The 21st Century Community Learning Center's program provides opportunities for children who come from economically disadvantaged families and attend low-performing schools to receive academic supports. The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 amended ESEA, and changed the focus of the 21st CCLC grant program focusing the funding on expanded learning time (ELT) and out-of-school time (OST) that clearly align academic services to the identified needs of students and to state academic standards. ESSA broadened the allowable activities to include such things as apprenticeships. There are three purposes that the 21st CCLC program seeks to accomplish:
- Provide opportunities for academic enrichment to assist students in meeting the state academic standards;
- Offer students access to a broad array of additional services, such as those that focus on youth development, social emotional learning, civic engagement, and nutritional and physical health; and
- Offer adult family members of program participants opportunities for educational development and engagement in their children's education.
The target student population are those who are economically disadvantaged (ED), receiving special education services, English Language Learners, academically at-risk, and/or could benefit from the supports provided during the additional learning time. FY19 grant applicants will implement 21st CCLC programming using one of the following three options:
- Expanded Learning Time (ELT) - available for elementary, middle and high school programs - Applicants choosing this option must offer a minimum of 300 expanded learning program hours by establishing a school schedule that increases the total number of hours required for all students by a minimum of 300 hours above the amount offered in either school year 2018-2019 (SY19) or 2019-2020 (SY20), and reflects a total of a minimum of 1,245 hours (for elementary schools) and 1,305 hours (for secondary schools).
- Those applicants utilizing the ELT option may calculate hours from the expanded learning time in school and in the summer only. Hours in before and after school will not be considered for the ELT option. All new applicants must include evidence in the application that demonstrates the school time expansion or significant progress towards school hour expansion. The focus of Option 1 programs must focus on the components of 21st CCLC (i.e. reading, math, positive youth development and parental engagement);
- Out-of-school Time (OST) - available for elementary school programs - Applicants choosing this option must provide comprehensive OST programming at a school/site during the school year to include before, after and summer hours for a selected population of students. The focus of Option 2 programs must focus on the components of 21st CCLC (i.e. reading, math, positive youth development and parental engagement); and
- Out-of-school Time (OST) - available for middle and high school programs - Applicants choosing this option must provide comprehensive OST programming at a school/site during the school year to include before, after and summer hours for a selected population of students. These programs must include a focus on college and career readiness and/or dropout prevention strategies as well as additional supports and programming as required under the grant (i.e. reading, math, positive youth development and parental engagement).
Grant funds primarily will serve students attending schools that are implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities or targeted support (per Title I designation). To add, grant funding may serve students who attend schools that have been identified by the school district and/or the Department to need intervention and support. Ohio's 21st CCLC program must primarily target students who are enrolled in Title I schoolwide buildings. An additional priority considered will focus on geographic distribution to ensure, to the extent possible, an even and fair distribution throughout the state. Ohio will reserve, at minimum, one-third of its FY21 funding for small town and rural programming. Applicants must select in the application their district typology designation to receive this priority.
In addition to academic support in reading and mathematics, 21st Century programs incorporate positive youth development activities. Programs provide a wide range of activities and efforts for students and their families that have included but are not limited to:
- Art, music and cultural education activities;
- Entrepreneurial education programs;
- Tutoring services;
- Limited English Proficient (LEP) programs that emphasize language skills and academic achievement;
- Global learning;
- Service learning projects;
- Recreational activities;
- Physical activities;
- Telecommunication education programs;
- Expanded library service hours;
- Health and nutrition programs;
- Programs that assist students who have been truant, suspended or expelled improve their academic Achievement; and/or
- Drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs and character education programs.