Data & Evaluation: 2015-16
From the Program Director
21ST Century Summary Report
November 21, 2016
Council Bluffs’ Developing Relationships Engaging All Middle Schoolers (CB D.R.E.A.M.S.) and Student University Promoting Education and Recreation (SUPER) Kids are now in their third and second years of operation respectively. Our external evaluators, Hanover Research, have completed the evaluation of the program. We are very excited about the results of their analysis. Our out-of-school programs are making a positive impact on students, parents, and our community!
Introduction
The federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grant program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. This program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
Executive Summary
In the Council Bluffs Community School District, 21st CCLC funds provide student opportunities in academic supports, enrichment learning experiences in the way of field trips, healthy snacks and other foods, career exploration experiences, community and civic engagement activities, fitness activities, and family literacy and engagement activities. These overarching categories facilitate healthy family and student growth along a K-8 pathway. Out of school programming takes place on average one hour before school and two hours after school each school day. Over the summer months, program offerings at middle school, Cohort IX, operate 30-36 days. Cohort X, the elementary schools Franklin, Longfellow, and Rue was not designed with a summer program component. However, going forward in years 2 and 3, a summer component was approved by our state consultant. A full listing of program offerings can be found at the end of this evaluation.
During the 2015-2016 school year and through the use of two grant awards from the 21st CCLC, five (5) Council Bluffs Community Schools served 2,053 students in out-of school programming in some combination of before school, after school, and summer school programs. Seven (7) of thirteen (13) objectives of the grant were met. Nearly ninety (90) community partners – both paid and unpaid – joined forces with school teaching staff to provide programming that as noted below was engaging, fun, and relevant to school students. Family engagement events provided parents and guardians with information about current programming as well as upcoming opportunities for students. Anecdotal data in the form of student, staff, and parent surveys demonstrate that valuable experiences were had and that participants would likely be involved in clubs and activities in the future. Both Cohorts’ sustainability plans have been modified in three ways to prepare for decreased funding, should years four and five be granted. New partners have been added to the cadre in each cohort, and that list will continue to grow. Personnel costs, which account for approximately seventy percent (70%) of each cohort’s budget, will be curtailed by utilizing more volunteers and Youth Development Workers, a new employee classification for the 2016-2017 school year. Finally, summer programming for 2017 will be aligned to compliment and not compete with existing summer offerings, thus utilizing existing sites, food, and transportation.
Dr. Sandra Day
sday@cb-schools.org
Please use this link to access the full report.
Iowa 21st CCLC Evaluation 2016