EDC to Continue Evaluation of IL 21st Century Community Learning Centers

EDC has been selected by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to serve as the statewide evaluation partner for the state’s Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program. The award continues a 12-year evaluation partnership between EDC and ISBE to use data to inform decision making for the state’s 21st CCLC program, and build program and grantee capacity to better serve the over 50,000 young people who participate in 21st CCLC programs during non-school hours each year.

“EDC is honored to partner with ISBE in developing and implementing a comprehensive and responsive evaluation that supports the Illinois statewide 21st CCLC program and the over 500 sites that play a vital role in the learning and well-being of children and youth,” says EDC’s Leslie Goodyear, who will lead the evaluation. “We are looking forward to the next chapter of this work.”

Using funds appropriated by the U.S. Congress, the Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC program issues grants to youth-serving organizations in communities that have a high concentration of students from low-income families. 21st CCLC programs are funded to provide core academic and social enrichment opportunities for students. The program is the nation’s primary federal source of funding for afterschool programming.

Since 2013, EDC has worked closely with ISBE to help state officials and local subgrantees gather the data and insights they need to demonstrate and strengthen programs. EDC’s evaluation team has visited individual 21st CCLC programs, designed and implemented subgrantee surveys, and helped subgrantees learn how to integrate evaluation into their programming. EDC’s team has also provided expert technical assistance focused on evaluation to support local subgrantees and the ISBE staff.

Over the next four years, EDC will carry out evaluation activities to provide a comprehensive assessment of ISBE’s implementation of the 21st CCLC program, as well as each subgrantee’s work. In addition, to support effective use of evaluation findings at all levels, the EDC team will collaborate with ISBE to develop and deliver evaluation technical assistance. Approximately 100% of funds for the evaluation contract are from federal sources.

We invite you to explore EDC’s Research & Evaluation, Out-of-School Time, and Elementary & Secondary Education initiatives.