Beginning now and through the end of the reauthorization process, afterschool advocates have an opportunity to influence the legislation that authorizes several significant funding streams for afterschool, including 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Supplemental Educational Services, Title I and Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
The Afterschool Alliance is leading efforts in Washington, DC to make sure advancements are made for afterschool in the reauthorization process. We have drafted recommendations with input from the field, key stakeholders and partners, and organized a coalition around reauthorization. We will continue to work with federal leaders, advocates and concerned parties to make sure that the voice of afterschool is heard during the reauthorization process. We will use this webpage to post relevant news and progress, plus actions you can take to help afterschool in the NCLB reauthorization process. Click on the links below for more information on Afterschool in NCLB.
How does the No Child Left Behind Act affect afterschool programs?
The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act was signed into law in 2001 and is the current legislation authorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act – originally enacted in 1965 and intended to promote equal educational opportunities for all children. NCLB is critically important to the afterschool community because it is the legislation that authorizes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)– the only federal funding source dedicated solely to afterschool programs.
NCLB lays out the goals of 21st CCLC, how the program is administered and how funds can be used. It also outlines recommended funding levels for the program – although Congress has the discretion to decide the actual funding level during the appropriations process each year. NCLB called for annual funding increases that would bring 21st CCLC to $2.5 billion in 2007. Unfortunately, the promise made in the reauthorization was not fulfilled, as funding has been slowly eroding.
In addition to 21st CCLC, NCLB authorizes other funding streams that support afterschool programs – including Title I, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities, School Improvement Funds, and Supplemental Educational Services.
In 2007, NCLB is up for reauthorization, a process by which the law is "renewed." Reauthorization represents an opportunity to change things in the law and improve upon it. Therefore, NCLB reauthorization is an opportunity for the afterschool field to suggest changes to the law that can benefit afterschool programs. The Afterschool Alliance and our Coalition for Afterschool in NCLB has composed policy recommendations on afterschool in NCLB that we are sharing with members of Congress.
For further information on 21st CCLC's history and probable future, click here to read an interview with Robert Stonehill of the U.S. Department of Education, published by Southwest Educational Development Laboratory.
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What's the latest on NCLB Reauthorization?
September 27, 2007
As the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee works on its draft legislation to reauthorize NCLB and the 21st Century Community Learning Center Program, it has come to our attention that that there is a serious possibility that they could make extended-day initiatives an allowable use of 21st CCLC funds. While the Alliance believes that a well designed initiative to extend the school day could help serve some of the 14 million children unsupervised after the school day ends, funding these initiatives should not come at the expense of valued afterschool programs. The 21st CCLC Program has been underfunded, and consistently unable to meet the demand for funding – typically funding as few as 1 in 4 requests.
The Alliance has drafted a letter (Click here to view letter PDF) urging committee members not to divert desperately needed afterschool dollars to lengthening the school day. We are asking for national, state and local organizations to sign on to the letter to help send a clear message to Members of Congress about this issue.
The timing is critical – Senate committee staff are drafting NCLB language now which they will likely release in the next few weeks, so we have the chance to prevent this from even making into draft language. Please sign on to and share this letter with your networks. If your organization would like to sign on, please send an email to eargersinger@afterschoolalliance.org with the name, city and state of your organization.
For more information on extended-day initiatives, see the Alliance's issue brief Expanding Learning Opportunities: It Takes More than Time (PDF).
For suggested talking points you can use when talking to policy makers about this issue click here (PDF).
August 27, 2007
On August 27th the House Education and Labor Committee released a discussion draft of Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), currently known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Relevant to the afterschool community, the discussion draft includes language on Supplemental Education Services and a proposal for a new Expanded Learning Time Demonstration Program. The demonstration program is funded separately from Title IV and the 21st CCLC program. Given that more than 14 million children are unsuperivsed afterschool we welcome new ideas and models to help bring resources to the kids that need them. Further, there is a wealth of data and examples from afterschool experiences that we believe are critical to the success of any proposal to lengthen the school day. At the same time, we have concerns about the legislative proposal and how these new school models will work with existing afterschool programs, community-based organizations and other community partners. Therefore, the Afterschool Alliance has composed general comments and line edits to this language for Congressman Miller and Congressman McKeon, the Chair and Ranking Member of the House Education and Labor Committee that address these concerns and make changes to the proposal to actively engage community organizations and voices in the school reform model. We have also drafted comments on the SES language in Title I reiterating our NCLB recommendations.
To see both sets of comments, click on the links below:
In addition, the House Education and Labor Committee released a discussion draft of the rest of the Titles of the ESEA and has again invited comments. Read Afterschool Alliance's Feedback to Title IV Discussion Draft.
For more information, email Erika Argersinger at eargersinger@afterschoolalliance.org
June 6, 2007
Today, Senators Dodd and Ensign, Chairmen of the Senate Afterschool Caucus, introduced the Improving 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act of 2007. The stand alone bill is designed to reauthorize the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program and eventually be folded into the larger No Child Left Behind legislation. The Afterschool Alliance worked closely with the senators and are very grateful to them for incorporating in the bill our recommendations to improve 21st CCLC. Specifically, the legislation will enhance program sustainability and increase program quality, and includes language to encourage service learning and youth development activities and address the nation's growing obesity epidemic among school-aged children. Senators Akaka, Casey, Cochran, Collins, Menendez and Whitehouse joined Senators Dodd and Ensign as cosponsors.
Afterschool Alliance has endorsed the legislation along with organizations across the country, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, the National Collaboration for Youth, YMCA of the USA, National Education Association, Save the Children, the National Recreation and Park Association, First Focus and America’s Promise, The Alliance for Youth, American Association of School Administrators, National Afterschool Association and the American Heart Association.
Click here to see a summary of the legislation or the full bill.
Click here to endorse the bill.
April 2007
In recent months, Congress has begun to work in earnest on the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act. The House and Senate have both held numerous hearings examining different aspects of the law, and Congressional staff are gathering information and recommendations from the various groups interested in weighing in. This reauthorization presents a critical opportunity to improve afterschool.
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What are the afterschool recommendations for NCLB?
Our recommendations focus on three areas: 21st CCLC, Supplemental Education Services, and afterschool for older youth. The recommendations call for improving 21st CCLC by increasing authorized funding levels, enhancing program sustainability and increasing investments in quality. We also propose making Supplemental Education Services more accessible to afterschool program in order to improve the quality and delivery of those services. Finally, we propose a new federal investment in afterschool programs for middle and high school youth, specifically tied to the high school reform efforts likely to be included in the reauthorization.
Complete NCLB recommendations:
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What can I do? Taking Action at the state and local level
Click here to go to NCLB Take Action page.
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What is the Coalition for Afterschool in NCLB?
The Coalition for Afterschool in NCLB is comprised of a number of national organizations who are concerned about the future of afterschool in NCLB. These organizations have all agreed to help make sure that policymakers pay attention to the afterschool needs of youth, families and communities during reauthorization. If you would like to learn more about the coalition for Afterschool in NCLB, please email our Policy Director.
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Where else can I find useful information about NCLB Reauthorization?
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