21st Century Community Learning Centers

Posted by Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) on July 14, 2014

Availability of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) 2014-17 Request for Applications (RFA) and 21st CCLC Cohort 7 Grant Paper Application and Instructions

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) is pleased to announce the availability of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) 2014-17 Request for Applications and the 21st CCLC Cohort 7 Grant Paper Application and Instructions for 2014-17. The Cohort 7 application for the 21st CCLC grant will be created, submitted, collected and competed via a paper application process.

The purpose of the program is to establish or expand community learning centers that provide students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools with academic enrichment opportunities by Expanding Learning Opportunities (ELO) during non-school hours along with activities designed to complement the students’ regular academic program. Community learning centers must also offer families of these students’ literacy and related educational development. Centers, which can be located in elementary or secondary schools or other similarly accessible facilities, provide a range of high-quality services to support student learning and development, including tutoring and mentoring, homework help, academic enrichment (such as hands-on science or technology programs), and community service opportunities, as well as music, arts, sports and cultural activities. At the same time, centers help working parents by providing a safe environment for students during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session.

Application Process

The 21st CCLC Grant Request for Applications (RFA) and Guidance for Fiscal Years 2014-17 and the 21st CCLC Cohort 7 Grant Paper Application and Instructions for 2014-17 and all attachments for new grants will be available online beginning July 14, 2014, on the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s 21st CCLC website at http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/21st_century_community_learning_centers/7414.

Applicants are required to complete each section of the 21st CCLC paper application explained in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Cohort 7 Grant Paper Application and Instructions for 2014-17 document and submit the completed application to Ms. Maribel Martinez at PDE’s Division of Student Services at the address listed below by 4 p.m. August 14, 2014. All sections must be completed in order to submit the application. No sections of the paper application are optional. Faxed and emailed copies will not be accepted. Originals, paper copies and attachments received after the deadline will not be reviewed. Failure to submit the required copies of the signatory documents by the deadline will result in the disqualification of the grant application and denial to proceed to the peer review.

Prior to Grant Award

All potential applicants must complete the following steps:

1. Notify PDE via email of the applicant’s intent to submit an application. Include the legal name of entity, and either the AUN (school districts/charter schools/intermediate units) or EIN (all other organizations) and Vendor number for the lead organization. Specify in the letter of intent to apply the target population to be served including grade levels, proposed site locations, district and school names, community based organization partners, etc. Email your letter of intent to Susan D’Annunzio at sdannunzio@pa.gov.  Due Date Monday, July 28, 2014. Please note this is due prior to the paper application submission deadline. No extensions will be granted.

2. If your agency is not a school district, charter school or intermediate unit, you will need to register for a vendor number. Non-Procurement Entities can apply for a brand new vendor number using the following link: http://www.vendorregistration.state.pa.us. Applicants must have a “vendor number” in order to do business with the commonwealth and so that they can eventually be paid by the commonwealth, if their application is selected for funding. Once you have a vendor number, you will provide your vendor number on the Title Page form and grant agreement document.

3. Consult with eligible nonpublic entities located within the attendance area of LEA regarding participation in the proposed 21st CCLC program. Complete, the Certification of Nonpublic Involvement Form located in Appendix A of the 21st CCLC Grant Request for Applications (RFA) and Guidance for Fiscal Years 2014-17.

4. Register for and attend one pre-proposal workshop.

Submission

All paper applications with attachments for 21st CCLC funding must be submitted by mail. Email, facsimile or any method other than the approved mailed paper submission will not be accepted. Applications submitted via overnight mail must be received at PDE’s Division of Student Services no later than 4 p.m. on Thursday, August 14, 2014. Please print a paper copy of your completed paper application with all attachments for your own records.

Please forward original signature documents signed in blue ink to PDE no later than 4 p.m. on August 14, 2014 to the attention of:

Ms. Maribel Martinez, Fiscal Technician
Pennsylvania Department of Education
Division of Student Services
333 Market Street, 5th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333

NOTE: Failure to submit the required copies of the signatory documents by the deadline will result in the disqualification of the grant application and denial to proceed to the peer review. A list of required signature documents is provided in the Cohort 7 Grant Application and Instructions.

Eligible entities may apply for funding on behalf of one or more public schools within the applicant district through a single paper application process. Each district is limited to one application per district.

Pre-Grant Workshops/Webinar

In order to assist eligible applicant entities in completing the paper application PDE will host a one-day 21st Century Community Learning Centers Pre-Grant workshop at the three regional PaTTAN offices located in Harrisburg, King of Prussia and Pittsburgh on Friday, July 18, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The presentation in Harrisburg will be a live presentation that will be live streamed to the other two PaTTAN locations.

Participation in a pre-grant workshop is required for all eligible community-based organizations, school districts or charter schools, intermediate units, faith-based organizations and nationally affiliated service organizations planning to submit an application for the 21st CCLC competitive funds for 2014-17. To register, please email Miriam Febles at mfebles@pa.gov. Please, no phone calls. Include the location where you will attend, your name, email address, telephone number and the name of the organization that is planning to apply. Please be aware that an access code will be required for entry at the Pittsburgh PaTTAN location.

Funding Availability

PDE will have approximately $21 million dollars available for Cohort 7 grants. Eligible applicants may select one of two paths for award consideration.

PATH A: Applicants may select to provide only out-of-school time programming (i.e. before school, afterschool, holidays weekends and summer school services) focused on improving Prekindergarten through grade 12 performance measures of school attendance, classroom performance and/or reduced disciplinary referrals and meeting state and local academic achievement standards in reading, math and science. In keeping with the 21st CCLC non-regulatory guidance that larger, more comprehensive grants are more likely to have a measurable impact on student achievement, applicants proposing services for traditional afterschool programming during the regular after school hours, weekends, evenings and summer, may request funds ranging from a minimum of $50,000 to a maximum of up to $400,000. Programs that propose to provide both school year and summer programming are more powerful for results and data; therefore, no funds will be available for summer-only applicants in this grant round.

PATH B: Applicants may select to provide both Expanded Learning Time during the school day with a focus on meeting state and local academic achievement standards in reading and math and on out-of-school time programming in Prekindergarten through grade 12 (i.e. before school, afterschool and summer school services) focused on improving performance measures of school attendance, classroom performance and/or reduced disciplinary referrals and meeting state and local academic achievement standards in reading, math and science. Quality applicants proposing to implement both expanded learning time and out-of-school programming will be eligible to receive funding amounts of up to $500,000 per year.

In order for an applicant to apply to use 21st CCLC funds for Expanded Learning Time, they must describe how it will extend its normal school day, week, month or year to meet the Elementary Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Flexibility Expanded Learning Time Optional Waiver requirements. All provisions of the 21st CCLC program remain unchanged. For example, the services proposed must be supplemental; they cannot supplant existing services or those services that are already paid by federal, state and/or local funds. The allowable activities under Expanded Learning Time do not change, only the time during which the allowable activities may be offered changes.

As per Section F-12 of United States Department of Education 21st CCLC Non Regulatory Guidance, communities that presently have a 21st CCLC grant from PDE are eligible to receive additional funds under the PDE administered program. The United States Department of Education Non-Regulatory Guidance document can be accessed at http://www2.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/guidance2003.pdf. However, local applicants should be aware that new funds must be used in a manner consistent with all the requirements of the statute and must be used only to supplement, not supplant, any federal, state or local dollars available to support activities allowable under the 21st CCLC program.

Period of Availability

The grant period will range from October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2017.

Eligible Applicants

Federal law mandates, per Section 4203 (a) (3), “that any public or private organization may apply for 21st CCLC funding if it proposes to serve:

1. Students who primarily attend:

a. schools eligible for schoolwide programs under (Title I) Section 1114; or

b. schools that serve a high percentage of students (at least 40 percent) from low-income families; and

2. The families of those students described above.”

Preference for funding will be given to qualified applicants designated as “priority or focus” schools with school performance profile scores in the lowest five to 10 percent of Title I schools will receive the highest funding priority consideration for 21st CCLC funds. All Path A and Path B applicants must meet this Pennsylvania priority in order to receive highest funding priority consideration.

Additional Pennsylvania funding priorities can be found in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Request for Applications (RFA) and Guidance for Fiscal Years 2014-17.

Application Information

Detailed information outlining grant terms and conditions, program eligibility, pertinent regulations including expenditure guidelines, evaluation and program accountability requirements and additional resources are contained in the complete 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant Request for Applications (RFA) and Guidance for Fiscal Years 2014-17 and in the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Cohort 7 Grant Paper Application and Instructions for 2014-17 which can be accessed by:

Visiting PDE’s website: http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/21st_century_community_learning_centers/7414
Email request: RA-21stCCLC@pa.gov

Applicants will receive priority points if they have a STEM component. For additional program information, please contact:

Pennsylvania Department of Education
Susan D’Annunzio, 21st CCLC Program Supervisor
333 Market Street, 5th floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717.346.3186 Fax: 717.783.4392
sdannunzio@pa.gov