Measuring the Impact of 21st Century Community Learning Centers

This paper investigates the relationship between student achievement and participation in before- and after- school academic enrichment programs funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Center (21CCLC) grant. The 21CCLC program is aimed at students in high-poverty, low-performing schools. I analyzed the first two cohorts awarded the program in school years 2002/2003 and 2003/2004 and compared them to public schools not funded by the program. Using difference-in-differences estimation, I found schools receiving the program experienced a higher percentage of students meeting or exceeding test standards: 1.332% higher in the first year and 2.055% in the second year compared to schools without the intervention. Differentials were highest for middle schools with the outcome variable measuring 8.969% to 9.016% higher for schools with the intervention. My results give evidence to the efficacy of academic enrichment programs particularly those that target low-income students