A project of the Afterschool Alliance.

Idaho State Department of Education 21st CCLC Statewide Program Evaluation 2017-2018

Year Published: 2019

A statewide evaluation of Idaho’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs found that, based on state assessment data, students attending a program for at least 30 days (regular attendees) saw improvements in their academic performance. 39.4 percent of regular program participants who had pre-and post-test scores improved from “not proficient” to “meets or exceeds proficiency” on the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) test for K-3rd graders, 13.5 percent improved on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) English/Language arts test, and 5 percent improved on the ISAT in math. Surveyed parents and students also expressed high satisfaction with 21st CCLC programming. For example, 82 percent of students surveyed agreed that they felt safe in the program and 91 percent of parents surveyed agreed that the 21st CCLC program benefited their child. 

Program Name: Idaho 21st Century Community Learning Centers

Program Description:

Idaho’s 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which is federally-funded through the 21st CCLC Initiative, provides academic enrichment opportunities for children at high-poverty and low-performing schools. During the 2017-18 program year, 41 grantees operated 96 centers and served 7,653 students.

Scope of the Evaluation: Statewide

Program Type: Summer, Afterschool

Location: Idaho

Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School

Program Demographics:

All schools served by Idaho’s 21st CCLC programs are Title I eligible, meaning more than 40 percent of students qualify for Free and Reduced Price Lunch. In the 2017-18 program year, 11 percent of students had limited English proficiency and 11 percent of students had special needs. Regarding race and ethnicity, 63 percent of students identified as White, 21 percent as Hispanic, 5 percent as American Indian/Alaska Native, 4 percent as “two or more races,” and less than 1 percent as Asian, Black or Pacific Islander. Race and ethnicity was unavailable for 5 percent of students served. 

Program Website: http://www.sde.idaho.gov/student-engagement/cclc/

Evaluator: Williams, H., Leads Learning Network at Boise State University

Evaluation Methods:

This evaluation collects both quantitative and qualitative data that includes student participation and attendance rates; student demographic and performance data; program and staffing data; student, parent, staff, and teacher surveys; and site-based interviews and observations. State assessment data was collected through the 21APR tactile group data collection system—a federal reporting system—and the State Department of Education’s data management system. 

Evaluation Type: Non-experimental

Summary of Outcomes:

An evaluation of Idaho’s 21st CCLC programs showed that students who were regular program participants (attending a program for at least 30 days) showed gains in proficiency on standardized statewide exams: the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) test for K-3rd graders, the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) in English/Language arts for 4th-11th graders, and the ISAT in math. Out of students who participated in 21st CCLC programs and had both a pre-test (either spring 2017 ISAT or fall 2018 IRI) and post-test (spring 2018 ISAT and IRI) score, 39.4 percent of students improved from “not proficient” to “meets or exceeds proficiency” on the IRI, 13.5 percent of students improved from “not proficient” to “meets or exceeds proficiency” on the ISAT reading test, and 5 percent improved from “not proficient” to “meets or exceeds proficiency” on the ISAT in math.

Related to program satisfaction, out of a sample survey of students participating in nine different 21st CCLC programs from across Idaho, a strong majority agreed that they felt safe in the program (82 percent) and that they liked how they learned things (72 percent). 84 percent of students surveyed agreed that adults in the program care about them. Parents also expressed high levels of satisfaction. In a sample survey of parents from across nine different 21st CCLC programs, 91 percent agreed that the 21st CCLC program benefited their child and 76 percent agreed that the program addressed their child’s specific needs. 

Date Added: August 28, 2019