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A 2023 evaluation of Montana's 21st CCLC programs during the 2021-22 school year found positive outcomes related to participating students’ academic engagement and behavior, positive relationships, and youth development. Teacher surveys indicated that participating students needing improvement demonstrated increased academic engagement, including participation in class, willingness to try new things, and completion of in-class assignments. Also, results suggest students are building foundational skills through their programs, with most participating students reporting growth in emotional intelligence, problem-solving skills, and the ability to work well with others. Lastly, nearly all school day administrators surveyed reported that they viewed the 21st CCLC program as valuable (100 percent), agreed that their school’s students benefited from participation in the 21st CCLC program (100 percent), and
This randomized control trial of the Boston Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) finds that youth selected to participate were 4.4 percentage points more likely to graduate on time and 2.5 percentage points less likely to drop out of high school compared to their non-participating peers. Evaluators also conducted a mediation analysis to understand the factors driving these outcomes. The analysis finds that improved daily attendance, reduced chronic absenteeism, gains in GPA, and the development of important foundational skills, such as punctuality and emotional regulation, are potential factors contributing to improved on-time high school graduation rates among SYEP participants.
A 2022 evaluation of Delaware’s 21st CCLC programs found positive impacts related to participants’ academic performance and engagement as well as students’ interpersonal skills and behavior. Students, parents, and staff overwhelmingly agreed that afterschool program participation helped students improve their academic skills, and 9th-12th grade students reported feeling more connected to their school because of their program. The majority of students also reported feeling cared for and safe within their programs while also indicating that their program provides opportunities for them to develop life skills, including college and career readiness. The majority of teachers and parents reported a reduction in students’ behavioral problems as a result of participation in their 21st CCLC program
A 2018 evaluation of Alabama’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs by the Truman Pierce Institute found that students regularly participating in programs with room for improvement saw academic and behavioral gains. Based on teacher surveys, an overwhelming majority of regular program attendees in need of improvement improved their overall academic performance (81 percent), participation in class (81 percent), attentiveness in class (76 percent), motivation to learn (75 percent), and classroom behavior (71 percent). Additionally, nearly 4 in 10 students regularly participating in the program improved their reading (34 percent) and math (37 percent) grades.
This study sought to investigate how the breadth and intensity of extracurricular activity involvement in the 10th grade predicted educational attainment eight years after high school, measured as the completion of a certificate or degree. In addition to finding that greater breadth and intensity of extracurricular involvement in the 10th grade were associated with a greater value placed on education, and that greater breadth was associated with more time spent on homework, the study found that the breadth of extracurricular involvement was associated with higher educational expectations by the 12th grade. In turn, this was associated with a greater likelihood of completing a certificate or degree eight years after high school.
A statewide evaluation of Missouri’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs during the 2017-18 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. Students in the programs also reported strong personal and social skills and a commitment to learning.
A statewide evaluation of Montana’s 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs examined the impact of 21st CCLC programs on student academic performance, student behaviors, and positive youth assets. Surveyed teachers reported that almost all (93.3 percent) of program participants maintained or increased their academic performance in math and reading. In addition, teachers noticed an increase in the socio-emotional skills of their students.
A total of 1,599 students participating in afterschool programs with a STEM focus in grades 4-12 from 11 states completed retrospective self-report surveys measuring STEM-related attitudes and 21st century skills. Facilitators completed a survey about their experiences leading afterschool STEM, and the programs’ STEM activities were observed and evaluated to establish levels of quality. The evaluation found that students that participated in STEM-focused afterschool programs led to positive changes in students’ attitudes toward science, STEM interest, STEM identity, STEM career interest, career knowledge, 21st century skills, and critical thinking. Larger effects were seen in students who participated in programs for a minimum of four weeks. Higher quality STEM programs reported more positive gains than lower quality programs.
The Clubhouse Network provides a creative and safe out-of-school learning environment in which youth from underserved communities work with adult mentors to explore their own ideas, develop new skills and build self-confidence through the use of technology. In this selection of evaluation data spanning 2013 to 2016, participants demonstrated gains along three major categories of youth outcomes—interest in STEM, capacity to engage in STEM, and finding value in STEM.
Girlstart After School is a free, weekly STEM afterschool program designed as an intensive intervention to increase girls’ interest and engagement in STEM through sequential, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities in topics across the STEM acronym. In this selection of evaluation data from the 2015-2016 school year, participants demonstrated gains along three major categories of youth outcomes—interest in STEM, capacity to engage in STEM, and finding value in STEM.
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The Afterschool Impacts Database is a project of the Afterschool Alliance.
The Afterschool Alliance is a nonprofit public awareness and advocacy organization working to ensure that all children and youth have access to quality afterschool programs.
Afterschool Impacts Database