21st Century Community Learning Centers

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) are federally funded out-of-school time programs for high-poverty, low-performing schools administered by state departments of education. This project is an ongoing comprehensive evaluation of statewide program implementation and effectiveness for 21st CCLC programs in about 300 sites coordinated by 50 grantees across Michigan. The evaluation is centered around identifying characteristics important for continuous program improvement and better academic and socioemotional outcomes. To communicate results, the evaluation team develops briefs to show how students can benefit from program participation with improved academic outcomes, STEM involvement, health, nutrition and fitness education, and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). The team has also developed a state-of-the-art data collection system in conjunction with David P. Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality and Thomas Kelly Software Associates.