21st Century Community Learning Centers Technical Assistance Training

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21st Century CommunityLearning
CentersTechnical AssistanceTraining

• 2009 Mississippi Best Practice in Dropout
  Prevention Conference
• April 16, 2009
• Jackson, MS

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Introduction

• Evidence shows that after-school programs improve
  student academic performance, attendance and
  graduation rates, and reduce risky behaviors
• Students who regularly participate in
  after-school programs show greater academic gains
  than non-participants
• Students in after-school programs are more likely
  to stay in school and graduate

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Introduction

• Students in after-school programs are less
  likely to engage in risky behaviors
• Studies of other extended-day and extended-time
  activities have produced similar results to those
  of after-school programs.

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Program Purpose

• To establish or expand community learning
  centers that provide students with academic
  enrichment opportunities along with activities
  designed to complement the students regular
  academic program.

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Purpose of the Law

• 1. Provide opportunities for academic enrichment,
  including providing tutorial services to help
  students, particularly those who attend
  low-performing schools, to meet state and local
  student performance standards in core academic
  subjects

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Purpose of the Law

• 2. Offer a broad array of additional services,
  programs, and activities, such as youth
  development activities, drug and violence
  prevention programs, counseling programs, art,
  music, and recreation programs, technology
  education programs, and character education
  programs that are designed to reinforce and
  complement the regular academic program of
  participating students

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Purpose of the Law

• 3. Offer families of students served by community
  learning centers opportunities for literacy and
  related educational development

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Project Activities

• Remedial education
• Math and science activities
• Arts and music education
• Tutoring and mentoring services
• Activities for limited English proficient
  students
• Recreational activities
• Technology telecommunications programs
• Entrepreneurial activities

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Eligible Applicants

• In addition to schools and school districts
• Any public or private organization
• Faith-based groups
• Non-profit agencies
• City or county government agencies
• Institutions of higher education
• For-profit corporations
• Private schools

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Expanded Range of Locations

• In addition to having community learning centers
  in elementary or secondary schools, they can now
  be in other locations that are as available and
  accessible as the school.

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Targets Services to Poor and Low-Performing
Schools

• Schools with a high concentration of students
  from low-income families and high rates of
  poverty
• States must give priority to applications for
  projects that will serve children in schools
  designated as in need of improvement under Title
  I and that are submitted jointly by school
  districts receiving Title I funds and
  community-based organizations or public/private
  organizations.
• Parents and family of eligible students

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Grant Amounts and Maximum Length

• Approximately 12 million is available for 21st
  CCLC program grants in MS
• Grants for single eligible organizations will
  range from 50,000-250,000
• Grants for a consortium of eligible organizations
  will range from 100,000 - 500,000
• States may award grants for a period of three to
  five years

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Focus on Academic Enrichment Opportunities

• Grantees must provide academic enrichment
  activities to students in high-poverty schools to
  help them meet State and local standards in the
  core content areas, such as reading, math, and
  science
• Centers must serve adult family members of
  students, but not community members at large

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Supplement not Supplant

• Grantees must use program funds to supplement
  and not supplant other Federal, State, and local
  funds.

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Priority Points

• Competitive preference will be given to
  organizations where 21st CCLC dollars can make
  the most impact by
• Serving students who attend schools identified
  for improvement according to Section 1116 of the
  No Child Left Behind Act of 2001(2 points)
• Submitting a proposal jointly with at least one
  LEA receiving funds under Title I Part A and at
  least one public or private community
  organization participating (4 points)
• Proposals written for Middle and/or High School
  students exclusively.

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Application

• Evaluate the community needs and available
  resources for the community learning center
• Describe how the proposed project will address
  those needs
• Give assurance the project will primarily target
  students attending schools where at least 40 of
  the children are from low-income families

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Application

• Describe the before and after school or summer
  activities to be funded, include
• Assurance activities will take place in a safe
  and easily accessible facility
• Describe how participating students will travel
  safely to and from the center and home
• How you plan to inform the community of the
  center-include location and in a understandable
  manner
• Demonstrate experience or promise of success in
  carrying out the project
• Describe how the activities are expected to
  improve student academic achievement

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Application

• If applicable, describe how the eligible entity
  will encourage and use appropriately qualified
  seniors to serve as volunteers in the project
• Describe how activities will meet the principles
  of effectiveness

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Principles of Effectiveness

• Projects activities shall be based on
• Assessment of objective data for the projects
  need
• Established set of performance measures aimed at
  ensuring the availability of high quality
  academic enrichment activities and
• Scientifically based research that provides
  evidence that the project will help students meet
  the local student academic achievement standards.

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Application

• Include an assurance that the project was
  developed, and will be carried out, in active
  collaboration with the schools the students
  attend
• Provide a description of the partnership between
  the LEA, a community-based organization, and
  another public entity or private entity
• Include an assurance that the community will be
  given notice of an intent to submit an
  application and that the application and any
  waiver request will be available for public
  review after submission
• Identify federal, state and local programs that
  will be combined or coordinated with the project
  to maximize the most effective use of public
  resources

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Application

• Include assurance that funds under this part will
  be used to increase the level of state, local and
  other non-federal funds, and in no case supplant
  federal, state, local or non-federal funds and
• Give a description of a preliminary plan for how
  the community learning center will continue after
  funding under this grant program ends
• Provide a budget for the life of the grant and
  beyond
• Reach out to community businesses
• Seek sources to meet matching requirements
• Stress community buy-in

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Budgeting Expenditures

• Allowable permitted or not specifically
  prohibited
• Allocable necessary for project success
• Reasonable costs that would be incurred by
  wise person

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Matching/Cost Sharing

• Demonstration of institutional commitment
• Cash or in-kind contribution such as equipment,
  supplies, facilities and staff time
• Required match of 20, 40, 60, in years 3-5
• Will not exceed grant award amount
• Ability to provide match will not affect the
  applicants score or the funding decision

Partnership grantees should share matching
responsibilities
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Matching Tips

• Honor all commitments in application
• Primary grantee (fiscal agent) tracks matching
  contributions of all partners
• Understand matching requirements
• Total project costs include both the federal
  share plus the applicant share
• If the total project costs were 200,000 and
  there is a 20 matching requirement, the federal
  share would be 140,000 and the applicant share
  would be 60,000

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Evaluation

• A successful project has a strong evaluation
  component
• Periodic review throughout life of the grant
• Have a solid understanding of up to date research
  on effective instructional practices for both
  project design and evaluation
• Unbiased measurement of project goals and
  objectives

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Components of a Good Evaluation

• Assessment of objective data
• Consider the initial need
• Effectiveness of activities to achieve goals
• Have an established set of performance measures
  aimed at ensuring high-quality academic
  enrichment opportunities
• If appropriate, scientifically based research
  provides evidence projects activities will
  improve student academic performance

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Evaluation Tips

• Conduct pre and post tests
• Develop individual development plans for all
  participants
• Communicate with students teachers
• Measure the five components of reading
  instruction
• Phonemic awareness
• Phonics
• Vocabulary
• Reading fluency, including oral reading skills
• Reading comprehension strategies

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Winning Reminders

• Plan ahead
• Assess organizational strengths/weaknesses
• ID target population and their need
• Determine what services you can provide
• Be aware of submission requirements, deadlines,
  etc.
• Develop a partnership with an LEA
• Outline roles and responsibilities
• Select a fiscal agent

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Why Do Kids Drop Out?

• 47 Classes werent interesting
• 43 Missed too may days of school
• 42 Too much time with peers not interested in
  school
• 38 Too much freedom and not enough rules in life
• 77 Failing too many courses to be promoted to
  10th grade

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Costs of Not Graduating

• High School Dropouts
• Earn almost 450,000 less than those who graduate
  High School
• Earn 2 million less than those who obtain a
  Bachelors Degree
• On average, spend 20 years living in poverty

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Ways to Bridge

• The world of work
• Career exploration and job shadowing
• Apprenticeships
• Internships
• Summer employment
• Working within the afterschool program
• Program leadership ladders and stipends
• College and continuing education
• Community service and social capital

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Ways to Bridge

• Academics
• Credit recovery
• Access to student performance data and
  partnership with other counselors
• Credit for participation in program

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High School Afterschool

• Reflect on emerging issues
• Hear what high school youth value in afterschool
• High School model in Los Angeles, CA
  http//temescalassociates.com/video/beyondexpectat
  ionsweb/beyondexpectationswatch.htm

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Challenges

• Attendance
• Accountability
• Partnerships (true)
• School administrators
• Parents
• Community Leaders
• Businesses

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Contact Information

• Charlotte Bryant
• Karen Austin
• Mississippi Department of Education
• Office of Innovative Support
• 359 N. West Street
• Jackson, MS 39205-0771
• 601-359-3499
• cbryant_at_mde.k12.ms.us
• kaustin_at_mde.k12.ms.us