Illinois State Board of Education Awards $33 million to Support Before- and After-School Enrichment Programs

Eighty-seven applicants receive 21^st Century Community Learning Center grants

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Board of Education approved grants that will support valuable before- and after-school enrichment programs that annually serve nearly 70,000 students. The $33 million in federal 21^st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) grants will fund programs at schools and organizations across the state.

“Before- and after-school programs through the 21^st Century Community Learning Center grants provide students a wide assortment of activities, services and resources that reinforce and complement what they’re learning in the classroom and help families connect with their children’s education,” said State Superintendent of Education Christopher A. Koch. “This experience is valuable for low-income students who are especially vulnerable to outside forces that impede learning, such as hunger and unstable housing conditions. Such programs often make all the difference in a child’s life.”

The 21^st CCLC grant program supports extended learning and academic improvement opportunities that bridge achievement gaps and are aimed to help pre-kindergarten through 12^th-grade students in high-poverty, low-performing schools meet state and local performance standards in core subjects, such as reading and math. The program offers a variety of services to students and their parents/caregivers to promote social-emotional development and cultural enrichment, including drug and violence prevention lessons, counseling, art, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics(STEM) programs, music and recreation classes, technology education and character education.

The program also sponsors family events and provides literacy and related educational services for parents and caregivers to better engage families in school activities. Although ISBE’s flexibility waiver to some aspects of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) allows applicants to provide programming during the school day through extended learning time, most student activities are provided during non-school hours (before or after school) or periods when school is not in session, including weekends, summer recess, holidays and the upcoming winter break.

“These grants allow our community partners – like the Rockford Park District, museums and arts programs – to bring their excellent programs into our schools so our students can experience all Rockford has to offer through enrichment,” said Ankhe Bradley, assistant superintendent of training and development for Rockford Public Schools. “In addition to reading and math tutoring, the grants provide constant educational stimulus during after-school hours. We’re excited to get these programs back into our schools.”

The purpose of the 21^st CCLC grant program, a key component of NCLB, is to serve schools where low-income students make up at least 40 percent of the population or schools eligible for Title I school-wide programs. Title I provides financial assistance to schools with high numbers of children from low-income families to ensure all students meet state academic standards.

“This grant allows us to extend the educational day so students can spend more time in a learning environment,” said East Aurora School District 131 Superintendent Dr. Michael A. Popp.  “Because of the grant, our students will receive educational opportunities that aren’t necessarily available at home. Many of our families work more than one job and rely on a longer educational day to provide an enriching after-school setting. We’re so appreciative that this grant will help our families with great needs.”

Illinois receives funds for the program based on a formula from the U.S. Department of Education. The $33.7 million allocation was available for fiscal year 2015 awards through a competitive grant process.

ISBE received 142 proposals, requesting more than $53 million. Eighty-seven 21^st CCLC grants on behalf of 300 schools and entities were awarded based on criteria including the need for the project, adequacy of resources, plan for sustainability and cost effectiveness. Each application was read and scored by three peer reviewers and three ISBE staff members then reviewed those scores.

The 2015 grantees can be renewed for four years, but subsequent fiscal years depend upon a sufficient appropriation for the program and satisfactory progress in the previous grant period. The award amount per site ranges from $50,000 to $150,000. Each applicant may request funds for as many eligible schools as they have the capacity to serve. The total award for any one funded application over a five-year period will not exceed $2.7 million.

ISBE has outlined seven performance objectives for grant programs to use to gauge whether they are meeting the state’s minimum requirements for encouraging student success. These are: student involvement in school activities, student achievement, positive behavioral changes in students, community benefits, expanded learning opportunities, professional development opportunities for program personnel, and efficient and effective use of funds.

ISBE’s College and Career Readiness Division conducts an annual evaluation of the 21^st CCLC program and results from the last three fiscal years (FY 2012-14) show that the program had an average of 151 active grants, which totaled an average of 447 operational centers. The three-year average of students served was 66,933. Among those students served, 32,047 were regular attendees who attended more than 30 days. While the total number of active grants remained fairly constant over those three years, the number of students served increased each year. Likewise, the total number of students considered regular attendees also increased, demonstrating that the program has consistently expanded its reach and service to students.

Schools and organizations receiving grants for FY 2015 are: