21CCLC Blog

Out-of-school-time (OST) programs benefit from community support, and engaging with community partners is a critical part of any program's funding sustainability plan.  

New government reporting mandates go into effect in July 2021, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC)-funded after-school and OST programs will be significantly impacted by the changes.  

AfterSchool21 (AS21) keeps parents and out-of-school-time (OST) program staff safe while preserving the accuracy of attendance records with new user-friendly, mobile drop-off/sign-in and sign-out functionality.     

After-school and out-of-school-time (OST) program directors faced a considerable challenge with changes to the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) in July of 2021. GPRA requires that 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) grant-funded programs update their regular reporting to provide more precise and diverse performance measurements and reporting intended to capture a clearer picture of how well they serve students. The GPRA also requires grantees to evaluate their program’s effectiveness and submit progress reports annually. Performance data is shared with Congress, federal managers, and the public.

This blog summarizes the high-level requirements for responding to GPRA, as well as actionable next steps for after-school programs.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act are pandemic relief funding packages that include funding for K-12 education. The CARES Act provided over $13 billion in Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER I) funding, The CRRSA Act provided over $54 billion in ESSER II funding, and the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act includes over $122 billion in ESSER III funding. The total amount of ESSER funding provided in these three funding packages is approximately $190 billion. This is a staggering amount of non-recurring (one-time) funding.

AfterSchool21 (AS21) is used by more 21CCLC programs than any other after-school program data management software. AS21 supports in-person, hybrid, and virtual programs by streamlining attendance, tracking outcomes, collecting evidence of participation, and simplifying reporting for the 21APR (now with customizable dashboards). Our software is used by fee-based programs to track attendance and manage fees. Programs can track both fee-based and grant-funded programs in a single system with AfterSchool21. All licenses come with training, product updates, and free, live US-based customer service.

The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) program awards grants to programs to fund after-school enrichment. Research overwhelmingly shows that after-school support, particularly for underprivileged kids and those who would otherwise be alone at home, offers numerous benefits. These programs provide more equitable access to educational resources, support learners who may be struggling, improve engagement with the day school, and may reduce problem behaviors. For some children, after-school programs are a primary or even sole source of support outside of school.

Administrators of OST (out of school time) programs that receive 21CCLC funding must submit data to the federal 21APR to be eligible to reapply for funding at the end of the term. While 21CCLC data provides critical information about program performance, the process of compiling, submitting, and tracking data taxes administrative resources and may take staff away from core duties. The right 21CCLC data management tools can improve outcomes, support student success, and provide resource flexibility.

TransACT Communications (transact.com) has acquired App-Garden (app-garden.com), a leader in K-12 transportation and operations administrative software. The App-Garden team has over 27 years of experience in developing easy-to-use administrative software to support school bus routing, field trip management, event scheduling and facilities management, volunteer operations, virtual substitute teacher training, and more. Working together, TransACT and The App-Garden are proud to offer K12 administrators cost effective software and outstanding customer service to help improve operations and service delivery in school district operations.

After-school and out-of-school-time (OST) programs offer more than just childcare. Research consistently finds that they promote social skills, bolster students’ connection to school, increase school attendance, improve grades and academic achievement, and reduce problem behaviors. Better data enables these programs to improve student outcomes by focusing on services that offer the most value to participants. Many after-school programs rely on the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21CCLC) program to fund their services. The grants this program funds require annual reporting that includes data on attendance, outcomes, academic achievement, participant demographics, and more. Use the easiest to use and most cost effective 21APR reporting software to meet federal grant requirements.

After-school program directors use grants to fund many aspects of after-school and out-of-school-time programs (OST), from paying staff to planning recreational activities for students. Some directors also use grants to realize operational efficiencies and identify opportunities for improvement by investing in technology upgrades.