To reauthorize 21st century community learning centers, and for other purposes.

Summary: After School for America's Children Act of 2012 - Amends the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program under part B of title IV of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). (21st Century Community Learning Centers provide students with before and afterschool programs to improve their academic performance.)

Requires the Centers to provide: (1) students with activities that are targeted to their academic needs and aligned with the instruction they receive during the school day, and (2) students' families with opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children's education.

Includes Indian tribes or organizations among the local public or private entities that are eligible for grants from states to establish the Centers.

Requires states to use at least 93% (currently 95%) of their allotment from the Secretary of Education to provide grants to those entities.

Allows states to use up to 5% (currently, 3%) of their allotment for certain state activities.

Requires states to use a rigorous peer review process in reviewing grant applications.

Allows states to renew a grant under part B based on the grantee's performance during the original grant period.

Prohibits the Secretary or states from giving funding priority to applicants that propose to use the funds to extend the regular school day.

Includes among the activities grants may fund: (1) core academic subject education activities, including those that allow students to recover or attain credits; (2) literacy education programs; (3) programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle; (4) services for the disabled; (5) programs that support global education and competence; (6) social and emotional learning programming; and (7) programs that build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and support innovative STEM teaching methods.

Reauthorizes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program through FY2017.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

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

SEC. 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.''.

SEC. 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).''.

SEC. 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.''.

SEC. 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.''.

SEC. 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.

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

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

``SEC. 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.''

SEC. 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.