21st Century Community Learning Centers: Background and Funding
Order Code RL31240
21st Century Community Learning Centers:
Background and Funding
Updated February 5, 2008
Gail McCallion
Specialist in Social Legislation
Domestic Social Policy Division
21st Century Community Learning Centers:
Background and Funding
Summary
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers program (21st CCLC), ESEA Title IV-B, is
being considered for reauthorization by the 110th Congress.
The 21st CCLC program was originally authorized as Part I of Title X, of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended. The amendment
authorizing the 21st CCLC program was included as part of the Improving America’s
Schools Act of 1994, P.L. 103-382. The 21st CCLC program was authorized for five
years, FY1995-FY1999. The 21st CCLC program was not reauthorized in the 106th
Congress, and consequently its authorization (but not its funding) expired in FY2000.
The 21st CCLC program was reauthorized (for FY2002-FY2007) by H.R. 1, the No
Child Left Behind Act, a bill to extend and revise the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act. The President signed H.R. 1 into law (P.L. 107-110) on January 8,
2002. This report provides background on the 21st CCLC program and summarizes
its major provisions.
Prior to its reauthorization in P.L. 107-110, the 21st CCLC program was
operated as a competitive grant program with grantees selected by the U.S.
Department of Education (ED). Grant recipients could receive an award for up to
three years and were required to include at least four out of 13 potential activities
intended to serve the local community.
In contrast, the reauthorized 21st CCLC program is structured as a formula grant
program to states, with local grants awarded competitively to eligible local entities
for a period of three to five years. State educational agencies (SEAs) must award at
least 95% of their state allotment to eligible local entities (defined as local
educational agencies (LEAs), community-based organizations (CBOs), other public
or private entities, or consortia of one or more of the above). To the extent possible,
SEAs are to distribute funds equitably among geographic areas within the state,
including urban and rural communities. SEAs are to make awards only to eligible
entities that will be serving students who attend schools eligible for schoolwide
programs under Section 1114 (i.e., are eligible for Title I-A grants on a schoolwide
basis because they have a high percentage of low-income pupils) and the families of
these students. Eligible entities may use 21st CCLC grants for a broad array of
before- and after-school activities that advance student academic achievement. The
program’s focus is now exclusively on after-school-hours activities for children and
youth, and literacy-related activities for their families.
For FY2009, the Administration has requested that the program be restructured
into a scholarship program titled 21st Century Learning Opportunities. The
Administration has request $800 million in funding for FY2009 for the newly
designed program. The 21st CCLC program received funding of $1,081,166,000
(includes a 1.747 across-the-board reduction) for FY2008. This report will be
updated in response to legislative developments.
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Proposed FY2009 Program Restructuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
National Reservations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Formula Grants to States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Competitive Local Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Local Uses of 21st CCLC Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Program Effectiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
List of Tables
Table 1. 21st Century Learning Centers: Funding History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
21st Century Community Learning Centers:
Background and Funding
Introduction
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), including the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers program (21st CCLC), ESEA Title IV-B, is
being considered for reauthorization by the 110th Congress.
The CCLC program was last reauthorized in 2002 as part of the No Child Left
Behind Act (P.L. 107-110) with a new location (Title IV, Part B, 21st Century
Schools), and several substantive changes. This report provides background on the
21st CCLC program and summarizes the major provisions of the reauthorized
program.
The 21st CCLC program, as reauthorized by P.L. 107-110, is structured as a
formula grant program to states, in response to concerns that a program as large as
the 21st CCLC could no longer be equitably administered as a competitive grant
program. In addition, the reauthorized program formally endorses a focus for the 21st
CCLC on after-school hours activities for children and youth.
The 21st CCLC program emphasizes activities during non-school hours that
offer learning opportunities for children and youth. The stated purposes of the
program, as reauthorized, are threefold:
1.
Provide opportunities for academic enrichment to
help
students
(particularly those attending low-performing schools) to meet state and
local student academic achievement standards;
2. Offer students a wide variety of additional services, programs, and
activities intended to reinforce and complement their regular academic
program; and
3. Offer families of students served an opportunity for literacy and related
educational development.
Funding
P.L. 107-110 authorizes the 21st CCLC program at $1.25 billion for FY2002,
$1.5 billion for FY2003, $1.75 billion for FY2004, $2 billion for FY2005, $2.25
billion for FY2006, and $2.5 billion for FY2007. The 21st CCLC program received
funding of $1,081,166,000 (includes a 1.747 across-the-board reduction) for FY2008.
(See Table 1 for the program’s entire funding history.)
CRS-2
Proposed FY2009 Program Restructuring
The Administration has requested that the program be restructured as a
scholarship program and funded at $800,000,000 for FY2009. It would be renamed
21st Century Learning Opportunities. Grants would be awarded by formula to states;
states would then award competitive grants to public or private nonprofit
organizations to administer scholarships for eligible students. States would need to
ensure that families would be able to choose from a variety of providers. All
programs would be required to be high-quality, focused on increasing the academic
achievement of disadvantaged students, and aligned with state standards.
Table 1. 21st Century Learning Centers: Funding History
President’s Budget
FY
Request (in $)
Appropriation (in $)
1995
0
750,000
1996
0
750,000
1997
0
1,000,000
1998
50,000,000
40,000,000
1999
200,000,000
200,000,000
2000
600,000,000
453,377,000a
2001
1,000,000,000
845,614,000b
2002
845,614,000
1,000,000,000
2003
1,000,000,000
993,500,000c
2004
600,000,000
999,070,000d
2005
999,070,000
991,077,440
2006
991,077,440
981,166,230f
2007
981,166,230
981,166,000g
2008
981,180,000
1,081,166,000h
2009
800,000,000
a. This amount includes a reduction of FY2000 discretionary budget authority required by the
FY2000 appropriations act (P.L. 106-113).
b. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction of FY2001 appropriations adopted in the
Miscellaneous Appropriations Act (H.R. 5666) enacted into law by the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2001 (P.L. 106-554).
c. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction per P.L. 108-7.
d. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction per P.L. 108-199.
e. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction per P.L. 108-447.
f. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction per P.L. 109-148.
g. This amount is based upon the FY2007 Annual CR Operating Plan.
h. This amount includes an across-the-board reduction per P.L. 110-161.
CRS-3
National Reservations
From amounts appropriated in any fiscal year, the Secretary of Education shall
reserve not more than 1% for national activities and not more than 1% for the
outlying areas (Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth
of the Northern Mariana Islands) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.1
Formula Grants to States
The current 21st CCLC program, unlike its predecessor, is structured as a
formula grant program to states. States are awarded grants in proportion to the
awards they received under Subpart 2 of Title I-A for the preceding fiscal year. All
states receiving awards receive at least one-half of 1% of the total allotted for state
awards. The Secretary of Education must make a written determination that a state’s
application is not in compliance within 120 days of its receipt, or the state’s
application is deemed to be approved.
State educational agencies (SEAs) may use up to 2% of their award for state
administration (including administrative costs, establishing and implementing a peer
review process for grant applications, and supervising the awarding of funds to
eligible entities). In addition, SEAs may use up to 3% of their award for other state
activities (including monitoring and evaluation, training and technical assistance, and
comprehensive evaluation).
Competitive Local Grants
SEAs must award at least 95% of their state allotment to eligible local entities
(defined as local educational agencies (LEAs), community-based organizations
(CBOs), other public or private entities, or consortia of one or more of the above.)
This is a change from the program as originally authorized, which only permitted
schools or consortia of schools (or LEAs operating on their behalf), to be directly
awarded 21st CCLC grants.2 P.L. 107-110, Section 4204 (b) (2) (D) indicates that in
order to receive a 21st CCLC grant in the reauthorized program, recipients must
provide “an assurance that the proposed program was developed, and will be carried
out, in active collaboration with the schools the students attend.” In practical terms,
this means that grant recipients other than schools must partner with a school or
LEA. All recipients are strongly encouraged to form a partnership; however, P.L.
107-110, Section 4202 (I) (2) states that if an eligible LEA: “demonstrates that it is
unable to partner with a community-based organization in reasonable geographic
proximity and of sufficient quality to meet the requirements of this part,” then this
1 National reservations included amounts for continuation grants under the antecedent
program, through the final year of funding for such grants, FY2003.
2 Although they were encouraged to “collaborate with other public and nonprofit agencies
and organizations, local businesses, educational entities, recreational, cultural, and other
community and human service entities.”
CRS-4
LEA is to be given the same priority by the SEA awarding grants as given to eligible
LEAs with a partner.
Grants are awarded competitively by SEAs for a period of three to five years.
To the extent possible, SEAs are to distribute funds equitably among geographic
areas within the state, including urban and rural communities. SEAs are to make
awards only to eligible entities who will be serving students who attend schools
eligible for schoolwide programs under Section 1114 (i.e., are eligible for Title I-A
grants on a schoolwide basis because 40% or more of their pupils are from low-
income families), or schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-
income families; and the families of these students.
SEAs are to give priority to applications that propose to target services to
students who attend schools that have been identified as in need of improvement
under Section 1116 (schools that fail to make adequate yearly progress for two
consecutive years by state measures); and are submitted jointly by an LEA and a
CBO or other public or private entity.3
Local Uses of 21st CCLC Grants
Eligible entities may use 21st CCLC grants for a broad array of before- and after-
school activities that advance student academic achievement, including
1.
Remedial education activities and academic enrichment learning programs;
2.
Mathematics and science education activities;
3.
Arts and music education activities;
4.
Entrepreneurial education programs;
5.
Tutoring services and mentoring programs;
6. Programs that emphasize language skills and academic achievement for
limited-English-proficient students;
7.
Recreational activities;
8.
Telecommunications and technology education programs;
9.
Expanded library service hours;
10. Programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy;
11. Programs that provide assistance to improve academic achievement for
students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled;
12. Drug- and violence-prevention programs, counseling programs, and
character education programs.
3 Unless, as discussed above, an LEA demonstrates that it is unable to partner with a CBO
of sufficient quality and reasonable geographic proximity.
CRS-5
History
The 21st CCLC program was authorized by Title X, Part I, as amended, of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (SEA), and is administered by the U.S.
Department of Education (ED). The amendment authorizing the 21st CCLC program
was included as part of the Improving America’s Schools Act of 1994, P.L. 103-382.
The 21st CCLC program was authorized for five years, FY1995-FY1999.4 The 21st
CCLC program was a competitive grant program with grantees selected by ED.
Grant recipients could receive an award for up to three years and were required to
include at least four out of 13 potential activities intended to serve the local
community.5
The 21st CCLC program has grown dramatically, as evidenced by the program’s
funding trajectory (see Table 1). The program shifted in emphasis as the amount
appropriated for the program increased. The original authorizing language included
an absolute priority for those 21st CCLC projects that “offer a broad selection of
services which address the needs of the community.”6 Beginning with the program’s
significant expansion in FY1998, an additional absolute priority was added for:
“activities that offer expanded learning opportunities for children and youth in the
community and that contribute to reduced drug use and violence.”
Program Effectiveness7
The U.S. Department of Education has contracted with Mathematica Policy
Research Inc. for an evaluation of 21st CCLC after-school programs. The first report
from the evaluation was published in February of 2003. Based on data for the 2000-
2001 school year, the first year evaluation did not find significant improvements from
21st CCLC programs in academic outcomes or in the numbers of latchkey kids. The
study was designed to focus on outcomes of typical 21st CCLC programs, rather than
of programs implementing best practices. The study authors indicated more
confidence in the results for middle school students (sample size 4,400) than for the
elementary school students (sample size 1,000).
4 Section 422 of the General Education Provisions Act provides an automatic one-year
extension authority to all ED programs. Thus the 21st CCLC program’s authorization (but
not its funding), expired in FY2000. Legislation reauthorizing the program through FY2007
was signed into law on January 8, 2002.
5 For more history on the program, see CRS Report RL30306, 21st Century Community
Learning Centers: A History of the Program, by Gail McCallion.
6 20 U.S.C. § 8244. Only projects that met these absolute priorities were funded. In
addition, the Secretary had the discretion to include competitive priorities that awarded
additional points to potential grantees’ applications.
7 For more discussion of these issues, see CRS Report RL32174, 21st Century Community
Learning Centers: Evaluation and Implementation Issues, by Gail McCallion.
CRS-6
A second report, based on a larger sample of elementary school students and
with an additional year of data on middle school students, was published in 2004.8
Like the first report, the second report did not find significant improvements in
academic achievement or in the numbers of latchkey kids. However, it did find that
elementary school students attending 21st CCLC programs felt safer than comparison
group children not attending these programs; and that the parents of elementary
school children attending these programs were more likely to attend school events.
8 Mark Dynarski, Susanne James-Burdumy, Mary Moore, Linda Rosenberg, John Deke, and
Wendy Mansfield, When Schools Stay Open Late: The National Evaluation of the 21st
Century Community Learning Centers Program: New Findings, U.S. Department of
Education, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (Washington:
GPO, 2004).