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> Evaluation #2 (2000-2002): Study of After School Time Use
A Profile of the Evaluation of 21st Century Community Learning Centers—national
Profile Information
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Program Description
| Overview | The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program, authorized under the federal Elementary and Secondary School Act, provides expanded learning opportunities for participating children in a safe, drug-free, and supervised environment. Administered by the U.S. Department of Education, states receive funding to allocate to local educational agencies. |
| Start Date | 1997 |
| Scope | national |
| Type | after school, summer/vacation, before school, weekend, comprehensive services |
| Location | urban, rural |
| Setting | public schools |
| Participants | elementary and middle school students |
| Number of Sites/Grantees | 7,500 rural and inner-city public schools in more than 1,400 communities (2002) |
| Number Served | 1.2 million children and youth and 400,000 adults (2001) |
| Components | Programs receiving 21st CCLC funds must provide a variety of activities that offer high-quality expanded learning opportunities for youth in the community and that contribute to reduced drug use and violence. Grantees must also carry out at least four of the following activities: literacy education programs; senior citizen programs; children's day care services; integrated education, health, social service, recreational, or cultural programs; summer and weekend school programs in conjunction with recreation programs; nutrition and health programs; expanded library service hours to serve community needs; telecommunications and technology education programs for individuals of all ages; parenting skills education programs; support and training for child day care providers; employment counseling, training, and placement services for individuals who leave school before graduating from secondary school; and services for individuals with disabilities. In order to receive grant money, the legislation states that applicants must collaborate with other community-based organizations, related public agencies, businesses, or other appropriate organizations. |
| Funding Level | $846 million (FY 2001); $1 billion (FY 2002) |
| Funding Sources | US Department of Education |
| Other | Through a unique public-private partnership, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is complementing the work of the US Department of Education by providing technical assistance to help 21st CCLC grantees develop, implement, and sustain high-quality after school programs. The Mott foundation also supports the program by building public will for after school programs through a media campaign and supporting evaluation and research work in the field. |
Evaluation
| Overview | The evaluation consists of an impact and an implementation evaluation of the 21st CCLC program. These evaluation components are funded by the US Department of Education. In addition, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is providing support to supplement the Department of Education-funded studies and to conduct a series of special studies that will explore issues related to after school program access, services, and best practices. The foundation for this evaluation work is a logic model, based on available research and practice knowledge that lays out the hypothesized relationship between program context, program implementation, intermediate effects, and long-term effects. |
| Evaluator | Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and Decision Information Resources, Inc. |
| Evaluations Profiled | When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers Program, First Year Findings Study of After School Time Use: 2000–2002 |
| Evaluations Planned | The evaluators currently are collecting another year of follow-up data and have expanded the study to include more programs serving elementary school students. The additional data from the second follow-up year and from the newly included programs will be the basis for two future reports. The first will update the findings for middle school students using another year of follow-up data and will present first-year findings for elementary school students using a larger number of elementary school programs. The second will update the findings for elementary school students using another year of follow-up data. Also, Deborah Vandell of the University of Wisconsin is conducting a separate study entitled, Study of After School Time Use: 2000–2002. |
| Report Availability | U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary. (2003). When schools stay open late: The national evaluation of the 21st-Century Learning Centers program, first year findings. Washington, DC, Author. Available at www.ed.gov/pubs/21cent/firstyear. Moore, M., Dynarksi, M., Mullens, J., James-Burdumy, S., & Rosenberg, L. (2000). Enhancing the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers evaluation: A concept paper. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. |
Contacts
| Evaluation | Mark Dynarski, Ph.D. Mary Moore, Ph.D. Principal Investigators Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. P.O. Box 2393 Princeton, NJ 08543-2393 Tel: 609-799-3535 Email: mdynarski@mathematica-mpr.com |
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| Betsy Warner Project Officer Planning and Evaluation Service US Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20202 Tel: 202-401-3600 Email: elizabeth_warner@ed.gov |
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| Program | Robert Stonehill Office of Elementary and Secondary Education US Department of Education 400 Maryland Ave., SW Washington, DC 20208-5524 Tel: 202-260-9737 Email: rstonehi@inet.ed.gov |
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| Profile Updated | April 25, 2003 | |
Evaluation 2: Study of After School Time Use: 2000–2002
Evaluation Description
| Evaluation Purpose | To examine student experiences in 21st CCLC after school programs with a focus on issues such as: the frequency of quality interactions between participants and staff, the level of participant engagement in program activities, and the type of quality practices taking place in programs. The study is being conducted by Deborah Vandell and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. |
| Evaluation Design | Quasi-Experimental: The time-use study will examine the experiences of a sample of students in two of the Mott middle school sites in Madison, Wisconsin. The sample size is expected to be about 150 students participating in after school programs. A comparison group of about 100 nonparticipating students will be selected to compare the after school experiences of these two groups and their outcomes. |
| Data Collection Methods | Document Review: The time-use study will use a method called experience sampling in which students in the study will be given wristwatches that are programmed to beep 35 times over a seven-day period. When beeped, students will record information about where they are, whom they are with, the activities they are involved in, their level of involvement or engagement, and their affect or emotion. |
| Data Collection Timeframe | Data were collected from each study member during two one-week periods in the 2001–2002 school year. |