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AFTERSCHOOL & THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY BILL - Questions, Answers & Ideas
This wiki was created by the Afterschool Alliance for the field and our staff to post ideas, questions and answers related to the Economic Recovery Act, how the funds may flow, how to access them and what we can do to position afterschool for support. For other background on the bill and afterschool, please see our Policy & Action Center [1]. See also our Afterschool and Ed Reform Wiki [2]to share ideas and discuss ways expanded learning opportunities like afterschool and summer can play a role in successful Race to the Top, Invest in Innovation and School Improvement grant proposals.
To add a topic, question, idea or response, email mdauphin@afterschoolalliance.org.
Bill Regulations, Implementation & Implications
On Friday, February 13, 2009, the House and the Senate passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. President Obama signed the bill into law on Tuesday, February 17. The bill includes potential afterschool supports:
- $2 billion for Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG), about one third to be used to support children in afterschool programs. The full $2 billion dollars is available upon enactment. Of the $2 billion, $255 million will be set aside for quality improvement activities, $93 million of which will go towards improvement of infant and toddler care.
- 53.6 billion for a State Fiscal Stabilization Fund - States (via their governors) will receive a total of $48.3 billion, $39.5 billion to be spent on education and $8.8 billion for public safety and other government services, which may include education and school modernization, renovation and repair. The US Department of Education will have oversight of $5 billion total for both a State Incentives Grant program and an Innovations initiative ($650 million).
- $13 billion for Title I for distribution through state and local education agency grants under subpart Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, to include $3 billion for subgrants to local schools for school improvement and $10 billion for formula grants to local education agencies (LEAs)
- $200 million for additional AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps VISTA members: $89 million to make additional awards to existing AmeriCorps State and national grantees and to provide adjustments to awards made prior to September 30, 2010. In addition, not less than $65 million will be made available for the AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program. AmeriCorps members currently help staff many afterschool programs, and additional members could be a great resource for struggling afterschool programs.
- $1.2 billion for Youth Training and Employment Services - of the $3.95 billion provided for Workforce Investment Act state formula grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth job training programs, $1.2 billion is designated for youth services, and the bill specifically mentions creating summer employment opportunities for youth.
- $50 million for YouthBuild - Of the $3.95 billion for Workforce Investment Act state formula grants for adult , dislocated worker and youth job training programs, $50 million will go toward the YouthBuild program to expand this program to give at-risk youth the opportunity to gain education and occupational credentials while constructing or rehabilitating affordable housing.
5-27-10 Update
ARRA Grants Awarded for Longitudinal Tracking Systems
The Institute of Education Sciences has awarded grants to 20 state education departments for the design and implementation of statewide longitudinal data systems. These grants, funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, are intended to support states with the development and implementation of systems that promote the linking of data across time and databases, from early childhood into career, including matching teachers to students, while protecting student privacy and confidentiality consistent with applicable privacy protection laws. (http://nces.ed.gov/programs/slds/fy09arra_announcement.asp)
Longitudinal Data Grant Awardees are:
Arkansas - $9.8 million Colorado - $17.4 million Florida - $10.0 million Illinois - $11.9 million Kansas - $9.1 million Maine - $7.3 million Massachusetts - $13.0 million Michigan - $10.6 million Minnesota - $12.4 million Mississippi - $7.6 million New York - $19.7 million Ohio - $5.1 million Oregon - $10.5 million Pennsylvania - $14.3 million South Carolina - $14.9 million Texas - $18.2 million Utah - $9.6 million Virginia - $17.5 million Washington - $17.3 million Wisconsin - $13.8 million
12-4-09 Update
We hear that the Dept. of Ed might post a ppt that shows how they want RTT, I3, etc to connect. We'll let you know when have more details.
6-3-09 UPDATE: How can I tap Recovery funds for afterschool at the state level?
Here are some tools and resources that are available:
• See the Afterschool Alliance's helpful step-by-step guide to working with state and local partners at: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyEconRecovStateProgramIdeas.cfm
• A New Day for Learning, an initiative funded by the C. S. Mott Foundation, has released new guidance with information on how state leaders, advocates and policymakers can leverage opportunities in ARRA to drive reforms in education that will boost student success while helping to create and save jobs. The three page document is available at: http://www.newdayforlearning.org/docs/NDL_Overview_and_State_ARRA_Recommendations.pdf
5-13-09 UPDATE: How much will my state get? For state-by-state data on allocations, funds released and previous figures on federal afterschool funds in your state, see http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyEconRecoveryStateByStateData.cfm.
4-29-09 UPDATE: The Dept. Of Education posted a new user-friendly guide, Using ARRA Funds to Drive School Reform and Improvement[3], on the Department’s website (http://www.ed.gov/recovery/).
The Department encourages individuals to utilize this new guidance to “[frame] questions for decision-making and examples of potential uses of funds to improve educational outcomes from early learning through high school. It is intended to spark ideas about how school districts and schools might use ARRA funds -- particularly those available under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, Title I, and IDEA, Part B programs. While many districts may need to use a portion of their ARRA funds to save jobs, every district and school should be considering how to use these funds to improve student outcomes over the next two years and to advance reforms that will have a long-term impact.”
The Department of Education has posted state-by-state breakdowns for ARRA Funds for state formula programs and projected budget levels at this link: http://www.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/statetables/09stbystate.xls
What has my state or district received in ARRA funds? A helpful Funding Tracker, at http://www.learningpt.org/recovery/fundFinder.php , provides state's recently released allocations for ESEA Title I Grants to LEAs, IDEA Parts B and C, as well as school district's allocations for Title I, Part A. Created by Learning Point Associates.
Who will determine how the funds are used? That will depend on the funding stream. Governors, for example, will have great influence on how the State Stabilization Funds are used. Funding provided for existing programs, like CCBDG, WIA, Title 1, l will be administered by the agency or entity that currently administers the program. State legislatures may have a role if regulatory changes are needed to allow certain expenditures; for example, changes in CCDBG requirements. For more advice on decision makers and leverage points around specifics fund areas, please see the section on that program.
Can my Governor or state legislature stop my state from receiving the funds? Governors - The Governor must certify within 45 days of enactment their intention to request and use funds in ARRA. The State Legislature may certify the state's intention to use any funds not accepted for use by the Governor. So, legislatures should be able to access funds even if the Governor of a state turns away recovery dollars. State legislators - The power of state legislatures to effectively stop the flow of recovery dollars depends on the budget authority it has, which varies by state. In Florida, for example, the Governor and the legislature have controlling authority over the funds but the legislative authority is only advisory, so it should not be able to stop the use of the funds. If you are concerned about your state, look into the legislature's actual authority over spending money in the state. (Thanks to National Conference of State Legislators for responses on this question)
Who should I be talking to about funds being used to support afterschool? • Convene allies, potential allies on plans around package • Talk to your Governor’s office, Mayors, superintendents, Department of Education and other relevant agencies • Know that agencies may have started or already developed plans around influx of new funds. It is important to find out now about those plans to see how you might influence them.
What are Governors saying about the challenges of using recovery dollars? Pew Center for the States has posted responses from 21 governors, and will be posting more commentary. See http://www.stateline.org/live/ . The website features a wealth of information states, from snapshots of state budgets in crisis to State of the States posted, which can be helpful to review in indentifying what message you might emphasize.
What will be the reporting requirements for these funds? The President and the Secretary have made clear that they will require reporting on use of funds, and will be looking to see that funds are used effectively and efficiently. The process for such reporting is not yet clear but we have been told that the US Department of Education has already begun to put assign staff who will be monitoring states' use of funds.
UPDATED/NEW RESOURCES (May 09): Learning Point Associates has created a State Resources Page (http://www.learningpt.org/recovery/information.php ) weekly with news from states and examples of the resources they are creating to manage stimulus dollars.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has created a summary of state plans to track and provide oversight of federal stimulus funds. See http://www.ncsl.org/programs/fiscal/stimulusoversight.htm
Download a helpful side by side guide to the reporting requirements for the distribution and allocation of stimulus funds to states from Learning Point Associates here: http://www.learningpt.org/recovery/StimulusSide-By-Side.pdf
When will the funds from the Economic Recovery Package actually be distributed? The timing in which the money will actually "hit the streets" will vary for each program. We believe that the money will most likely be distributed over the next two years. We will post on specifics for each program as they are made public.
Given that much of the federal stimulus dollars will pass through the states, do you think it likely that states will hang onto the dollars for a while? While that has been a common experience in the past, we’re hearing from federal officials that they’re expecting these new dollars to move quickly. We think that some bureaucracies will get bypassed to make that happen, and acknowledged the tension between being careful in spending, and spending fast. For example, we expect the Child Care Development Block Grant dollars to move quickly, and where afterschool programs are involved, we expect state administrators will be receptive to ideas, in terms of keeping programs open, expanding to serve waiting lists, etc.
What are some examples of ways the ARRA funds are impacting state budgets?
In New York, advocates reported that the state’s Advantage After-School saw an increase of approximately $5 million from the FY 09 allocation (after the mid-year FY 09 cuts), with a total of $30,563,000 for FY10. Advantage was facing a 25% cut, but instead received its highest allocation ever in its 10 year history. Advocates said that a key factor to the increase was the additional TANF stimulus funds that would be available to legislators. Although the increase did not include stimulus funds, legislators felt they had greater flexibility to reduce cuts knowing that more funds would be coming down the line from the recovery grant.
Will the relevant federal agencies provide written materials spelling out procedures for the use and distribution of the stimulus dollars?
Right now, it is too soon to know, but the Afterschool Alliance will pass along any news we hear. However, because the timeline is short, afterschool programs would be well advised not to wait for process documents, but rather to begin contacting decision-makers soon.
The Administration has created a general Economic Recovery Package website, including an at-a-glance timeline on milestones http://www.recovery.gov/
Visit the U.S. Department of Educations ARRA website for extensive info and updates: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html
View this slideshow presentation for a visual presentation on the principles and strategies guiding the department: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/presentation/index.html
Idea: Advocates should contact state agencies (Departments of Education, Labor and Child Care) as soon as possible to weigh in on state plans before they are submitted to the federal government.
With the distribution of ARRA funds pending, many state agencies will need to develop plans for a greater number of programs and find opportunities to build greater transparency and community partnerships. All state agencies need to give the public the opportunity to weigh in and share comments on their budget plans. Statewide Afterschool Networks are ideal partners to help states increase transparency because of their extensive community contacts, advocacy base and state-wide reach, particularly with high poverty communities. Statewide Afterschool Networks should contact their state agency liaisons as soon as possible to flag the deadlines for public comments.
Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG)
Also see our webpage on CCDBG & Economic Recovery [4]
$2 billion is allocated for Child Care and Development Block Grants (CCDBG). Based on current use of these dollars, we estimate that about one third will be used to support programs serving school-age children (see a state by state breakdown of use of CCDBG funds at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/statep.html.)
Of the $2 billion, $255 million will be set aside for quality improvement activities, $93 million of which will go towards improvement of infant and toddler care. CCDBG dollars will be rolled out in the next 45 days (from end of Feb). States will have 2 years to allocate the funds and 3 years to make all expenditures. States will also need to report on the use of the funds by the end of the first year including reporting on activities that the funds were used for and the numbers of jobs created and retained as a result.
March 2010 Update:
President Obama's FY2011 budget calls for an increase of $1.6B to CCDBG. This would be the largest increase to the program in 20 years. Half of the funds would be discretionary and would not require a state match and half would be mandatory grants, which would require a state match.
FAQs:
Where can I find information on the amount of CCDBG funds that have been allocated to my state?
The US Department of Health and Human Services released additional information on state by state allocation for CCDF Recovery funds at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb/law/funding_allocations.htm
Contract clause - Idea: Use “contract” or “grant” allowance for afterschool. Under current law, CCDBG dollars can be used to contract afterschool programs to provide slots for children needing care. This avenue provides use of funds to support programs outside the standard voucher system. This is an administrative decision that state agency leadership has authority to make.
Reimbursements - Idea: Pursue increase of reimbursement rates. Many child care advocates are working on this, so it may make sense to partner with them on this effort.
Licensing - Idea: Pursue waiver or automatic licensure for school-based programs or establish different requirements for programs.
Additional ideas on tapping CCDBG funds for afterschool:
-Serving kids who have been on wait lists
-Increasing reimbursement rates
-Providing bridge loans to low-income providers
-Providing grants to providers in low-income communities
-Expanding subsidies to include families who are actively looking for work
-Providing college scholarships/professional development for program staff
-Sample recommendations outlining why and how funds could be used to support afterschool: Download memo from the Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (in partnership with Boston Afterschool and Beyond) submitted to the commissioner of the Department of Early Education and Care on the allocation of stimulus funding to support afterschool efforts: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Policy%20and%20Action/MAP_Draft_Killins_Letter_ARRA%5B1%5D.pdf
Use of quality set-aside funds - Can quality set-aside be used for afterschool programs? Yes, it can – and the increase in funds could make this a possible support for afterschool professional development. Typically the quality funds are quickly used, but the additional influx of money could be an opportunity to obtain support for afterschool professional development and other infrastructure development. The set aside for quality will follow the existing requirements. Under the current SENATE bill, there is $255 million in additional funds to support quality, some of which can go to school-age care.
Do all current set asides apply to new funds? Yes, unless specified otherwise, we believe that all funds in the bill will be subject to existing requirements and set aside rules.
On the Afterschool Alliance website, it says that 1/3 of the child care block grant money goes to children in afterschool programs. Could you give more information on how this money will be distributed? Is there specific language in the stimulus bill for this or is the money just distributed through normal mean by the states and basically 1/3 of the money is spent on school age children? Our observation is based on past experience where 1/3 typically goes to school age. You can view the use of CCDBG funds in your state at the Afterschool Investments Project, Administration for Children and Families: http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/afterschool/statep.html
How can advocates partner with Child Care Bureaus to ensure that they include afterschool in their CCDBG state plans?
There are many opportunities to partner with your Child Care Bureaus and make the case to tap CCDBG funds for afterschool. For example, in Kentucky, the Kentucky Statewide Afterschool Network developed a relationship with a representative from the state Child Care Bureau who oversees the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG). In an effort to build a partnership with CCDBG and afterschool, the Network invited the CCDBG representative to take part in conversations and working groups that the Network held to demonstrate opportunities where CCDBG could support afterschool. In January 2009, the Network was able to get the representative to attend a national convening of Mott Statewide Afterschool Networks. The national meeting gave the representative a chance to hear about the use of CCDBG stimulus dollars for afterschool and the positive results that other states had from using child care funds to support afterschool. Impressed with the results, the CCDBG state representative decided to allocate $1.27 million of her CCDBG budget to afterschool including $1 million for licensed afterschool programs, $35,000 to support the Kentucky Statewide Afterschool Network and $50,000 for professional development for CCDBG programs.
Title 1 - School Improvement Grants (SIGS)
3-26-10 UPDATE:
Dept of Ed announced that IN, MD, NJ, OH, WA, MN and WV will receive funds under the Title I School Improvement Grant program.
Here are grant award tallies below: Indiana ($61 million), Maryland ($47 million), New Jersey ($66 million), Ohio ($132 million), Washington ($50 million), Minnesota ($34 million) and West Virginia ($22 million)
See the states' application summaries at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/sif/summary/index.html#wv
See the Afterschool Alliance's analysis of SIG and opportunities for afterschool at: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyEconRecovSchoolImprovGrants.cfm
12-4-09 UPDATE:
Applications for the SIF are now up on the Dept. of Ed's website: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/applicant.html
Applications are due on or before February 8, 2010.
9-08-09 Update:
On September 3rd,the Dept of Ed posted additional guidance on Uses of Funds for Title I, Part A and IDEA, which includes specific language encouraging support for expanded learning opportunities before and after school and during the summer. The guidance is available in a word document[5] and pdf version [6] on www.ed.gov.
9-01-09 Update:
More Details on proposed guidance for the School Improvement Grants.
The Department has said that the grants will target the lowest performing schools, and outlined three tiers of schools that would be eligible for funds, with the greatest priority reserved for the lowest tier:
• Tier I: Schools occupying a State’s bottom 5% of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring (or the state’s bottom 5 lowest-achieving Title I schools, whichever is greater).
• Tier II: Low performing secondary schools, including middle schools and high schools, that are Title I eligible but that are not necessarily receiving Title I funds. (The Department has talked about a new focus on the 2,000+ high schools that produce the highest drop out rates in the nation. Districts can obtain waivers to make these schools eligible for School Improvement Grants).
• Tier III: Any state Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring. Only applicable after SEAs have given priority to Tier I and Tier II schools and have a surplus of SIG funds.
Grant recipients will be required to choose among four intervention models that have been approved by the Department. The four models are:
• Turnaround Model – This would include among other actions, replacing the principal and at least 50 percent of the school's staff, adopting a new governance structure and implementing a new or revised instructional program.
• Restart Model – School districts would close failing schools and reopen them under the management of a charter school operator, a charter management organization or an educational management organization selected through a rigorous review process. A restart school would be required to admit, within the grades it serves, any former student who wishes to attend.
• School Closure – The district would close a failing school and enroll the students who attended that school in other high-achieving schools in the district.
• Transformational Model – Districts would address four specific areas: 1) developing teacher and school leader effectiveness, which includes replacing the principal who led the school prior to commencement of the transformational model, 2) implementing comprehensive instructional reform strategies, 3) extending learning and teacher planning time and creating community-oriented schools, and 4) providing operating flexibility and sustained support.
Opportunities for afterschool:
The Department has included expanded learning time and community-oriented support as components of the transformational and turnaround models.
The Department also posted some examples of succesful efforts to turnaround struggling schools at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/sif/examples.html
Link to the Department's 8/26 conference call on the School Improvement Grant: The PowerPoint from the Department of Education’s Title I School Improvement Call is available at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/programs.html. Scroll down to the Title I School Improvement Section and click on the Powerpoint to open that link.
Update on Guidance on Use of Title I ARRA funds: Advocates have been waiting for the release of new guidance from the Department that will provide examples of approved uses for the Title I ARRA funds. Dr. Zollie Stevenson recently shared with the field that the guidance is expected to be out by early September.
8-27-09 UPDATE:
The U.S. Department of Education released some new information on the Title I ARRA school improvement grants to turn around the nation's lowest performing schools.
A Notice of Proposed Priorities for the School Improvement Grants [7] and Fact Sheet [8] were published August 26, 2009 with a 30-day window for public comment. See the Departments's official news release [9].
6-24-09 Update:
In a recent state-wide call with the Afterschool Alliance, the U.S. Department of Education said that it will release new guidance on the use of the second round of Title I ARRA funds in July 2009, likely at a national meeting of State Title I Directors. Dr. Zollie Stevenson, Jr., Director of Student Achievement and School Accountability Programs (SASA), shared that the new guidance will encourage states to use resources to stimulate and promote reform. Here are some things to look for in the new guidance:
-The Department urges alignment across funding streams and stresses the importance of “supplement, not supplant” requirements of the Recovery Act.
-Focus on drop-out prevention; states will be urged to target reforms at lowest performing schools who fail to make AYP
Here are some of the states that have already issued guidance on use of Title I funds for afterschool: West Virginia, Texas, Maryland, and Illinois[10]
Dr. Stevenson also said that the Department is looking for examples of successful “bridge” programs that help older youth transition to high school.
6-9-09 Update:
The Indiana Afterschool Network drafted a special document[11], which outlines ways that ARRA Title I and IDEA funds can support afterschool programs in the state to boost student success in the classroom and beyond. The Indiana Department of Education plans to distribute the Network’s recommendations to all of its administrators.
IDEA: Indiana noted that it leveraged a host of helpful resources to make the case for afterschool, including the C.S. Mott Foundation’s A New Day for Learning guidance on using Recovery funds for afterschool [12]. Advocates can access the New Day for Learning Recovery guidance along with other resources on the Alliance's Recovery Website to help draft similar reccommendations for their community.
6-10-09 Update:
The WV Statewide Afterschool Network reported that it is working with the WV Department of Education to share a list of afterschool programs interested in partnering with schools and school districts with the state's Title I directors. (This would be for their information only. The Department would not require or recommend that the school systems partner with afterschool programs in their regions). Programs who would like to be included on the list should contact Jane Hange (Jane.Hange@mail.wvu.edu) and provide your name, the program name, the county you serve, and your contact information.
5-26-09 Update: Guidance on the U.S. Department of Education’s FY2010 budget states that Title I funds can be used for afterschool and summer learning.
Specifically, the Dept. states that: Both schoolwide and targeted assistance programs must employ effective methods and instructional strategies grounded in scientifically based research, including activities that supplement regular instruction, such as after-school, weekend, and summer programs. Schools also must provide ongoing professional development for staff working with disadvantaged students and implement programs and activities designed to increase parental involvement.
More on the Department's FY2010 Budget Summary: [13]
When will Title 1 funds be available?
On April 1, 2009 the U.S. Department of Education released 50% ($5 billion) of the Title I, Part ARRA funds to states according to the existing formula approved by the Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 (ESEA). A second round of funding for Title I, Part A ARRA funds ($5 billion) will be released in the fall of 2009.
In its guidance on the use of Title I Part A, ARRA funds, the US Department of Education explicitly cites afterschool as one of the suggested activities for schools to improve education for at-risk youth and help close the achievement gap. According to the DOE, uses of Title I, Part A Recovery Funds can include “establishing or expanding fiscally sustainable extended learning opportunities for Title I-eligible students in targeted assistance programs, including activities provided before school, after school, during the summer, or over an extended school year." Read the U.S. Department of Education’s Guidance on the Use of Title I, Part A ARRA Funds here[14]
Can we encourage Depts. of Ed to “fund down the slate”; meaning use new dollars to fund programs that were good quality but were not funded in the last cycle of awards due to lack of funds? According to the US Department of Education, states currently have the authority to fund down existing slates of high quality applicants. This could be a quick way to get funds out to afterschool programs.
Idea: Fund programs whose grants are ending. According to the US Department of Education, this would require those grantees to reapply for funds through a new competition. It may be possible to states to apply for waivers given the potential new funding and the desire to get those funds out to children and families quickly.
How did the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) fare in the stimulus package?
Although the 21st CCLC initiative is not specifically included in the economic recovery bill, the Alliance has been working to encourage states to support 21st CCLC programs with Title I or State Stabilization Funds from the bill. The Department of Education has told the Alliance that Title I funds will move out quickly to school districts. We had been worried that the funding might wait until July as some Department funding does, but the Department had indicated otherwise. We have been told that most of the Title I funding will go directly from the Department of Education to local education agencies, bypassing state government.
Idea: Afterschool programs can explore partnership with school districts to use Title I funds to supplement summer programs.
Summer programs and Title I might be a natural connection because a lot of districts use summer for remedial purposes. Often times, many school districts may already have a separate program in the summer but they are shorter duration and often do not include the types of comprehensive activities that afterschool programs can offer. Partnerships with schools could create more enrichment-oriented summer programs for low income youth.
The National Center for Summer Learning has created some action steps and talking points on accessing Title I funds for summer programs: http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=243&Itemid=358
See also the Center’s case studies of school districts who are successfully using Title I funds for summer programs: http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=244&Itemid=358
The U.S. Department of Education cautions recipients of the one-time ARRA funds to avoid the "funding cliff". How should advocates respond to LEAs who are concerned about new programs' sustainability after the recovery grants run out?
Many agencies are concerned that new programs funded by economic recovery dollars will no longer be sustainable after 18-24 months, when recovery funding will run out. Advocates can help ARRA grant recipients find solutions to avoid this “funding cliff” by presenting strategies to help programs build capacity, enhance quality and increase access. Afterschool programs have proven track records at leveraging community resources, including private and public dollars to support long term sustainability. The recovery funds can play a critical role to help incubate new programs, which can later leverage community resources and be real contenders for future grants from a variety of agencies. In New Hampshire, The New Hampshire Statewide Afterschool Network met with the Executive Director of the NH School Administrators’ Association, who shared that the state’s superintendents have expressed concerns regarding funding new programs and were worried about taking on long term programmatic responsibilities that will outlive the economic recovery funding. Although many of the superintendents are supportive of afterschool, they indicated that they would like to invest in existing infrastructure that will yield greater sustainability in the future. Having heard these concerns, the Network has concluded that it will look for opportunities to partner with superintendents and offer some solutions to alleviate their concerns. For example, the Network plans to discuss ways that it can help Superintendents invest in the infrastructure that will support afterschool programs beyond the recovery funding cycle. Ideas include providing sustainability training to afterschool providers, supporting the development of long-term community partnerships, providing technical assistance to enhance quality and more.
New Resource from the Center on Education Policy(CEP) This report from the Center on Education Policy (CEP) outlines how the Title I school improvement funds are distributed to school districts and what types of activities those funds can support. http://www.cep-dc.org/document/docWindow.cfm?fuseaction=document.viewDocument&documentid=264&documentFormatId=4190
State Stabilization Fund
Also see our webpage on State Stabilization & Economic Recovery[15]
States (via their governors) will receive approximately a total of $53.6 billion, in state grants which will be allocated using two population measures. Of this funding, about $39.5 billion will be spent on education and $8.8 billion for public safety and other government services, which may include education and school modernization, renovation and repair.
The US Department of Education will have oversight of $5 billion total for both a State Incentives Grant program and an Innovations initiative ($650 million). The Department has set up a website on the Recovery Act at http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html. The public can submit questions to the Department about the use of Stabilization funds. Email questions to: State.Fiscal.Fund@ed.gov (See section below on "Innovation Fund and States Incentives Grants" for more details and guidance on these two initiatives).
UPDATE: In his June 14, 2009 speech to the National Governors’ Association, Secretary Duncan discussed progress on the State Fiscal Stabilization awards:
• So far, 31 states have received $24 billion in stabilization funds – and $11 billion more in Title I and IDEA funds.
• Urge governors to get their applications in by July 1
• The U.S. Department of Education promises to turn around applications quickly. Currently taking about 10 calendar days.
UPDATE---State-Level Recovery Act Funding Reports Now Available--(Posted 4-22-09)
Of the $100 billion in Recovery Act funding for Department of Education programs, over $17 billion has already been made available to State and Local Educational Associations and Institutions of Higher Learning. As more State Fiscal Stabilization Fund applications are approved, even larger amounts will be made available over the coming weeks. A report detailing how much money has been made obligated, or made available, in each state and how much money has been outlaid, or drawn down, is now available. See the spending report organized by state[[16]] or by program[[17]].
When can states begin applying for the State Fiscal Stabilization (SFS) Funds?
Application and Guidance from the US Dept of Education on accessing first installment of education funds (released 4/01/2009) are available at: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html#apps
The application and guidelines are for $32.6 billion under the State Stabilization Fund, representing two-thirds of the total dollars in the Fund. This includes $26.6 billion to save jobs and improve K-12 and higher education and a separate $6 billion in a Government Services Fund to pay for education, public safety or other government services. Funds will be released within two weeks of an application's approval. A second round of stabilization funds will be released later in the year.
When will money from the Stabilization Funds be distributed to states?
UPDATE (5-13-09): As of May 13, 13 states has received initial installments of funds. All state applications and approvals are posted at www.ed.gov/programs/statestabilization/resources.html. The release of funds will vary for each state. States must submit an application to the Secretary of Education that covers assurances concerning maintenance of effort; achieving equity in teacher distribution; improving data use and collection; standards and assessment; and supporting struggling schools. Once the application is approved, funds will be made available almost immediately to governors and governors have the discretion to distribute funds according to percentage formulas specified in the bill.
What criteria will be used to evaluate proposals for the Race To the Top grant?
The Race to the Top competitive grant program will reward states that have made the most progress on reforms, including how well they are using the first round of Stabilization and Title I funds to advance these reforms. The Administration has made clear that recovery dollars should help fuel reform, and that afterschool and summer programming is part of a reform vision. Further, the Department of Education has said that states that use Title 1 funds toward reform are better positioned to be awarded additional funds through the Race to the Top fund. In an update released May 12, the Department noted that using SFSF for construction may have a detrimental effect on Race to The Top applications. (See http://www.ed.gov/programs/statestabilization/guidance-mod-05112009.pdf )
President Barack Obama: “…as we foster innovation in where our children are learning, let's also foster innovation in when our children are learning. That's why I'm calling for us not only to expand effective after-school programs, but to rethink the school day to incorporate more time – whether during the summer or through expanded-day programs for children who need it.” (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce on March 10, 2009)
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, on thinking differently about education (Charlie Rose Show, March 11, 2009): “This is a chance to create what a 21st century school needs to look like… It’s not just lengthening the school day, but a wide variety of after school activities: drama, arts, sports, chess, debate, academic enrichment, programs for parents…"
The law requires states to show:
• Improvements in teacher effectiveness and commitments that all schools have highly qualified teachers;
• Progress toward college and career-ready standards and rigorous assessments that will improve both teaching and learning;
• Improvements in achievement in low-performing schools, by providing intensive support and effective interventions in those schools.
• That they can gather information to improve student learning, teacher performance, and college and career-readiness through enhanced data systems that track progress.
Will there be additional guidance on ways that states can use the SFS funds?
In a letter to governors [5], Secretary Duncan outlines a set of proposed measurements that states would report on their progress toward the education reforms spelled out in the law. The Department will release these metrics for public comment in the Federal Register in April and then issue a final version.” The guidelines require states to report the number of jobs saved through Recovery Act funding, the amount of state and local tax increases averted, and how funds are used. It further requires that the bulk of the federal dollars be spent on education.
To receive State Stabilization Funds, states must also meet maintenance-of-effort (MOE) requirements of the law by showing that 2009 state education budgets at least meet 2006 state education budget levels. If they cannot meet the maintenance of effort requirements, states can receive a waiver if they can show that their education budgets are not being disproportionally reduced. The Department of Education has posted new information on its Web page containing guidance as to how schools can use State Stabilization dollars under the stimulus package: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/modernization/index.html. Credit to: Education Law eBulletin
How can we help make afterschool programs a priority for the State Stabilization Fund?
Advocates have started to contact their governors and other stakeholder to make the case for afterschool. Some of the things they are doing include: recruting champions from state legislatures and city leaders to author letters of support to their governors and starting dialogues with state agency heads to monitor how the money will flow to recipients. It is important to note that governors must first use their state grant funds to provide the amount of funds, through the state’s principal elementary and secondary education funding formula needed to restore state funding for elementary and secondary education at the level of support in FY2006 for the next three years. If funds then remain after restoring state support for education, the governor is required to use the remainder of their allocation to provide grants to LEAs based on their share of Title I-A funding.
Can State Stabilization dollars be spent on programs that previously applied for funding through other state or federal funding streams?
Yes. State Stabilization funds could potentially be spent on programs that previously applied for funding through state or federal streams, like 21st CCLC, were reviewed and deemed to be of high quality but for which there simply wasn’t enough funding. These “shovel ready’ projects could be particularly appealing to governors since the infrastructure and mechanisms are already in place and the money can flow quickly.
A few tips shared on making the case for afterschool:
- Tailor your message to fit your audience and find ways to mirror your talking points to rhetoric used by stakeholders. For example, advocates have researched governors' state-of-state addresses to identify the priorities that connect with afterschool.
- Show how investments in afterschool programs can yield a core service for working families and help the double bottom line i.e. boosting workforce development and the added bonus of keeping kids safe. It is important to highlight how funding afterschool can help working families find jobs, create new jobs and help prepare kids for the future workforce. It is also important to highlight that many afterschool programs are “shovel-ready” investments that can make an immediate impact for families today. See helpful tips and message points to help make the case for afterschool[[18]].
Invest in Innovation (i3) Grants
$650M has been set aside to create an Innovation Fund, overseen by the US Secretary of Education. The fund’s purpose is to provide grants or “academic achievement awards” to reward programs that have demonstrated success in significantly increasing academic achievement for all groups of students and that have a proven track record. Program achievements can include significant improvements in graduation rates, increased recruitment of high-quality teachers and school leaders and/or established effective partnerships with the private sector. You can see the fact sheet released by the DOE on 7/24 here:http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/PolicyEconRecovStateFunds.cfm#Race_to_Top_and_Innov_Funds
8-5-10 UPDATE The winners of the I3 fund have been announced. See the Dept.'s press release: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/nations-boldest-education-reform-plans-receive-federal-innovation-grants-once-pr
From the Dept.'s press release: "A cross-section of 49 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education have been selected from among nearly 1,700 applicants for potential funding under the Investing in Innovation (i3) program. To receive a share of the $650 million in i3 grants, the winning applicants must secure a commitment for a 20 percent private sector match by Sept."
Winners included the Jefferson County Schools in Louisville, which proposed increasing the instruction time devoted to students in six low-performing high schools by 30 percent, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, for a plan to provide extra literacy tutoring and after-school help to hundreds of struggling young readers. All the winners will need to secure 20% private sector matching funds by Sept. 8, 2010.
5-18-10 UPDATE
Did you apply for the i3 funds? (The application deadline was May 12, 2010). Let us know if you submitted an application; email: mdauphin@afterschoolalliance.org.
The DOE has created an i3 Foundation Registry where organizations can access matching funds to support i3 project proposals (only i3 grantees will be eligible the funds): https://www.foundationregistryi3.org/
2-11-10 UPDATE
As part of the President’s proposed education budget for FY2011, the i3 program would gain an additional $500 million, a portion of which will specifically target STEM grants.
See Page 12 of the FY11 Budget Summary: http://www2.ed.gov/about/overview/budget/budget11/summary/11summary.pdf
"$150 million in STEM projects funded through the new Investing in Innovation (i3) program, which under the 2011 request would make a total of $500 million in competitive awards to develop, validate, and scale up innovative programs, practices, and strategies that are effective in improving educational outcomes for students. In addition, the emphasis of the i3 program on the use of technology across all program areas would support the President's goals for supporting STEM education."
11-5-09 UPDATE
Don't forget to submit your comments on the Notice of Proposed Priorities [19] for the i3 Fund (the public comment period ends on Friday, Nov. 9). See the Afterschool Alliance's comments [20] on the proposed i3 Fund guidance.
9-17-09 Update:
We hear that the Dept. of Ed will release guidance on the i3 Funds by next week. Stay tune for more updates.
5-19-09 Update: In a meeting last week, Department of Education officials told funders that guidance on the Innovation Funds will most likely come after some of the Incentive grants (aka "Race to the Top Funds") are released. We also hear that there is an interest in supporting rural communities.
At a meeting with Chief State School Officers, Secretary Duncan announced that the initial guidance would not be released until the week of March 2 and additional guidance on the Innovation Fund would be released by the end of March.
Eligible recipients of this grant include (A) a local educational agency (e.g. school district); or (B) a partnership between a nonprofit organization and— (i) one or more local educational agencies; or (ii) a consortium of schools.
Race to the Top State Incentives Grants
$4.35B are reserved for the Race to the Top state incentive grants. Overseen by the U.S. Secretary of Education, RTT is a competitive grant program “designed to encourage and reward states” that are advancing education reform and improving student achievement, including progress in meeting state proficiency targets and graduation rates. Applications must be signed by the Governor, the Chief State School Officer and the President of the State Education Board.
7-27-10 UPDATE
Secretary Duncan announced that 18 states and DC were named RTT Phase II finalists. The 19 finalists are: Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina. These states will have an opportunity to make final presentations to the DOE in Washington, D.C. before the winners are selected. See the Dept. of Ed. news release: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/18-states-and-dc-named-finalists-race-top
6-2-10 UPDATE The second phase of the Obama administration's Race to the Top competition drew applications from 35 states and the District of Columbia seeking to win a share of $3.4 billion provided by Congress to drive education reform. Between the current phase and the first phase, which drew 41 applications, 47 states have applied for RTT funds. Read Dept. of Ed. release, including list of states that applied, at: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/35-states-and-dc-seek-share-34-billion-race-top-fund
5-27-10 UPDATE
Wondering which states plan to apply for RTT grants? The Edmoney.org blog highlights some likely applicants and those states who have bowed out of the competition: www.edmoney.org
APPLYING
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
Ohio
South Carolina
Utah
Washington (which did not apply in Round One)
NOT APPLYING
Alaska
Idaho
Indiana
Kansas
Minnesota
Nebraska
North Dakota
Oregon
South Dakota
Texas
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming
3-29-10 UPDATE
Congratulations to Delaware and Tennessee! The U.S. Dept. of Ed announced today that the two states are the winners of the Phase I RTT grant competition. Delaware will receive $1 million and Tenessee will receive $6 million. Applications for Phase II of the RTT grant competition are due by June 1, 2010. TN and DE can't apply again but states who applied in Phase I are still eligible for the $3.4B pot of money that will be distributed in Phase II. See the Dept. of Ed's news release: http://www2.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2010/03/03292010.html
3-26-10 UPDATE
Sec Arne Duncan plans to announce Phase 1 Race to the Top winners, press conference call with reporters, 1:30 pm, March 29. See the announcement here: http://www2.ed.gov/news/events/advisory.html#032610a We will cover and report back to you.
3-25-10 UPDATE
Just a few weeks ago, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the state finalists that will be considered for Race to the Top (RTT) grant awards. The RTT Phase I Finalists are: Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina and Tennessee.
The Afterschool Alliance has posted several highlights on how applicants are proposing to expand expanded learning opportunities like afterschool, before-school and summer programs. See our first [21] and second [22] blog posts on the RTT finalists.
Want to see a state-by-state tally of RTT applications that mention expanded learning? See this RTT and Expanded Learning Worksheet[23] prepared by the Afterschool Alliance.
2-11-10 UPDATE
The President’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2011 calls for an additional $1.35 billion for the Race to the Top challenge and may broaden applicant requirements to include school districts.
12-04-09 UPDATE
See the Coalition for Community Schools's brief on leveraging Race to The Top Funds:
http://communityschools.org/CCSDocuments/RTTNovember30_version2.pdf
http://communityschools.org/CCSDocuments/RTT_Making_the_Case_11_30_09.pdf
11-12-09 UPDATE:
The US Dept. of Ed just posted the application for the Race to the Top Fund [24] on its website: http://www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/applicant.html
The Department will hold two rounds of competition for the grants. Applications for the first round will be due January 19, 2010. Peer reviewers will evaluate the applications and the Department will announce the winners of the first round of funding in Spring 2010.
Applications for the second round will be due June 1, 2010, with the announcement of all winners by September 30, 2010.
States that apply for the first round of funding but are not awarded grants may reapply for funding in the second round (together with those States that are applying for the first time in the second round). First round winners receive full-sized awards, and so do not apply for additional funding in the second round.
11-04-09 UPDATE
The White House Press Office released an RTT factsheet that recaps the program's priorities and also highlights actions that some states are taking to better align with the programs' eligibility criteria: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/fact-sheet-race-top
8-13-09 UPDATE
The Afterschool Alliance submitted comments [25] to the U.S. Department of Education to encourage support for expanded learning, afterschool and summer opportunities in the Race to the Top guidance.
Advocates for afterschool programs wishing to emphasize the importance of expanded learning opportunities within the broader education reform process, can submit their own comments to the department through August 28, 2009. A template [26] for submitting comments is available.
7-27-09 UPDATE
On Monday, July 27, Tony Miller, the Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Education hosted a webinar to review the Notice of Priorities for the Race to the Top Fund. Afterschool was discussed during the Q/A portion of the webinar. A participant asked if RTT will allow for funding of afterschool programs and extended day.
Mr. Miller said that yes, RTT could help fund afterschool programs and extended day. He said that afterschool programs are effective approaches and encourages any applicant to consider this in their application.
Here are some useful resources we've culled to help explain the Notice of Proposed Priorities for the Race to the Top funds. To share your comments or suggestions for more resources to grow this list, email: srohwer@afterschoolalliance.org
- Race to the Top website with links to the Notice of Proposed Priorities: www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/index.html
-Fact sheet from the U.S. Dept. of Education: www.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop/factsheet.html
-Press Release from the U.S. Dept. of Education: www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/07/07242009.html
-From Learning Points Associates, a summary of the Race to The Top guidance: www.learningpt.org/recovery/RaceToTheTopSummary.pdf
7-23-09 UPDATE
“Race to the Top” Funds draft materials were released today (7/22/09) and the Department of Education has given a 30-day window for comments on the RFP. Get the PDF here: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/PolicyEconRecovStateFunds.cfm
6-17-09 UPDATE: Here are some highlights from Secretary Duncan’s June 14, 2009 speech to NGA on the Race to the Top national competition:
• States can collaborate with each other or apply on their own
• States that lose in the first round of the competition can submit new applications in the second round
• Secretary Duncan urged Governors to work different stakeholders, including educators, nonprofits and labor unions—to put together the best application
6-16-09 UPDATE: Secretary Duncan lays out deadlines for $4B Race to the Top grants application
In a June 15, 2009 statement, Secretary Duncan outlined new guidance on the Race to the Top pool of funds. We’ve learned that of the $4.35B originally allocated for the Race to the Top funds, $4B will fund competitive state grants and $350M will be set aside for “rigorous assessments” to support the new common academic standards being developed by states.
The Department will conduct a national competition among states for the Race to Top funds in two rounds. In the first round, applications are due by December 2009 and grants will be awarded to approved states in March 2010. Applications in the second round are due by June 2010 and grants will be awarded to approved states in September 2010.
Here are all of the deadlines below:
• Late July 2009: The Department will publish a notice of proposed rule making in the Federal Register, inviting public comment for 30 days on the proposed grant application and the criteria for evaluating the states' applications.
• October 2009: Notice inviting applications will be published in the Federal Register.
• December 2009: Phase 1 applications will be due.
• March 2010: Phase 1 grants awarded, winners announced.
• June 2010: Phase 2 applications will be due.
• September 2010: Phase 2 grants awarded, winners announced.
IDEA: Afterschool advocates are urged to reach out to their Governors’ offices to start sharing recommendations. Secteray Duncan has urged states to reach out to stakeholders--including school districts, nonprofits and labor unions--to put together the best application.
IDEA: The Department is giving the public a chance to weigh in on the criteria for evaluating states’ applications. This is another opportunity for afterschool advocates to share recommendations and make the case for afterschool as a key resource to help states narrow the achievement gap.
Read the full statement from the U.S. Department of Education here: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/06/06152009a.html
QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD: (Questions can be emailed to: srohwer@afterschoolalliance.org)
How can afterschool advocates partner with the state teams (e.g. Governors’ Education Advisors, School Chiefs) who will lead the Race to the Top application process?
Afterschool advocates at the state and local levels can leverage their expertise and knowledge to be a resource to the state teams who are putting together the RTT applications. For example, advocates can share ideas, and data demonstrating afterschool programs’ impact on student learning. Offer to be an adviser to share your ideas on how your state can meet the base criteria outlined in the RTT Notice.
What is the timeline for the grant awards?
Awards will be made in two phases; Phase I will open in late 2009 with awards made in early 2010 and Phase II will open in late spring of 2010 with awards made in September 2010. States that apply in Phase I but are not awarded grants may reapply in Phase II. Phase I grantees may not apply for additional funding in Phase II. The Department will release more information on the exact timelines in the upcoming months.
How big will the awards be?
The Departement has not specified the size of the individual grant awards. However, we feel that the structure of the program outlined in the Notice of Priorities suggests that awards will be made to a select number of states, and not all states may even be eligible to apply.
Does the RTT guidance mention opportunities to support afterschool?
Yes. The Notice of Proposed Priorities [27] and Executive Summary [[28]] explicitly mention expanded learning opportunities as viable interventions to help turn around struggling schools. A state can give schools the flexibility to expand student learning time” or create school transformation plans that include “extending learning time and community-oriented supports, more time for students to learn and for teachers to collaborate, more time for enrichment activities, and on-going mechanisms for family and community engagement.”
The Afterschool Alliance is developing comments for submission to the Department of Education aimed at encouraging integration of afterschool programs and strategies.
Is there an opportunity to affect how these funds will be used?
At the federal level, there may be an opportunity to make recommendations to the Secretary around initiatives that support the Administrations’ goals. The New Day for Learning work group is looking at potential ideas to bring forward in this area that can help support afterschool programs.
At the state level, depending on how the Secretary directs the funds, there may be some discretionary funding available to the states. We will keep you abreast of any updates. In the meantime, it is a good idea to keep up dialogue with your Department of Education and be cognizant of its goals and priorities. (Thanks to Danica Petroshius for contributions to this content)
Community Services Block Grant
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has allocated $1 billion in grants to the Community Services Block Grant Act (CSBG) through September 2010. The CSBG program provides awards to help lessen poverty in the most underserved communities, including efforts to provide food, housing, healthcare and workforce development supports to poor communities. Funds are distributed via a network of public and private Community Action Agencies (CAAs).
NEW--How are states tapping the CSBG stimulus funds?
We heard recently that New York State has approved New York City's request to use the Federal Community Service Block Grant to fully reinstate funds for the city's Out of School Time programs. We will share more details as they become available.
What is the guidance on eligible activities for CSBG stimulus funds?
To date, no official guidance have been issued on allowable activities for the CSBG stimulus funds. However, we have seen cases where communities are using their CSBG stimulus grants to support afterschool programs. For example, the New York State Department of State has received $110 million in CSBG funds, which it will pass along to the Department of Youth Community Development (DYCD) with the purpose of “reducing poverty, revitalizing low-income communities, and empowering of low-income families and individuals.” Expanding the use of these funds for DYCD’s youth development portfolio would impact after-school.
What can advocates do to ensure that afterschool programs are considered in CSBG grant awards?
Advocates are urged to contact their local Community Action Agencies (CAA) to discuss ways afterschool might be included in CSBG grant awards. Go to the National Community Action Partnership's website at: http://www.communityactionpartnership.com/ and click on the tab “community action network” to search for your local CAA by state and county.
To learn more about the federal CSBG program, visit the US Department of Health’s page on CSBG: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/csbg/
AmeriCorps and VISTA
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has allocated more than $200 million to the Corporation for National Community Service to help expand the corps of VISTA and AmeriCorps members. Below are some answers and guidance on the use of AmeriCorps and VISTA ARRA funds from representatives for the Corporation’s VISTA and AmeriCorps programs. Also see our webpage on AmeriCorps and Service in Economic Recovery [29]
6-2-09 Update: The After School Corporation (TASC) will receive ARRA funds to expand its AmeriCorps program serving NY afterschool programs.
The After School Corporation (TASC) received $513,236 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to train 174 new AmeriCorps members to work with kids after school.
When will these funds be released?
VISTA and AmeriCorps have separate grant applications.
AmeriCorps VISTA will use the influx of ARRA funds to place an additional 3,000 members this year. Applications will be accepted throughout the year and applicants are encouraged to think about FY10 as well as ARRA.
AmeriCorps has confirmed that it will release RFPs for a one-time recovery grant competition. Only existing grantees can apply for the ARRA funds (see AmeriCorps website for listing); proposals are due April 3, 2009. The funds can be used for full or part time members and 1 year of funding can be expensed over a 2 year period. Afterschool groups need to talk to existing grantees as soon as possible to see if afterschool positions can be included in the proposals.
Here is some guidance on applying for grants:
• VISTA Guidance on ARRA : http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/09_0313_recovery_vista_guidance.pdf
• Vista Recovery Act Implementation Plan: http://www.nationalservice.gov/pdf/09_0606_recovery_plan_acvista.pdf
• AmeriCorps Guidance on ARRA: http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/09_0310_recovery_sn_guidance.pdf
• AmeriCorps Recovery Act Implementation Plan: http://www.americorps.gov/pdf/09_0606_recovery_plan_acsn.pdf
All of these documents are available at the Corporation for National Service Economic Recovery website, at http://www.nationalservice.org/about/recovery/index.asp (See How To Apply)
Who can access AmeriCorps dollars?
The Corporation has said that only existing state and national AmeriCorps grantees will be eligible for the grants. Grantees can use the service recovery dollars to waive match requirements or increase the number of members.
If I can’t access dollars, how can I tap AmeriCorps? (use AmeriCorps as staffers)
While funding can only go to current grantees, the dollars will be used to expand the number of volunteers. Afterschool program providers should take the opportunity to utilize the new influx of “recovery members” to increase capacity for their services. Programs can approach existing AmeriCorps grantees about having new Corps members placed in their afterschool programs, or to explore whether any current afterschool program staff could qualify as Corps members, and ease pressures to let go of staff due to tight budgets. A website has been created by the Corporation for National Service on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On the site, go to “National Service In Your State” to see existing AmeriCorps grantees in your area.
We have heard discussions about the possible priorities that the Corporation will focus on when allocating the recovery dollars. Some of the priorities that have been floated include initiatives that support housing, healthcare, nonprofit capacity building, and youth development among others. We’re not sure if all the new “recovery members” will work on just one or a few of these priorities. Since the discussion is ongoing, advocates still have the opportunity to weigh in and make sure that education and youth are included. Advocates can send comments, questions and emails to the Corporation at: recovery@cns.org
Idea: Afterschool programs can take advantage of service learning opportunities that AmeriCorps offers for older youth. For example, afterschool programs can partner with AmeriCorps to help high school students get involved in service learning programs, tutoring etc.
Idea:
--Afterschool programs or networks could look to state grantees to secure new AmeriCorps workers for afterschool efforts.
--A strategy for avoiding layoffs: Current employees can be transferred into AmeriCorps volunteers, so an afterschool program facing staff cuts could use this strategy to keep current staff.
Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech) Program
The Economic Recovery Package includes $650M for the Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech) program.
About the Ed Tech Program: No Child Left Behind established the Enhancing Education Through Technology (Ed Tech) Program, which consolidated the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund (TLCF) Program and the Technology Innovative Challenge Grant Program into a single State formula grant program (ESEA Title II, Part D, Subpart 1). The primary goal of the Ed Tech program is to improve student academic achievement through the use of technology in schools. It is also designed to assist every student in crossing the digital divide by ensuring that every student is technologically literate by the end of eighth grade, and to encourage the effective integration of technology with teacher training and curriculum development to establish successful research-based instructional methods. Under the Ed Tech program, the U.S. Department of Education provides grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) on the basis of their proportionate share of funding under Part A of Title I. States may retain up to 5 percent of their allocations for State-level activities, and must distribute one-half of the remainder by formula to eligible local educational agencies (LEAs) and the other one-half competitively to eligible local entities.
According to the Software and Information Industry Association, the Ed Tech program is authorized at $1 B, was funded first 3 yrs at $700 M, and the need is estimated to be about $10 B just to impact all Title I students with technology rich classrooms. The funds will flow out per the Ed Tech authorization, by Title I formula to states, and then 50% by Title I formula to local education agencies (LEAs) and 50% competitively. The timeline for the flow of Ed Tech dollars should be same as for Title I, IDEA, etc. Funds can be spread out over at least 2 school years, giving adequate time to plan and make decisions if needed.
More guidance on the Ed Tech program is available at: http://www.ed.gov/programs/edtech/guidance.doc
U.S. Department of Justice Funding Opportunities for Afterschool
The Economic Recovery Package includes $225M in Dept of Justice funds for Byrne Competitive Grants
The Finance Project’s Funding Note provides an overview of funding opportunities at the Department of Justice that may support afterschool, as well as examples of programs currently accessing these funds and tips for programs interested in doing so. Funding sources and amounts may vary in coming years given changing funding priorities and appropriations. Read about it here: http://76.12.61.196/publications/FN-DOJ.pdf
Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants
The Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
BJA supports law enforcement, courts, corrections, treatment, victim services, technology, and prevention initiatives that strengthen the nation’s criminal justice system. The Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grants are ARRA funds that can be tapped into for afterschool. The NLC provided this summary:
Forty percent of new Byrne-JAG formula grants will be distributed to units of local government and the remainder will go to the states. Byrne-JAG grants support many components of local systems, including prevention and education programs. The Department of Justice has prepared a list of local governments that can apply for Byrne- JAG local formula funds and the funding amount for which cities or counties are eligible.
This list can be found at: www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/recoveryJAG/recoveryallocations.html. In some cases, municipalities and counties are required to submit a joint application. The grant solicitation is already available and the deadline to apply is May 18, 2009. In addition, cities may be able to apply for funding through the state formula funding, as well as for competitive Byrne-JAG funds (application deadline: April 27, 2009), which can be used to support critical nurturing and mentoring of at-risk children and youth.
How are states tapping into the Department of Justice's ARRA grants?
The Maryland Out of School Time Network shares this brief update--
There have been a couple of places where ARRA dollars have been identified as being potential “new” sources and are being sought by Out of School Time Programs through the competitive RFPs – time will tell how successful these approaches have been.
1) Byrne Justice Assistance Grants through the Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention – In the past youth programs have been supported through the granting of the GOCCP, in recent years these dollars have become more constrained and therefore more directly focused on policing, equipment etc. The Director of GOCCP publicly in several ARRA workshops indicated that she would welcome youth programs as part of the granting for the ARRA dollars. The MOST Network promoted the first set of grant opportunities (another round is coming) and we’ll see how the results shake out.
2) Two counties reported that they applied directly to OJJDP for competitive ARRA grants.
Youth Training & Employment (WIA)
See also the Afterschool Alliance's Economic Recovery Funding page on WIA [30]
The Recovery and Reinvestment Act provides $3.95 billion for Workforce Investment Act (WIA) state formula grants for adult, dislocated worker, and youth job training programs. Of that amount, $1.2 billion is provided for youth services with a focus on creating up to 1 million summer jobs for youth ages 16 to 24 (note that the age limit for youth employment programs was increased from 21 to 24). The new legislation also states that the work-readiness indicator will be the only performance measure used to assess the effectiveness of the summer jobs portion of this funding. To see estimates for funds to be provided by state, see http://www.cbpp.org/1-22-09bud-te.pdf.
What is the latest guidance on eligible activities and requirements for the ARRA funds allocated to WIA?
The Department of Labor has issued guidance on expenditure of WIA funds in ARRA for youth and other programs. The guidance was sent to state and local workforce boards and agencies. See the letter at: http://wdr.doleta.gov/directives/attach/TEGL/TEGL14-08acc.pdf
-You may also be interested to see the Dept of Labor ARRA site at http://www.dol.gov/Recovery/
-The National Association of State Workforce Agencies has created a page that may be worth checking intermittently as it includes an area called “state success stories” (although none have been posted yet). See http://www.naswa.org/recovery/WIA_Youth.cfm
Note that funding will be allocated to state Workforce Investment Boards based on a formula, which takes into account general unemployment rates as well as youth unemployment rates in a state. The state boards will allocate funds to local boards, possibly using the 2008 formula.
What are some of the changes that the Recovery Grant enacted for WIA?
Advocates should be aware of several new provisions that are included in the WIA funds resulting from the recovery:
-The WIA ARRA funds raised the age limit to include youth 16 – 24 years because of a greater focus on serving older low-income youth. Many poor families are relying on the extra income of their older youth members to help shore up family finances.
-There is a strong indication that the workforce system will align as much as possible with green jobs innovation. We have been told that Secretary Of Labor Hilda Solis is pushing for this.
Will all of the funds be distributed by formula or will there be some competitive grants?
There are opportunities for competitive grants in the $50 million Youth Build funding stream[31]. In addition, $750 million have been set aside to fund high growth sector strategies, of which $500 million will go to training workers for green jobs and $250 million to health care jobs.
What is the federal government’s definition of green jobs?
There is no specific definition as of now but we expect more guidance will be forthcoming. However, you should know that afterschool program activities that include focus on conservation, parks and recreation may be eligible for the $750M competitive greens job grant. Guidance on the grants is available at: www.doleta.gov. Click on ETA recovery tab and look for the subsection on youth.
Who will disburse the funds locally?
State and local Workforce Investment Boards, and local youth councils, will administer the funds. In fact, some boards may issue Requests for Proposals before they have the funds, to help get them out faster.
Advocates should know that the influx of ARRA funds has more than doubled the WIA’s current budget. ARRA WIA funds are directed to summer programs serving youth from May 1 – September 30th. Each local WIA board is required to set aside 30% of their funds for afterschool programs. Many WIBs will need to ramp up their capacity to provide new programs, a significant challenge for the WIBs that have not operated a summer youth program before.
Contact your Workforce Investment Board and youth councils to talk about how you can support youth employment and training. See ideas below.
How can afterschool tap these funds to support programs for kids and families? Think about ways to tap youth for summer employment in your programs. The economic recovery funds for youth workforce development present significant opportunities for summer learning programs, including: the creation of internship and apprenticeship opportunities for summer programs serving older youth; staffing opportunities to employ youth at summer learning programs for younger kids and connecting summer jobs programs with school-based summer programs for older youth.
You may also be able to think about employing them beyond the summer months (some national advocates are pressing for the federal agency to allow year-round support; we do not know yet if that will be included). For example, one WIA program teaches computer skills to older youth, who are subsequently placed as computer help specialists in a local library.
Who should I talk to? As soon as possible, contact your local workforce investment board or youth council to talk about partnership opportunities. Let them know that afterschool programs are quite versatile in terms of the employment opportunities they offer for people of all ages and backgrounds, making them a perfect partner for workforce programs funded through the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Also, consider contacting existing grantees who receive WIA funding. There may be opportunities for afterschool programs to partner.
-The National Center for Summer Learning has created some action steps on accessing ARRA funds for summer jobs training: http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=246&Itemid=358
-See also the Center’s breakdown of the various types of projects that could be eligible for summer jobs funds: http://www.summerlearning.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=245&Itemid=759
Idea: Afterschool programs should consider partnering with community colleges to leverage workforce opportunities for older youth
Afterschool programs have found that community colleges are the perfect partner for workforce development strategies that use employment in afterschool programs as part of a career pathway. The Career Ladders Project in California has launched special initiatives in California that link community colleges’ career pathway programs with employment in afterschool. Information on the Career Ladders initiatives can be found at: http://www.careerladdersproject.org/afterschool.php
Idea: Summer employment funds may also be used to support summer youth employment programs that expose and prepare high school graduates to employment opportunities in the afterschool field and community college classes. The California School-Age Consortium's LA Scholars program is a great example of a summer employment program for older youth: http://www.calsac.org/projects/workforceDev/lascholars.php
Idea: Summer employment funds can help increase low-income youth's access to afterschool meals during the summer
For many families, school and afterschool meals provide one of the rare opportunities for children to get a healthy snack or a hot supper. Advocates should identify opportunities to position afterschool as a solution to help communities meet the rising hunger crisis in their communities. For example, in Oregon, the Statewide Afterschool Network is working to address the state’s growing food insecurity crisis in the state by proposing that WIA create more summer programs. The Network has urged the Workforce Investment Board to consider funding summer programs in collaboration with partners like Parks and Recreation, regional libraries, the USDA and summer program providers. These programs will not only create jobs for older youth, they will provide meals to help alleviate the high food insecurity crisis that the state is facing. State wide cost cutting measures, including a failed proposal to end the school year early in April, resulted in a greater demand for summer programs and school meals. Although schools will stay open through June 2009—thanks to a $50 million stopgap measure by the legislature—the links between the afterschool supper program, summer programs and food access are indisputable for the states’ low-income families. The Statewide Afterschool Network alerted the Workforce Investment Board that greater access to afterschool programs is crucial to helping alleviate food insecurity for many struggling families who rely on school and afterschool meals. The Workforce Investment Board was very receptive to the Network’s proposal, which is currently under review.
Student Financial Assistance
The Economic Recovery Package includes $200M for Work-Study that could be used to pay college students to work in afterschool programs.
Some afterschool programs have developed a partnership with local universities and colleges and benefit from college students who are paid for with work-study funds. The recovery package expands this opportunity for college students. Afterschool programs could reach out to institutions of higher education to get college-age staff who are paid for with work study funds.
Changing Student Data & Assessment Systems
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act requires all states to create longitudinal data systems with student and teacher identifiers as outlined in the America COMPETES Act. $250 million is set aside to fund it. It is expected that states will be asked to move quickly on implementing the data systems, especially as it supports the Administration's interest in showing accountability.
Is there an opportunity for afterschool? At the federal and state level, there is an opportunity to provide ideas about data that should be included beyond what’s required in the COMPETES Act, to start to move to a broader definition of student success. States will always be able to add to the data, as long as they do the minimum required. (Thanks to Danica Petroshius for this content)
Afterschool Meals
The House bill had included $726 million for Afterschool Meals for At-Risk Children. The provision was not included in the Senate bill and is not in the final law. What is the process for programs to get reimbursements?
See memo from the The After-School Corporation on the specifics around reimbursements for school meals: http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/documents/Policy%20and%20Action/TASCMemoAfterschoolSnackSupper.doc
NIH ARRA grants for Summer Learning Research Experiences
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is providing ARRA supplemental awards to its existing grantees, which could be a potential source of funding for statewide afterschool networks. If you have an existing relationship with a research lab or scientist at a university, contact that person immediately to ask them if they are planning or if they would consider applying for an administrative supplement. The primary purpose behind these grants is to help create or retain summer learning jobs/experiences. This will be a particularly difficult year for students and teachers to find summer employment, but the NIH ARRA supplemental funds can help support meaningful jobs for these individuals.
How can I apply for this grant?
The summer administrative supplement for students and teachers is described at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-060.html
The grant was announced on April 3, 2009 and there is a tight turnaround time. Given the nature of these grants, however, they are supplements to parent grants at universities so are not nearly as complex as most research grants. The grant application consists of three pages of narrative with budget but your university partner must open their lab space and submit on behalf of small consortium. Up to $200,000 is available for this summer or the next two summers. Remember, only existing NIH grantees are eligible for the supplemental grants. Please check with your awarding Institute or Center for details and deadlines.
What are some examples of ways I can partner with NIH grantees in my community?
In Georgia, the statewide afterschool network is creating a two-year summer learning experience with Emory University faculty, high school science teachers, students and strengthening the school-based link to existing statewide professional development system plans. Statewide Afterschool Network leaders can contact Jill Reimer, Executive Director of the Georgia Afterschool Investment Council, if you are interested in pursuing or have had a successful relationship with a higher education institution and an OST experience you might be able to build on. Contact info: 404-527-7250.
ARRA Afterschool Funding Success Stories
The Afterschool Alliance is compiling success stories from the field to show key ways that ARRA funding is being used to support afterschool programs and the millions of children and families who rely on them. Email srohwer@afterschoolalliance.org to share your stories.
DELAWARE:
The Delaware AfterSchool Alliance reported that it succeeded in getting an increase in the length of time parents will remain qualified for CCDF subsidies while job hunting from 30 days to 180 days and an increased one-time bonus subsidy.
From the DEAA's Policy Coordinator, Dave Hilyard:
We provided letters, written recommendations and testimony on two specific items for use of CCDF:
1) An increase in the length of time parents will remain qualified for CC subsidies while job hunting from 30 days to 180 days.
2) An increase in the subsidy reimbursement rate.
Neither of these basic recommendations were possible with CCDF, however we were able to get DSS to increase the job search time from 30 days to 90 days and afterschool providers that except subsidized children will receive a one time subsidy bonus payment based on the number of subsidized children in the program.
The bonus to providers and the funds for extending job search time will both come from DSS allotment of ARRA 2009 funds. We do not know the exact amount of the bonus as they are still looking at numbers.”
GEORGIA
The Georgia Afterschool Investment Council (GAIC) insured that language in the state budget specifies that stimulus dollars will first be allocated for the state’s wait list before being used on a new time-limited program
More on the GAIC's advocacy efforts: Given the difficult economic situation and possibility of service cuts, afterschool fared well in the FY10 budget. Legislators maintained the $14 million in federal TANF dollars for Afterschool Services[32], administered by the Department of Human Resources, to support afterschool programs for low-income youth. Child Care Subsidies [33], the other major afterschool funding stream in the state budget, received a hit through the reduction of $12 million in TANF funding (5% cut from the current year) to be spent for other human service needs. However, our advocacy efforts and those of our partners, paid off -- legislators included budget language directing $36 million in federal stimulus funds to be spent on filling this gap, as well as serving children on the statewide subsidies waiting list.
The GAIC also received recovery funds for summer research experience for students & teachers in Georgia (through NIH stimulus funding; in collaboration with science, higher-ed and K-12 partners)
MARYLAND
The Maryland Stawide out of School Time Network reports that Baltimore has had a robust youth summer employment program and WIA funds are going to support and expand that work. Baltimore City received by formula $6,155,936 from Department of Labor for WIA (Youth and Adult) – 3.5 million of that will be used this summer to augment her investment of approx 2.7 million in the Summer Youth Works program. They intend to serve 7000 youth and they’ve extended the ages served to include 14 -24 year olds. Read the official press release: http://www.ci.baltimore.md.us/news/press/0609/061709%20YouthWorks%202009.pdf
In some counties, people have been racing to build infrastructure to meet the influx of funding. Many have encountered some challenges to recruit both the youth and the employment partners. Other counties are also challenged with getting the word out in time and spread broadly. Many did not have programs in place or they are such small programs that they didn’t have the system in place. Programs have had to clarify eligibility guidance in an effort to make both kids and the adults who connect with them understand the eligibility guidelines.
MASSACHUSETTS:
The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (MAP) helped to get $2.5 million in CCDBG ARRA funding for summer-only vouchers for school age children in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Commissioner for Early Education and Child Care also rated sevral of MAPs reccommendations as highly implementable projects for ARRA funding. See MAP’s reccommendations[34] (in partnership with Boston Afterschool and Beyond.)
NEW JERSEY
The New Jersey School-Age Child Care Coalition (NJSACC) hosted a conference call for afterschool providers on helping their local school districts develop plans that include afterschool for the ARRA Title 1 funds. The call included presentations by the State Department of Education, a local superintendent and NJSACC.
To listen to an MP3 file of the entire call and/or download the how-to handout [35] NJSACC created, click on this link: http://www.njsacc.org/providers/conferenceCalls.php
NEW YORK:
The After School Corporation (TASC) received $513,236 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to train 174 new AmeriCorps members to work with kids after school
The New York State Afterschool Network (NYSAN) reported that in New York, the Advantage After-School programs was saved from a slated cut of 25% and subsequent mid-year FY 09 cuts. Instead the Advantage After-School program saw an increase of approximately $5 million from the FY 09 allocation because the state is using ARRA TANF funds for it.
RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island advocates say that it is not clear yet how much of the $4.5 million in non-targeted child care ARRA stimulus funding will be available to improve access to child care subsidies for additional low income families. We believe the majority has been set aside to maintain current eligibility for child care at 180% of the federal poverty guidelines due to the increased need for TANF funding for cash assistance. The budget amendment sponsored by Representative Diaz and unanimously supported by the Child Care Commission that would have used the child care stimulus funds to expand eligibility for a limited time up to 200% of poverty did not pass. The Commission will consider other recommended uses of any remaining child care stimulus funds to recommend to DHS so that any available funding can be used quickly to help child care programs and families.
In addition, the $680,000 in child care stimulus funding that is required to be targeted for quality has been preserved. Among the uses of this funding that have been discussed to date are establishing the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Scholarship Program (also available for school-age providers) and providing financial incentives and program improvement supports to programs participating in BrightStars (Quality Rating System).
SOUTH CAROLINA:
An article in The Christian Science Monitor talks about ways South Carolina summer programs are benefiting from the stimulus funds. Here is an excerpt:
Stimulus money also salvaged summer school for 80 high-schoolers in South Carolina's Anderson District One, located in a former mill area. The money even enabled officials to pay students a stipend to take a combination of academic and job-preparation classes. Normally summer school costs $300, and "without the grant, it would be a big hurdle for [these students] to stay on track to graduate," says Brian Couch, principal of Palmetto High School.
Read the full article here: http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0703/p02s13-usgn.html
