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Missouri 21st Century Community Learning Centers Statewide Evaluation Report: 2015-2016 Annual Report
Year Published: 2016
A statewide evaluation of Missouri’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs during the 2015-16 school year examined outcomes related to participants’ academic performance, engagement, and behavior. The evaluation found that almost all 21st CCLC sites reported that at least half of their students maintained or improved their reading/communication arts, math, and science grades. Additionally, a majority of sites reported that at least 70 percent of their students reported a “medium to high level” of reading efficacy and math efficacy, and 56 percent of sites reported that at least 70 percent of their students reported a “medium to high level of interest and engagement in STEM.” Students in the programs also reported strong personal and social skills and a commitment to learning.
Program Name: Missouri 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Program Description:
Missouri’s 21st Century Community Learning Center program—which receives federal support through the 21st CCLC initiative—serves high-needs communities across the state, providing local afterschool and summer programming through 62 grantees operating 164 centers during the 2015-16 school year.
Scope of the Evaluation: Statewide
Program Type: Summer, Afterschool
Location: Missouri
Community Type: Rural, Urban, Suburban
Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Demographics:
All schools served by Missouri’s 21st CCLC programs are Title I eligible, meaning more than 40 percent of students qualify for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. Of students surveyed participating in Missouri’s 21st CCLC program, 66 percent identified as white, 25 percent identified as African American, 6 percent identified as Hispanic/Latino, 1 percent identified as Asian, 1 percent identified as Arab American, and 4 percent of participants identified as other race or ethnicity.
Program Website: https://dese.mo.gov/quality-schools/extended-learning/afterschool-programs
Evaluator: Roy, L., Thompson, L., Smith, C., & Mayfield, W. The David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality, The Forum for Youth Investment and the Office of Social and Economic Data Analysis, University of Missouri.
Evaluation Methods:
This evaluation used data from the Kids Care Center system, which included student attendance, participation, and academic progress; statewide survey data; and observational data. The evaluation applied a “Leading Indicator framework” comprised of 13 indicators “constructed as composites from 29 scale scores drawn from survey and observational measures,” such as surveys given to project directors, site coordinators, frontline staff, youth workers, students, and parents.
Evaluation Type: Non-experimental
Summary of Outcomes:
The evaluation of Missouri’s 21st CCLC programs during the 2015-16 academic year reported positive findings on academic achievement, youth engagement, and student behavior. Almost all 21st CCLC sites reported that at least half of their students maintained or improved their reading/communication arts, math, and science grades, with the mean site percentage in all three areas greater than 75 percent. More than 6 in 10 sites reported that at least 70 percent of their students reported a “medium to high level” of reading efficacy (64 percent) and math efficacy (67 percent), and 56 percent of sites reported that at least 70 percent of their students reported a “medium to high level of interest and engagement in STEM.”
Scores related to youth engagement and belonging in programs were high, with most questions receiving an average score of 4 or above on a scale of 1 being the lowest and 5 the highest. For example, the statement, “I feel like I belong at this program” received an average score of 4.06 and the statement “I am challenged in a good way” received an average score of 4.09.
Reporting out on objectives identified as related to college and career readiness, the evaluation found that almost all sites had at least 70 percent of youth “indicat[ing] a medium to high level of personal and social skills as measured by the youth outcomes survey” and “indicat[ing] a medium to high level of commitment to learning as measured by the youth outcomes survey.” Examples of indicators in the personal and social skills scale include “I set goals for myself,” “I like to work with others to solve problems,” and “I work well with other kids.” Examples of indicators in the commitment to learning scale include “I like to learn new things,” “I pay attention in class,” and “I come to school ready.”
Associated Evaluation:
Date Added: November 12, 2018
