21st Century Community Learning Center Program: A Study to Evaluate the Success of a Program in a Rural County in East Tennessee.

The 21st Century Community Learning Center Program is a key component in the No Child Left Behind Act. It presents an opportunity for students and their families to continue to learn new skills after the regular school day has ended. The focus of the program is to provide expanded academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low performing schools. Tutorial services and academic activities are designed to help students meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading and math. In addition, programs provide youth development activities, drug and violence prevention programs, technology education programs, art, music, and recreational programs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the components of a rural 21st Century Community Learning Center program located in Tazewell, Tennessee, and to determine the impact of the center on the education and welfare of the students and their families who live in this rural town and attend the three Claiborne County schools involved in the grant program. The study focused on the extent to which Claiborne County’s 21st Century Community Learning Center Program was successful in implementing the criteria set forth by the U.S. Department of Education concerning the eight components necessary to be an effective after-school program. The findings from the study indicated that these eight components were being implemented; however, there were also areas of need that should be monitored closely to ensure that the program continues to progress towards becoming an exemplary after-school program