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K-12 Student Success: Out-of-School Time Initiative Interim Evaluation Report

This report shares interim findings from the ongoing evaluation of the K-12 Student Success: Out-of-School Time Initiative, funded by The Oregon Community Foundation and The Ford Family Foundation.

Addressing Opportunity and Achievement Gaps

The K-12 Student Success: Out-of-School Time Initiative aims to support and improve student success, particularly for those students who face gaps in opportunity and achievement. In Oregon and throughout the United States, the circumstances of one’s birth determine the opportunities that are available and the life paths that are achievable. In particular, children from low-income families do not receive the same opportunities in their homes, schools and communities available to other Oregonians. Race, geography and other factors exacerbate this opportunity gap, with far-reaching implications for personal achievement throughout life.

About the Initiative

The K-12 Student Success: Out-of-School Time Initiative began in 2013 with an initial commitment from The Oregon Community Foundation of $5 million over five years in funding to support the expansion and improvement of out-of-school time (OST) programming for middle school students. Fourteen grantees were initially awarded three years of funding in late 2013, In 2014, through partnership with The Ford Family Foundation (TFFF) and their commitment of an additional $2.6 million, the Initiative added seven more grantees, bringing the total to 21 organizations engaged with the Initiative between 2013 and 2016. This report focuses on the efforts and learnings of the Initiative and its grantees within this period (through 2016).

About This Report

This report summarizes key findings from the ongoing evaluation of the K-12 Student Success Initiative. The report is organized around, and begins to answer, three key evaluation questions:

  • How and how well was the K-12 Initiative designed and implemented to achieve its goals?
  • How and how well did the K-12 grantees implement quality OST programming to support success for middle school students?
  • How and how well did the initiative and grantee programs contribute to positive youth, parent, organizational and community outcomes?

The final section of the report summarizes key lessons learned and notes how those are already being incorporated into the Initiative. Additional details about the Initiative evaluation itself, including a list of additional reports available through the Initiative (e.g., learning briefs on family engagement and academic support), are found at the end of the report.

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