EES Recognition Program Application

ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM

2024 APPLICATION

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

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

Part I: Eligibility Certification………………………….8

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

Part III: Narrative Snapshot…………………...…….12

2024 ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM

A NATIONAL RECOGNITION PROGRAM FOR AFTERSCHOOL AND SUMMER LEARNING

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) provides funding for implementing comprehensive, evidence-based programs to ensure resources respond to students' academic, social, and emotional needs and address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on student populations. Using resources provided by the ARP, States, districts, and their partners have the opportunity to use out-of-school time (OST) to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on students, families, and their communities.

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.

On July 14th, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education, along with the Afterschool Alliance, AASA – the School Superintendents Association, the National Comprehensive Center at Westat, the National League of Cities and the National Summer Learning Association, launched the Engage Every Student Initiative designed to ensure that every student who wants a spot in a high-quality out-of-school time program has one.

In the Fall of 2023, the U.S. Department of Education and the five partnering organizations designed the Engage Every Student Recognition Program, which aims to recognize (1) non-profit organizations working in collaboration with school district/local education agencies (LEAs) or (2) municipalities or local government entities working in collaboration with school district/local education agencies (LEAs) 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 Engage Every Student Recognition Program, a non-profit organization working in collaboration with school district/local education agencies (LEAs) or municipality or local government working in collaboration with school district/local education agencies (LEAs) entity must:

1. Be an afterschool and/or summer learning program that has increased, from its total enrollment in SY22-23, the enrollment number of K-12 students during the 2023-2024 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 2023-2024 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 DoDEA, or Tribal Nations schools.

4. Leverage American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER Funds and other state and local funds to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students.

5. 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.

NOMINATION PROCESS

The Engage Every Student Recognition Program nomination process will include the following components:

1. The U.S. Department of Education and the Non-Federal Partner Organizations 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.

2. The All Call for Nominations application will be open for nomination submission for a duration of at least one month.

3. eligible entities can self-nominate or be nominated.

4. The U.S. Department of Education and the Non-Federal Partner Organizations will post communications regarding the All Call for Nominations in their newsletters and on their social media platforms, including the Department’s Engage Every Student Today bulletin.

TIMELINE

MONTH	DUE
January 2024	Engage Every Student All Call for Nominations Opens.
January 2024	Conduct Webinar/Technical Assistance Conference Calls to review Eligibility Criteria and Application with interested entities.
February 2024	Engage Every Student All Call for Nominations Closes.
February 2024	State Education Agencies and State Afterschool Networks conduct state-level review of nominations and recommend one non-profit organization and one city municipality from each state for national review.
March 2024	The Department and the EES Partner 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 and one city municipality.
April 2024	States certify that nominated entities have met all eligibility requirements and completed applications and rubrics are due to the Department and the partnering organizations.
April 2024	Applications are reviewed for completeness, quality and accuracy.
May/June 2025	The U.S. Secretary of Education announces the 2024 Engage Every Student Champions.
July 2024	Representative from each Engage Every Student Champion Non-Profit Organization or City Municipality and the partnering Local School District/Education Agency attend recognition reception in Washington, D.C. during the Engage Every Student Summit.

Important Considerations for Completing the Engage Every Student Recognition Program Online Application

1. The entire application must be submitted through the secure online portal at: TBD.

2. Narrative responses to application questions must address the topic succinctly. No attachments to the online application can be submitted. Bulleted sections are not acceptable.

3. Online instructions must be followed when copying/pasting text from Word to the online application; formatting may be changed.

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-NEW.  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 [email protected] directly.

ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT 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

Organization/Municipality Name __________________________________________________

Note: As it should appear in the official records

Organization/Municipality 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 ___________________

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements and certify, to the best of my knowledge, that it is accurate.

_________________________________________________ ________________________

Organization/Municipality Point of Contact Signature Date

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements and certify, to the best of my knowledge, that it is accurate.

_________________________________________________ ________________________

District Superintendent Signature Date

I have reviewed the information in this application, including the eligibility requirements and certify, to the best of my knowledge, that it is accurate.

_________________________________________________ ________________________

District Superintendent Signature Date

ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM

PART I – ELIGIBILITY CERTIFICATION

The signature(s) on the first page of this application certify that each of the statements below, concerning the entity/organization’s eligibility and compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s Engage Every Student Recognition Program requirement, are true and correct.

1. All nominated organizations or municipalities must be an afterschool and/or summer learning program that has increased, from its total enrollment in SY22-23, the enrollment number of K-12 students during the 2023-2024 school year by 20%.

2. All nominated organizations 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 2023-2024 academic school year.

3. All nominated organizations 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 DoDEA, or Tribal Nations schools.

4. All nominated organizations or municipalities must leverage American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER Funds and other state and local funds to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students.

5. All nominated organizations or municipalities must 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.

ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT RECOGNITION PROGRAM

PART II – DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Data should be provided for the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality for the current school year (2023-2024), 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, 2023 enrolled in the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality:

Grade	# of Students	Grade Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total # of Students

5. Number of students enrolled in the afterschool and/or summer learning program of the organization or municipality during SY22-23:

Grade	# of Students	Grade Total
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Total # of Students

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, 2023 (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 American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER Funding and other federal, state or local funding leveraged to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students:

$_______________ American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER Funding

$_______________ ESSER I Funding

$_______________ ESSER II Funding

$_______________ GEER Funding

$_______________ CRRSA Funding

$_______________ Local (e.g., city, county or school district) Funding

$_______________ State (e.g., state agencies or state budget) Funding

$_______________ Philanthropic/Private Funding

$_______________ American Rescue Plan - Local Fiscal Recovery Funding

$_______________ American Rescue Plan - State Fiscal Recovery Funding

$_______________ American Rescue Plan – Child Care Stabilization Funds and/or CCDBG Discretionary Funding

$_______________ Other Funding (please explain) ______________________

$_______________ Total Funding

ENGAGE EVERY STUDENT 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 that the organization or municipality has with the local school district/education agency(ies) or other entities. Be sure to describe those partnerships that support afterschool and/or summer learning programing aspects of the organization or municipality.

• Describe how the organization or municipality leveraged American Rescue Plan (ARP) ESSER Funds and other state and local funds to expand access to afterschool and summer learning programs for students.

• Describe how the organization or municipality 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; and

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