May 24, 2007
Six States Receive Grants to Expand Learning Opportunities
DENVER—Teams of education leaders in Colorado, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio and Rhode Island received $50,000 competitive grants to improve afterschool and summer learning opportunities for students through the Supporting Student Success initiative. In addition to funding, grant recipients will receive in-depth consulting services from the three organizations involved in this joint initiative: the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), and National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center).
The grants will support each state’s plan to develop, adopt and implement state policies that better integrate expanded learning opportunities—such as afterschool, summer learning and extended day and year programs—into state education systems. High quality expanded learning opportunities have been linked to improved graduation rates and increased student success, the executive directors of the initiative organizations point out.
“Governors recognize that learning doesn’t stop when the school bell rings,” said Raymond C. Scheppach, NGA executive director. “That’s why they are teaming up with afterschool experts and others to develop innovative policies on expanded learning opportunities.”
“The winning proposals share the vision of states working with schools to reach and teach students outside the classroom,” said NCSL’s executive director Bill Pound. “Americans are looking for ways to improve education in this country and expanded learning opportunities look to be a promising part of the solution.”
“As education leaders, chiefs are committed to ensuring student success and are consistently seeking ways to extend and expand learner opportunities—both inside and outside the classroom,” stated CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit. “To best serve these 21st century learners, we must fundamentally rethink the time and learning continuum.”
State activities supported by the grant will vary, but each state’s proposed plan expands time for students to learn beyond the traditional school day:
- Colorado’s leadership team plans to work with the state’s P-20 Council to use expanded learning opportunities to engage students in school, recover high-school dropouts and link workforce needs with education goals. The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children is the grant recipient.
- Iowa will focus on increasing access to expanded learning opportunities among middle and high school students to help prepare them to graduate high school ready to succeed. The Iowa Department of Education is the grant recipient.
- Massachusetts intends to develop a state-of-the art system to coordinate funding and align standards, evaluations, and data systems across afterschool, extended day, and extended year programs. The Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership is the grant recipient.
- New Hampshire plans to use expanded learning opportunities as a pathway to high school credit recovery and attainment, creating flexible opportunities for students inside and outside of the classroom. PlusTimeNH is the grant recipient.
- Ohio proposes to launch a pilot science, technology, engineering and math expanded learning program in Cleveland and to examine potential funding sources available within state agencies for similar efforts. The Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association and the Ohio Aftershool Network are the grant recipients.
- Rhode Island intends to analyze current funding streams, along with the feasibility of incorporating expanded learning opportunities into the state’s education funding formula to improve student performance and increase the high school graduation rate in high-poverty urban areas. The Rhode Island After School Plus Alliance is the grant recipient.
The Supporting Student Success initiative is made possible with support from the C.S. Mott Foundation. CCSSO, NCSL and the NGA Center will provide technical assistance to state leadership teams throughout the period of June 2007 – November 2008. The leadership teams will include state legislators, state education officials, governors' policy advisors, and other key stakeholders.
All states with C.S. Mott funded statewide afterschool networks were invited to apply to participate in the initiative. An independent selection committee of state policy and afterschool experts reviewed applications and made award recommendations. The selected states assembled high-level leadership teams and developed well thought-out plans to squarely address significant state educational needs through expanded learning opportunities.
NCSL, the granting organization, is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.
NGA, founded in 1908, is the collective voice of the nation’s governors and one of Washington, D.C.’s most respected public policy organizations. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. NGA provides governors and their senior staff members with services that range from representing states on Capitol Hill and before the Administration on key federal issues to developing and implementing innovative solutions to public policy challenges through the NGA Center for Best Practices.
CCSSO is a nonpartisan, nationwide, nonprofit organization of public officials who head departments of elementary and secondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdictions. CCSSO provides leadership, advocacy, and technical assistance on major educational issues. The Council seeks member consensus on major educational issues and expresses their views to civic and professional organizations, federal agencies, Congress, and the public.
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