H.R. 3821 – Reading Mode

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the After School for America’s Children Act of 2012.

2.

Purpose; definitions

Section 4201 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

in paragraph (1), by striking , such as reading and mathematics;

(B)

in paragraph (2)—

(i)

by inserting service learning, nutrition and health education, before drug and;

(ii)

by striking and character education programs, and inserting social and emotional learning programming, character education programs, and physical fitness and wellness programs,; and

(C)

by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the following:

(3)

offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in paragraph (1)—

(i)

by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:

(A)

assists students in meeting State and local academic achievement standards in core academic subjects by providing the students with academic and enrichment activities and a broad array of other activities (such as drug and violence prevention, physical education, wellness education, art, music, counseling, and technology programs) during nonschool hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before or after school or during summer recess) that—

(i)

reinforce and complement the regular academic programs of the schools attended by the students served; and

(ii)

are targeted to the students’ academic needs and aligned with the instruction students receive during the school day; and

; and

(ii)

in subparagraph (B), by inserting and opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education before the period at the end;

(B)

by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (7); and

(C)

be redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively;

(D)

by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:

(2)

Social and emotional learning

The term social and emotional learning means the process through which children and adults acquire the knowledge, attitudes, and skills associated with the core areas of social and emotional competency including—

(A)

self-awareness and self management to achieve school and life success, such as identifying and recognizing strengths, needs, emotions, values and self-efficacy, impulse control and stress management, self-motivation and discipline, and goal setting and organization skills;

(B)

social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships, such as perspective taking and respect for others, communication, working cooperatively, negotiation, conflict management, and help-seeking; and

(C)

decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, academic and community contexts, such as situational analysis, problem solving, reflection, and social and ethical responsibility.

(3)

Social and emotional learning programming

The term social and emotional learning programming refers to classroom instruction and schoolwide activities and initiatives that—

(A)

integrate social and emotional learning into school curriculum;

(B)

provide systematic instruction whereby social and emotional skills are taught, modeled, practiced, and applied so that students use them as part of their daily behavior;

(C)

teach children to apply social and emotional skills to prevent specific problem behaviors such as substance use, violence, bullying, and school failure, and to promote positive behaviors in class, school, and community activities; and

(D)

establish safe and caring learning environments that foster student participation, engagement, and connection to learning and school.

;

(E)

in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by inserting Indian tribe or tribal organization (as such terms are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Act (25 U.S.C. 450b)), after community-based organization,; and

(F)

by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:

(6)

External organizations

The term external organization means a nonprofit organization with a record of success in running or working with after school programs.

.

3.

Allotments to States

Section 4202(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7172(c)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking 95 percent and inserting 93 percent;

(2)

in paragraph (2)—

(A)

in subparagraph (B), by inserting rigorous before peer review; and

(B)

by striking supervising the and inserting the following:

(C)

supervising the

; and

(3)

in paragraph (3)—

(A)

in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 3 percent and inserting 5 percent; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following:

(E)

Ensuring that any eligible entity that receives an award under this part from the State aligns the activities provided by the afterschool program with State academic standards.

(F)

Ensuring that any such eligible entity identifies and partners with external organizations, if available, in the community.

(G)

Working with teachers, principals, parents, and other stakeholders to review and improve State policies and practices to support the implementation of effective programs.

(H)

Coordinating funds received under this program with other Federal and State funds to implement high-quality programs.

(I)

Providing a list of prescreened external organizations, as described in section 4203(a)(12).

.

4.

State application

(a)

In general

Section 4203(a) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7173(a)) is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (6), by inserting and coordinating professional development for staff in specific content areas as well as youth development before the semicolon at the end;

(2)

in paragraph (11)—

(A)

by striking provides an assurance and inserting the following:

provides—

(A)

An assurance

;

(B)

by striking and representatives of teachers and all that follows through organizations; and inserting statewide after school networks (where applicable), representatives of teachers, local educational agencies, and community-based organizations; and; and

(C)

by adding at the end the following:

(B)

a description of any other representatives of teachers, parents, students, or the business community that the State has selected to assist in the development of the application, if applicable;

;

(3)

by redesignating paragraphs (13) and (14) as paragraphs (14) and (15), respectively;

(4)

by inserting after paragraph (12) the following:

(13)

describes how the State will prescreen external organizations that could provide assistance in carrying out the activities under this section, and develop and make available to eligible entities a list of external organizations that successfully completed the prescreening process; and

; and

(5)

in paragraph (14) (as redesignated by paragraph (3))—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by striking activities; and at the end and insert the following:

activities, with emphasis on alignment with the regular academic program of the school and the academic needs of participating students, including performance indicators and measures that—

(i)

are able to track student success and improvement over time; and

(ii)

include State assessment results and other indicators of students success and improvement, such as improved attendance during the school day, better classroom grades, regular (or consistent) program attendance, and on-time advancement to the next grade level;

;

(B)

by redesignating subparagraph (B) as subparagraph (C); and

(C)

by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

(B)

a description of how data collected for the purposes of subparagraph (A) will be collected; and

.

(b)

Limitation

Section 4203 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7173) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Limitation

The Secretary may not impose a priority or preference for eligibility for, or applications by, States or eligible entities that seek to use funds made available under this part to extend the regular school day.

.

5.

Local competitive grant program

Section 4204 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7174) is amended—

(1)

in subsections (b), (c), (d), (g), (h), and (i), by striking under this part each place the term appears and inserting under this section; and

(2)

in subsection (b)(2)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A)(ii), by inserting , if applicable after home;

(B)

in subparagraph (B), by inserting , as well as overall student success before the semicolon;

(C)

by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the following:

(C)

a demonstration of how the proposed program will coordinate Federal, State, and local programs and make the most effective use of public resources;

;

(D)

in subparagraph (D)—

(i)

by inserting and alignment after collaboration; and

(ii)

by inserting , including the sharing of relevant student data among the schools, all participants in the eligible entity, and any partnering entities described in subparagraph (H) while complying with applicable laws relating to privacy and confidentiality before the semicolon; and

(E)

by striking subparagraph (J) and inserting the following:

(J)

a demonstration that the eligible entity uses research or evidence-based practices to provide educational and related activities that will complement and enhance the academic performance, achievement, and positive youth development of the students;

;

(3)

in subsection (e), by inserting rigorous before peer review;

(4)

in subsection (i)(1)—

(A)

in subparagraph (A), by striking and after the semicolon;

(B)

in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and

(C)

by adding at the end the following:

(C)

demonstrating that the activities proposed in the application—

(i)

are, as of the date of the submission of the application, not accessible to students who would be served; or

(ii)

would expand accessibility to high-quality services that may be available in the community.

;

(5)

by adding at the end of subsection (i) the following:

(3)

Limitation

A State educational agency may not impose a priority or preference for eligibility for, or applications by, eligible entities that seek to use funds made available under this part to extend the regular school day.

; and

(6)

by adding at the end the following:

(j)

Renewability of awards

A State educational agency may renew a grant provided under this section to an eligible entity, based on the eligible entity’s performance during the original grant period.

.

6.

Local activities

Section 4205 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7175) is amended—

(1)

in subsection (a)—

(A)

in the matter preceding paragraph (1)—

(i)

by striking under this part and inserting under section 4204; and

(ii)

by inserting and support student success after academic achievement;

(B)

by redesignating paragraph (6), (7), and (8) through (12) as paragraphs (7), (8), and (9) through (13), respectively;

(C)

by striking paragraphs (1) through (5) and inserting the following:

(1)

academic enrichment learning programs, mentoring programs, remedial education activities, and tutoring services, that are aligned with local school curricula and State and local content and student academic achievement standards;

(2)

core academic subject education activities, including such activities that enable students to be eligible for credit recovery or attainment;

(3)

literacy education programs;

(4)

programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle, including nutritional education and regular, structured physical activity programs;

(5)

art and music education activities;

(6)

services for individuals with disabilities;

;

(D)

by striking paragraph (8) (as redesignated by subparagraph (B)) and inserting the following:

(8)

activities and programs that support global education and global competence, including those that foster learning about other countries, cultures, languages, and global issues;

;

(E)

in paragraph (9) (as redesignated by subparagraph (B)), by inserting to serve community needs before the semicolon:

(F)

in paragraph (10) (as redesignated by subparagraph (B)), by inserting to serve community needs before the semicolon;

(G)

in paragraph (11) (as redesignated by subparagraph (B)), by inserting parenting skills before programs;

(H)

in paragraph (12) (as redesignated by subparagraph (B)), by striking and after the semicolon;

(I)

in paragraph (13) (as redesginated by subparagraph (B)), insert social and emotional learning programming before and character; and

(J)

by adding at the end the following:

(14)

programs that build skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this paragraph as STEM) and that foster innovation in learning by supporting nontraditional STEM education teaching methods.

; and

(2)

in subsection (b)—

(A)

in the subsection heading, by striking Principles of and inserting Measures of;

(B)

in paragraph (1)—

(i)

in subparagraph (B), by striking and after the semicolon;

(ii)

in subparagraph (C), by striking the period and inserting a semicolon; and

(iii)

by adding at the end the following:

(D)

ensure that measures of student success align with the regular academic program of the school and the academic needs of participating students and include performance indicators and measures described in section 4203(a)(13)(A); and

(E)

collect the data necessary for the measures of student success described in subparagraph (D).

; and

(C)

in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting and overall student success before the period at the end.

7.

Authorization of appropriations

Section 4206 of such Act (20 U.S.C. 7176) is amended to read as follows:

4206.

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.

8.

Transition

The recipient of a multiyear grant award under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7171 et seq.), as such Act was in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, shall continue to receive funds in accordance with the terms and conditions of such award.