ARP ESSER state plans are in! More funds are hitting the ground at the state and local level

With the 2021-2022 school year in full-swing, the federal American Rescue Plan relief funds are making important impacts in states and communities. At this point, all 50 states have submitted their Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) plans. The Department of Education is reviewing and approving plans which enables states to access the remaining one-third of their ESSER funding allocations.

In earlier parts of our ARP ESSER blog series, we have published a summary of broader trends in the state plans (including state partnerships with statewide afterschool networks and the inclusion of community based partners in the comprehensive afterschool and summer set-asides) and more detailed reviews of specific state activities.

Additional innovations in the state plans submitted after our first review include:

• Wisconsin’s detailed description of how the state defines “comprehensive” afterschool including reference to research based practices for comprehensive afterschool which includes - Active, hands-on learning experiences; Development and practice of interpersonal competencies; Meaningful and relevant activities and learning opportunities; Opportunities to practice skills that promote mastery; Learning that engages students in new experiences and development of new skills, while prioritizing student voice and choice;  and Programming that engages community partnerships and collaboration, including adult family members.
• Minnesota dedicated 50 percent of its state grants to culturally specific programs. (The state’s RFP defines these organizations as “a community-based organization by and for groups of people with a shared experience of marginalization based on race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. More than 50 percent of the board of directors and/or leadership of the organization and more than 50 percent or more of the staff reflect the group of people served. These organizations view their program activities and approaches through a cultural lens and affirm/reflect the lived experiences of members of that community.)
• New York’s coordination with mental health first aid including coordination with SAMSHA project AWARE grants.
• Louisiana’s use of focus groups and surveys to ensure the funding coincides with their definition of “meaningful experiences” for youth

States offering state level grants have also begun the process of opening their request for proposals (RFP). Scroll down on our American Rescue Plan page to find links to state RFPs released this year. We also will outline a few below, but each is worth a look to those interested.

• Indiana offered R.E.A.C.H grants to school districts, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations and institutes of higher education, among others. Grantees were required to propose programs serving at least 60 youth (youth who receive 30 or more days of programming are counted as regularly attending) and operational at least 130 school days and 30 days over the summer for 10 hours per week. The grants provide $3,000 per youth. All grantees will be working with a local evaluator they choose from a state approved list to help support their on-going program improvement. The grant allows for a 3-6 percent set aside for the evaluation work. The grants mention that these funds can be coordinated with other state, federal, and local funds to meet mutual goals.
• Oklahoma is offering Ignite and Expand applications to invest in school-community partnerships supporting students during the 80 percent of waking hours they spend outside the school day. The state has a descriptive document on their program which engages youth programs, museums, churches, parks, libraries, and other settings. The document references both the high demand for afterschool programs and the strong evidence base behind high quality afterschool.  Ignite grants of $50,000-$75,000 per year will help fill gaps in service through piloting demonstration programs. Expand grants of $75,000-$150,000 for year-round programs will strengthen and broaden programs to achieve greater scale. Both programs will receive technical assistance and professional learning to help achieve the state’s key principles of comprehensive, high quality out-of-school time programming.
• Utah’s grant uses the quality self-assessment tool and school alignment rubrics from the state’s Utah Afterschool Network. Up to 10 program sites can be included in one application with grant awards ranging between $100,000 and $400,000. The grants include a number of competitive priorities including serving youth ages 13-18; serving kindergarteners; serving program sites with poverty rates above 40 percent; plan development in coordination with community partners including parents and students; programs with one licensed teacher in a supervisory role; location in a rural county; offering a healthy snack or meal; operating above the required hours and having an alternative site identified if the program site becomes unavailable; and serving students from a school with intergenerational poverty enrolment rates of 10 percent or more.
• Maryland’s grant program mentions “implementation of quality evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs is needed to ensure that students’ academic, social, and emotional needs are met, and the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on the student populations is being addressed.” The afterschool grant program supports partnerships between community-based agencies and local school systems to provide at least an additional 8 hours of academic enrichment each week. Programs will be funded between $250,000 to $900,000 across 3 years and continuation of funds each year will depend on performance. Priority points in the grant were given to programs that could show integration of social and emotional learning programming. Grantees must also include information on plans for professional development and on-going staff training, including integration of the National Afterschool Association Core Knowledge and Competencies for Afterschool and Youth Development Professionals. Salaries and fringe benefits are allowable uses of funds. An Out of School Time Team and Extended Learning Specialist will provide observation of and guidance to the program based on the program’s goals. Grants must be size 12 font with a line spacing of 1.5 with references cited in American Psychological Association format to be considered. 

Other states with released RFPs include: Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wyoming.

Afterschool and summer programs continue to be seen as an essential piece is supporting students’ recovery and advancement during and after the COVID emergency. U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, spoke before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee on Sept 30 on the topic of supporting students, educators and families, and mentioned the important role afterschool programs are playing as positive interventions for students’ social, emotional and academic growth in response to the pandemic. And in a House Elementary and Secondary Education Subcommittee Hearing a day earlier on September 29, Subcommittee Chairman Sablan highlighted the helpful contributions of afterschool and summer programs in his closing remarks. 

In addition to the state level RFPs, local districts are determining how to spend their 90 percent of the ARP allocations. Twenty percent of district ARP funds must be used for learning loss recovery such as afterschool and summer programming.

Superintendents and school-boards (see a quick example from PA) are working with stakeholders in their communities to determine how to use these funds. Supporters of afterschool can help ensure afterschool is not an after-thought. See our toolkit for how to engage locally to broaden opportunities for quality afterschool and summer access in your community.