Arkansas 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)

Guidelines

Allowable Programming Services Supporting Academic Improvement

Services and programming should be provided in core academic areas where scientifically based research has been conducted and is available, such as reading, mathematics and early childhood. A community learning center shall employ strategies based on such research.  The proposed programming must be supported by the research.

Each eligible organization receiving an award may use the funds to carry out a broad array of before and after school activities (including during summer recess periods) or Pre-kindergarten (4 year olds) that advance student achievement.  (NCLB Section 4205 (a).  

Grantees are not required to provide all of the programming service areas.  Specific program areas are to be selected based on the needs of the student population.

• Remedial education activities and academic enrichment learning programs
• Mathematics and science education activities
• Arts and music education activities
• Entrepreneurial education programs
• Tutoring services (including those provided by senior citizen volunteers) and mentoring programs
• Programs that provide after-school activities for limited English proficient students that emphasize language skills and academic achievement
• Recreational activities
• Telecommunications and technology education programs
• Expanded library service hours
• 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, counseling programs, and character education programs’ and
• Pre-Kindergarten (4 year olds) Full day Classes. A 21st CCLC program can be an important component in the Arkansas Consolidated School Improvement Plan (ACSIP) as it offers extended learning time to help students meet State and local academic standards.  Local programs must ensure that the academic services they provide are aligned with the school’s curriculum in the core subject areas.

Requirements and Exceptions to Out-of-School Services

Community Learning Centers may only offer K-12 services during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session, including before school, after school, evenings, weekends and during the summer.  Programs must provide an effective and efficient delivery of services.  The recommended number of operational hours is twelve (12) to fifteen (15) hours per week.  Ten (10) hours per week are mandated (amended 4-11-03). The operational hours will be dependent upon the individual program and community needs.

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 must offer services to support parental involvement and family literacy.  Services may be provided to families of the targeted students to advance the students’ academic achievement.  However, programs are open only to those adults who are members of the families of participating children in the targeted school.

Students are designated in the statute as the intended beneficiaries of the program. Younger children, who will become students in the schools being served, can also participate in program activities designed in preparing them for successful school entry.

Activities targeting pre-kindergarten (4 year olds) children and adult family members may take place during regular school hours, as these times may be the most suitable for serving these populations.