This section is a host to current and previous questions and answers from the field related to 21st Community Learning Centers topics.
For assistance or more information about the 21st CCLC Grant application, please refer to the Application Information page of the 21st CCLC website at http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. For any questions remaining after viewing the Application Information page, send questions via email to [email protected]. Answers will be published here in the FAQs so that all applicants have access to the same information.
Answer: Currently, appointments have been set with applicants for the New FY22 21st CCLC – Yr. 1 award, who are being recommended for approval by the Arizona State Board of Education (SBE). The SBE is the entity with the authorization to award funds. Once the grants are officially awarded by the SBE, all New FY22 21st CCLC – Yr. 1 applicants will be notified whether they received an award or not. Also following the SBE meeting, the applicants will receive the official Grant Award Notifications from ADE and/or the reason for not receiving the grant award through the GME system.
Answers: a. Yes. Each site is scored/evaluated separately. Per the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ on page 21 under the section on “Application Tips,” it states “An Application can have up to a maximum of 5 sites/schools. If an applicant is applying for more than one school, then each school becomes a separate Site with its own budget and set of Mandatory Downloadable Assurance Forms A- E (Forms A-G for Consortium Applicants).”
b. Yes. Each site is scored on an individual basis. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 16 on “Grant Application Scoring Guidelines.”
Answer: Comments for the FY22 – Cycle 17 Grant Applications scored can be requested AFTER October 15, 2021 via email - [email protected]
Answer: Yes. Requests to return an application that are submitted to [email protected] no later than 5:00 PM on March 8, 2021, will be accepted and the application will be returned as requested for additions or corrections. Note that all applications must be fully submitted at the LEA Authorized Representative level in the GME system no later than 11:59PM on March 8, 2021.
Answer: Yes. 2019 AzMERIT data from the school report card and the most recent district benchmark data from 2021 may be used. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 7 under the “Cautions” section. It states: “All Needs Assessments and School/Community Level Data must be based on the current and prior years’ statistics.”
Answer: We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. Page 2 states that Applicants must use The Oct1 – October 1 Enrollment Report located in the AzEDS Portal in the Grants Management System. Within that Report, Use the “Total Passed by School:” number for the Total Enrollment. This is the official October 1 enrollment count and this official October 1 enrollment number will be verified by ADE. Caution: Do not use the “Total Enrollments by School:” number because this number includes students who may have been submitted but were not counted towards the official October 1 enrollment due to being counted elsewhere or not passing some other October 1 data integrity rule.
Answer: An application is fully submitted when both “LEA Business Manager Approved” and “LEA Authorized Representative Approved” levels of approval are completed in GME by the applicant.
Answer: Yes. It is permitted to complete the Mandatory Forms in a hand-written fashion.
Answer: No. There is not a minimum of hours/days required for Family Engagement activities. All activities should help accomplish the primary purpose of the 21st CCLC funding, which is to increase academic growth in the core content areas of math and reading/language arts. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. Page 23 has information on Adult Family Services.
40. Question: ABC School is currently in year 5 of the 21st Century grant. Are we eligible to reapply for the grant for next year or is 5 years the maximum amount allowed?
Answer: Yes. ABC School may be eligible to apply for an FY22 New Grant if the site meets the requirements of the Eligibility Verification Worksheet. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. Pages 2-3 has information about Eligibility Verification.
Answer: The Indirect Costs can be placed in 6600-2100 as a placeholder if the Grants Management System has not loaded the Indirect Costs rates for your district. Page 15 of the 21st CCLC Grant Application Guidance, states: “Indirect Costs charged to the grant may not exceed the negotiated restricted indirect cost rate. Indirect Costs may not be charged on capital expenditures. If Indirect Cost Rates have not been loaded into the Grants Management System, and the applicant plans to charge the grant, then applicant will write a narrative to this effect in the budget narrative description in the support services supply line (as a placeholder). The narrative should clearly indicate that this is a temporary placement of an allocation for anticipated Indirect Costs, and once the Indirect Cost Rate is approved, the applicant will revise the budget to include the final negotiated indirect costs in the Indirect Costs line of the budget.”
Answer: Funding Applications in the GME can be submitted with a “Warning” messages. However, Funding Applications cannot be submitted with “Error” messages. We recommend you click the “Review” link in the Validation Messages in GME. It should take you to the reason for the hold. If it does not, then contact the Grants Management Department at 602.542.3901
Answer: No. Before school services are not required. The 21st CCLC Guidance Handbook (2020-2021), found on our webpage: https://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/federal-and-state-regulations, Pages 22-23 have a section on “Direct Student Services.” Should a site be awarded a new grant, “Before School Services” will be required only if it is written into the application and if the additional hours of operation are needed by the site to meet the minimum requirements to align with the intent of the approved grant application.
Answer: Community partners provide services that the site and the partner agree on during conversations before signing. It varies from partnership to partnership. Form A-Participants Verification Form is where Community partner(s) will sign. The form stipulates the following: Community Partner Organization(s), they represent have authorized them to enter into a consortium agreement for the purpose of providing Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program educational and related activities that will complement and enhance students’ academic performance and achievement. Each undersigned agrees to comply with applicable state and federal statutes, rules, and regulations.
Answer: The Affirmation of Consultation with Tribal Representatives form can be found on the 21STCCLC website at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information under the “Grant Resources” section.
Answer: Yes. The 2019-2020 School Year Free & Reduced Percentage Report should be used. No. Do not use estimates from the district food service department. Percentage will be verified in the Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report for SY19-20 found at: https://www.azed.gov/hns/frp.
Answer: Yes. It is allowable to convert the PDFs of Forms A-E into Word Documents as long as there are no modifications to the existing forms. When submitting the forms into the Grants Management System, upload with caution to ensure the forms are complete and have correct signatures. Per the guidance, only correctly completed forms will be accepted as part of the application.
Answer: Yes. Data must be provided because all questions must be answered and not omitted in the application. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. Page 14 has a section on “Complete Application”. Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance. Also, look at FAQ #16 on our website which addresses assessment data.
Answer: Yes. Both actual signatures and electronic signatures will be accepted this year.
Answer: Yes. It is allowable to send page 1 of Form A-Participants Verification Form to each external partner for valid digital signatures.
Answer: We recommend reviewing pg.10 of the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New located at: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/. This page includes information about acceptable and unacceptable digital/electronic signatures.
Answer: Yes. ADE will verify rural classification labels at: https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/
Answer: The 21st CCLC Guidance Handbook (2020-2021), found on our webpage: https://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/federal-and-state-regulations, Page 25 has a section on Summer Programs. Should a site be awarded a new grant, Summer Programming may be allowable for incoming 9th graders, if it aligns to the intent of the approved grant application.
Answer 1: “Administrative" cost refers to any expense charged to the 21st CCLC grant to effectively manage or run the 21st CCLC grant. Administrative costs are not in function code 1000.
Answer 2: Generally, function codes included in "administrative" cost are: Function Codes 2100, 2200, 2600, 2700, 2300, 2400, 2500 or 2900. “DISCLAIMER: Before submitting the 21st CCLC application, applicants MUST contact their Finance & Accounting Office for guidance on developing the budget and for information on the most current budget coding. In addition, 21st CCLC applicants MUST consult their Human Resources Office for guidance on Salary Placement Schedules and Hiring Procedures.” We recommend reviewing the CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 15 shares the Budget Alignment guidance.
Answer: Contact the ADE 21st CCLC Staff via email at: [email protected] regarding any questions about the Grant application.
Answer: Yes. PERCENTAGE WILL BE VERIFIED in the Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report for SY 19-20 found at: https://www.azed.gov/hns/frp. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance regarding Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report. Please view Questions #3, #11 and #15 in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information.
Answer: Yes. Applicants may use either the site’s October 1, 2019 or October 1, 2020 school total enrollment numbers. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance regarding enrollment numbers.
Answer: Page 2 of Form C-Affirmation of Consultation Form (Participation of Private School) has a list of discussion points. 21st CCLC services may be offered to private school students who qualify for 21st CCLC services. 21st CCLC funds will not be provided directly to the private school. Pages 1-3 of the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New located at http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ has information about the 21st CCLC allocation based on the funding formula outlined.
Answer: Yes. Form C-Affirmation of Consultation Form (Participation of Private School) needs to be completed and the applicant must check the box on the form and submit the form with the appropriate signature and date. Form C states: NO. Check if there are no eligible private schools located within the site’s boundaries (signature and date required below).
Answer: Information about the requirements for private school consultation can be found on Form C-Affirmation of Consultation Form (Participation of Private School). We recommend reviewing pgs.11 &14 of the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New located at http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ which shares information about private schools.
Answer: We recommend reviewing pg. 16-18 of the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility-New located at http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ . These pages include information about the Grant Application Scoring Guidelines, the Rating Rubric, and Scoring Scales.
Answer: The Entity number being requested for each site in the new application is the State issued Site Entity ID number. This information is found in the Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report for SY 19-20 found at https://www.azed.gov/hns/frp.
Answer: A district can apply for a MAXIMUM of 5 sites. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 4 shares information about the Eligibility Verification Worksheet.
Answer: Yes. Use the two district assessment data points since you do not have state assessments. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ . Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance.
Answer: The Free and Reduced-Price Percentage Report for SY 19-20 is found at: https://www.azed.gov/hns/frp We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance.
Answer: All grants administered through the District should be included; additionally, any grants specific to the school site applying for the 21st CCLC award should be included in the Adequacy of Resources section.
Answer: Yes. 30% of the total current enrollment is mandatory for the funding formula.
Adequacy of Resources
The total 21st CCLC grant funding request for each site proposal must be justified by the following formula. To calculate the total funding each site application is eligible to request, use this formula:
(a) _____ The projected number of students who will attend 30 days or more (regular attendees)
(b) X 120 days (21st CCLC Funding will be based on 120 days of services per year).
(c) X $10 (dollar amount set for 21st CCLC Funding)
(d) = $ __________Total Funds Needed
The projected number of students who will attend 30 days or more cannot exceed 25% of the most current number of enrolled students at the school.
A number not to exceed 30% of the total current student enrollment at the school site to be served will be used to determine the maximum number of students that may be targeted for 21st CCLC services in the funding formula.
Answer: The total enrollment on October 1, 2019 of the school must be greater than 138 students. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Pages 1-3 shares the Funding Formula applicants must use to apply.
Answer: The projected number of students must be based on October 1, 2019 Enrollment. Applicants must use The OCT1 – October 1 Enrollment Report located in the AzEDS Portal in the Grants Management System.
The 21st CCLC program uses data published on the Health and Nutrition Services website: http://www.azed.gov/hns/frp/ for Free and Reduced Lunch Rate. The information for SY 19-20 should be used.
Answer: Private school students are eligible to attend the program if:
• they live within the applicant’s school attendance boundary
• they fit the needs assessment and targeted objectives of the submitted grant application
Answer: We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 30 shares the COVID-19 Flexibility guidance in relation to your question.
Answer: Please refer to the following link with step-by-step instructions on how to digitally sign the Mandatory Forms. All forms must be saved on your desktop; to have them digitally signed. Creating and Applying Digital Signatures
Answer: We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Pages 21-23 Program Design and Implementation section explains the services a 21st CCLC site must commit to including hours of operation.
Answer: The projected number of students must be based on October 1, 2019 Enrollment. Applicants must use The OCT1 – October 1 Enrollment Report located in the AzEDS Portal in the Grants Management System. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 30 shares COVID-19 Flexibility guidance.
Answer: We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Pages 1- 3 shares the Funding Formula applicants must use to apply.
Answer: Yes. Please refer to our website for the updated Timeline for Cycle 17-21st CCLC New Grant Application Competition tab at http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/
Answer: No. Any site under 40% free/reduced rate would not be eligible to apply. We recommend reviewing 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Page 13 states: “Each 21st CCLC grant application must propose to serve the students who attend a school where at least 40% of the students qualified for free/reduced cost meals in the previous year.” This will be verified by National School Lunch Program (NSLP) free/reduced-price percentage: http://www.azed.gov/hns/frp/ or other verifiable risk factor data.
Answer: We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Pages 21-23 Program Design and Implementation section explains the services a 21st CCLC site must commit to. In addition, a regular attendee is a student who attends the program for at least 30 days or more.
Answer: At times, tables and charts can cause the application to lock up since very often this type of data can contain inadvertently corrupt data and/or locked or calculated data that the Grants Management System cannot easily convert. If the information on the tables, charts, or graphs are pertinent to an application answer, it is recommended to enter the information as plain text into the narrative fields. We recommend reviewing the 21st CCLC FY22 Grant Guidance & Flexibility- New http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/application-information/ Note: “Cautions: Additional attachments uploaded in the Related Documents in the Grants Management System will NOT be considered in the evaluation of the application. Only the Additional Mandatory Downloadable Forms A-E (Forms A-G for Consortium Applicants) will be reviewed.” Review the entire grant application for accuracy and completeness before fully submitting in the Grants Management System.
