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Interested in learning more about or becoming involved in ACE, check out these resources:
 
 
 

21st CCLC Program Information

 
Federal program website that provides information about the purpose of the 21st CCLCs, eligibility, applicant information, awards, performance, funding status, and contact.
 
 

Texas Education Agency Resources

State program website that provides information about state goals, awards, funding, and contact information.
 
Service learning is a major component in of Texas ACE. This website provides resources and a framework for service learning in Texas ACE.
 
The Texas Essential Knowledge & Skills (TEKS) are the academic standards used by Texas ACE sites that connect afterschool academic activities to campus instructional goals.
 
 

ACE Program Information

Learn more about Texas ACE:
 
 
 

Afterschool Organizations and Websites

 
Afterschool.gov
This Clearinghouse website, governed by an Interagency Executive Oversight Committee across several Federal agencies, brings together multiple resources in one website. It offers tools that connect after-school individuals with federal resources that support children and youth during out-of-school time, ranging from funding opportunities, research, program information, and issues that face our youth.
 
Afterschool.org
This organization engages youth as global citizens and advancing innovative and authentic solutions for youth success. It offers information useful for program directors, staff, volunteers, parents, community members, policymakers, funders, researchers and educators.
 
Afterschool Alliance
Advocacy organization dedicated to raising awareness around the importance of afterschool programs.
Information you can find on this site: Policy and action center, facts and research, and national afterschool campaigns and events.
 
American Association of School Administrators
This site primarily gives information on AASA, its conferences, publications, etc. Not much information is found related to after-school programming.
 
American School Board Journal
The website provides access to articles previously published in this journal.
 
Association for Supervision and Curriculum
This website provides vast amounts of very useful information for superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members.
 
Austin Partners in Education
Austin Partners identifies and evaluates best practices quantitatively and qualitatively, piloting and expanding successful programs.
 
Boston’s After-School for All Partnership
This web site serves as a virtual meeting place to learn about Partnership news and initiatives, and acts as a clearinghouse of resources to facilitate the work of the out-of-school time community in practical ways.
 
Provides professional development, technical assistance, tools, and resources through publications and webinars on best-practices in engaging students in meaningful learning activities and working with your staff.
 
Center for Teaching Effectiveness – Best Practices in Higher Education
This website is attached to many useful links related to best practices in education.
 
Citizen Schools
Citizen Schools uniquely mobilizes business, civic and community volunteers to participate in education by teaching hands-on apprenticeships. Their programs integrate these authentic learning projects with activities that build academic, leadership, and study skills, preparing adolescents for achievement in high school, college, the workforce & civic life.
 
Collaborative Communications Group
Collaborative Communications Group is a team of strategic consultants who have developed a library of resources for education reformers.
 
The Community Network for Youth Development offers training, resources, and a research-based framework for staff working with students in out-of-school programs.
 
Connect for Kids
Connect for Kids provides parents, grandparents, guardians, educators, advocates, policymakers, elected officials and others the tools and information they need to improve the lives of children, youth and families.
 
Concept to Classroom: A Series of Workshops
This website offers online workshops such as: After-School Programs – from Vision to Reality; Assessment, Evaluation, and Curriculum Design; Cooperative and Collaborative Learning; Making Family and Community Connections, and others.
The Cooperative Purchasing Network (TCPN)
TCPN provides school districts and other government entities opportunities for greater efficiency and economy in acquiring goods and services.
Corporate Voice for Working Families
Corporate Voices for Working Families brings the private sector voice into the public dialogue on issues affecting working families, including education. 
 
Corporation for National Community Service
The Corporation for National and Community Service works toward engaging Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service to help strengthen communities. This web site provides a very large amount of information on community service and service learning.
 
Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
This site is a resource site providing resources for all school subjects.
 
The Finance Project
The Finance Project is a specialized non-profit research, consulting, technical assistance and training firm for public and private sector leaders nationwide. This site is linked to many great publications and workbooks regarding investment decision, developing sound financing strategies, and build solid partnerships that benefit children, families and communities.
 
The Gateway to Educational Materials
“The Gateway to 21st Century Skills”, GEM is a consortium effort to provide educators with quick and easy access to thousands of educational resources found on various federal, state, university, non-profit, and commercial Internet sites.
 

Research and work geared to promoting quality, accessibility, and sustainability of out-of-school time programs.

 
Literacy Assessment for Diverse Learners Portal – Part of I Teach I Learn
This site provides links to the Teacher’s Journal and other resources.
 
Mid-continent Research for Education Learning
McREL helps educators bridge the gap between research and practice in the areas of early literacy, education and public outreach, instruction, leadership, mathematics and science, standards, school improvement, and technology.
 
National Association of Elementary School Principals
This site is very informative and offers a wide variety of tools and resources for elementary and middle level principals.
 
National Center for Community Education
The NCCE promotes community education through leadership training and resources and links on funding advice and online courses.
 
National Community Education Association
This website offers resource links, legislative updates to community education directors or coordinators at the local school district level as well as education professors in colleges and universities, community college administrators, and state legislators.
 
The National High School Alliance
This organization partners with others to promoting the excellence, equity, and development of high school-age youth.

Geared towards bridging research and practice, the website offers journal publications, news and events, and resources.
 

National Staff Development Council
This Council views high quality staff development programs as essential to creating schools in which all students and staff members are learners who continually improve their performance.
 
National Youth Development Information Center
This site provides links to important research findings and strategies for success and discusses afterschool partnership success stories.
Promising Practices in After-School
This website helps afterschool program directors improve the quality of their programs.
 The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the framework used in connecting center activities to one of the four major components: College and Workforce Readiness.
 
Provides technical assistance and resources for afterschool programs in the areas of virtual academy, lesson plans, curriculum review, newsletter subscription, and afterschool training toolkit.
 
Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (TASCD)
Texas ASCD, a community of diverse educators, acts to improve teaching and learning for the success of all learners.
Texas Center for Educational Research
TCER partners with other research organizations and higher education institutions to enhance the quality of Texas education by promoting the interchange of academic research.

Texas Community Education Association
This website primarily describes the Association and has links for members, events, starting a program, news, and similar areas.
Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association
TEPSA provides leadership training, networking opportunities, and information and support for principals and supervisors in Texas.
 

 

 

  

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21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)
 
A grant program funded by the US Department of Education and authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), amended by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001.  
 
The 21st CCLC Program has three primary purposes:

* To provide students with out-of-school-time academic and enrichment opportunities that are specifically designed to help them achieve local and state student goals in primary academic subjects;

* To provide students with a broad array of additional activities that, while different from school-day activities, complement and reinforce school-day learning; and

* To provide adult family members of 21st CCLC students with opportunities in language-learning, literacy, and related educational activities. The 21st CCLC program is designed to serve students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools. 

 

-A- 

 
ACE
Texas Afterschool Centers on Education, (ACE), is a new dynamic brand that communicates the characteristics of the program and creates statewide awareness through the consistent and frequent incorporation of the brand into program outreach.  
 
ACE was developed so Grantees and Centers can easily customize the brand to work in harmony with their estabilished identity, while maintaining the power of a state program.  
 
Activity
A planned event at a 21st CCLC that is designed based on a campus needs assessment and that complements the academic performance, academic achievement and positive youth development of students and their families. 
 
All activities must be based upon the comprehensive Four- Component Activity Guide and offer hands-on methods of instruction.  
 
Activities are required to be a minimum of 45 minutes in length and planned for each hour a center is open. 
 
Activity Component
One of the four required elements for a Texas 21st CCLC program; Academic Assistance, Enrichment, Family & Parental Support Services, and College and Workforce Readiness
 
Activity Types
Academic Assistance
Activities that specifically target students whose academic performance has been deemed to be in need of improvement given that the student is not performing at grade level, is failing, or is otherwise performing below average. Activities in this category support all educational areas as needed to promote student achievement and success in their school experiences. Examples include: tutoring, homework help, or other forms of service delivery that specifically involve students identified as in need of academic improvement.
 
Enrichment
Activities that expand on students’ learning that provide positive social, cultural, recreational, interpersonal skills, and experiences to enrich and expand students’ understanding of life and involvement in community. They allow the participants to apply knowledge and skills stressed in school to real-life experiences.  Examples include: community service projects, creative arts, fitness, leadership training and life skills. 
 
Family and Parental Support Services
Ongoing and educational activities that support and help increase the participation of parents in the students’ educational experience. 
 
Adult/ Family activities require sustained participation of adult family members in order to achieve the acquisition of knowledge or a skill. Examples of activities that conform to these requirements would include GED and ESL classes, classes on how to develop a resume, or a programming series on effective parenting strategies.
 
One-time, non-recurring, or special events such as Parent Nights/ Open House are included in this category, and while they are not likely to conform to the above requirements, they are important and should be conducted in addition to the ongoing, educational family activities.
 
College & Career Readiness
Activities that target either youths and/or adults participating in the 21st CCLC program and are designed to promote workforce awareness, job and/or college readiness, skills training, preparation for the workforce, and assistance in the attainment of employment and/or funding for college. Examples include career clubs, college admissions assistance/ preparation, dual credit, and job recruitment/ entrepreneurial activities. 
 
Adjunct Site
A facility where supplementary programming/activities occur on an occasional basis and support the activities offered at the main center. (For example: swimming pools, recreational facilities, bowling alley, etc.).
 
Programming at adjunct sites must not replace or exceed the amount of programming offered at the main center.
 
  
Adult/ Family Member Attendee
Immediate family members or guardians of participating children who participate in educational services or other activities appropriate for adults provided by the center.  
 
Participating adults must be 19 years of age or older and cannot be in high school.
 
 
Advocacy
Providing education to individuals, stake-holders, and policy-makers about the value and impact of after-school programs in general and in one’s local community

 

Attended
Any participant present in at least one 45-minute 21st CCLC program activity
 
AYP
Adequate Yearly Progress- Under the accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, all public school campuses, school districts, and the state are evaluated for Adequate Yearly Progress. Districts, campuses, and the state are required to meet AYP criteria on three measures: Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, and either Graduation Rate (for high schools and districts) or Attendance Rate (for elementary and middle/junior high schools).
 
If a campus, district, or state that is receiving Title I, Part A funds fails to meet AYP for two consecutive years, that campus, district, or state is subject to certain requirements such as offering supplemental education services, offering school choice, and/or taking corrective actions.
 
 

-C-

 
Center
A 21st CCLC center is the physical location where grant-funded services and activities are provided to participating students and their families.
 
A center is characterized by defined hours of operation; a dedicated staff that plans, facilitates, and supervises program activities; and an administrative structure that requires a full-time Site Coordinator.
 
A community learning center offers academic enrichment, youth development activities, and artistic, and cultural enrichment opportunities to students and their families during non-school hours (before or after school) or periods when school is not in session (including holidays, weekends, and summer recess).
 
 
Certified Teacher
An individual holding a current Texas teaching certification. May teach as part of the after-school program.
 
 
Community-Based Organization (CBO)
Usually nonprofit or faith-based organizations with goals to provide services to a community or a portion of a community. An entity organized and operated exclusively for one or more of the purposes set forth in Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c) (3). In order to be identified as a Community-Based Organization/Nonprofit Agency, an organization should not be classifiable as a Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit Agency or a Faith-Based Organization.
 
Community Service
Volunteer activities undertaken to help others or to help the general community.
 
 
Contractor (aka vendors)
Individual or organization providing after-school programming, not a school district employee. Any entity or person not employed by an ISD who is contracted or provides paid services for the 21st CCLC program.
 
Critical Success Factors
Critical success factors reflect behavioral changes that must be demonstrated by students enrolled in the program or by the adults working on their behalf. They are essential for 21st CCLC programs to succeed in meeting the five objectives defined for the program and are all indicators of student success. (See also: Milestones)
 
Cycle
A cohort of grantees selected for 21st CCLC funds for a 5 year period.
 
Cycle Year
The federal definition of a School Year which starts with the Summer term followed by Fall and Spring terms. This is different from Texas’ School Year which begins with the Fall term and ends with the Summer term.
 

Enrolled
An entity Any participant that is registered to attend a 21st CCLC program activity. Enrollment usually occurs at the beginning of each term. Participants must be Enrolled in an activity before being reported as Attended.
 

-F-

 
Faith-Based Organization
An entity whose primary program area can be defined as being religion related. A Faith-Based Organization could be a religious congregation or an organization that primarily undertakes activities that are of a religious nature. Please note that YMCAs/YWCAs are not considered to be faith-based organizations. Note: grant funds must not be used to pay for religious worship, instruction, or proselytization. 
 
Feeder School
Any public or private school that is served by a designated host center (e.g. students from School A are transported to School B which is the host center).
 
Feeder Pattern
A situation when students attend one school and upon completion move to another school (e.g. elementary to middle school; middle school to high school). 
 
Final Yearly Report
Performance report required 30 days after the end of each grant period (spring term). Required in order for grantees to receive their final 10% funding. 
 
Fundraising
Solicitation of gifts and bequests, endowment drives, financial campaigns, and similar expenses incurred to raise capital or obtain contributions. 21st CCLC grant funds must not be used for fundraising purposes.
 

-G-

 

Grantee

The entity serving as the fiscal agent for a given 21st CCLC grant. May consist of ISDs, CBOs, FBOs, etc…
 
  
GPRA
Government Performance and Results Act of 1993. Statute that requires all federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities. Texas manages its 21st CCLC activity progress through performance measures reported in Final Yearly Reports.
 
 

-I-

 
In-Kind
Goods, commodities, services and/or staff that are given and are not funded directly by the 21st CCLC Grantee.

-L-

 
LPA
Learning Point Associates – Vendor contracted by the U.S. Department of Education (USDoE) to provide PPICS, the federal data tracking system application to which all states (if applicable) report their 21st CCLC aggregate data for evaluation.
 

-M-

 
Mentoring
Mentoring activities primarily are characterized by matching students one-on-one with one or more adult role models for guidance and support, often from businesses or the community. (See also: Critical Success Factors)
 
Milestones
Key strategies that establish the foundation on which critical success factors are built. 21st CCLC programs must develop activities that ensure each of the milestones is met. 
 

-N-

 
Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit Agency (Type of Partner)
A nonprofit organization that is associated with a national organization. Local YMCAs, YWCAs, and Boys and Girls Clubs are all considered to be nationally affiliated nonprofit agencies. Entities such as the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts and Big Brothers/Big Sisters should be identified under the category of Nationally Affiliated Nonprofit Agency – Other.
 
Non-Recurring
Refers to an activity/event that is a one-time event, or held less than once a month (See also: Recurring).
 

-P-

 
Paraprofessional (After-school support staff)
Non-degreed program support, .i.e. college students, non-certified teachers. Person employed or contracted by the Grantee that is a non-professional certified instructor. Generally assigned as a classroom assistant.
 
Participant
An eligible student or adult family member who attends a 21st CCLC program activitiy
 
Partner
An organization other than the grantee that actively contributes to the 21st CCLC-funded project either monetarily, materially, or with services.
 
Performance Measures
Standards that are prescribed by the state that dictate the performance criteria to which grantees will need to conform in the operation of their 21st CCLC-funded programs.
 
Period Selection
A representation of a block of time usually in reference to a school day (before, after, weekends)
 
PPICS
The 21st CCLC Profile and Performance Information Collection System (PPICS) is a web-based data collection system funded by the U.S. Department of Education. It was designed to collect comprehensive information on program characteristics, services, and performance data across a broad range of outcomes for state-administered 21st CCLC programs. 
 
Data are collected in order to monitor how the program is operating under state administration, and to provide the USDE with the capacity to respond to Congressional, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and other Departmental inquiries about the program. 
 
Texas is one of 13 states that do not require grantees to enter data directly into PPICS. (See also TX21st)
 
Pre/Post Tests
An academic instrument used to measure a student’s status and progress during two points within a given timeframe (Ex: per term/ semester) . Pre- and post-tests are required for tutorial activities and are useful for obtaining impact data. Acceptable pre/post tests include: district approved pre/post test, district approved benchmark tests, grades. 
 
Grades can be used to measure student progress, but the grades measured should be reflective of the type of tutoring the student receives (ex: if a student receives Math tutoring, their Math grade at two points throughout the given time frame should be used as the appropriate measure). 
 
PRIME
Planning + Resourcing + Implementing+ Managing = Enduring
 
A framework or “blueprint” for afterschool, which contains critical program elements that all Texas 21st CCLC stakeholders will focus their afterschool programs.
 
Project Director
A Project Director is responsible for managing, coordinating, and overseeing all 21st CCLC grant activities. This is a required, full-time position to oversee all requirements and program-related issues including: staff training, data collections, and program implementation.  The Project Director serves as the main contact with TEA.
 

-R-

 
Recurring
Refers to an activity/event that is held on a regular basis, or is a on-going. (See also: Non-recurring)  
 
Regular Attendee
Refers to students that have attended a 21st CCLC program for at least 30 days (which do not have to be consecutive) during one year. 
 
This definition was provided by USDE/ PPICS that TEA uses to define a regular student.  However, 21st CCLC is not intended to be a casual or “drop-in” program and eligible students should be those who can attend the full, comprehensive program. 
 
21st CCLC programs should adopt practices that support regular, sustained student participation in order to show academic gains. 
 
Related Student (for adult)
Student participant directly related to or under guardianship of an adult participant
 
Reporting Period
The designated timeframe with which specific data about the 21st CCLC program and attendees is collected and reported. Data collections occur in TX21st three times per year (Summer, Fall, & Spring) and annually through the Final Yearly Report. (See also Term)
 

-S-

 
Schedule
A typical representation of when and how often an activity will be given
 
School In Need of Improvement
Under Title I, School Improvement Program of No Child Left Behind, a Local Education Agency or campus that does not meet Adequate Yearly Progress for two consecutive years will be considered in need of improvement.
 
Service Learning
A teaching method that connects meaningful community service experience with academic learning (the TEKS), personal growth, and civic responsibility. Curriculum-based community service that integrates classroom instruction with community instruction, and with community service activities.
 
According to the Texas Center For Service-Learning (www.txcsl.org), in Texas, high quality service-learning programs have the following components:
 
S – Student leadership
T – Thoughtful service
A – Authentic learning
R – Reflections
S – Sustainable partners
 
Service-learning can be applied across all subjects and grade levels and it helps students build character and become active participants as they work with others in their school and community to create service projects in areas like education, public safety, and the environment.
 
Site Coordinator
A Site Coordinator is responsible for the oversight of one center. This is a required, full-time position for Cycles 5 & 6. 
 
Duties include: coordinating all center activities to ensure alignment with the school day, being readily available during the school day to provide advocacy for students enrolled in the program, working with principals and school officials regarding recruitment efforts, conducting campus needs assessments, developing the campus service delivery plan, meeting with students, parents, and teachers to communicate student needs, facilitating student assessments, interventions, and personal graduation plans. Site Coordinators are also responsible for ensuring the safety and integrity of student data, which is entered into TX21st in a timely manner. 
 
 
Supplemental Educational Services
Supplemental educational services are additional academic instruction designed to increase the academic achievement of students in schools that have not met state targets for increasing student achievement (adequate yearly progress) for three or more years. These services may include tutoring and after-school services. They may be offered through public- or private-sector providers that are approved by the state, such as public schools, public charter schools, local education agencies, educational service agencies, and faith-based organizations. Students from low-income families who remain in Title I schools that fail to meet state standards for at least three years are eligible to receive supplemental educational services.
 
 
State Assessment
The assessment(s) administered by a given state relied upon by the state education agency (SEA) to meet consolidated reporting requirements under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. In Texas, these assessments are known as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS).
 
 
Subcontractor
An organization that is under contract with the grantee to provide 21st CCLC grant-funded activities or services. For reporting purposes, a subcontractor is considered to be a type of partner.
 
 
Sustainability
Plausible promise of continuing an after-school program without reliance on a single funding stream.
 

-T-

 
Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS)
The Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) is a statewide standardized testing system to assess student learning. The TAKS is used in Texas primary and secondary schools to assess students' attainment of reading, writing, math, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards. It is supervised by the Texas Education Agency. Though created before the No Child Left Behind Act was passed, it complies with the law. It replaced the previous test, called the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills or TAAS, in 2003.
 
TAKS tests are aligned with the grade-level skills outlined in TEKS.
 
Term
Relates to a semester within a year.  There are 3 terms: Summer, Fall, and Spring.  The federal reporting term begins with Summer and ends with the Spring term. (See Also Reporting Period)
 
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
The state-mandated learning standards for the skills that students should learn in every grade in Texas. Implemented in 1998 by the Texas Education Agency.
 
 
Timeslot
A block of time during which an activity occurs denoted by a start and end time block (i.e. 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
 
Title I School
A school with a high percentage of students from low-income families that typically have around 40% or more of its students that come from families that qualify under the United States Census's definitions as low-income.
 
Tutoring
Individualized subject-specific study to build skills in identified areas of need conducted in small group settings. Focuses on skill acquisition through intentional sequence; time in tutoring activity based on need. Pre and Post-Testing is required to determine progress.
 
 
TX21st
The Texas 21st CCLC Student Tracking System, formerly known as the Texas 21st CCLC Tracking & Reporting System, which all grantees are required to enter aggregated student and programmatic data three terms per year (Summer, Fall, Spring). The information is uploaded to the federal database, PPICS, annually.  
 

-V-

 
Volunteer
Refers to staff that are not paid with 21st CCLC funds.