The problem in the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) afterschool program was that 40% of the students enrolled performed below the proficiency level in reading on the state assessed exams during the past 3 school years. This was of great concern for the teachers and administrators in this Title I middle school, Grades 6-8. This qualitative project study aimed to explore, understand, and describe the practices and perceptions of CCLC teachers and parents of students enrolled in the 21st CCLC afterschool program. The conceptual framework was Epstein's partnership model, which proposed that school, family, and community work collaboratively to influence positive academic outcomes for students. The research questions examined teachers' practices and parents' involvement to improve reading achievement for low-performing students enrolled in the CCLC. The primary data sources were semistructured interviews of six certified teachers and six parents. Data analysis using thematic coding revealed that all participants acknowledged worry about state mandated test scores, the importance of improving literacy skills, the use of activities to improve student engagement and recommended more parental involvement in the CCLC. Based on the teacher and parent interviews, the final project was designed for teachers using professional development based on researched-based strategies to improve reading with a focus on improving parent involvement in the CCLC. Positive social change may be realized when quality professional development is implemented to enhance the CCLC staff's knowledge of strategies to improve reading achievement on mandated tests for students enrolled in the CCLC program. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]