The purpose of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program is to:
- Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet the challenging State academic standards;
- Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development activities, service learning, nutrition and health education, drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs, arts, music, physical fitness and wellness programs, technology education programs, financial literacy programs, environmental literacy programs, mathematics, science, career and technical programs, internship or apprenticeship programs, and other ties to an in-demand industry sector or occupation for high school students that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students; and
- Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children's education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
The goal, objectives, and performance indicators will be used as the criteria for monitoring and evaluation of 21st CCLC programs. Virginia's 21st CCLC will enhance and support student academic achievement by providing enriched, content-based learning opportunities, supported by meaningful parent and community engagement so that students will reach high standards, attaining proficiency or better in reading/language arts and mathematics, attendance, behavior, and engagement in learning.
- Objective A - Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show gains on reading/language arts and mathematics SOL assessments.
- Indicator A.1 - The percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who meet minimum proficiency or make progress in reading/language arts on state assessments compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC program.
- Objective B - Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show gains on mathematics assessments.
- Indicator B.1 - TThe percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who show growth in mathematics based on performance on state assessments compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC.
- Objective C - 21st CCLC programs will engage families in opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
- Indicator C.1 -The unduplicated number of family members participating as reported by school staff and activity logs.
- Objective D- Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show an increase in school day attendance.
- Indicator D.1 The percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who show an increase in school day attendance compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC.
- Objective E- Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show a decrease in in-school suspensions.
- Indicator E.1- The percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who show a decrease in in-school suspensions compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC.
- Objective F- Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show an increase in student engagement as reported by school day teachers.
- Indicator F.1- The percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who show an increase in student engagement compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC.
- Objective G- Virginia students attending schools that primarily serve a high percentage of students from low-income families and regularly attending a 21st CCLC program will show an increase in grade point average (GPA).
- Indicator G.1 The percentage of students regularly participating in 21st CCLC programs who show an increase in grade point average compared to a comparable group of students who do not participate in the 21st CCLC.
Applicants must demonstrate that the type and number of activities clearly relate to the needs of the population and support objectives stated in the application.
By statute, grants must be awarded to programs that serve students who attend schools with a high concentration of low-income students. This absolute priority specifically defines these schools as:
- schools implementing comprehensive support and improvement activities, (The lowest five percent of Title I schools, plus any high school with a federal graduation rate below 67 percent);
- schools implementing targeted support and improvement or additional targeted support and improvement activities (Title I and non-Title I schools, with low-performing student groups);
- other schools determined by the local educational agency to be in need of intervention and support;
- schools enrolling students who may be at risk for academic failure, dropping out of school, involvement in criminal or delinquent activities, or who lack strong positive role models; and
- the families of such students.
Priority points will be given to those applicants that:
- Propose to serve schools that have been identified by the VDOE as a Comprehensive Support and Improvement for the 2023-2024 school year Accreditation Denied for school year 2023-2024.
- Propose to serve schools that have been identified by the VDOE as Targeted Support and Improvement, Additional Targeted Support and Improvement for the 2023-2024 school year or Accredited with Conditions for school year 2023-2024.
- Jointly submit applications between at least one local educational agency receiving Title I, Part A, funds and another eligible entity.
- Propose to serve students in elementary schools.
- Propose to serve students in schools with a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of 50 percent or greater.
Each eligible entity that receives an award may use the award funds to carry out a broad array of activities outside of the school day (including during summer recess periods) that advance student academic achievement, including:
- Academic enrichment learning programs, mentoring programs, remedial education activities, and tutoring services, that are aligned with the following:
- challenging state academic standards and any local academic standards; and
- local curricula that are designed to improve student academic achievement;
- Well-rounded education activities, including such activities that enable students to be eligible for credit recovery or attainment;
- Literacy education programs, including financial literacy programs and environmental literacy programs;
- Programs that support a healthy and active lifestyle, including nutritional education and regular, structured physical activity programs;
- Services for individuals with disabilities;
- Programs that provide after-school activities for students who are English learners that emphasize language skills and academic achievement;
- cultural programs;
- Telecommunications and technology education programs;
- Expanded library service hours;
- Parenting skills programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy;
- Programs that provide assistance to students who have been truant, suspended, or expelled to allow the students to improve their academic achievement;
- Drug and violence prevention programs and counseling programs;
- Programs that build skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this paragraph as ‘‘STEM''), including computer science, and that foster innovation in learning by supporting nontraditional STEM education teaching methods; and
- Programs that partner with in-demand fields of the local workforce or build career competencies and career readiness and ensure that local workforce and career readiness skills are aligned with the (Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006) (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.) and the (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) (29 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.).
A total of $9,092,523 funded 39 awards for SY 2024-2025. History of funding can be found at: https://www.doe.virginia.gov/federal_programs/esea/title4/part_b/index.shtml
The VDOE will fund projects that will provide significant expanded learning opportunities for children and youth, assist students to meet or exceed state and local standards in core academic subjects, and offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
Students to be served by the proposed community learning center must attend schools with a poverty threshold of 40 percent or more. Students attending private schools and the families of those students are eligible to participate in the 21st CCLC program on an equitable basis. Grantees must provide comparable opportunities for the participation of both public and private school students in the areas served by the grant. Students with special needs attending targeted schools are eligible to participate in 21st CCLC programs, and applicants must plan accordingly.
Adult family members of students participating in a community learning center may participate in educational services or activities appropriate for adults. In particular, local programs may offer services to support parental involvement and family literacy. Services must be provided to families of students to advance the students' academic achievement. Programs are open only to adults who are family members or guardians of participating children.