Youth Development

21st Century Community Learning Centers: Evaluation

Public funding for after-school enrichment programs has grown substantially in recent years, leading to a large increase in the number of these programs. Since 1998, Metis Associates has evaluated the 21st Century Community Learning Center Programs, which were established by Congress to provide students and their families with academic-enrichment opportunities during non-school hours. These programs often include tutorial services, youth development activities, drug- and violence-prevention programs, adult education, and sports or other opportunities.

Metis has evaluated the initiative in settings ranging from individual schools to multi-school programs, all serving children in grades K-12. The evaluations use qualitative and quantitative methods and include site visits; interviews; and focus groups with site coordinators, teachers, parents, and students; and survey-development, administration, and analysis. Among the programs that Metis has evaluated was the Bronx High Schools 21st CCLC grant, which served 5,000 students in 12 high schools. The program was offered after school, before school, on Saturdays, and during school vacations. Activities included academic tutoring, credit-bearing classes and labs, sports and recreational clubs, and extended library and computer lab hours. Metis’s role as a local evaluator helped the program staff to make adjustments both to better meet the needs of participants and to better meet reporting requirements to facilitate continued funding.