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A 2026 evaluation of Illinois's 21st CCLCs during FY 2025 found that participating students demonstrated improved classroom behavior and increased academic achievement. Overall, 63% of chronically absent students showed improvements in school day attendance, with rates of improvement increasing with hours of program participation. Likewise, approximately 7 in 10 participants with a prior-year in-school suspension (69%) demonstrated fewer in-school suspensions during the 2024-2025 school year. Teacher surveys found improvements in 1st-5th grade students’ classroom behavior (68%) and homework completion (71%). Additionally, more than half of 7-8th and 10-12
A 2025 evaluation of Ohio’s 21st CCLC programs during the 2023-24 school year found positive outcomes associated with regular program participation, school-day attendance, literacy achievement, math achievement, dropout prevention, workforce readiness, and family engagement. Regularly participating students demonstrated stronger outcomes than non-regular participants across chronic absenteeism, literacy, and math. Fifty-six percent of regularly participating students who were chronically absent in 2022-23 improved their school-day attendance in 2023-24. In addition, 73% of regularly participating students demonstrated literacy growth, and 73% demonstrated math growth in 2023-24. Lastly, most students participating in dropout prevention programs successfully earned credits (93%) or graduated (92%).Ohio’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2023-24 Annual Report
Year Published: 2025
A 2025 evaluation of North Dakota’s 21st CCLC programs during the 2023–2024 school year found positive outcomes related to participants’ school-day attendance, behavior, and family outcomes. Participants are significantly less likely than non-participants to be chronically absent overall (15% vs. 19%), with similar results for Hispanic, Native American, and FRPL-eligible students. While there are no statistically significant differences in English language arts and math assessment scores between participants and non-participants, school leaders and teachers recognize the educational value of programs, including programs’ academic rigor and alignment with school-day content. Surveys from young people, parents, teachers, school leaders, and community partners emphasize the positive social, behavioral, and community impacts of programs, and evaluators highlight the economic value– estimating that programs’ economic impact is up to $33 million.
A 2025 evaluation of Illinois’ 21st CCLC programs during the 2023-2024 school year found positive impacts on student attendance, behavior, engagement, and academic outcomes. Of chronically absent students, 61% improved their attendance, with stronger gains among higher-attending participants, and 40% of students with prior in-school suspensions reduced suspensions. Teacher surveys reported improvements in class participation, homework completion, motivation, attentiveness, behavior, and peer relationships across elementary and middle/high school students. Regarding academic performance, over half of middle/high school students with GPAs below 3.0 demonstrated growth, and a higher percentage of participants made progress on their statewide reading test compared to the previous year.
A 2024 evaluation of Wisconsin's 21st CCLC programs during the 2022-2023 school year found positive outcomes related to participants' academic performance, engagement, behavior, and life skills development. Approximately one-third of 4th-8th grade participants improved or maintained their proficient/advanced level on reading and math statewide assessments (33% and 30%, respectively), 40% of middle and high school students with a GPA below 3.0 the prior year improved their GPA, and 67% of 1-12th grade students who were chronically absent the previous school year improved their school-day attendance. Participating students also overwhelmingly reported feeling safe and cared for by program staff and that the program has helped them improve their academic, social, and leadership skills. Likewise, almost all parents agreed that programming benefited students academically and emotionally, while also reporting greater opportunities for engagement in their children’s education due to program staff.
The New York Academy of Sciences STEM Education 10-Year Report outlines the impact of its pipeline programs, which have reached over 450,000 individuals globally. The core strategy is to use research-based methods and engage scientists as mentors to provide students with inclusive, active learning experiences. The report highlights a significant impact: 50% of participating scientists show increased interest in education careers, and students demonstrate increased self-efficacy and workplace skills. Key outcomes include a 62% increase in students' interest in science and a 78% increase in their understanding of what it means to be a scientist.
A 2024 evaluation of Arkansas’s 21st CCLC programs during the 2022-2023 school year found positive outcomes related to participants’ academic performance, school-day behavior and engagement, life skills development, and satisfaction with program quality. Nearly 7 in 10 students in grades 4–8 demonstrated growth on statewide math and ELA assessments, and more than three-quarters of regularly attending high school students showed GPA improvement, exceeding state objectives. Students who needed to improve attendance or behavior demonstrated gains, with three in four improving school-day attendance and more than 3 in 5 (64%) reducing in-school suspensions. Teachers reported increased engagement among the vast majority of elementary students, while students and caregivers reported high levels of life skills, including self-advocacy and social skills. Students also expressed strong satisfaction with caring staff, fun activities, and opportunities to try new experiences within the programs.
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
21st Century Community Learning Centers across the state served almost 7,000 students who participated in 396,739 hours of activities during the fall 2021 semester. Almost half (49 percent) of all participants earned a B or better during the first grading period in both math and English/reading. In evaluators’ preliminary findings, they noted that there were, “substantial gains in students’ English/Reading scores” comparing the first two grading periods during the 2021-22 school year.
A 2022 evaluation of South Carolina’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program found that there was a positive impact on academic and behavioral outcomes among students regularly attending the program compared to their non-participating peers and students who attended programming less regularly, with greater gains associated with higher levels of program participation. Regular program participants performed better on state standardized tests in math and saw reductions in unexcused absences and disciplinary incidents. Teacher surveys revealed that regular attendees needing improvement showed growth in their academic performance, class participation, homework completion, motivation to learn, interaction with others, and classroom behavior.
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