We know Out-of-School-Time (OST) programs work. A two-year study of 3,000 low-income elementary and middle school children found that consistent involvement in high-quality afterschool programs is associated with notable improvements in standardized test scores, better work habits, and fewer behavior issues among disadvantaged students.
This highlights the positive impact your work in (OST) programs can have on students' futures. It also suggests that the more time you spend improving the quality of your OST program, the greater its potential impact will be.
However, OST programs often face challenges when it comes to running their programs efficiently and leveraging technology to ensure parents have a positive experience. Here are three tips for streamlining key components of your OST program using TransAct's Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker. Let’s get started!
Tip #1 - Create a Registration Process That’s Both User-Friendly and Administrator-Friendly
Managing registration data can be a time-consuming and complicated process for administrators, especially when you’re dealing with incomplete or incorrect participant information. Manual data entry and paper forms only add to the challenge.
But even more concerning, a complicated registration process can become a barrier to registration for parents, creating a negative first impression and potentially discouraging them from recommending your OST program to others.
With Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker, you can provide parents with a user-friendly online registration experience that makes it easy for them to enroll their children in the appropriate activities while ensuring you collect the information you need.
Figure 1 - Create flexible forms with customizable fields
Figure 2 - Provide parents with intuitive, branded landing pages
Tip #2 - Automate Enrollment and Attendance Tracking
As students enroll and participate in your OST program activities, it’s vital to accurately track enrollment and attendance statuses for reporting purposes. Taking attendance, especially on the go, can be cumbersome and lead to inaccurate records, particularly when paper sign-in sheets or disconnected systems are used.
Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker’s mobile-friendly design enables you to streamline attendance management using any device. This real-time, on-the-go capability ensures that your attendance data is accurate and accessible, no matter where you’re capturing it.
Figure 3 – View student enrollment and attendance data from a single view
Tip #3 - Modernize Data Reporting
Tracking program success requires detailed data reporting, but manually compiling and analyzing data from different sources can be tedious and error-prone.
Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker’s dynamic reporting tools enable you to generate detailed reports with just a few clicks. You can track everything from participant and staff data to activities and funding sources. Reports can be previewed, exported in multiple formats, and shared easily, helping you efficiently analyze and share program performance.
Figure 4 - Generate detailed reports to include in charts/dashboards and export in CSV, PDF, TXT, or XLS
Leveraging Technology = Improving Students’ Futures
Ultimately, nothing is more important than providing your students with the best OST program possible. By leveraging technology like Out-of-School Time Tracker, you can enhance the quality of your program by streamlining key processes, creating a positive experience for parents, and freeing up more time to focus on enriching student activities.
See Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker in Action
Would you like a personalized tour of Out-of-SchoolTime Tracker? Book your demo today to meet with a specialist and learn how to improve the quality of your OST program management.
