Ways AfterSchool21 Helps Districts Track Student Data and Impact on Student Outcomes

    

Educators already appreciate and understand that children are our future, and they need structure and systems to thrive in school and in life. After-school programs help lend structure to children after school hours, which is why after-school programs are vital to the continued success of our students. As recently as 2014, there were 10.2 million children enrolled in after-school programs in the U.S. This is up from 8.4 million in 2009. This number only continues to grow as more and more parents are forced to work full-time outside of the home and desire a safe place for their children when school is over where they can continue to expand on the lessons they received during the school day.

For this reason, after-school programs remain an invaluable resource for children who have little-to-no supervision within the home after school hours, have difficulties with their school work, are English learners, or have special needs.

There are many areas in which educators and administrators can track student outcomes either for reporting purposes, or for determining overall program success and progress. Here are some of the most relevant and popular areas where tracking student or program progress and success can be helpful.

Attendance

The 21APR portal requires programs to submit student data about attendance that is part of the federally required reporting. Reviewing this data can help administrators and directors determine resourcing needs for their programs. For example, if too few students in one location are making use of a STEM tutoring session, a program director might opt to make such a session available to students in another location where there is a higher demand.

Grades

Perhaps one of the most definitive indicators to track and report is the change in students’ classroom grades. Improvement in areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as literacy, can all be definitive measures of the efficacy of an after-school program. One of the most obvious benefits to after-school programs is the opportunity for students to gain access to additional tutoring, study groups, and speak with teachers for extra guidance on specific assignments.

Retention

When programs are able to keep their enrollment numbers in an upward trend, it bodes well for potential future funding. Being able to track student participation in the aggregate can show trends in overall program participation. Tracking individual student attendance can provide insights into program interests (e.g. student only attends when certain activities are offered) or can make it easier to know when a student hasn't attended for some time. When this happens, a personal follow-up can be made to the family, giving the student encouragement to return, which can improve retention numbers. The more a student attends an after-school program, the higher the likelihood they will receive the benefit of attendance. One of our key reports, the Attendance Summary, displays a column that shows, for each activity, the data on the number of students that have attended more than half the time that activity was offered. These students should be receiving a greater impact and thus retention should be further encouraged. For this reason, the 21APR asks for numbers of regular attendees (those that have attended the program 30 or more days). These are the students that should have the most impact made upon them through their participation, not those that just attend a few times.

Leveraging Student Data to Improve Outcomes

Many after-school programs have the desire to track outcomes for these and all students, but might lack the resources or time. Implementing an after-school software system can help. Set up goals, track student progress, and compile reports based on measurables defined by individual programs, districts, or even entire state.

To learn more about how after school program software can help track and monitor student outcomes, request a demo.

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Alyssa Thornley

About The Author

Alyssa Thornley has spent her career working to support schools and communities in providing opportunity to all students. In positions as a teacher, professional development coordinator, and as a volunteer, she has focused on the community’s role in education, and in designing efficient programs that work for diverse needs. Alyssa leads TransACT’s customer engagement and market strategy efforts, and works to ensure innovative programs, guidance, and thought leadership from across the country’s districts are being shared and spread.