School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale (Sacers-3)

By Ellen Vineberg Jacobs, Nina Howe, Justine Pronovost

How can educators and program leaders ensure high-quality care for school-age children outside of school hours?

The School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale(R), Third Edition (SACERS-3) is the long-awaited new edition of the premier, research-backed framework for evaluating and enhancing out-of-school programs for children ages 5 to 12. As part of the gold-standard Environment Rating Scale(R) (ERS) family, this comprehensive assessment tool transforms how providers measure "process quality"--the daily interactions, emotional climate, and enrichment experiences that directly drive children's social-emotional growth, academic confidence, and well-being during out-of-school time.

Program directors, evaluators, and afterschool staff can easily assess environments across three psychometrically validated subscales: Program Foundations, Enriching Activities, and Healthy Climate and Relationships. Incorporating modern best practices like staff intentionality in STEM, literacy support, and updated safety protocols, SACERS-3 equips programs to move beyond custodial care and achieve "Excellent" ratings.

Key insights include: Observation-only evaluation format: A streamlined scoring process that reflects the actual, lived daily experiences of children without requiring staff interviews.Three psychometrically sound subscales: Targeted assessment frameworks covering Program Foundations, Enriching Activities, and Healthy Climate and Relationships.Modern enrichment & academic integration: Updated criteria for evaluating staff intentionality in STEM, literacy development, and creative play during out-of-school hours.Actionable quality improvement plans: Concrete observation rubrics that help leaders identify specific program strengths and prioritize targeted professional development.Standardized scoring for policy & funding: Reliable, research-validated data to support Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS), state accreditation, and grant reporting.SACERS-3 demonstrates that when out-of-school programs combine intentional enrichment with warm, supportive environments, out-of-school time becomes a powerful catalyst for healthy child development.

• Format: Spiral-bound
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807785687
• ISBN13: 9780807785683
• Release Date: January 2027
• Publisher: Teachers College Press
• Length: 96 Pages