The Maine Department of Education (DOE), in partnership with the national organization Measurement Incorporated, has released a new Statewide Evaluation Report for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program.
The 21st CCLC program is a federally funded competitive grant program that helps schools and communities develop before-school, after-school, and summer educational programs that support students and their families. By law, states must monitor program implementation and conduct periodic evaluations to assess program impact and effectiveness and to inform continuous improvement efforts.
This most recent evaluation of Maine’s 21st CCLC program was conducted to examine data and trends in statewide implementation, outcomes, and impact of the program across a three-year period (2022-23, 2023-24, and 2024-25). The resulting report outlines the various methodologies used to conduct the evaluation, key findings of the work, and recommendations for program improvement.
Some key findings from the report include:
- The program continues to have broad reach, serving students and families in 13 of Maine’s 16 counties
- While overall program enrollment declined by 13%, the average attendance rate for participating students increased by 13%
- The rate of students demonstrating improved mathematics achievement on the state assessment increased over time (68% of participating students in 2025-2026)
- In general, students with higher rates of program attendance experienced greater improvements in academic achievement, behavior, and school-day attendance
Overall, the key findings of the report support growing research on the positive outcomes associated with participation in out-of-school time programs. The full report, including detailed charts and analytical appendices, is available here.
For more information on the 21st CCLC program, including this report, please contact Travis Doughty at (207) 624-6709 or travis.w.doughty@maine.gov.
21st CCLC funds received from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) support the implementation of this project. The project has an award totaling $136,067.00 of which 100% is federally funded and directly attributed to project implementation. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement by, ED or the U.S. government.
