Activity Types and Frequent Attendance in Michigan 21st Century Community Learning Centers Linked to Improved Academic Performance

Year Published: 2015

An evaluation of more than 16,000 students participating in Michigan’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) during the 2013-14 school year. Regular participants saw improvements in their math and reading grades, homework completion, school day behavior, and attendance rates. The evaluation also found that the students’ math grades, teachers’ reports of homework completion and school behavior, students’ attendance and behavior in school, and students’ reports of their commitment to school all saw improvements the more total days they participated in program, starting at a minimum of 20 days.

Program Name: Michigan’s 21st CCLC program

Program Description: Michigan’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program—has received federal support through the 21st CCLC initiative—serves high-need communities across the state, providing local afterschool and summer programming designed to support students’ performance in a variety of areas including, but not limited to, academics, engagement in school, and behavior at school. During the 2013-14 school year, 29,297 students in grades kindergarten through 12th grade were served by 40 grantees operating a total of 313 centers.

Program Demographics: Forty-eight percent of participants were African-American, 33 percent were white, 13 percent were Hispanic, three percent were Middle Eastern, and three percent designated as “other.” Eighty-three percent of participating youth qualified for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

Program Website: http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,4615,7-140-6530_6809-39974--,00.html