2014-15 Annual Evaluation of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 21st CCLC After School Programs

An evaluation of eight 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) programs in the Fairbanks North Star Borough school district during the 2014-15 school year. Student academic performance and parent involvement for regular program attendees are evaluated using enrollment records, student grades, GPA, attendance, Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) test results, teacher surveys, parent and student surveys, program staff interviews, and program site visits. The evaluation found that participation in the afterschool programs increased the attendance of regularly attending students with below average attendance records and increased participating high school students’ GPAs. Parent surveys showed that students’ participation in the program led to their parents feeling more comfortable in their child’s school and more involved in their child’s education.
 

New Jersey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Year 2 Report 2013-14 Program Year

A statewide evaluation of New Jersey’s 21^st Century Community Learning Center (21^st CCLC) programs during the 2013-2014 school year examined academic and behavioral outcomes associated with regular participation in the program. The evaluation found statistically significant positive impacts in math achievement and reduced school day truancy incidents among students who regularly participated in the programs. Additionally, the evaluation found significant positive effects in reading achievement among regularly attending 21^st CCLC students who were classified as below proficient in reading and significant positive effects in math among students classified as below proficient in math. 

Rhode Island 21st Century Community Learning Center Program Evaluation: Descriptive Report

An evaluation of Rhode Island’s 42 21st CCLC grantees to measure participating students’ perceptions of their programs, including students’ sense of competence and perceived supportive social environment, opportunity for choice and autonomy, and opportunity for leadership and responsibility. Key findings include that students who participated in the program mostly agreed that they had a sense of competence in reading, math, and science, and that they believed that the program helped them in academic and social/personal skill building.

Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers Executive Summary: 2013-2014

A statewide evaluation of Wisconsin’s 220 21st CCLC programs during the 2013-2014 school year. This evaluation focuses on the academic and behavioral outcomes of these programs. Primary teachers were surveyed to collect data on student academic performances, behavior, and engagement in learning. Key findings include that students who participated in Wisconsin’s 21st CCLC program experienced a number of improvements in academic performance, such as completing and turning in homework on time, school day attendance, and behavior, which includes getting along with others and coming to school motivated to learn.

Statewide Implementation and Outcomes: 21st Century Community Learning Centers Programs Indiana 2013-2014

A statewide evaluation of Indiana’s 21st CCLC programs, looking at 75 programs across 218 sites. Key findings of this comparative analysis indicate that high-participating students (participants who attended the program 60 days or more) had higher math and English language arts standardized test scores, as well as better grades in math and English compared to students with lower levels of program participation (attended less than 60 days of programming).

Effects of an Out-of-School Program on Urban High School Youth’s Academic Performance

An evaluation that compares high school students participating in the YMCA High School Youth Institute—a year-round afterschool program serving low-income, culturally diverse, urban high school youth—to a randomly-selected, matched comparison group of non-participating high schoolers. The evaluation found that students who participated in the program had higher GPAs, English language art and math standardized test scores, and attendance rates than students who did not participate in the program.

Fort Worth After School 2013-14 Evaluation Report

An evaluation of 85 Fort Worth Independent School District afterschool programs (FWAS), including 21st CCLC programs. Key findings, which were collected via surveys, standardized test results and site visits, indicate that as participation in FWAS increased school day attendance, raised standardized test scores, and decreased disciplinary referrals. Additionally, students, parents, and teachers felt that participation in FWAS was beneficial to student overall success.

Ready for Fall? Near-Term Effects of Voluntary Summer Learning Programs on Low-Income Students’ Learning Opportunities and Outcomes

Academic results from year two of a five-year randomized controlled study that follows 5,000 low-income, predominantly African-American and Hispanic students from third to fifth grade in five urban school districts located in Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; Duval County, FL; Pittsburgh, PA, and Rochester, NY. Evaluators compared student success on math tests in the fall following their summer learning programs with the success of students who did not participate in summer programming. Key findings indicate that students who participated in summer programming performed significantly better on their math tests in the fall following the programs.

Effects of the FITKids randomized controlled trial on executive control and brain function

A randomized control study of 221 children participating in the Fitness Improves Thinking in Kids (FITKids) program, a nine-month afterschool physical activity program. Students participating in FITKids in their afterschool program increased their physical fitness by 6 percent compared to less than 1 percent improvement by students not participating in the program. Students in the afterschool program also improved their ability to pay attention, avoid distraction, and switch between cognitive tasks.

Denver Public Schools: Out-of-School Time Evaluation SY 2013-2014

This evaluation examined 17 afterschool programs in the Denver Public School system that were funded in part by Colorado’s 21^st Century Community Learning Center (21^st CCLC) grant. It found that students who were new to the program and participated more than 30 days (first-year attendees) and students who attended more than 30 days multiple years in a row (multi-year attendees) saw improved school day attendance and believed that the program helped them perform better academically. Students regularly participating in the program also reported positively when asked about their social competency, their ability to plan for the future and their future expectations. The evaluation also found that multi-year attendees outperformed their non-participating peers when examining performance growth on the state’s academic assessments; however, there was little difference found when comparing students’ proficiency levels.