Community Technology Centers Program Outcome Evaluation: Summary Of Findings From Annual Performance Reports Of Fy99 And Fy00 Grantees

Introduction

The United States Department of Education’s Community Technology Centers (CTC) program is an effort to bring technology access, and therefore new opportunities for learning and community participation, to Americans who otherwise would lack that access. The language authorizing the program in 1999 reflects three broad objectives: to provide access to computers and technology to adults and children in low-income communities who otherwise would lack that access; to support learning outcomes by providing educational programs and services to center participants; to develop model programs that demonstrate the educational effectiveness of technology.

This summary of findings, submitted by SRI International, is a report on annual performance data for the Community Technology Centers program. The report includes discussion of the progress toward these objectives through an analysis of annual performance reports (APRs) for Year 2 of the CTC program. APRs from grantees awarded in both FY99 and FY00 were included in the analysis. APRs were received from 114 of 132 awardees. Data from the reports were coded into a database before the analysis was conducted. The analysis for this findings summary is part of a broader evaluation of the CTC program that includes a set of case studies of best practice and the development of reporting tools to aid CTC Project Directors.