21st Century Spotlights: Students gaining ground in 21st CCLC programs

This post is part of a series (blog 1, blog 2, blog 3) that will explore the supports and unique opportunities 21^st CCLC programs provide for students.

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs benefit students in more ways than one, from boosting academic performance to promoting positive behaviors to providing a safe, structured environment for children to go after school. Improving academic outcomes is a key goal of 21st CCLC and policymakers tend to focus on the high stakes outcomes like test scores. While many programs report gains in areas such as math and reading/ ELA achievement and improved standardized test scores, it is important to note that programs help students make gains in other areas as well, even if they are less reported and/or less recognized. Programs across the country help students improve their school day attendance, classroom behavior, social and emotional skills, and school engagement; these additional measures help capture the full impact that 21st CCLC programs can have on students.

After speaking with several 21st CCLC programs, this impact was evident. For example, Raiders ARK in Arcadia, Wisconsin, a 21st CCLC program that takes a social and emotional learning (SEL) approach, notes both academic and behavioral gains among students. Serving primarily English Language Learners, Raiders ARK has seen huge gains in English skills and language acquisition among this population, as well as improved confidence and social skills as a result of their SEL focused approach. In addition, a large majority of teachers report an improvement in homework completion and class participation (70 percent) and student behavior (85 percent) among those in the program. Teachers also note improved leadership skills, especially among 5th graders. This, they attribute to their program model in which 5th graders are given leadership opportunities.

In Fairbanks, Alaska, Lathrop After the Bell, the 21st CCLC program at Lathrop High School, has also seen academic and behavioral gains among students. The program takes a big academic focus, especially with freshmen. Their goal is to ensure that all freshmen start high school off on track and earn all the necessary credits in their first year, which they help accomplish through daily tutoring, test prep, and lab work, as well as a variety of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) based enrichment courses. As a result of participation, the program notes gains in areas such as academic achievement, school day attendance, student engagement, and attitudes towards school over time. On a 2019 evaluation, it was found that more than half of regular attendees at Lathrop High School improved on state assessments in math (51 percent) and reading (59 percent), and among those who had below-average attendance rates the prior year, 57 percent increased their attendance.

A final example, Colcord Schools in Colcord, Oklahoma, has helped students make huge academic gains as well, which can be seen through the overall improvement of their school. In just a few short years since the program’s inception in 2016-17, Colcord Elementary, the school that primarily feeds the 21st CCLC program, has gone from an F-rated school to a B-rated school. This is largely in part because of the increased proficiency among students that they attribute to the academic efforts of the afterschool program. Further, the program notes that the school has also seen an incredible transformation when it comes to school climate, with teachers reporting decreased discipline issues among students, increased homework completion, and an overall better climate.

These examples, and the growing evidence base on 21st CCLC, make it clear that 21st CCLC programs can greatly impact student growth by helping students make gains in areas such as proficiency levels, test scores, class participation, school day attendance, homework completion, classroom behavior, and social and emotional skills.

To read more about the positive impact of 21st CCLC programs, and afterschool programs in general, on student outcomes, click here.