21stCCLC RFP Previously Asked Questions

List of Eligible Schools: If a school does not appear on the list of schools eligible for 21st Century fund, how can we request a "Review of Documentation" by the State Education Department to determine eligibility?

You can email the information to this same email address; or mail it to:

NYS Education Department, Student Support Services, Education Building Room 318-M, Albany, NY  12234 or FAX it to 518-474-8299 to the attention of 21st CCLC.

SINI Priority: If an applicant applies to serve students from 3 schools, how many of the schools need to be SINI (School In Need of Improvement) to receive priority?

All three schools would have to have SINI status to receive SINI priority. The rule is that 75 percent of school buildings must have SINI status to receive SINI priority.

SINI Priority: If an applicant applies to serve students from 3 schools - 1 elementary SINI and 2 middle school SINIs, how many priority points would the application receive? If the majority of students to be served are from middle or high school SINI(s), the application would receive 6 priority points.

If the majority of students to be served are from elementary SINI(s), the application would receive 4 priority points.

SINI Priority:  Does an applicant that is NOT serving students from a SINI school but IS serving middle level students and/or high school non-completers receive any priority?

No.  There is no middle level or high school priority for non-SINI schools.

Eligibility:  If a school falls below the 40% free and reduced price lunch rate, but they meet all other requirements, are they eligible to apply for 21st Century Learning Center funding?

No.  21st Century programs are to serve primarily students who live in poverty.

Eligibility:  Some of the schools on the eligible list for this 21CCLC round have programs that won't expire until 2013. I understand that we can apply for enhancements/expansion in this round.

1. Should an expansion/enhancement application be to serve additional students at these schools?

   An applicant can either expand services to existing students and/or serve additional students.

2. Can it include enhanced services to the current students as well? For example, could it offer a summer program serving both new students and students in the current program? If it offers an activity not currently offered, can current students register for the activity?

   Yes.

3. If a CBO not currently in the school applies in this round, while the current CBO applies for an expansion to serve more students, will they be competing with each other? Could the result be two 21st CCLC programs in the school?

   No, there can not be two 21st Century programs in one school.  Perhaps the new CBO could be a partner in the expanded program (be included in the application submitted by the current CBO).

Eligibility:  In order for my nonprofit to apply for 21st Century funding do we need to provide all three services stated- academic enrichment, youth development and family literacy?

Yes, each program must provide all three services.

Eligibility:  Can one school be served by two different CBOs (with two different 21st Century grants), if those CBOs are managing two different and non-overlapping after school programs?

No, there can be only one 21st CCLC program per school building.

Eligibility: If my non-profit community based organization is the main partner with a school district who is applying for a 21st Century Grant, can we still be part of another school district's application as a vendor?

Yes.

Eligibility:  Has SED defined a radius for applicants to use when looking to private, charter and other schools and asking them if they want to feed a 21st CCLC program?

We recommend looking at the neighborhood catchment area, no defined radius.  Also, charter schools and private schools that may be applying as the LEA do not need to consult the private schools.

Eligibility:  Is a BOCES alternative education program eligible to apply for its own program if not all of the component districts (or schools) are listed as eligible?

At least 50% of the schools with students to be served must be eligible (Title I school wide program or 40% free and reduced priced lunch rate).  For SINI priority, at least 75% of the schools with students to be served must be in school improvement status.

Eligibility:  We are a not-for-profit youth and family organization that operates a private, on-campus 853 school. Youth who attend our residential programs also attend this campus school. We would like to apply for funds to provide programming for this very specific population. Must we contact other private school districts in nearby areas?

You do not have to consult with private schools in the area.  Given that you are an 853 school, your catchment area is not limited to the immediate geographic area. However, at least 40 percent of the students in the 853 school must be eligible for free or reduced price lunch.

Grade Levels:  What grades are considered "Middle level", or does this depend on how a district has structured its schools by grade levels?

Grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 are considered middle level.

HS Non-Completers:  Who is included in the "non-completers" designation?

High school non-completers are those who are at great risk of dropping out (few credits earned, poor attendance, etc.) or those who have dropped out and would use the 21st CCLC as a segue for re-enrolling in school.

HS Non-Completers:  The RFP states that the services should be provided during out of school time; would it be allowed for a provider to service non-completers (those out of school) during school hours at a community center, for example?

Yes, if they are attending with the intention of eventually re-enrolling in school.

Programming:  What level of family literacy services are expected? Literacy-focused Family Fun Nights or individualized instruction for family members?

An occasional family fun night is not sufficient.  Examples of appropriate services are computer, resume preparation, basic literacy, English as a second language and parenting classes.  Services for families should be based on a needs assessment to learn what your families need and want for literacy and related educational development.

Programming:  Can the 21st CCLC be used as a mechanism to provide AIS after school?

No, AIS is to be provided during the regular school day by certified teachers in addition to the student’s regular classroom instruction.  It is a mandated service and must be a planned academic instruction program aligned to the curriculum.
21st Century programs must take place outside of the regular school day—after or before school, on weekends or during school vacations.

Programming:  How many total hours per week should the program run?  Is there a maximum number of hours?

As stated in Objective 2.5 of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Performance Indicators (Appendix VII), "More than 75% of Centers will offer services at least 15 hours a week on average and provide services when school is not in sessions, such as during the summer and holidays." There is no maximum number of hours.

Programming:  The RFP package talks about providing research based programs.  Are there any particular research studies or organizations that NYSED considers particularly effective and appropriate?

A number of resources can be found at www.nys21stcclc.org , the web site of the New York State 21st Century Technical Assistance Center.

Evaluation:   Is it allowable for the 21 CCLC applicant to contract with the hired Independent Evaluator or his/her agency to provide professional and curriculum development that responds to the findings of the evaluation and NYSAN self assessment tool?

No.  An evaluator is considered independent if he/she they have no vested interest in the program.  An individual or organization that provides professional and curriculum development and/or program management to a specific program cannot also serve in the capacity of independent evaluator for that same program.

Evaluation:  Does the state have a list of approved program evaluators?

No. The State does not approve or have a list of recommended program evaluators.

Self-Assessment:  What is the Quality Self-Assessment tool (QSA)?

The Program Quality Self-Assessment (QSA) Tool was developed by the New York State After school Network and is available at www.nysan.org . The QSA tool is used by all 21st CCLCs two times each year for self-assessment and planning for program improvement. It provides an opportunity for program leaders and key staff, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to utilize a common set of standards to assess, plan, design and execute strategies for ongoing program improvement.

Forms:  If a CBO (lead applicant) partners with a charter school is it necessary to complete the Private School Consultation Form? What if the charter school is the lead applicant?

The answer to both questions is no, because Charter Schools are not limited to a geographic catchment area.

Forms:  On the The Capacity Determination Form, are you looking for the largest grants the division operating the CCLC grant has received, or the grants that the entire CBO has received?

If it is the entire CBO that is the applicant/fiscal agent, then list all grants.

Forms:  What are the elements you require in a Partnership Agreement?

A Partnership Agreement describes the partner’s significant involvement in planning, as well as specific individual or joint responsibilities for program implementation. A sample Partnership Agreement is provided in Appendix 2 that may be used as a guide to develop customized agreements.

Forms:  In the Sample Partnership Agreement, you stated, "Work cooperatively with Research Works, Inc...." as one of the school responsibilities. Do I need to include the name of the organization?

The State Education Department has contracted with Research Works, Inc. to conduct the evaluation of the Department’s administration of the 21st Century program.  Research Works will be requesting information from various 21st Century programs.  Those programs are expected to provide the requested information.  For clarification in your partnership agreement(s), you can identify this organization.

Forms:  There is both a long and short FS-10 Budget Form. Which is to be used?

Please use the long form.

Forms: If we are using endnotes, do our citations count as part of the 30-page narrative limit?

Yes.

Fiscal:  Is there a cap, or target, for total cost per site to operate a program under these funds?  Is there a cap, or target, for per enrolled pupil cost under these funds?

No.  Budgeted costs should be adequate and reasonable.

Fiscal:  Are there any circumstances under which students be able to receive stipends from 21st funds?

Cash stipends can be offered to older students who are not participants in the 21st Century program, but who lead activities or offer assistance to younger students.  Cash stipends cannot be offered as an encouragement to participate.

Fiscal:  Can an individual applicant submit more than one proposal? If so, can the combined total of the award exceed $900K?

An applicant can submit more than one proposal and more than one proposal can be funded; however, the total annual amount that can be awarded to any one organization in one round is $900,000.

NYC Specific:  What schools in NYC have a 21st CCLC grant?

Elementary school programs are eligible for funding.  If the school has SINI status (School in Need of Improvement), it receives priority over programs that do not serve SINI schools.  Please contact the NYC Dept. of Education Grant Manager for the borough where you are located to discuss the school(s) you are interested in, to determine if NYC DOE is planning to apply to serve certain buildings.  Coordinate with them to avoid submitting more than one application per school building - there can be only one 21st Century program per building.  The list of NYC DOE Grant Managers is in Appendix 6 of the RFP.

NYC Specific:  Given the recent and ongoing reorganization in the New York City Department of Education, is the signature of a District Superintendent necessary on the Partnership Agreement?  Would the signature of a Principal be sufficient?

As per the NYC DOE, we need the District Superintendent's signature on the cover page if the district is the applicant as well as on the Memorandum of Understanding.    The principal's signature is needed on the Partnering Schools Form.  Please work with the NYC DOE Grant Managers to gain the needed signatures.  A list of Grant managers can be found in Appendix 6 of the application.