College and Career Readiness Advocacy with the Every Student Succeeds Act

1. Susan Stanton Shallie Pittman Olivia Hill July 20, 2017 College and Career Readiness Advocacy with the Every Student Succeeds Act

2. Welcome • Susan Stanton, Network Lead • Shallie Pittman, Youth Development Associate • Olivia Hill, Policy and Communications Intern

3. Agenda • Background on ACT Now • Overview of the American Education System • ESEA/ESSA • Leveraging Afterschool • STEM • College and Career Readiness (CCR) • CCR Activity

4. What is ACT Now? • A statewide coalition that advocates for quality and affordable afterschool programs for Illinois’ youth • Our partners are: • Providers • Educators • State agency members • Community advocates • Youth organizations • Policymakers

5. What is ACT Now? • ACT Now is a resource for: • Learning about policy • Networking with other providers • Receiving advocacy training • Learning about strategies for improving quality in afterschool programs • Drawing on technical expertise to inform best practices • Connecting with experts on professional development • Learning about professional development opportunities

6. ACT Now’s Committees

7. Why ACT Now promotes afterschool

8. Afterschool is … • Cost effective • Keep kids safe • Engage kids in learning • Help working families

9. Afterschool is …

10. American Education System Federal legislation provided funding or land for school and special programs, but careful not to intrude on states’ rights to make decisions on curriculum and the general operations of schools.

11. American Education System Elementary and Secondary Education Act Signed by Pres. Johnson • Provided grants to school districts with high volume of low income students • Grants for text and library books • Created special education centers • Scholarships for low income college students • Grants for state educational agencies

12. American Education System Improving America’s Schools Act Signed by Pres. Bill Clinton • High standards for all students • Professional experiences that better prepare teachers to teach to high standards • Flexibility to stimulate local initiative, coupled with responsibility for results • Promoting partnerships among families, communities, and schools

13. American Education System No Child Left Behind Signed by Pres. George W. Bush • States required to have students demonstrate proficiency on state academic standards through a state assessment • States have to publically report their schools’ status • Incentives earned for greater performance • Severe consequences imposed on schools not meeting the standards

14. Keep the baby. Change the water.

15. American Education System Every Student Succeeds Act Signed by Pres. Barack Obama • Decision making switched from the federal government to the state • More appropriate ways to measure student achievement • Each state determines how it evaluates success and how it implements tactics for school improvement

16. Why ESSA matters to you? • Children who are economically and educationally disadvantaged have a right to a well-rounded education. • State legislature, school boards, teachers and parents are empowered to set the education goals for their state. • Allows afterschool programs and community-based organizations to partner with schools to meet the students’ educational goals.

18. Leveraging Afterschool Districts receiving $30,000+ in federal funds are required to spend at least 20% on “well-rounded” educational activities. • STEM • College and Career Readiness Title IV Part A: Student Support and Academic Enhancement Grants

19. Leveraging Afterschool STEM How school districts can partner with afterschool on STEM Supporting school projects Complementing school learning with real world scientific enquiry Improving instruction Activating interest Closing the opportunity gap Preparing STEM workforce • U.S. is experiencing a demand for STEM professionals • Early interest is a better indicator than grades

20. Leveraging Afterschool College and Career Readiness How school districts can partner with afterschool on CCR Exploratory opportunities Resource alignment Continuous quality improvement Workforce skills Early acquisition of college and career knowledge Tailoring supports to students’ interests Intensive interventions and wraparound services • Illinois Goal 2025: 60% of adults in Illinois will have high-quality postsecondary degrees and credentials by 2025 • Reaching Goal 2025 is essential to meet the state’s need for talent

21. Advocacy • Sharing your point of view and ideas with the goal being to generate support for your work • Providing decision makers with the information necessary to make decisions in the best interest of their communities • What we all do everyday • An ongoing process

22. Activity

23. Afterschool Advocates • Help make the case for investing in and increasing access to high quality afterschool programs. • Act as champions and spokespeople for afterschool programs. • Provide a firsthand account of the benefits and the barriers that their community faces in making afterschool available to all children. • Receive significant support from the ACT Now Coalition.

24. What We Ask of Our Advocates • Participate in 2 Advocate conference calls per year • Participate in 4 calls to action each year • Help plan and facilitate regional advocacy trainings/events • Provide feedback on calls to action and community reactions • Gather and share 2 afterschool success stories per year • Make 2 stakeholder or partner connections per year

25. Questions • Susan Stanton, stantons@metrofamily.org • Shallie Pittman, pittmans@metrofamily.org • Olivia Hill, hillo@metrofamily.org