Californias Afterschool Expansion

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Californias Afterschool Expansion
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Prop 49 Primer

• 56 percent of voters approved in 2002
• Raised state after school funding to 550 million
• Implementation began a few months ago

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Prop. 49Planning for California ExpansionJoe
Ames

• Funded by WT Grant
• Unique opportunity
• Private consulting firm and public policy
• Chronicle the narrative
• Take Aways for other planners
• Report is available at www.wtgrantfdn.org

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Prop 49Chronicle on Planning

• The Basics Research and Effective Advocacy
• Research and analysis provided clear view
• Elevated the work of planners and advocates.
• Make the program attractive to providers before
  jumping to the nuts and bolts of roll-out.

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Prop 49Chronicle on Planning

• Group Dynamics Utilizing Expertise and
  Recognizing Limitations
• Tapping expertise among providers, agencies and
  advocates useful
• Research and facilitation skills were
  complementary
• Identifying strengths and recognizing limitations
  is also important

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Prop 49Chronicle on Planning

• Investment Strategic Partnerships and Early
  Buy-in
• Best to have all parties on board with equal
  intensity
• Deep relationships outside of education can be
  critical in sparking useful new synergies

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Prop 49Chronicle on Planning

• Lasting Value Defining, Creating and Sustaining
  Quality Programs
• Long overdue, nuanced conversation several key
  drivers of quality at scale
• technical assistance, workforce development and
  accountability.
• Dynamic, evolving conversation will ultimately
  determine whether Proposition 49 delivers on its
  full promise.

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Prop 49Communication and OutreachSteve Fowler

• Quality program sites as models- distributed
  across the states media markets
• Research that shows that after-school will keep
  kids safe, support working families and inspire
  children to learn

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Prop 49Communication and Outreach

• A shared succinct message that resonates with
  voters and opinion leaders
• On-going training of after-school community on
  messages and how to use them
• A drumbeat of media coverage on the value of and
  need for after-school

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Prop 49Communication and Outreach

• A history of bi-partisan support
• Spokespersons who can gain media and policy
  maker attention
• Law enforcement voices on your side
• Working relationships with state and local
  education leaders

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Prop 49Communication and Outreach

• An understanding of budget and revenue
  circumstances and history
• Annual use of Lights On Afterschool! as a public
  education and coalition building tool at local
  and state levels
• An openness to new champions and allies joining
  the movement - even if it means surrendering some
  control of the movement

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Prop 49Communication and Outreach

• Foundation funding for outreach and advocacy
• A forum or "open space for stakeholders work
  out differences and build consensus- needs to
  include CBOs, school-based programs, school-age
  care, recreation and faith-based programs
• A constant willingness to explore new areas

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PROPOSTITION 49 BALLOT TREND
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Prop 49ImplementationJennifer Peck

• Reform Effort
• 20-30 annually going unspent
• Difficulty managing/maintaining program

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Prop 49Implementation

• Legislative Reforms
• Grant vs. Reimbursement
• Increased daily after-school rate
• Priority for funding going to low-income schools

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Prop 49Implementation

• Reforms, continued
• Funding match decrease from half to third
• Streamlined application process
• More federal 21st CCLC money directed to high
  school
• Changes to evaluation system

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Prop 49Implementation

• Factors that made reforms successful
• Release of new funds was imminent
• Governor had a great interest in seeing Prop 49
  succeed
• Democratic leaders, who created the original
  program, also had a great interest in success
• Advocacy community in agreement about reforms

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Prop 49Implementation

• Funding Roll-Out
• Application process in the fall of 2006
• Awards posted in February, 2007
• Demand very high only half of applicant schools
  received grants
• Official notifications began going out in March
• Timing of program start-up varied across state
• Full programming to start in fall of 2007

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Prop 49Implementation

• Roll-Out, continued
• Start-up training and technical assistance slow
  to arrive through state department of education
• Statewide and regional intermediaries stepped in
  to support new programs, though coverage varied
  across state
• CDE currently formulating plan for how to spend
  training and t/a dollars

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Prop 49Implementation

• Implementation Challenges
• Hiring qualified staff
• Training new staff
• Coordination with schools/academic alignment
• Negotiation of space for program at school sites

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Prop 49Implementation

• Policy Issues for Consideration
• Quick vs. phased-in expansion of programs needs
  to be carefully considered
• Application process needs to be accessible to all
  applicants, and be useful for review, as well as
  implementation
• Design and Evaluation of programs must align with
  best research as well as youth/parent/community
  needs and expectations

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Prop 49Implementation

• Policy Issues, continued
• In most cases, sustainability beyond grant
  funding is not attainable
• Grantees should be eligible for renewal if they
  are meeting program outcomes
• Sufficient professional development and technical
  assistance resources are critical
• Better coordination between after school and SES
  services would benefit students

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Questions
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How to reach us

• Joe Ames joe_at_amesonline.net
• Steve Fowler steve_fowler_at_fowlerhoffman.info
• Jennifer Peck jennifer_at_bayareapartnership.org