2017-20 Cohort 9 Request for Applications, Paper Application and Instructions and Grant Attachments
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers
(21st CCLC) grant is a competitive grant that provides federal funding to
establish community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and
cultural enrichment opportunities for students and their families. These
opportunities must occur during non-school hours or periods when school is not
in session to help students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools
to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects. Centers must also
offer students a broad array of activities that can complement their regular
academic programs, to offer literacy and other educational services to their
families.
The
21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program is
authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) Act of 2015. Under the
Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) section 4201 (b) a community learning
center means an entity that:
''(A) assists students to meet the challenging State academic standards
(in core academic subjects, such as reading and mathematics) by providing the
students with academic enrichment activities and a broad array of other activities
(such as programs and activities described in subsection (a) (2)) during
non-school hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before and
after school or during summer recess) that—
(i) reinforce and
complement the regular academic programs of the schools attended by the
students served; and
(ii) are targeted to
the students' academic needs and aligned with the instruction students receive
during the school day; and
(B) offers families of students served by
such center opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their
children's education, including opportunities for literacy and related
educational development."
The 21st CCLC grant is administered by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and provides funding for the
establishment of community learning centers to provide students with academic
enrichment opportunities. In addition to academics, 21st CCLC grantees may also
use the
funds to carry out a broad array of activities that advance student academic
achievement and support student success, including before and afterschool,
summer, Saturdays and holiday programming. A minimum of 50 percent of daily
programming must directly target reading, math, and science enrichment with the
balance of activities occuring on a
rotational basis. "Each eligible entity that receives an award under section 4204 may use
the award funds to carry out a broad array of activities that advance student
academic achievement and support student success, including:
(1) academic enrichment learning programs,
mentoring programs, remedial education activities, and tutoring services, that
are aligned with—
(A) the challenging state academic standards and
any local academic standards; and
(B) local curricula that are designed to improve
student academic achievement;
(2) well-rounded education activities,
including such activities that enable students to be eligible for credit
recovery or attainment; (mathematics and science activities)
(3) literacy education programs, including
financial literacy programs and environmental literacy programs;
(4) programs that support a healthy and active lifestyle, including
nutritional education and regular, structured physical activity programs;
(5) services for individuals with disabilities;
(6) programs that provide after-school activities for students who are
English learners that emphasize language skills and academic achievement;
(7) cultural programs;
(8) telecommunications and technology education programs; and expanded
library service hours;
(9) parenting skills programs that promote parental involvement and
family literacy;
(10) programs that provide assistance to students who have been truant,
suspended, or expelled to allow the students to improve their academic
achievement;
(11) drug and violence prevention programs and counseling programs;
(12) programs that build skills in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (referred to in this paragraph as 'STEM'), including computer
science, and that foster innovation in learning by supporting nontraditional
STEM education teaching methods; and
(13) programs that partner with in-demand fields of the local workforce
or build career competencies and career readiness and ensure that local
workforce and career readiness skills are aligned with the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) and the
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)." and
(14) extended learning time (ELT) is the time that a local educational
agency (LEA) "extends its normal school day, week, or year to provide
additional instruction or educational programs for all students beyond the
state-mandated requirements for the minimum to support ELT. This must be expanded at the district level
for 300 hours, if selecting this option.
Currently, PDE is administering 21st CCLC
grants to two cohorts of awardees. Each grant award is for three consecutive
years, contingent on continued availability of funding from the federal
government and satisfactory performance. If awardees are found to not be
meeting the requirements of the grant or choose to no longer participate in
year two or three, subsequent funding will not be provided to those entities.
In the spring of 2017 Cohort 7 grantees were
offered a fourth and fifth year of continuation funding. Those grants
will end September 30, 2019.
