Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Request for Proposals Guidance

Overview and Guidance
I. Purpose
Congress, under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), established the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers
(21st CCLC) program. The passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
significantly amended the ESEA to expand state and local accountability and flexibility
and to stress the adoption of research-based practices pursuant to Title IV, Part B of
the ESEA, as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act, 20 U.S.C. 7171-7176
(ESSA)
The purpose of the grant is to fund community-learning centers that provide students
with academic, enrichment, recreational, and social emotional support opportunities
outside of regular school hours and to consistently serve the same students over a
prolonged period. Centers, which can be in elementary or secondary schools or other
similarly accessible facilities, provide a range of high-quality services to support
student learning and development. Centers should be designed to support families by
offering them educational development opportunities and providing a safe environment
for students when school is not in session.
The 21st CCLC program aims to achieve the following goals:
* provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including homework help and tutorial
services to students, particularly those who attend schools with a demonstrated need
for services, to meet state and local student performance standards in core academic
subjects, such as reading, mathematics and science;
* offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as:
youth development activities; drug, violence, and pregnancy prevention programs;
counseling; project-based learning; art, music, technology education programs; service
learning; character education and recreation programs that are designed to reinforce
and complement the regular academic program of participating students; and
* offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for
literacy and related educational development, such as: adult development activities,
family activities, opportunities for governance and leadership involvement, and
participation in school and program events.
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II. Eligible Applicants, Lead Applicant Requirements, Lead Partner
Applicant Requirements and Subcontractor/Vendor Guideline
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants must serve schools where at least 40 percent of
students are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. If a school's
data have changed due to school closings and/or redistricting, the
Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) reserves the right to
award or deny eligibility.
The following entities are eligible to apply as a lead applicant:
* all local educational agencies (LEAs), endowed academies, charter
and magnet schools;
* Regional Educational Service Centers (RESCs) applying on behalf
of LEAs; and
* community-based organizations (CBOs), including faith-based
organizations (FBOs) and other public or private organizations in
partnership with a local school or school district.
Applications submitted by LEAs must provide a detailed explanation of
partnership with at least one partner applicant, with either entity acting as
the lead partner. CSDE is open to receiving applications with varied
configurations between CBOs, LEAs, and partners. Applications submitted
by RESCs on behalf of LEAs or magnet schools, or by CBOs, must
explicitly mention their intended or existing partnership with a local school
or school district in their proposal. Applicants are strongly encouraged to
create collaborative programming that has the potential to last beyond the
funding cycle. Any district that needs help finding a community-based
partner should contact their local RESC. For more information, please
contact Shelby Pons at shelby.pons@ct.gov.
Priority Points (Section III) will be given to applicants who jointly submit by
not less than one local educational agency receiving Title I, Part A funds,
and another eligible entity.
Applicants may submit more than one proposal.
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LEAs or RESCs as Lead Applicant
For school districts applying as lead applicants, fiscal health and financial policies
can be documented in a letter of commitment from the superintendent that states
that the programs have the capacity to invest time and resources to support
program start-up and implementation, as specified in the grant proposal,
notwithstanding a delay in funding.
CBOs or FBOs as Lead Applicant
For CBOs and FBOs applying as lead applicant, fiscal health and financial
policies must be documented by providing all of the following information as
attachments on the CBO or FBO Related Documents page:
* copy of IRS determination letter;
* organization chart;
* members of the board of directors with names and affiliations;
* organization's most recent financial statements (audited, if available) and
management letter (if available); and
* organization's annual operating budget and actual income and expenses
for the current fiscal year.
Lead Partner Applicant Requirements
Applicants must require the lead partner to compliance with all conditions and
restrictions that apply to grant recipients under the 21st CCLC funding
requirements:
provide appropriate progress reports and financial reports to the CSDE;
be accountable to the CSDE for how it uses 21st CCLC funds provided
under the subcontract;
follow applicable state and federal rules regarding financial management,
internal controls, cost principles, and audit requirements;
collect and provide performance data for the recipient to include in its
reports to CSDE and at the end; and
provide a letter of commitment (see Partnership & Collaboration, question
#5)
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All Lead applicants must upload to the related documents section:
upload a letter of commitment from the Superintendent and each site
principal (see Partnership & Collaboration, question #4);
Mandatory Superintendent, CBO and Principal Signature Document (see
Cover Page)
Subcontractor/Vendor Guidelines
If the Lead Applicant provides 21st CCLC funds to a partner applicant, the CSDE will
consider the agreement between the recipient and the outside entity a
"subcontract."
All subcontracts are subject to the terms of the CSDE grant funding source, and the
grantee is held solely responsible for the performance of the subcontractor.
Additionally, a copy of the CSDE-approved funding application must be provided to
the subcontractor by attachment to the subcontract. The CSDE reserves the right to
communicate directly with the subcontractor about the terms and conditions of the
funding and details of the subcontract.
Expanded Learning Time: grantees are not eligible to use 21st CCLC award funds
to support Expanded Learning Time (ELT) activities. Subgrantees are not permitted
to operate community learning centers during the school day.
III. Priority Points
1. Five (5) Priority Points will be awarded to applicants who: a) Target students (and
their families) who attend schools identified by the CSDE as in need of intervention
and support to improve student academic achievement and other outcomes (see
Eligibility school list), and b) target students who may be at risk for academic failure,
dropping out of school, and the families of such students.
2. Five (5) Priority Points will be awarded to applicants who jointly submit by not less
than one local educational agency receiving Title I, Part A funds, and another eligible
entity.
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3. Four (4) Priority Points may be awarded to programs that enhance their
proposed 21st CCLC program(s) by incorporating the LEA's existing Multi-tiered
Systems of Support, aiming to enhance the social, emotional, and academic
growth of each student. To earn priority points, complete section G. Optional:
Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Priority Points.
To ensure that each student receives the appropriate interventions, it is crucial
to provide consistent support throughout the school day as well as in after-
school programs. This can be effectively achieved by integrating MTSS in 21st
CCLC programs. The collaboration on student outcomes within the MTSS
framework enables intentional relationship-building between school and after-
school staff, fostering a shared focus.
MTSS teams are typically composed of district and/or school-level
administrators, along with representatives from a variety of roles within the
school and district. Beyond the standing members, each child's problem-solving
team should include staff who are engaged with the student regularly. This
includes any professionals who support the student in or after-school. School
administrators ensure that teams have ongoing access to effective training so
that all staff members know what accurate implementation looks like and can
carry out key implementation actions in schools and after-school programs.
An inclusive and supportive learning community is a place where all members of
the school and district community feel accepted, valued, trusted, and cared for.
Effective educational leaders focus on ensuring their schools provide a safe,
predictable, and positive environment where students' social, emotional,
behavioral, physical, and academic needs are met. The MTSS framework can
assist educational leaders in aligning and integrating MTSS to 21st CCLC
programs. Specifically, empowering the MTSS team to include 21st CCLC staff
as team members would ensure the after-school community is reflective and
inclusive of the cultures and languages in the school's community and that
school norms support a respectful and caring learning environment both during
the school day and in after-school programs.
The role of schools and after-school programs in addressing societal,
community, family, and student needs has expanded dramatically over the last
decade. In addition to ensuring all students meet increasingly rigorous academic
standards, both school and after-school programs are asked to reduce school
bullying, improve overall school climate, support student and staff mental health
needs, prevent school dropout, and prevent or reduce disproportionality.
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Schools and communities must work collectively to support students and assist
with both academic and non-academic barriers to learning. MTSS focuses on
enhancing the social, emotional, and mental well-being of students, while also
fostering their engagement and academic achievements. It is important for
school-day and after-school staff to work together, using student-centered
interventions and services. For example:
use experiential or "hands-on" learning;
offer activities in small groups; and
provide students with access to various forms of media.
Working together to offer experiences like these can assist students in
understanding academic material and acquiring new abilities. Research has
repeatedly indicated that adoption of a multi-tiered approach can be an effective
means of supporting students both academically and behaviorally, with
favorable outcomes including improved academic achievement, decreases in
referrals and eligibility for special education services, reduced disruptive
behavior, increased school safety, improved teacher climate and self-efficacy
and increased social competence and emotional regulation in students.
IV. 21st CCLC Grant Award and After-school Program Dosage
Requirements
21st CCLC Grant Awards
Awards under the 21st CCLC program will range from $50,000 to $250,000 per year for
a period of up to three (3) years. The number and size of awards will depend on the
availability of federal funds, with efforts made to distribute funds equitably across
different geographic areas within the state.
To ensure sufficient resources to operate high-quality programs, awards will not be
made for less than $50,000 annually. Applications requesting more than $250,000
without the required in-kind contribution documentation included on the Cover Page will
be deemed ineligible and will not be reviewed.
Programs proposing to provide student transportation must include the estimated cost
per bus in the total funding request. The total request, inclusive of transportation costs,
may not exceed the $250,000 maximum annual award. A formal cost estimate from the
transportation provider must be uploaded with the application, as specified on the Cover
Page.
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At least 75 percent of the requested funds must be used to support direct services to
students and families, including staff who provide academic and enrichment
opportunities, program supplies, educational experiences, and transportation for
students to travel safely to and from the program. No more than 25 percent of the
requested amount may be used for administrative expenses, and indirect costs are not
allowed. Funds must be used to provide direct services and support the administration
of the grant, as this is not a planning grant.
Programs must start operating as described in the approved application once they are
notified of the award. Subgrantees should be ready to begin providing services
according to the proposed timeline, even if there is a delay in receiving grant funds.
Programs must allocate 2 percent of annual grant funds for statewide evaluation,
professional learning, database management, technical assistance, and quality
advising. This must be included in the proposed budget.
Programs are required to use the Grant Award Calculation Chart to determine the
correct year-one grant calculation.
21st CCLC Grant Award Calculation Chart
$18 per student per day of operation.
Calculation: $18 per target number of students x days of program operation = 21st
CCLC Grant Award
After School Program Example:
50 students for 120 days during school year
$18 x 50 students = $900 x 120 Days = $108,000
30 students for 20 days during summer
$18 x 30 students = $540 x 20 Days = $10,800
Total Year One 21st CCLC Grant Award Calculation: $118,800
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Transportation:
50 students use 2 busses home for 120 days
2 busses = $90/day
$90/day for 120 days = $10,800
Total Year One 21st CCLC Grant Award with Transportation = $128,800
Minimum Dosage Requirements
The 21st CCLC grant application is highly competitive, and applications that exceed minimum
requirements may receive higher scores. Grant funds cannot be used for drop-in programs;
programs must consistently serve the same group of students. For example, if the target is 50
students, the program should aim to serve these same 50 students each day it operates.
To qualify for funding, programs must meet these minimum requirements:
* Weeks of programming: At least 25 weeks per school year
Days and hours of operation:
* Elementary School: 4 days/week, 2.5 hours/day (minimum 100 days open)
* Middle/High School: 3 days/week, 2 hours/day (minimum 75 days open)
* Staff-to-student ratio: 1:15 (1:10 for Kindergarten and Pre-K)
Optional programs:
* Summer program (minimum 20 days)
* Before-school, Saturday, or non-summer, vacation programming
High School Applicants
High School applications have a maximum target of 50 students per site.
V. Program Income
Program income may be generated through fundraising activities or, in limited
circumstances, through participant fees.
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Fundraising
All programs are eligible to generate program income through fundraising activities,
which may include events such as car washes, merchandise sales, or other initiatives
designed to raise funds in support of your program. Requests for fundraising income are
generally approved, provided they meet federal and state requirements.
Participation Fees
Section 4204(b)(2)(F) of the ESEA states that a 21st CCLC program must target
students who primarily attend schools eligible to operate a schoolwide program,
meaning schools with a poverty rate of at least 40 percent. Therefore, under the U.S.
Department of Education's 21st CCLC Non-Regulatory Guidance, charging participant
fees to generate program income is generally not allowable because 21st CCLC
programs are intended to serve low-income students.
Beginning with the U.S. Department of Education's September 2024 issuance of the
updated 21st CCLC Non-Regulatory Guidance, requests to charge participant fees are
no longer allowable unless the fees are required by another coordinated federal grant
program, such as the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF).
Programs approved to charge participant fees prior to September 2024 may continue
operating under their previously approved terms through the end of their current grant
period; however, if a renewability award is granted, it will not include approval to charge
participant fees. All requests to charge participant fees submitted after September 2024
require the CSDE to submit the request to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) for
review, and fees may not be charged unless the applicant receives prior written
approval from the USDE.
Any approved program income activity must comply with all U.S. Department of
Education (USDE) and Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE)
requirements. All program income generated must be used solely for approved 21st
CCLC program expenses and must be tracked and reported in accordance with federal
and state requirements.
If approved, the participation fee must guarantee that afterschool enrollment reflects the
free/reduced lunch demographics of the school(s) named in the grant application. For
example, if a program received a grant to support students who attend a school where
65 percent are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, at least 65 percent of the
afterschool program enrollment must consist of students who qualify for these meals.
Eligible applicants must apply annually and establish an enrollment process that clearly
communicates to all families that no child will be turned away due to inability to pay. All
program materials must include the statement: "No student will be turned away from
participating in the 21st CCLC program due to an inability to pay." In addition, students
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