provide insights into teacher wellness profiles, supporting targeted interventions and professional development.

Reliability and Validity

While the TWI items were adapted from well-developed measurement instruments, further data collection is needed to fully evaluate the reliability and validity of the scale scores. Users are encouraged to focus on the face validity of the items for continuous improvement or evaluation goals.

The TWI and its manual are copyrighted materials by QTurn LLC with specific licensing terms for use and reproduction.

In addition to the ARY, TPI, and TWI, QTurn has used and continues to offer the following:

  • Comprehensive Site Kit
  • Socio-Emotional Skill Building Intervention (SSBI)
  • Subjective Well-Being (SWB)
  • Guidance for Out-of-School Time Learning at a Distance (GOLD)