| Policymakers are increasingly turning to expanded learning time (ELT) as a strategy for improving student achievement. This trend is impacting community-based organizations' (CBOs) work in schools, pushing them to focus more on academics and engage with schools in new ways. Most notably, grantees of the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program are expected to link their after-school programs to academic outcomes in significant ways, and they may now be asked to deliver a longer school day, now allowable under ESEA flexibility.;This narrative inquiry explicates the stories of six CBO site directors implementing a 21st CCLC grant while balancing community needs, principal demands, and federal expectations. Through a series of in-depth interviews, qualitative data was collected and coded. Codes were derived from the data and a conceptual framework that coupled organizational theories (neoinstitutionalism and authentic partnership theory) and a policy framework (street-level bureaucracy). Findings suggest that, despite meeting basic federal requirements, CBO site directors prioritize their agency goals over the government's academic goals, and they are constantly making decisions that align to their CBO missions and student needs rather than focusing on academic achievement. However, they also strive to have deep partnerships with school staff that push progress toward collective goals; this may operate through aligned services or in a "divide and conquer" model where the school manages academics and asks the CBO to focus on other areas. Most participants classify their programs as expanded learning because of these deep partnerships, despite not meeting the generally accepted definition of ELT. Ultimately, local programs operate independently from and unbounded by the federal government.;Policy and practice lessons are presented, including the importance of investing in partnership development between schools and CBOs as a means to move toward deeper partnership and improved student supports. Secondly, the vast influence of CBO norms and goals must be recognized, which may suggest a more selective grantmaking process, directing funds to those agencies with missions that are aligned to federal goals. Finally, a closer look must be taken at why community leaders (and many principals) seem to prioritize social/emotional learning and other non-academic goals in these programs; this information can inform USDOE as to how local leaders make decisions about what is best for students. |
