Frequently asked questions
Are after-school programs free?
Many are. Programs funded by federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants serve students at no cost, and others offer sliding-scale fees or scholarships. Cost varies by provider, so ask each program directly.
What is 21st CCLC funding?
21st Century Community Learning Centers is the only federal funding stream dedicated to before-school, after-school, and summer programs. It is distributed to states, which award competitive grants to local school districts and nonprofits. See our guide for details.
Where does your school data come from?
From public records: the NCES Common Core of Data and state education agencies for the school directory, plus EDFacts, SEDA, the F-33 finance survey, and the Civil Rights Data Collection for academic, funding, and equity metrics. Every figure cites its source.
Do you rank schools?
Any ranking we publish is computed transparently from public data with a documented methodology. We do not reproduce proprietary third-party ratings, and we never publish estimated or made-up numbers.
Can I compare test scores between states?
Not directly — each state uses different tests and proficiency cut scores. For nationally comparable achievement we use the Stanford Education Data Archive (SEDA), which places scores on a common scale.
How often is the data updated?
After-school program and funding data are ingested daily. Federal school datasets are refreshed on their annual release cycle, with the reporting year shown on each page.