This edition of the School-Age Care Environment Rating Scale is not a revision but rather an updated version of the original SACERS that uses the same format as the other Environment Rating Scales (ECERS, ITERS, and FCCERS). The overall content of the SACERS has been kept intact in this edition, with relatively minor changes. The SACERS Items 4 and 4a are combined in SACERS Updated Item 4, and Items 9 and 11 are combined in SACERS Updated Item 9. SACERS Item 39 has been dropped. In SACERS Updated Items 13 and 33, there is a change in the quality level of an Indicator. In order to correct scoring irregularities in the original SACERS, several new Indicators were added.

In order to make the SACERS Updated edition easier to use, we have given each Item its own page, including the pertinent “Notes for Clarification” and suggestions for “Questions” that might be needed to obtain information about program policies as well as some practices that are difficult to observe. However, the main source of information about the quality of the program should be gathered during an observation of ongoing practice for a period of three hours.

Additional changes in the format of the Updated version include the numbering of the Indicators and the addition of an Expanded Scoresheet, which provides both prompts and space for recording specific information to justify the score and to use later in program improvement efforts.