UPDATES AND CLARIFICATIONS FOR AFTERSCHOOL ORGANIZATIONS

STANDARDS UPDATES AND CLARIFICATIONS

Standards Updates and Clarifications provide detailed information about changes and modifications to the standards and are based on new research or literature, as well as feedback COA receives from the field.

Updates

Updates are formal changes made to a standard. Updates are generally issued monthly on the first business day. They include an Effective Date on which the updated standard replaces the original standard. For programs that sign their Recognition Agreement on or after the Effective Date, the updated standard is obligatory.

For programs that are already in process when an update is issued, the updated standard is optional, and the program can choose to meet either the original or updated standard. COA offers this choice because the great majority of Standards Updates provide relief to the program through, for example, added NA options, improved language, or more descriptive interpretations. Even when a program is not aware that an issued update provides relief, the program will be rated on the updated standard.

Clarifications

Clarifications are extended discussions about a standard or standards. Based primarily on questions from the field, Clarifications provide additional guidance around the meaning or intent of a standard or group of related standards. As such, Standards Clarifications are neither mandatory nor optional. However, the information they contain can be very important to understanding the meaning of a standard for your program and how a standard or group of standards will be rated.

It is strongly recommended that programs read applicable Standards Clarifications and incorporate the guidance they contain into their understanding of the standards.