Frequently Asked Questions
about After-School Programs in California
21st CCLC and ASSETs
ASES Basics
Important Dates and Deadlines
Basic Questions about After-School
Programs
Finding Special Resources
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21st CCLC
and ASSETs
What is 21st CCLC?
The 21st Century Community Learning
Centers (21st CCLC) program is the only federal funding
source dedicated exclusively to afterschool programs.
It has grown from a budget of $1 million in 1997 to $1
billion in 2003. The No Child Left Behind Act transferred
the administration of the grants from the U.S. Department
of Education to the State Education Agencies. Each state
receives funds based on its share of Title I funding for
low-income students. Funds are also allotted to outlying
areas and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. According to the
U.S. Department of Education, California’s estimated
allocation for Fiscal Year 2007 is $127,685,243.
The 2002 reauthorization also narrowed
the focus of 21st CCLC to an after-school program model
that provides services to students attending high-poverty,
low-performing schools.
What is the ASSETs Program?
In 2002, the California Legislature established the 21st
Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment
for Teens (ASSETs) Program as part of the California 21st
CCLC Program. California is unique among the states in
having earmarked a portion of its 21st CCLC funds specifically
for the design, development, and evaluation of high school
after-school programs. The recent legislation that made
changes to ASES also guaranteed a large portion of 21st
CCLC funds would be allotted to high school after-school
programs.
- Resources for more information
about ASSETs:
WestEd:
Interim Evaluation
Fight
Crime: Invest in Kids California
Fight Crime’s 2004 report California's Next
After-School Challenge: Keeping High School Teens Off
the Street and On the Right Track offers information
about the benefits of high school after-school programs,
supply and demand for this age group, and how many high
school programs in California have 21st CCLC funding.
When can I apply for ASSETs and
21st CCLC funding?
The California Department of Education
has released the RFAs for both elementary and middle school
programs and high school programs. Both applications are
due on March 12, 2007. Click here
for more information.
Can CBOs apply for ASSETs/21st
CCLC funding?
Yes. Community-based organizations
can apply directly for and be the fiscal agent of 21st
CCLC funding for high school, middle school and elementary
school programs. However, the federal law encourages applicants
to collaborate with the schools the children attend.
Where can I find more resources
on after-school programs for high school students?
A number of after-school and youth advocacy organizations
have taken an interest in after-school opportunities for
older students:
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• •
ASES Basics
How much money will each school
get?
What is the match requirement?
Who is eligible to apply for funds?
Answers to these basic questions
and more like them can be found on this brief fact
sheet or this longer guide
to ASES, both from Children Now.
How do I know which schools near
me have ASES-funded after-school programs?
The California Department of
Education offers a list
of funded schools (by school name only) on its website.
You can also go to the California Afterschool Network’s
Locating
Afterschool in California project.
How can community-based organizations
(e.g. museums, libraries) take part in ASES?
Act
4 After School answers that question here
(PDF).
Boys & Girls Clubs answers that question here
(PDF).
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Important Dates and
Deadlines
When
is the deadline to apply for funding for the 2006-2007
school year?
The 2006 deadline to apply for ASES funding has passed.
The Department
of Education has posted the list of grantees on its
website.
The RFAs for 21st CCLC funds are available here.
What is the status of current legislation
related to ASES?
SB 638, the bill that makes
significant, positive changes to ASES, was signed by the
governor on September
21, 2006.
The Bay
Area Partnership for Children and Youth has more information
about the changes to ASES in its "Proposition 49:
Primer."
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Basic Questions
about After-School Programs
Why do I want an after-school program
in my school or community?
After-school programs provide a number
of benefits for the students they serve, the schools and
communities that support them, and the working parents
who send their children there. Act 4 After School has
a list of Ten
Reasons to Apply for ASES Funding. For more information
on the benefits of after-school programs, the Afterschool
Alliance has this summary of “Afterschool
Outcomes.”
What is a “high-need”
school?
The definition of this and
other terms can be found in the Glossary
of After-School Terms and Acronyms on Act 4 After
School’s Resources
page.
How many high-need schools are there
in California?
Based on data from the California
Department of Education, there are 2,911 elementary and
middle schools that qualify as “high-need.”
Of those, there are approximately 1,400–1,800 schools
that currently do not have state-funded after-school programs.
How many children in California currently
attend after-school programs?
According to the California
School-Age Consortium (CalSAC),
fewer than 2 million of the 4.4 million elementary and
middle school students in California participate in some
kind of after-school program.
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Finding
Special Resources
What do I do about transportation
issues?
When it comes to getting students
to after-school programs and then home at the end of the
day, every community has its own problems and its own
solutions. Some partner with public transit agencies,
others work with the school district’s busing program.
- The National School Boards Association has collected
some resources on the Transportation
and Facilities page in their Extended-Day Learning
Opportunities (EDLO) Online Resource Center, including
a brief from the Finance Project.
- This report from Public/Private Ventures,
Challenges
and Opportunities in After-School Programs: Lessons
for Policymakers and Funders, offers insights
and ideas for urban transportation.
- 21st Century Community Learning Centers grantees can
apply to the California Department of Education for
a Direct
Access grant to provide transportation and address
other accessibility issues for students attending current
21st CCLC before- and after-school programs.
- This PowerPoint
by John Durán, the Afterschool Coordinator
for Coachella Valley USD, was presented at CalSAC’s
2005 Rural Afterschool Summit. It offers tips and ideas
on how to plan a transportation budget and where to
look for funding and assistance.
Are there resources for rural
schools and districts to get help?
Yes. A number of organizations
offer resources or even specialize in rural education
issues. Try the resources below:
- The Finance Project has a brief
on extra funding for rural out-of-school time.
- Save The Children has a “Recipe
for Success,” a book of best practices for
rural programs.
- The Rural School and Community Trust has a section
dedicated to rural issues in California,
and this October
2003 edition of their newsletter, Rural Roots,
is dedicated to after-school programs.
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