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Illinois State Board of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program: State-Level Program Evaluation 2014-2015
Year Published: 2016
A statewide evaluation of Illinois’ 21st CCLC programs during the 2014-15 school year found that based on teacher surveys, a strong majority of students regularly participating in programs (attending a program for 30 days or more) saw improvements in academics, behavior, and engagement in school. For example, teachers reported that students made improvements in their academic performance (elementary schoolers- 71 percent, middle/high schoolers- 61 percent), behavior in class (elementary schoolers- 63 percent, middle/high schoolers- 55 percent), motivation to learn (elementary schoolers- 63 percent, middle/high schoolers- 53 percent), and regular school day attendance (elementary schoolers- 57 percent, middle/high schoolers- 51 percent).
Program Name: Illinois 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Program Description:
Illinois’ 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 2014-15 program year, 122 grantees operated 389 sites and served 47,492 students.
Scope of the Evaluation: Statewide
Program Type: Afterschool
Location: Illinois
Community Type: Rural, Urban, Suburban
Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Demographics:
All schools served by Illinois’ 21st CCLC programs are Title I eligible, meaning more than 40 percent of students qualify for Free and Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL). In both the 2013 and 2015 cohorts, more than 80 percent of elementary and middle and high school students quality for FRPL. (See Figure 12 in the report for more details)
Program Website: https://www.isbe.net/Pages/21st-Century-Community-Learning-Centers.aspx
Evaluator: Goodyear, L., Mansori, S., Cox, J., & Rodriguez, S. EDC.
Evaluation Methods:
This evaluation collected data through a spring and fall survey of sub-grantees, local evaluation reports completed by grantees, and site visits. Due to the discontinuation of the federal reporting system, the Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS), some data were not available to include, such as student federal proficiency levels. Additionally, due to changes in standardized testing in Illinois, the availability of test scores at the time of evaluation, and changes in grading systems and reporting systems, only a subset of programs were able to provide data on changes in students’ grades.
Evaluation Type: Non-experimental
Summary of Outcomes:
The evaluation of Illinois’ 21st CCLC programs during the 2014-15 school year found that based on teacher surveys, a strong majority of students regularly participating in programs (attending a program for 30 days or more) saw improvements in their academic performance and behavior and engagement in school.
As reported by school day teachers, approximately 7 in 10 elementary schoolers regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs improved their academic performance (71 percent), homework completion (76 percent), and ability to turn in homework on time (70 percent). Among middle and high schoolers regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs, 61 percent improved their academic performance, 61 percent improved completing their homework, and 59 percent improved turning in their homework on time. Based on data from the 2013 cohort grantees, among elementary school students regularly participating in the program, 26.2 percent improved their math grade and 30.7 percent improved their reading grade from the fall to the spring. Among middle and high school students regularly participating in the program, 27.1 percent improved their math grade and 29.7 percent improved their reading grade.
Teachers reported that a majority of students regularly participating in Illinois 21st CCLC programs made improvements in their ability to get along well with others (elementary schoolers- 67 percent, middle/high schoolers- 58 percent), their classroom attentiveness (elementary schoolers- 65 percent, middle/high schoolers- 54 percent), and their behavior in class (elementary schoolers- 63 percent, middle/high schoolers- 55 percent). Teachers also reported that regular attendees increased their voluntary classroom involvement (elementary schoolers- 69 percent, middle/high schoolers- 55 percent), motivation to learn (elementary schoolers- 63 percent, middle/high schoolers- 53 percent), and regular school day attendance (elementary schoolers- 57 percent, middle/high schoolers- 51 percent).
Associated Evaluation:
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/statewide_report_1415.pdf
Date Added: December 7, 2018
