- Funding
- Eligibility
- Hours of Operation and Attendance
- Transportation
- Program Requirements
- Educational and Academic Enrichment
- Fiscal/Budget
- Evaluation and Monitoring
Funding
Question: How much funding is available for 21st CCLC elementary and middle/junior high schools?
Answer: The total amount of funding available statewide is approximately $70 million. For individual grants, the minimum 21st CCLC elementary and middle/junior high school grant award per application will be $50,000 per year. There is no maximum grant award per application because the requested amounts will vary according to the number of schools/sites included in the application. However, the maximum cap per site for after- school funding will be $112,500 for elementary school sites and $150,000 for middle/junior high school sites. The maximum cap per site for before school funding will be $37,500 for elementary school sites and $49,000 for middle/junior high school sites. See pages 13 and 14 of the Request for Applications (RFA) for information about additional funding for elementary and middle/junior high schools with enrollments over 600 and 900 respectively (i.e., large-school adjustments).
21st CCLC grantees will receive five one-year grants subject to the performance of the grantee.
Eligibility
Question: Who may apply for a 21st CCLC grant?
Answer: Any public or private organization is eligible to apply for a 21st CCLC grant. Some examples include Local Educational Agencies (LEAs); nonprofit agencies; city and county government agencies, organizations, or entities; institutions of higher education; community-based organizations (CBOs), including faith-based organizations; private schools; for-profit corporations; and consortia of two or more of the above agencies, organizations, or entities.
Question: Are current grantees of an After School Education and Safety (ASES) program or 21st CCLC program eligible to apply for additional funds under this program?
Answer: Yes. However, local applicants should be aware that new funds must be used in a manner consistent with all 21st CCLC requirements and must be used only to supplement, not supplant, any federal, state, or local dollars available to support activities allowable under the 21st CCLC program. Current ASES or 21st CCLC grantees may compete for funds to:
- Expand to serve additional eligible schools that have not been previously funded.
- Add students at a program site currently being served through an ASES program or 21st CCLC program grant.
- Add a supplemental component to an existing ASES or 21st CCLC after-school program or to an existing after-school and before-school program.
Question: May we apply for only the Family Literacy and Equitable Access grants to support an existing ASES or 21st CCLC grant-funded program?
Answer: No. New funds must be used in a manner consistent with all 21st CCLC requirements. Applications must include a request for core grant funds to support both Academic Assistance and Enrichment elements. The additional optional application(s) for Family Literacy and/or Equitable Access grants may support only the core grant application being submitted during this cohort, which is cohort four.
Question: May we apply for only a supplemental grant to support an existing ASES or 21st CCLC grant-funded program?
Answer: Yes. Applicants may apply for a supplemental only grant. Note that the supplemental application must propose to support either a supplemental after-school program or both a supplemental before-school and supplemental after-school component.
Question: May school districts that have received 21st CCLC awards that are ending this year, apply for funds to continue those programs?
Answer: Yes.
Question: Is there any priority for schools that are not currently funded through the ASES or 21st CCLC programs?
Answer: Yes. Within each of the three priorities described on page nine of the RFA, the CDE will first fund schools that are not currently funded under either the 21st CCLC or ASES programs.
Question: Which schools are eligible to be served by 21st CCLC grants?
Answer: Funding eligibility requirements define which schools may be served. The 21st CCLC grant awards will only be provided to quality applications that propose to primarily serve students from schools having one or both of the following characteristics:
- Schools that are eligible for Title I Schoolwide programs (applies to applications proposing to serve public school students)
- Schools that serve a high percentage (40 percent or more) of students from low-income families (applies to applications proposing to serve private school students)
Question: Are private schools eligible to participate in 21st CCLC programs?
Answer: Yes. Private schools are eligible for 21st CCLC program services by (1) satisfying the funding eligibility criteria described in the second bullet point of the previous question to receive services; and/or (2) being eligible applicants for funding to provide services to eligible private and/or public schools students.
To satisfy the funding eligibility criteria to receive 21st CCLC program services, a private school must serve a high percentage of students (at least 40 percent) from low-income families. Applicants must employ any one of the processes described on page six of the RFA to confirm that the private school(s) satisfy requirements for funding.
Note that all applicants must consult with officials from the private schools (including faith-based schools) that meet funding eligibility criteria and are located in the geographic area to be served. See page seven of the RFA.
A public school or other public or private organization that is awarded a grant must provide equitable services to private school students and their families. In designing a program that meets this requirement, grantees must provide comparable opportunities for the participation of both public and private school students in the area served by the grant. Grantees must consult with private school officials during the design and development of the 21st CCLC program on issues such as how the student’s needs will be identified and what services will be offered.
Question: What determines whether a school is eligible to operate a Title I Schoolwide program?
Answer: Schools eligible to operate a Title I Schoolwide program are public schools in which at least 40 percent of the students are eligible to receive free or reduced-cost meals.
Question: What is meant by "active partnerships" in the description of funding priorities on page nine and throughout the RFA?
Answer: Eligible applicants may submit an application to serve schools they identify on Form D.1 even if they are not working in collaboration with the schools to be served (and the LEAs for public schools) during the application planning process. However, the CDE strongly recommends that all applicants plan their 21st CCLC applications collaboratively with the schools (and the LEAs for public schools) to be served. Such collaboration will strengthen the applicant’s ability to collect the required data and to ensure alignment with regular school day curricula, teachers, and state standards.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to provide evidence of this collaboration or "active partnership" with all schools to be served (and LEAs for public schools to be served). Acceptable evidence will be the signatures of the school principals and, for public schools to be served, the signatures of the LEA superintendents on Form B.1.
Question: What is the definition of a quality application?
Answer: Applications will be considered to be quality applications if, after being read and scored against the official rubric by two or more trained readers, the program as described in the application narrative is of sufficient quality to adequately meet all program goals and objectives. A quality application is one that receives a minimum score of 15 (of 20 possible points) from each grant reader. Applications will be considered to be quality applications if, after being read and scored against the official rubric by two or more trained readers, the program as described in the application narrative is of sufficient quality to adequately meet all program goals and objectives. A quality application is one that receives a minimum score of 15 (of 20 possible points) from each grant reader.
Question: May 21st CCLC program funds be used to support religious practices, such as religious instruction, worship, or prayer?
Answer: No. Although faith-based organizations (FBOs) are eligible to apply for 21st CCLC funds and private faith-based schools may satisfy the funding eligibility requirement, 21st CCLC funds may not be used to support religious practices. FBOs may offer such practices but not as part of the program receiving assistance.
Hours of Operation and Attendance
Question: Must we require students to attend our before- and after-school programs five days a week?
Answer: Elementary students are expected to attend every day the after-school component is open. Middle/junior high school students are expected to attend at least three days per week of the five-day program
Question: Because Mondays are early-release days for our regular school-day program, the program starts at 2:00 p.m. and runs until 6:00 p.m. (4 hrs.) During the rest of the week they run from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Fridays they want to run it from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., still having run 15 hours that week. May they do that?
Answer: No. According to California Education Code (EC) Section 8483. (a) (1), every after-school component of a program established pursuant to this article shall commence immediately upon the conclusion of the regular school day and operate a minimum of 15 hours per week and at least until 6:00 p.m. on every regular school day and operate every regular school day during the regular school year.
Question: Our school releases at 3:30 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. The program hours are from 3:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. those four days (2.5 hours/day x 4 days = 10 hours). Friday is a minimum day, and school is released at 1:00 p.m. The program runs for 5 hours, from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. Is this permissible?
Answer: Yes. This complies with EC Section 8483. (a) (1) cited in question two above. The program begins immediately at the end of the school day and until 6:00 p.m. every regular school day, and the program runs for a minimum of fifteen hours per week.
Question: May the hours of operation for a single program be split between two locations (for example, 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at a school site and 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at a community center)?
Answer: Yes. Time may be split between two sites provided all requirements of an off-school site program are met. Please see question 1 in the Use of Alternate Sites section for these requirements.
Question: May an off-site program that is busing in students from various schools operate until 7:30 p.m.?
Answer: Yes. Programs are welcome to operate beyond the 6:00 p.m. regular school-day requirement and beyond the fifteen (15) hours per week minimum requirement. However, no additional funding will be granted beyond fifteen hours per week.
Question: Do students have to attend the full 90 minutes of a before-school program to be counted as attendees?
Answer: The local collaborative determines the attendance requirements for each program.
Transportation
Question: Our school does not provide transportation. Students walk to and from school and to a centrally located after-school center. Does this situation meet the "safe-access" requirement?
Answer: Policies regarding the safe transportation of students to and from the program should be addressed and determined by the local collaborative. Also, please refer to the question below.
Program Requirements
Program Site Eligibility
Question: May our district to use an alternate site for after-school program activities?
Answer: Yes, according to EC Section 8484.6:
(a) Programs established pursuant to this article may be conducted upon the grounds of a community park, recreational facility, or other site as approved by the State Department of Education in the grant application process. Offsite programs shall align the educational and literacy component of the program with participating pupils' regular school programs. No program located off school grounds shall be approved unless safe transportation is provided to the pupils enrolled in the program. Any reference to school site as a physical location in this article shall mean school site or other site as provided by this section. (b) An offsite program conducted pursuant to this section shall comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements that are applicable to similar programs conducted on the school site. Additionally, the location must be at least as available and accessible as a school site, and there must be a clearly defined plan of communication.
Question: Who determines the location of a program site?
Answer: The applicant, school district, and school site must be in agreement about the program site.
Staffing
Question: Are there specific staffing requirements in 21st CCLC programs?
Answer: Federal legislation does not specify the qualifications for staff members who provide educational enrichment or tutorial services under the 21st CCLC program. Note, however, that under federal statute a paraprofessional is defined as an individual who is hired by an LEA, provides instructional support, has earned a high school diploma or its equivalent, and meets one of the following requirements:
- Has completed at least two years of study at an institution of higher education
- Has obtained an associate's or higher degree
- Has met a rigorous standard of quality and can demonstrate – through a formal state or local academic assessment - knowledge of, and the ability to assist in instructing, as appropriate, (a) reading/language arts, writing, and mathematics; or (b) reading, writing, and mathematics readiness
In addition, if the community learning center uses volunteers, they must be appropriately qualified to serve as volunteers in accordance with LEA or private school requirements and must undergo a health screening and fingerprint clearance.
Grantees that propose to serve public schools must establish minimum qualifications for each staff position that, at a minimum, ensure that all staff members who directly supervise pupils meet the minimum qualifications for an instructional aide, pursuant to the policies of the school district.
Also, all grantees must ensure that the program maintains a pupil-to-staff member ratio of no more than 20 to 1. For example, a program serving 35 students must have at least two staff members who met the requirement for instructional aide as defined by the LEA.
Question: Is there a requirement for programs to have a site coordinator?
Answer: Though it is highly recommended by the CDE, there is no specific mandate to have a site coordinator for each site.
Question: May we hire high school students as tutors or use them as volunteers?
Answer: Yes. However, high school students cannot satisfy the federal "paraprofessional" requirements. As a result they cannot be instructional aides or satisfy the 20:1 ratio.
Consistent with EC Section 8483.4, all program staff and volunteers are subject to the health-screening and fingerprint-clearance requirements in current law and district policy for school personnel and volunteers in the school district.
Educational and Academic Enrichment
Question: Do educational enrichment activities differ from the academic assistance component?
Answer: Yes. The academic assistance component must incorporate a broad array of activities that are designed to help students, particularly students in low-performing schools, meet state and local student academic achievement standards in core academic subjects, such as reading/language arts, history-social science, mathematics, computer training, and science. The educational enrichment component must offer an array of additional services, programs, and activities that reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students. Some examples of educational enrichment include youth-development activities, drug and violence prevention, technology education, art, music, recreation, physical education, counseling, character education, and career education. Please refer to Title 20, US Code sections 7171 - 7176 for additional examples of academic assistance and educational enrichment.
Question: The RFA states that "strategies based on scientific research when providing services in core academic areas such as reading and mathematics." What does that mean?
Answer: Scientifically based research as defined in Title IX of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 (Title IX, Section 9101 [37]):
"is research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs. This means research that: (1) employs systematic, empirical methods that draw on observation or experiment; (2) involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn; (3) relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or different investigators; (4) is evaluated using experimental or quasi-experimental designs in which individuals, entities, programs or activities are assigned to different conditions and with appropriate controls to evaluate the effects of the condition of interest, with a preference for random-assignment, experiments, or other designs to the extent that those designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls; (5) ensures that experimental studies are presented in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the opportunity to build systematically on their findings; (6) has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review."
Question: When is scientifically-based research appropriate for the 21st CCLC program?
Answer: The U.S. Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Centers Non-Regulatory Guidance manual states that when providing services in core academic areas where scientifically based research has been conducted and is available - such as reading and mathematics - a community learning center must employ strategies based on such research.
Question: May 21st CCLC program funds support services for prekindergarten children?
Answer: Yes. 21st CCLC program funds may be used to support services for younger children who will become students in the schools being served to get them ready to succeed in school.
Fiscal/Budget
Question: May an elementary school also serve middle school students and receive funding for all students served?
Answer: Yes. Applicants may propose to serve students from multiple schools (including a mix of elementary and middle schools) at a single site. The grant award amount is calculated based on the projected number of students from each school to be served, as identified on Form D.1 in the 21st CCLC grant application. Additional funding will not be provided for students from schools not identified in the application.
Question: Are grant funds available after five years?
Answer: The 21st CCLC program is funded through a series of five one-year grants dependent on the annual availability of federal funds. If federal funding is appropriated for new grants, grantees whose funds have expired may be eligible to apply again as a new applicant in a competitive grant process. Funds may be expended only during the grant period.
Question: What besides indirect costs is included in administrative costs?
Answer: Administrative costs are those costs that are not directly related to the provision of services to students. For example, the salary of a coordinator who oversees the operation of sites (reporting needs, attendance), but is not involved in the development or delivery of student activities and support may be included as an administrative cost. The time that a coordinator spends developing program curriculum and participating directly in the daily activities of students, however, would not be considered an administrative cost. Data collection and evaluation would also be considered administrative costs. Evaluation that leads to program improvement and design need not always be considered administrative.
Question: Administrative costs are limited to 15 percent. Does this include school-site coordinators’ salaries?
Answer: Administrative costs are limited to those expenditures that are not directly related to the provision of services to students. Given the job requirements and duties that your collaborative assigns to specific job titles, a school site coordinator’s salary may or may not be considered an administrative cost (see question #1). Also, part of a school-site coordinator’s salary may be considered a nonadministrative cost if the job requirements and duties are directly related to the provision of services to students.
Question: May LEAs subcontract with other agencies?
Answer: Yes, however, it is important to remember that the fiscal agent for the grant is responsible for ensuring that all requirements and conditions of the grant are met.
Question: Should the provision of safe transportation be funded from the 21st CCLC Program funding, or should the LEA fund it from other sources?
Answer: Transportation for students to and from the 21st CCLC program may be funded from the 21st CCLC core funding, optional Access grant funds, or other sources.
Question: May portable buildings be purchased, or are expenditures for facilities intended for rentals?
Answer: Portable buildings may not be purchased with the 21st CCLC funds; however, buildings may be leased or rented with grant funds.
Question: May funds be used to purchase t-shirts for students enrolled in a 21st CCLC program?
Answer: Yes, to the extent this expenditure is related to the project goals.
Charging of Fees
Question: The RFA states that the CDE strongly discourages applicants from charging fees. What does that mean?
Answer: The intent of the 21st CCLC Program is to establish programs that offer academic assistance and enrichment free to students in need of such services. Though it is not against the rules to charge fees for participation in programs, the CDE discourages it because it could exclude students in need from attending and taking advantage of the 21st CCLC Program services. If a grantee decides to charge fees, Section G-14 of the United States Department of Education's "21st CCLC Program Non-Regulatory Guidance" requires that services be equally accessible to all students targeted for services regardless of their ability to pay. Programs that propose to charge fees may not prohibit any family from participating because of its financial situation, must offer a sliding scale of fees and scholarships for those who cannot afford to participate, and any income collected from fees must be used to fund program activities specified in the grant application. Grantees should also be aware that the costs associated with full accounting may be more than the fees collected.
Supplement Versus Supplant
Question: May 21st CCLC funds be used to enhance (e.g., hire additional teachers) an existing program?
Answer: Yes. However, 21st CCLC funds may only be used to enhance an existing program if the program expands to serve additional students and/or schools.
Evaluation and Monitoring
Question: What evaluation requirements are expected of 21st CCLC grantees?
Answer: All 21st CCLC Program grantees will be responsible for fulfilling the following three evaluation requirements:
- Plan and conduct a comprehensive, rigorous local evaluation of program effectiveness. The CDE expects grantees to use the evaluation results to refine, improve, and strengthen the program and to make the evaluation results available to the public upon request.
- Submit requested annual outcome-based data to the CDE, including measures for academic performance, attendance, and behavioral changes.
- Respond to data-specific requests from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). These requests will be part of the ED Web-based Annual Performance Report (APR) for all 21st CCLC grants, and the CDE will inform 21st CCLC grantees of requirements and timelines.
Question: Is an external evaluator required, or may a district redirect a current evaluator's time to this grant?
Answer: An external evaluator is not required. The local collaborative must determine the evaluation needs of its program and work to ensure that the best evaluation possible is carried out. Funding an evaluator’s time with this grant is permissible.
Question: State privacy laws restrict Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) data at the student level. How should evaluators expect to assess the required STAR data?
Answer: Standardized test data may be reported at the student level by using an identifier that cannot be traced to the student. No names should be submitted to the CDE. The "Additional Assurances" form in the RFA, signed by the LEA's representative, ensures the confidentiality of all data.
Question: Are we required to participate in the Categorical Programs Monitoring (CPM) process?
Answer: Yes. All 21st CCLC grantees that are LEAs must participate in the CDE's established CPM process. This allows for each LEA to be reviewed once every four years by state staff and local administrators trained to review one or more of these programs. The reviews are conducted every year for one quarter of all LEAs. Non-LEA grantees are held to the same requirements as LEA grantees, and they will be monitored with the same instruments.
Question: Will our program be visited by the CDE or local representatives during the year?
Answer: Yes. CDE consultants and regional leads will plan to visit at least one program site for each grantee once each year. The purpose of this visit is for the CDE and regional lead staff to become familiar with the site program, to make an assessment of what technical assistance may be needed, and to provide technical assistance. Site visits will be documented by visiting staff via the After-School Programs Site Visit/Technical Assistance form.
Annual Performance Report (APR)
Question: How are reporting deadlines established?
Answer: The U.S. Department of Education (ED) establishes national deadlines so that states may obtain, review, and certify data from grantees. Deadlines are driven by Office of Management and Budget requirements. The national APR deadline requires the CDE to review and certify APR data prior to submitting it to the ED.
Question: What testing data do I use to complete the APR module?
Answer: California Standards Test (CST) data.
Question: If I have a question or need help while completing the APR, whom do I contact?
Answer: Call Learning Point Associates (LPA) at 1-866-356-2711 or send an e-mail to 21stcclc@contact.learningpt.org.The ED contracts with LPA to maintain the APR reporting system and provide technical assistance and training to CDE and our 21st CCLC grantees.
