Transforming After-School Programs Into "Engines of Development": An Analysis of Federal Out-of-School Time Policy

• In Event: Race, Policy, Equity: Retooling Out-of-School Time Programs, Partnerships, and Evaluation for 21st Century Learning

Abstract

American students spend more time outside of school than in school, and numerous studies have shown that the ways young people spend their discretionary time can greatly influence their short-term and long-term outcomes. The single most important policy target in this aspect of student life is the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), which annually provides over $1 billion in funding for afterschool and summer programs across the K-12 spectrum.
This two-part research involved a mixed-methods policy analysis: (1) review of U. S. government documents, with a focus on analyzing the strengths and shortcomings of the current 21st CCLC policy; and (2) interviews with a diverse group of 15 out-of-school-time thought leaders focused on key policy-improvement strategies.

Author

• Jane M. Quinn, City College of New York - CUNY
  Presenting Author