U.S Department of Education / Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE), Prepared by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. and Institute of Education Services
October 2004
This is the second of three planned reports examining the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program, a big federal program that supports after-school activities in 7,000 elementary and middle schools. (For the first report, click here.) Though the title promises new findings, the major results are largely unchanged: compared with similar youngsters outside the program, participating students showed little or no improvement in test scores or "developmental outcomes" (such as working well with others). There was also evidence of increased "negative behaviors," such as drug use or "breaking things on purpose." On the other hand, students in the program felt safer and more of them expected to go to college, while their parents were more likely to attend school events and (perhaps) to work or seek work. Overall, not a strong endorsement for a program that consumed $1 billion in federal spending in 2002. The first report was based on a single year of data; this one rests on two years. In so detailed a study, one might hope that silver linings could be found for minority or other subgroups, but that's not so. Part of the problem may be that much time is spent on recreational activities, and (it seems) not a tremendous amount on tutoring, though the centers report that this pattern is changing. Other problems include poor attendance and heavy staff turnover. One can hope that the results after year three will be better, but for now it appears the program needs a major overhaul - or elimination. You can find the study online here.
