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News from the Grants Administration Division

Competitive Grant Opportunity Published on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page

TEA is announcing the availability of grant funds for the 2021-2022 Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC), Cycle 11, Year 1 grant program. Request for Application (RFA) #701-21-102 is authorized by the Public Law 114-95, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title IV, Part B (20 U.S.C. §§7171-7176). The RFA is available on the TEA Grant Opportunities Page.

Eligibility

See the General and Fiscal Guidelines, Eligibility To Apply for Competitive Grants. Eligible applicants, include local educational agencies, including independent school districts, open-enrollment charter schools, and regional education service centers; community-based organizations; Indian tribe or tribal organization (as such terms are defined in the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (25 U.S.C. 450b), §4); other public or private entities; or a consortium of two or more eligible organizations. Applications must propose to serve campuses that are eligible for schoolwide programs under ESSA, §1114, and the families of such students. A campus is ineligible to be included in a funded application if it meets either of the following conditions: the campus or school was newly opened in the school year 2019-2020 or the campus is a center or center feeder in an active Texas 21st CCLC, Cycle 10 grant program. If an eligible applicant includes one or more ineligible campus or feeder campus, TEA may deem the entire application ineligible for peer review. Each eligible applicant may submit only one application for funding up to 10 centers. Please see the Program Guidelines for additional information on eligibility.

Grant Period

• Initial Budget Period: July 01, 2021, through July 31, 2022.
• Total Project Period: July 01, 2021 through July 31, 2026.

Funding

• A total of approximately $46,049,221 is available for this grant program.
• It is anticipated that approximately 40 grants will be awarded
• Grant awards are expected to range from $50,000 to $1.70 million each year of the five-year project period. 

Description

The federal Nita M. Lowey 21^st CCLC program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children. Title IV, Part B, specifies that 21^st CCLC funds are to be used to provide opportunities for communities to establish or expand activities in community learning centers that do the following:

• Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet the challenging state academic standards.

• Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.
• Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

A community learning center must assist students to meet the challenging state academic standards by providing them with academic enrichment activities and a broad array of other activities programs and activities during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before and after school or during summer recess).

The Texas 21^st CCLC program operates as the Texas Afterschool Centers on Education, or Texas ACE. When referencing the federal program, 21^st CCLC will be the naming convention, but in other circumstances, the state’s program will be referred to as either Texas 21^st CCLC or Texas ACE.

This Request for Application is grounded in the Texas ACE Blueprint (the Blueprint), which guides Texas ACE grantees through implementing high-quality programming at the center level. Texas ACE programs use the Blueprint – along with a suite of training and support resources – to learn about the components of program quality and set goals that move each center toward optimal operations and improved student outcomes. TEA uses the data gathered through the Texas ACE Quality Assurance Process (QAP) to measure implementation and improvement over time. Grantees use the resulting data and feedback in developing action plans that specifically address identified areas of improvement.

Application Deadline

Applications must be received by the Texas Education Agency by 11:59 p.m. (Central Time), January 07, 2021, to be considered for funding.

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The Texas Education Agency will improve outcomes for all public school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.