Out-of-School Time Recognition Program Application

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

2024-2025 APPLICATION

Introduction…………………………………………….………………………….2

Application………………………………………………………….……………….6

Part I: Eligibility Certification………………………….7

Part II: Demographic Data……………..……..……….9

Part III: Narrative Snapshot…………………...…….11

2024-2025 OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

A NATIONAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM FOR AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER LEARNING

Out-of-school time programs, which occur before or after the regular school day or outside of the regular school year, can include a wide range of activities, including comprehensive afterschool or summer-learning and enrichment programs, vacation academies, work-based learning programs, youth development programs, and experiential or service-learning programs.

In the Fall of 2023, the U.S. Department of Education designed a Recognition Program for Out-of-School Time, which aims to recognize (1) non-profit organizations working in collaboration with school district/local education agencies (LEAs), (2) city municipalities or local government entities working in collaboration with school district/LEAs or (3) LEAs working in collaboration with non-profit organization or city municipalities that engage K-12 students in high-quality afterschool or summer learning programming, with high-quality being defined as meeting students’ social, emotional, mental, and physical health, and academic needs and addressing the impact of COVID-19 on students’ opportunity to learn.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be eligible for the 2024-2025 Out-of-School Time Recognition Program, an entity must be a:

• non-profit organization working in collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs);

• city municipality or local government entity working in collaboration with local education agencies (LEAs); or a

• local education agency (LEA) working in collaboration with a non-profit organization or city municipality/local government entity.

Additionally, the entity must meet the following eligibility criteria:

1. Be an afterschool and/or summer learning program that has increased, from its total enrollment in SY23-24, the enrollment number of K-12 students during the 2024-2025 school year by 20%.

2. Serve a group of students that attend elementary, middle or high schools, which must include at least a portion of students that attend schools with 40% or more students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic school year.

3. Provide high-quality afterschool or summer learning programming with a physical location in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, or Tribal Nations schools.

4. Leverage a combination of federal, state and local funds to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students.

5. Ideally employ evidence-based approaches, including but not limited to:

1. Target students needing additional support (including using information provided by diagnostic assessments);

2. Have certified teachers delivering the academic instruction and tutoring; and

3. Engage students in using experiential learning that could include project-based learning, enrichment, career pathways, and field trips;

4. Implement high-quality tutoring programs; and

5. Implement strategies to support the decrease of chronic absenteeism.

NOMINATION PROCESS

The Out-of-School Time Recognition Program nomination process will include the following components:

• The U.S. Department of Education will hold an All Call for Nominations of entities that adhere to the aforementioned eligibility criteria that are engaging students in high-quality afterschool and/or summer learning programs.

• The Department will open the online submission form for nominations from October 24, 2024 until January 31, 2025.

• Eligible entities can self-nominate or be nominated.

• The Initiative will promote the open call for nominations via newsletters and social media platforms.

TIMELINE

MONTH	DUE
October 24, 2024	Out-of-School Time Recognition Program All Call for Nominations Opens.
December 2024 January 2025	Offer Office Hours to review Eligibility Criteria and Application with interested entities.
January 31, 2025	Out-of-School Time Recognition Program All Call for Nominations Closes.
February - March 2025	State Education Agencies and State Afterschool Networks conduct state-level review of nominations and recommend one non-profit organization, one city municipality and one local education agency from each state for national review.
March 2025	The Department and national organizations conduct national review of state scores and rankings and review the submissions of the top nominees from each state inclusive of one non-profit organization, one city municipality, and one local education agency.
April 2025	Applications are reviewed for completeness, quality and accuracy.
May 2025	The U.S. Department of Education announces the 2024-2025 Out-of-School Time Recognition Champions.
June/July 2025	Representative from each Out-of-School Time Recognition Program Champion Non-Profit Organization, City Municipality or Local Education Agency and their partnering entities attend recognition reception.

Important Considerations for Completing the Out-of-School Time Recognition Program Online Application

1. The entire application must be submitted through the online submission form by 11:59 p.m. on January 31, 2025 here: https://forms.office.com/g/YsuUyhC6jR.

2. Narrative responses to application questions must address the topic succinctly. No attachments to the online application can be submitted.

3. Online instructions must be followed when copying/pasting text from Word to the online submission form.

4. Saving work frequently is necessary to protect the “work in progress”.

5. Printing the application for review is possible before and after the final submission.

Public Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0019.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  The obligation to respond to this collection is voluntary.  If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact Shital C. Shah at shital.c.shah@ed.gov directly.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

APPLICATION

Name of Point of Contact ________________________________________________________

Note: Please specify Ms., Miss, Mrs., Dr., Mr., or etc. as it should appear in the official records

Entity Name ___________________________________________________________________

Note: As it should appear in the official records

Entity Mailing Address ___________________________________________________________

Note: If address is P.O. Box, please also include the street address

City _________________________ State _____________ Zip Code __________

County _____________________________

Telephone (______)______________________ Fax (______)_________________________

Website/URL ___________________________ Email _______________________________

Twitter Handle _________________________ Facebook Page _______________________

Google+ ______________________________ YouTube/URL ________________________

Blog _________________________________ Other Social Media ___________________

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

PART I – ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION

The application certifies that each of the statements below, concerning the entities eligibility and compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s Out-of-School Time Recognition Program requirement, are true and correct.

1.  All nominated organizations, local education agencies, or municipalities must provide an afterschool and/or summer learning program that has increased its total enrollment by 20%.  Afterschool programs should demonstrate a 20% increase of their total enrollment number of K-12 students from SY23-24 to the 2024-2025 school year. Summer learning programs should demonstrate a 20% increase of their total enrollment number of K-12 students from Summer 2023 to Summer 2024.

2.  All nominated organizations, local education agencies, or municipalities must serve a group of students that attend elementary, middle, or high schools, which must include at least a portion of students that attend schools with 40% or more students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic school year.

3.  All nominated organizations, local education agencies, or municipalities must provide high-quality afterschool or summer learning programming with a physical location in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Department of Defense Education Activity, or Tribal Nations Schools.

4.  All nominated organizations, local education agencies, or municipalities must leverage a combination of federal, state and/or local funds to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students.

5.  To best accelerate learning, afterschool and/or summer learning programs should include evidence-based approaches. Nominated organizations, local education agencies, or municipalities ideally:

1. target students needing additional support (including using information provided by diagnostic assessments);

2. have certified teachers delivering the academic instruction and tutoring;

3. engage students in using experiential learning that could include project-based learning, enrichment, career pathways, and field trips;

4. implement high-quality tutoring programs; and

5. implement strategies to support the decrease of chronic absenteeism.

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

PART II – DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Data should be provided for the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the entity for the current school year (2024-2025), unless otherwise stated.

1. Number of local education agencies (LEAs) served by the municipality or organization for afterschool and/or summer learning: ______

2. Number of schools served by the municipality or organization for afterschool and/or summer learning programming:

_____ Elementary schools

_____ Middle/Junior high schools

_____ High schools

_____ K-12 schools

_____ Total Schools

3. Category that best describes the area where the afterschool and/or summer learning program is located. If unsure, refer to NCES database for correct category: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/ (Find your school and check “Locale”)

_____ Urban (city or town)

_____ Suburban

_____ Rural

4. Number of students as of October 1, 2024 enrolled in the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the entity:

School Type	Grade	# of Students	Grade Total
Elementary	K-5
Middle	6-8
High	9-12

5. Number of students enrolled in the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality during SY23-24:

School Type	Grade	# of Students	Grade Total
Elementary	K-5
Middle	6-8
High	9-12

6. Racial/ethnic composition of the students enrolled in the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality as of October 1, 2024 (if unknown, estimate):

_____ % American Indian or Alaska Native

_____ % Asian

_____ % Black or African American

_____ % Hispanic or Latino

_____ % Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

_____ % White

_____ % Two or more races

100 % Total

7. Students eligible for free/reduced-priced meals: ______ %

Total number of students who qualify: ______

8. Average student-staff ratio, that is, the number of students in the program divided by the FTE of program staff, e.g., 15:1: _______

9. Amount of federal, state or local funding leveraged to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students:

$_______________ Federal Funding

$_______________ State Funding

$_______________ Local Funding

$_______________ Philanthropic/Private Funding

$_______________ Other Funding (please explain) ______________________

$_______________ Total Funding

OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME RECOGNITION PROGRAM

PART III – NARRATIVE SNAPSHOT

In less than 1,000 words, provide a narrative snapshot of the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality.

Specifically:

• Describe the nature and context of the high-quality Afterschool and/or Summer Learning Program, including a description of the program components and activities.

• Describe the partnerships between the Non-Profit Organization, City Municipality and Local Education Agency(ies) or other entities.

• Describe how the Entity leveraged an array of funding to expand access to Afterschool and/or Summer Learning Programs for Students.

• Describe how the entity employs evidence-based approaches, including but not limited to:

  • targeting students needing additional support (including using information provided by diagnostic assessments);

  • having certified teachers delivering the academic instruction and tutoring;

  • engaging students in using experiential learning that could include project-based learning, enrichment, career pathways, and field trips;

  • implementing high-quality tutoring programs; and

  • implementing strategies to support the decrease of chronic absenteeism.