NGA Awards Grants to States, including Montana and Wyoming, to Develop Extra Learning Opportunities for Students

Thirteen states will receive grants in supporNGA Awards Grants to States, including Montana and Wyoming, to Develop Extra Learning Opportunities for Studentst of statewide summits designed to improve student achievement through programs such as tutoring, mentoring, organized sports, dance, art activities, and community service, NGA’s Center for Best Practices announced.

ois, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming will each receive $10,000 from the NGA Center with support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and The Wallace Fund to conduct state summits on extra learning opportunities or ELOs.

Summits will be held during the fall and winter of this year and the spring of 2004. ELOs provide school-age children ages 5 to 18 with recreational, academic, and development opportunities supplementing the education provided in a typical school day. ELOs may occur before school, after school, or during the school day, as well as on weekends, over holidays, or during the summer.

"Offering students extra learning opportunities creates a robust education environment," said John Thomasian, director of NGA’s Center for Best Practices, the nation’s leading authority on state innovation. "With support from their colleagues in other states and national experts, these states will take another step toward providing their students with the tools necessary to succeed."

A national review panel chose states based on submissions that demonstrated each governor’s commitment to ELOs and summit objectives. Each summit will convene a range of state and local partners to devise a shared agenda for improving the quantity and quality of ELOs in the state. Summits will emphasize state and local collaboration opportunities that strengthen links between ELOs, improved student academic performance, and positive youth development. The 2001 No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act places a greater emphasis on holding state education systems accountable for educating all students. NCLB requires states to significantly improve student academic achievement within the next decade. One way states can reach this goal and narrow the achievement gaps is by championing and supporting extra learning opportunities for K-12 students, Thomasian said.

The state role in ELOs is increasing dramatically. NCLB requires states to develop lists of supplemental academic service providers for families whose children attend schools that miss state achievement targets for three years or more. Providers must meet certain criteria established by each state, but they can be established ELO programs that have shown they are working to improve student achievement. After school programs funded by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, a key component of NCLB, is another area with an enhanced state role. Under NCLB, states, through federal funding, will award competitive grants to local entities, including school districts or community-based organizations. Prior to NCLB, school districts received funding directly from the U.S. Department of Education.

"NGA applauds these states for their commitment to providing their students with extra learning opportunities, and we look forward to supporting their efforts to make improvements," concluded Dane Linn, director of the NGA Center’s education policy studies division.

Eight of the states awarded grants also are currently funded by the Mott Foundation to develop and maintain statewide networks that support after-school programs. The summits will provide an opportunity for states to strengthen these networks while building additional support for ELOs.

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NGA, founded in 1908, is the instrument through which the nation’s governors collectively influence the development and implementation of national policy and apply creative leadership to state issues. Its members are the governors of the 50 states, three territories and two commonwealths. The NGA Center for Best Practices, the nation’s leading authority on state innovation, helps governors and their policy advisors develop and implement effective solutions to governance and policy challenges facing them in their states. The Center provides tailored technical assistance, tracks and evaluates state innovations and best practices, and helps governors and their staffs develop cutting-edge solutions to stay ahead of problems. For more information about NGA and the Center for Best Practices, please visit http://www.nga.org.

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