Primary Investigators: Beth S. Russell
Project Manager: Mackenzie Wink
Graduate Research Associate: Abagail Horton
Afterschool programs are designed to impact student outcomes such as academic performance, social skills, and behavioral problems. With an emphasis on creating programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours, the Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) partnered with the Center to evaluate the effectiveness of these afterschool programs. This project evaluates afterschool programs funded through both federal- and state-level funding streams. The federal programs are funded through 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), a national initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education, and the state programs are funded through the Connecticut After School Grant Program, as defined in Section 10-16x(g) and amended by Section 26 of Public Act 07-3 of the Connecticut General Statutes.
The SDE contracted with the Center to provide technical assistance and evaluation of both sets of programs. In this role, Center staff consult with SDE on development of an evaluation design and the creation of evaluation instruments. Each year, Center staff write an End of Year report summarizing afterschool program operations, student characteristics, and student outcomes. In addition, Center staff create and manage databases, analyze data, and present the evaluation findings to afterschool program staff. New for the 2014-15 school year, Center staff partnered with SDE and CREC to develop individual program reports for the 21st CCLC programs. These reports describe results for individual programs, and how their results compare to similar programs.