A two year-study of the center will address four research areas:

1. Participants and Staff:  How many young people (both in total and unique attendees) are served by the center per day, week, month, and year, and what are the clientele’s demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, language status, income status, school and school district)?  How many young people (both in total and unique attendees, and by demographic groups) participate in particular center-based programs?  What is the rate of repeating and new participants in particular programs, and what is the mean number of programs (of a certain type and in general) that individuals participate in?  How many days per year (mean and standard deviation) do clients visit the center and participate in its programs?  Who are the staff and volunteers at the center, and what are their backgrounds?

Answering these questions will help the center know whether they are reaching their target demographic population, whether the population served is changing over time, whether their programs are attracting repeat participants, and whether the background and qualifications of their staff and volunteers seem suitable for meeting their objectives.  This information will also serve as baseline data for organizing the impact study that will take place in Year 2.

2. Program Practices:  What are the center's current program practices in areas such as student recruitment and selection, staff selection and training, program organization, educational curriculum, instructional approach and methods, deployment of staff and volunteer resources, and use of media and other learning materials?  How do these practices compare to those of other identified high quality programs?  Based on observations, interviews, and surveys of participants, how do the center's program practices appear to contribute toward meeting their goals?

Answering these questions will help the center assess whether the implementation of the program is taking place according to plan and whether such implementation seems consistent with what is known about high quality afterschool learning programs.  This information will also help the center to consider what variations in program practices may be recommended for better meeting their objectives.

3. Students’ Experiences: Based on interviews, observations, analysis of student-produced work, and surveys, how do culturally and linguistically diverse students from largely low-socioeconomic status backgrounds experience participation in a technology-intensive, asset-driven community learning program?  What kinds of relationship do they form, what kinds of literacy practices do they engage in, and how do their knowledge, skills, and attitude develop in such a program?

Answering these questions will provide the center a detailed examination of the experiences of participants, and the response of participants to their programs and activities.  This information will help the the center refine its programs or design new programs that best meet the needs of its targeted population, and also to better explain to its sponsors and the public the qualitative impact of the center's programs on individual children’s lives.

4 Student Impact:  How, over a single academic year, do participants in this center differ from comparison groups of non-participants on pre- and post-instruction measures, including school attendance, school grades, behavior problems, prosocial behaviors, efficacy, initiatives, stated career and educational aspirations, and steps taken to pursue a career or higher education?

It is expected that any gains in these areas within a single year will be modest with substantially larger impacts accruing with sustained participation over several years. .  Nevertheless, answering these questions over a single academic year will allow the center to begin to track the impact of participation in their programs on students’ behavior, attitudes, and achievement that can be followed in subsequent years if the center elects to do so.