Building State Capacity and Supporting Statewide Afterschool Networks

About this grant

The Council of Chief State School Officers works to build state capacity to implement federal legislation and support policies that expand the availability of high-quality afterschool programs. The transition of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative from federal to state administration in 2002 also changed the role of state education agencies in managing extended learning programs. In order to integrate afterschool programs successfully into the education system, state education agencies need support in several areas.Multiyear funding will enable the council to collaborate with the Afterschool Technical Assistance Collaborative to provide direct technical assistance to a subset of states and improve the type of support given to states; support a revision to the existing policy statement on extended learning opportunities to reflect recent national developments; plan and convene events to increase the visibility of the potential of afterschool programs to foster student success and development; research and develop an effective practices document focusing on high-quality afterschool programs that are aligned with broader school reform efforts; and update the extended learning opportunities Web page and LISTSERV services to build awareness and increase state-level communication around issues related to extended learning opportunities.The council is a national, nonprofit organization consisting of public officials who head the departments of elementary and secondary schools.