Des Moines Public Schools 21St Century Community Learning Centers Program

Des Moines Public Schools 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program

Local Evaluation Data

Mike Szymczuk, External Evaluator

Heidi Brown, 21CCLC District Coordinator

Introduction

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant provides funding for innovative programs to help students become successful, independent learners. Reading, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math), arts, music, language, and service learning programs are tailored to student need and provide necessary skill building opportunities for students to gain 21st century workforce, academic, and social emotional skills. Other activities include a variety of topics: cooking, global arts, financial education, junior achievement, movie making, gardening, physical fitness activities (disc golf, volleyball, soccer, track, dancing, yoga, etc.), and personal development (building healthy self-esteem and positive relationships).

The 21CCLC program at DMPS has become a leader among grantees in the state of Iowa because of its strong design, outstanding partnerships with community organizations, effective implementation of programs, and the overall positive impact on student achievement levels. 21CCLC bridges the gap between school, family, and community, forging connections and providing a comprehensive support system to help youth succeed academically and socially.

I like that my kids have a lot of help to advance in reading, as that is one of the barriers I’ve had. Thank you for your availability and interest in helping us so that our kids can advance in their studies. 21CCLC Parent

Profile

Des Moines Public Schools has been home to 21CCLC programs since 2007 and serves over 3,100 students each year. The initiative provides academic programming, recreational enrichment, and family literacy to students and families at the following schools:

1 | Page

Brody Middle School
Calllanan Middle School
Goodrell Middle School
Harding Middle School
Hiatt Middle School
Hoyt Middle School
McCombs Middle School
Meredith Middle School
Weeks Middle School
Capitol View Elementary
Garton Elementary
Hillis Elementary
King Elementary
Monroe Elementary
Morris Elementary
Stowe Elementary
River Woods Elementary
Samuelson Elementary
Willard Elementary
Stowe Elementary (Cohort X)

1 | Page

Objectives Cohort VII

Cohort VII- Brody, Capitol View, King, McKinley, Monroe

Methods used to measure objectives: schedules, program calendars, district formative assessment data, state assessment data, teacher surveys, parent surveys, Youth Program Quality Assessment tool, and student surveys.

Objective / Objective Classification / Status of Objective
DMPS will provide afterschool programming 5 days per week, for 1-3 hours per day, to students in identified schools. / Improve student achievement / Met stated objective-
21CCLC programs are offered an average of 5 days per week, for 3 hours per day at all Cohort VII schools.
80% of students will make gains in math levels as measured by formative assessments. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Did not meet but progressed toward the stated objective-
0verall cohort VII made 73% gains in math based on the SMI (scholastic math inventory) assessment, with McKinley and Monroe making the goal with 84% and 83% gains respectively.
80% of students will make gains in reading levels as measured by formative assessments. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VII made 83.78% gains in reading based on the SRI (scholastic reading inventory) assessments.
24% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 10% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually. / Improve student achievement / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VII 16% of students improved from not proficient to proficient on state assessments. While this does not meet the original goal of 24%, it does meet the amended goal of 10%. The goal was amended to reflect the Iowa Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook requirement of 10% for Safe Harbor.
24% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in reading on state assessments annually.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 10% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually. / Improve student achievement / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VII 14.1% of students improved from not proficient to proficient on state assessments. While this does not meet the original goal of 24%, it does meet the amended goal of 10%. The goal was amended to reflect the Iowa Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook requirement of 10% for Safe Harbor.

“I love the fact that they work on reading and math… but still get to do fun things!”21CCLC Parent

Formative assessment data to support objectives:

1 | Page

Mathematics Cohort VII
Grade Levels / Assessment / # in Cohort 7* / # Tested** / Gain / Method of Computing Gain
Kindergarten / 32 / 0 / 0
1st Grade / 64 / 0 / 0
2nd Grade / 113 / 0 / 0
3 - 8th Grade / SMI/Quantile / 439 / 427 / 310 / Simple growth score
648
# Gained / # Tested / % Gain
Grades 3 - 8 / 310 / 427 / 72.60%

* - Total number who attended 30 days including those who left the district = 669

** - both fall and spring scores

Reading Cohort VII
Grade Levels / Assessment / # in Cohort 7* / # Tested** / Gain / Method of Computing Gain
Kindergarten / FAST/TIER / 32 / 31 / 19 / Using % change method
1st Grade / FAST/TIER / 64 / 63 / 22 / Using % change method
2nd Grade / BRI/Fluency / 113 / 109 / 100 / Simple growth score
3 - 8th Grade / SRI/Lexile / 439 / 432 / 353 / Simple growth score
648 / 635 / 494
# Gained / # Tested / % Gain
Grades 2 - 8 / 453 / 541 / 83.73%
Grades 2 - 8 are evaluated in this local evaluation. FAST/TIER is not a development scale. The method used to compute gain on the K and 1 assessments is an estimate.

* - Total number who attended 30 days including those who left the district = 669

** - both fall and spring scores

Cohort VIIdata cont.

Cohort VII has completed the third year of 21CCLC programming and was granted an additional two years of funding at 75% after completing a state evaluator visit in January 2015. Programs are open five days a week for an average of thirty-two weeks per year during the school year, and six weeks in the summer.

School Year / Summer
Average Hours Per Term (Operations) / Average Hours Per Term (Operations)
512 / 90

Total Number of Students: 2,524

Total Number of Students Served in 21CCLC Programs: 1,082

Total Number of Regular 21CCLC Attendees: 649 – this represents 108% attendance goal for this cohort (goal is 600 students).

I don’t have to be home alone anymore and I get to meet lots of new people. 21CCLC Student

Youth Program Quality Assessment:

The Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA) is a validated instrument designed to evaluate the quality of youth programs and identify staff training needs. The tool is used to assess the following: Safe Environment, Supportive Environment, Interaction, Engagement, Youth Centered Policies and Practices, High Expectation for Youth and Staff, and Access. Each domain contains items that focus on specific elements of best-practice. In addition to a quantitative evaluation required by the federal government, Des Moines 21CCLC program also seeks additional qualitative evaluation from an external evaluator (Community!Youth Concepts) for a twice yearly assessment. The YPQA tool was used for these assessments, the first of which is done in September, followed by a planning session with all staff to create an action plan to improve the quality of the program for the rest of the school year. The second assessment is done in the spring, to gauge the effectiveness of the plan. The following table shows the spring YPQA assessment results for Cohort VII, compared to the national average of 21CCLC afterschool programs participating in the YPQA evaluation.

I like how the teachers are so kind and funny and make me laugh. 21CCLC Student

Iowa Quality Counts - Des Moines 21CCLC - Des Moines 21CCLC Site - Youth PQA - Site Level External

Assessment vs National Average

Network: Iowa Quality Counts

Organization/Grantee: Des Moines 21CCLC

Program/Site: Des Moines 21CCLC Site

Large Sample Data

Size N = 1263

An online Scores Reporter is used to analyze the YPQA scores data and determined the following suggestions for professional development based on the three lowest scoring items in this report. The Scores Reporter makes suggestions automatically and based solely on scores. These suggestions are not meant to replace the thoughtful conversations of staff members during an improvement planning process, but are provided for consideration and to enhance discussion.

Planning and Reflection

The skills of making plans for the future and learning from the past can help youth succeed in school and in life. These skills are tied into what brain scientists call executive functions, and play an important role in directing attention to tasks and decision making that connects with consequences.

Youth Voice

Providing young people with chances to make decisions about their activities and how they carry them out can improve motivation and buy-in, and more importantly, offering choices in the solace of a youth program space gives youth a chance to practice for the bigger choices they’ll make outside of the program.

DMPS plans to use the information provided from the scores report to continue to improve programming specifically in the areas of planning and reflection and youth voice.

21CCLC has allowed her to learn social skills, healthy eating, and public speaking. It’s an awesome program to form relationships with teachers and kids. 21CCLC Parent

Objectives Cohort VIII

Cohort VIII- Garton, Hillis, Morris, River Woods, Samuelson, Willard

Objective / Objective Classification / Status of Objective
100% of participants will gain new experiences and important life skills by planning and engaging in enrichment programs that complement core academic areas. / Improve student achievement; Improve student behavior; Retain students; Facilitate the social development of participating students; Safe and secure environ. / Met the stated objective
A wide array of programming was offered throughout the year and during the summer to meet this objective.
24% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 10% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VIII 16.8% of students improved from not proficient to proficient on state assessments. While this does not meet the original goal of 24%, it does meet the amended goal of 10%. The goal was amended to reflect the Iowa Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook requirement of 10% for Safe Harbor.
24% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in reading on state assessments annually.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 10% of non-proficient participants will improve from not proficient to proficient or above in math on state assessments annually. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VIII 22% of students improved from not proficient to proficient on state assessments. While this does not meet the original goal of 24%, it does meet the amended goal of 10%. The goal was amended to reflect the Iowa Consolidated State Application Accountability Workbook requirement of 10% for Safe Harbor.
80% of students will make gains in math levels as measured by formative assessments. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Did not meet but progressed toward the stated objective-
0verall cohort VIII made 77% gains in math based on the SMI (scholastic math inventory).
80% of students will make gains in reading levels as measured by formative assessments. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort VIII made 88.59% gains in reading based on the SRI (scholastic reading inventory) assessments.
DMPS will provide afterschool programming 5 days per week, for 1-3 hours per day, to students in identified schools. / Improve student achievement / Met stated objective-
21CCLC programs are offered an average of 5 days per week, for 3 hours per day at all Cohort VIII schools.
85% of participants will demonstrate improvement in homework completion, classroom participation, and behavior as measured by classroom teacher report. / Improve student behavior; Retain participating students; Facilitate social development of participating students; Provide safe and secure environment / Met stated goal
95% of participating families will indicate satisfaction with the program as measured by parent surveys. / Reach targeted participation levels in enrichment support activities; Retain participating students; Foster community collaboration; Provide a safe and secure environment / Met stated goal-
96% of parents rated the program “good” or “excellent” on parent feedback surveys.
DMPS will provide afterschool education enrichment activities in collaboration with community partners, that promote positive youth development, encourage student engagement, and offer extended learning opportunities. / Reach targeted participation levels in enrichment support activities; Retain participating students; Foster community collaboration; Provide a safe and secure environment / Met stated goal-
DMPS enjoys collaboration with a variety of community partners including; ASAP, CultureAll, Community Youth Concepts, Grubb YMCA, Global Arts Therapy, The Jane Foundation and United Way.
DMPS will provide family literacy events a minimum of four times per year to engage students and their families in interactive literacy activities. / Retain participating students; Offer a particular type of activity or service; Facilitate the social development of participating students; Provide a safe and secure environment. / Met stated goal-
All 21CCLC sites held at least 4 family events over the course of the school year and participated in the 21CCLC Maker’s Convention-attended by over 500 people.

Formative assessment data to support objectives:

Mathematics Cohort VIII
Grade Levels / Assessment / # in Cohort 8* / # Tested** / Gain
Kindergarten / 52
1st Grade / 145
2nd Grade / 153
3 - 6th Grade / SMI/Quantile / 537 / 518 / 399
887
# Gained / # Tested / % Gain
Grades 3 - 6 / 399 / 518 / 77.03%
Summary Table by Building
Building / # of Children / % Gained
Garton / 84 / 67.0%
Hillis / 102 / 84.0%
Morris / 91 / 70.0%
River Woods / 85 / 79.0%
Samuelson / 70 / 86.0%
Willard / 86 / 77.0%

* - Total number including students who attended 30 days but left the district = 900

** - both fall and spring scores

Reading Cohort VIII
Grade Levels / Assessment / # in Cohort 8* / # Tested** / Gain / Method of Computing Gain
Kindergarten / FAST/TIER / 52 / 51 / 13 / Using % change method
1st Grade / FAST/TIER / 145 / 142 / 53 / Using % change method
2nd Grade / BRI/Fluency / 153 / 147 / 144 / Simple growth score
3 - 6th Grade / SRI/Lexile / 537 / 519 / 446 / Simple growth score
887 / 859 / 656
# Gained / # Tested / % Gain
Grades K - 6 / 656 / 859 / 76.37%
Grades 2 - 6 / 590 / 666 / 88.59%
Summary Table by Building
Building / # of Children Tested / % Gained in Reading
Garton / 116 / 89.0%
Hillis / 123 / 89.0%
Morris / 115 / 93.0%
River Woods / 107 / 90.0%
Samuelson / 94 / 91.0%
Willard / 111 / 86.0%
Total / 666 / 89.0%

* - Total number including students who attended 30 days but left the district = 900

** - both fall and spring scores

21CCLC was an opportunity to introduce Gretel to junior high. I feel she will be comfortable with the transition and new experiences now. I also like the variety of classes offered. She brought me flowers she planted, cooked our family meals, and enjoyed her shows in Glee Club. She had fun and made new friends. 21CCLC Parent

My children have learned a lot at 21CCLC. If it was not for this program, my children will just sit in front of the TV and do nothing else. This program is very good. Thanks for everything you have done for my kids. 21CCLC Parent

Cohort VIII data cont.

Cohort VIII completed the second year of funding. Programs are open an average of five days per week for thirty-two weeks during the school year and six weeks in the summer.

School Year / Summer
Average Hours Per Term (Operations) / Average Hours Per Term (Operations)
497 / 90

Total Number of Students: 3,206

Total Number of Students Served in 21CCLC Programs: 1,299

Total Number of Regular 21CCLC Attendees: 900 – this represents 100% of attendance goal for this cohort (goal is 900 students).

Youth Program Quality Assessment can be seen on page five of this report.

The best part of the program at Brody Middle School is that the classes offered are very interesting and enhance life skills. Love that everything is hands-on and that the students are treated like young adults. The atmosphere seems relaxed and open. 21CCLC Parent

Objectives Cohort IX

Cohort IX- Callanan, Goodrell, Harding, Hiatt, Hoyt, Meredith, McCombs, Weeks

Methods used to measure objectives: schedules, program calendars, district formative assessment data, state assessment data, teacher surveys, parent surveys, and student surveys.

Objective / Objective Classification / Status of Objective
Provide summer time academic enrichment activities 5 days per week, for 3-4 hours per day, for six weeks to students in identified schools. / Improve student achievement;
Reach targeted participation levels in core educational services; Offer a particular type of activity or service / Met the stated objective.
Summer programming was offered in eight middle schools five days per week for eight hours per day, four hours more than the additional goal- which was made possible with partnerships from United Way and Des Moines Public Schools.
80% of participants will maintain or improve their scores on the Scholastic Reading Inventory (SRI) from Spring to Fall.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 65% of participants will maintain or improve their scores on the SRIfrom spring to fall. / Improve student achievement / Met stated objective-
Overall cohort IV 65.2% of students maintained or improved scores on the SRI. While this does not meet the original goal of 80%, it does meet the amended goal of 65%. The goal was amended after discussion with external evaluator and inspection of overall district growth patterns.
80% of participants will maintain or improve their scores on the Scholastic Math Inventory (SMI) from Spring to Fall.
This objective has been amended to reflect the SMART goal: 50% of participants will maintain or improve their scores on the SMIfrom spring to fall. / Improve student achievement / Did not meet, but progressed toward stated objective-
Overall cohort IV 44% of students maintained or improved scores on the SMI. This does not meet the original goal of 80%, nor the amended goal of 50%. The goal was amended after discussion with external evaluator and inspection of overall district growth patterns.
Provide a family literacy event to engage students and families in interactive activities, strengthening parent-child relationships and academic performance. / Reach targeted participation levels in enrichment support activities; Retain participating students; Foster community collaboration; Provide a safe and secure environment / Met stated objective-
The culminating event of the summer brings together community partners, students and parents and a relationship building event.
95% of participating families will indicate satisfaction with the family literacy even as measured by parent surveys. / Reach targeted participation levels in enrichment support activities; Retain participating students; Foster community collaboration; Provide a safe and secure environment / Met stated objective-
100% of participation families rated the program either “good” or “excellent” on parent feedback surveys.

Cohort IV- Callanan, Goodrell, Harding, Hiatt, Hoyt, McCombs, Meredith, Weeks