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South Dakota Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2018 Evaluation Report
Year Published: 2018
This study found that South Dakota 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) programs offered a wide variety of activities for students and were most successful in the areas of program climate—the extent to which they created a safe and supportive environment for students; program management; resources—the ability to acquire adequate program supports such as staff, supplies, and space; and staff capacity and development, including incorporating best practices in positive youth development. Evaluators included case studies of South Dakota 21st CCLC programs that excelled in the areas of family engagement, youth leadership, relationships with school districts, and community partnerships. The study shared areas for improvement moving forward: academic enrichment in social studies and science, youth leadership, and forming partnerships. Lastly, the evaluators outlined common topics raised by 21stKeywords: Statewide Rural Urban Suburban Title 1 Eligible English Language Learners Populations of Color Program Quality
Program Name: South Dakota 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
Program Description:
South Dakota’s 21st CCLC programming receives federal funding through the 21st CCLC initiative, and provides afterschool and summer academic enrichment opportunities for children at high-poverty and low-performing schools throughout the state. During the 2017-2018 school year and summer grantees across the state served an estimated 13,611 youth.
Scope of the Evaluation: Statewide
Program Type: Summer, Afterschool
Community Type: Rural, Urban, Suburban
Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Demographics:
This study found that 14 percent of children served at 21st CCLC sites in South Dakota were English-language learners and 7 percent of students had special needs. Thirty-eight percent of students served identified as Native American, 1.5 percent were Asian, 7 percent were Black or African American, 5 percent were Hispanic or Latino, and 36 percent were White. Sixty-eight percent of attendees were eligible for free or reduced lunch.
Program Website: https://doe.sd.gov/21CCLC/
Evaluator: Tysdal, C. & McEntaffer, J. Black Hills Knowledge Network
Evaluation Methods:
The evaluation team used the Wisconsin After School Continuous Improvement Process assessment tool (WASCIP), a program self-assessment tool examining four broad categories: youth development, partnerships, academic programming, and administration. Within these four categories are a total of 20 focus areas for directors and staff to rate their programs on a scale of 0-4, where 0 is that the “program does not currently offer programming in the area” and 4 is exemplary, where the “program intentionally creates and adjusts systems and environments that support positive youth development & achievement of youth outcomes”. The evaluation team collected responses from each site and created a “success index”–the average score from each focus area–to highlight successes and areas for growth.
Grantees also submitted an assessment at the end of the school year including participation data around program operation, attendance, student demographics, and program activities (including the hour and frequency of supports including tutoring, mentoring, arts programming, and family engagement).
Evaluators and South Dakota Department of Education staff also chose four specific sites for case studies, conducting site visits to gather more information.
Evaluation Type: Non-experimental
Summary of Outcomes:
The evaluation focused on determining the progress and challenges South Dakota 21st CCLC programs made in 20 different areas related to youth development, partnerships, academic programming, and administration. Evaluators found that South Dakota 21st CCLC programs excelled in the areas of program climate and the extent to which they created a safe and supportive environment for students; program management; resources and the ability to acquire adequate supports such as staff, supplies, and space; and staff capacity and development, including incorporating best practices in positive youth development. For instance, more than half of programs (55 percent) reported that they had exemplary peer interactions for their students and that their activities were intentionally designed for youth to get to know one another. In the area of management, 92 percent of programs reported that they were either proficient or exemplary in supervision, meaning that supervisors met with staff regularly to review job performance. And in the resources category, nearly half of programs (49 percent) had staff who received significant professional development training and were professionals in fields related to afterschool. Programs were invested in building up staff capacity, with a majority of programs (51 percent) offering trainings that were tailored to staff needs.
In terms of academic outcomes, evaluators found that program sites also excelled in developing intentional literacy programming for students, with almost half of program sites (49 percent) reporting either proficient (“employed multiple methods of pre-planning instruction that allowed youth a range of learning experiences tied to state standards”) or exemplary (“programming was diversified, sequential, active, and tied to local and state standards”). Programs reported a similar number for intentional math program design (47 percent).
Identified areas for growth included academic enrichment in social studies and science, youth leadership, and forming partnerships.
Additionally, evaluators collected data on program offerings and found that 21st CCLC programs provided academic enrichment, recreation, homework help, arts, tutoring, mentoring, character education, cultural diversity, job exploration, community service, youth leadership, career readiness, and activities marked as “other”.
The study also included four case studies about standout program sites throughout the state and areas where they particularly flourished, which included: the Red Cloud Indian After-School Program’s work around family engagement, Summit School District Out-of-School-Time Program’s community partnerships, Belle Fourche Middle School JAM’s relationship with their school district, and the Rapid City YMCA - Youth Institute’s youth leadership efforts.
Lastly, the evaluators outlined common areas that 21st CCLC programs raised as needing technical assistance in: help with communication between stakeholders, including 21st CCLC programs and schools, districts, and 21st CCLC administration; standardization of materials and the creation of new materials; finding additional funding sources; more available information on state and national best practices; and trainings.
