With millions of children currently enrolled in after-school programs across the country, there is a great deal of data to manage and report to the federal government. A portion of an after-school program funding can be dedicated to administration, such as after-school software system data management.

A Web-based after-school data management system allows site staff to easily enter student demographics, attendance outcomes, and more. It also helps grant managers monitor progress from their own office, without the hassle of collecting or merging spreadsheets of data. Additionally, when it comes time to complete 21CCLC reporting, the required reports will be readily available, in the correct format. Here’s how AfterSchool21 helps programs achieve readiness to submit data to the 21APR portal.

Management

As student data is collected, it must go somewhere in order for programs to remain organized. For example, program staff can record activity attendance on paper rosters, or on a smart device located in the classroom. Recording attendance on a mobile device helps programs skip the step of manually entering attendance into the database.

Administrators can view the progress of their program from a broader viewpoint, allowing them to quickly and easily see which centers are thriving and which may need assistance. Additionally, programs can help keep thorough records of each participant, set goals for them, and track their progress on various outcome measures.

Student Data Analysis

While using a spreadsheet to manage data may work on a day-to-day basis, it isn’t conducive to helping administrators, directors, and managers easily analyze data. AfterSchool21 not only keeps data organized, it also helps users see their performance, and allows program directors to track the overall performance and progress of each center’s program.

When all data has been collected, directors may then filter and analyze the data available to them, allowing them to easily see each program’s successes or identify areas where improvements are necessary. This creates a kind of “feedback loop.” A tool like AfterSchool21 allows programs to gather information in real time and run reports to analyze at their discretion, which is significantly more effective than waiting until the end of the year and doing a "post-mortem" on a program with a single report.

Submission

When logged into the 21APR portal, users can easily submit required data. This is because all required APR numbers have been calculated automatically by AfterSchool21, providing users with a seamless way to report on their programs’ successes.

Overall, submission of data to the 21APR portal doesn’t have to be burdensome. By using an after-school software system, program staff spend less time collecting and reporting and more time nurturing the children in their care during those important after school hours.

To learn more about how AfterSchool21 can help your program submit data for APR21, schedule a demo today.