Afterschool Impacts Database
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2014-15 Annual Evaluation of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 21st CCLC After School Programs
Year Published: 2015
An evaluation of eight 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs in the Fairbanks North Star Borough school district during the 2014-15 school year. Student academic performance and parent involvement for regular program attendees are evaluated using enrollment records, student grades, GPA, attendance, Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) test results, teacher surveys, parent and student surveys, program staff interviews, and program site visits. The evaluation found that participation in the afterschool programs increased the attendance of regularly attending students with below average attendance records and increased participating high school students’ GPAs. Parent surveys showed that students’ participation in the program led to their parents feeling more comfortable in their child’s school and more involved in their child’s education.
Program Name: Fairbanks North Star Borough School District 21st CCLC After School Programs
Program Description: Alaska’s 21st Century Community Learning Center program—which has received federal support through the 21st CCLC initiative—serves high-needs communities, providing academic enrichment through local afterschool and summer programming. During the 2014-15 school year, the program served 762 students in eight schools.
Scope of the Evaluation: Local
Program Type: Afterschool
Location: Fairbanks North Star Borough
Community Type: Rural
Grade level: Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Program Demographics: During the FY2015 grant award, nearly half of participating students were from low-income families, and 12 percent of all students identified as Alaskan Native or American Indian. Grantees of 21st CCLC funding in Alaska are programs that target at-risk students who are performing below proficient academically.
Program Website: http://www.k12northstar.org/domain/1093
Evaluator: Sundberg, B. CR Research and Evaluation.
Evaluation Methods: This evaluation reviewed eight 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) programs in Fairbanks North Star Borough, Alaska. The evaluation used afterschool program enrollment records, student grades, GPA, attendance, Alaska Measures of Progress (AMP) test results, teacher surveys, parent and student surveys, program staff interviews, and program site visits to evaluate academic performance, behavior, and parental involvement.
Evaluation Type: Non-experimental
Summary of Outcomes: Overall, the evaluation reported positive findings in school day attendance, academics, and school day behavior and engagement among students who regularly participated in the afterschool programs, where regular attendance was defined as students attending a program for at least 30 days. Parent surveys included in the report revealed the value parents saw in afterschool programs.
When examining students’ school day attendance, the evaluation found that 66 percent of regularly participating students who had below average attendance in the prior year increased their school attendance.
Regarding academics, the evaluation reported that 50 percent of high school students that regularly attended their afterschool program improved their GPA (n = 48). Additionally, 94 percent of high school students who signed up for credit recovery in English through the program completed their course (n=16). Based on student surveys, more than 80 percent of students in the program reported that the afterschool program has helped them to do better in school.
Teacher surveys showed that 78 percent of students regularly involved in programs showed improvement in turning in homework on time and completing homework to their teacher’s satisfaction, 75 percent of students showed improved class participation, 68 percent of students showed improved motivation to learn, and 65 percent of students showed improved attentiveness in class.
Parent surveys were used to evaluate parent involvement and showed that 68 percent of parents felt more comfortable at their child’s school because of the program, 64 percent felt more involved with their child’s education, and 58 percent felt more informed about their child’s progress. Parent surveys also showed that parents felt that the afterschool program helped their child in school, reporting that they agree that the program has helped their child have a more positive attitude (75 percent), feel more motivated to do well (70 percent), and complete their homework (69 percent).
Results from individual program sites are available in the full evaluation, including elementary reading and writing grades, AMP test results, and student survey results.
