21st Century Spotlights: Students Gaining Ground in 21st CCLC Programs
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21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) programs benefit students in more ways than one, from boosting academic performance to promoting positive behaviors to providing a safe, structured environment for children to go after school. Improving academic outcomes is a key goal of 21st CCLC and policymakers tend to focus on the high stakes outcomes like test scores. While many programs report gains in areas such as math and reading/ ELA achievement and improved standardized test scores, it is important to note that programs help students make gains in other areas as well, even if they are less reported and/or less recognized. Programs across the country help students improve their school day attendance, classroom behavior, social and emotional skills, and school engagement; these additional measures help capture the full impact that 21st CCLC programs can have on students.