Afterschool for America's Children Act

Bill: 113-hr-4086
Sponsor: Rep. Kildee, Daniel T. [D-MI-5]
Introduced: 2014-02-25 in the House
Policy area: Education
Subjects: Academic performance and assessments
Child health
Education of the disadvantaged
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Family relationships
Indian social and development programs
Language arts
Minority education
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
School administration
Science and engineering education
Special education

Summary:
action_date: 2014-02-25
text: 
Afterschool for America's Children Act - 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 school, after school, and summer learning programs to improve their academic performance.)
 
Requires the Centers to provide 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.
 
Allows states to use a portion of the part B funds allotted to them by the Secretary of Education to: (1) assist those Centers in aligning their before school, after school, and summer learning programs with the state's academic standards; and (2) ensure that those Centers partner with nonprofit organizations in the community that have had success in carrying out, or working with, those programs.
 
Requires states to: (1) award grants only to local entities that propose to serve students who primarily attend schools that are eligible for schoolwide programs under part A of title I of the ESEA, and (2) give priority to applicants that propose to serve students that attend schools that have been identified as needing improvement.
 
Requires states to use a rigorous peer review process in reviewing grant applications.
 
Prohibits the Secretary or states from giving funding priority to applicants that propose to use the funds to extend the regular school day.
 
Allows states to renew a grant under part B based on the grantee's performance during the original grant period. 
 
Includes among the activities grants may fund: (1) core academic subject education activities, including those that allow students to recover or attain credits; (2) services for the disabled; (3) activities and programs that support global education and competence; (4) programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle; (5) literacy education programs; and (6) programs that build science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and support innovative STEM teaching methods.
 
Requires students' academic performance and overall success to be taken into account in evaluating the performance of the Centers.
 
Reauthorizes the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program through FY2020.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-02-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
action_date: 2014-02-25
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-02-25
text: Introduced in House