Fiscal Management
Fiscal Management
For all 21st CCLC Grantees
Information on fiscal policies for 21st CCLC programs are available in NYSED’s Fiscal Policies and Procedures Template.
Important fiscal policies to keep in mind:
- Unspent funds within a fiscal year will not roll over to the next year
- The following are not allowable:
- Food (21st CCLS is very limited and OCS PM approval is required)
- Entertainment (non-educational themed activities like ski trips, movie ticket, amusement parks)
- Incentives or stipends
Form
Form Code
Description
Budgets
Excel document; please enable macros
Budget Amendments
Certain types of changes to a project or a budget require the grantee to request prior approval from the Department. Use the FS-10-A form to submit requests to the office responsible for the grant.
Requests for Funds
Use an FS-25 to request funds from an approved grant. The amount of funds requested at any one time may only include actual expenditures to date plus, where allowed, anticipated expenditures for the next month.
Final Expenditure Reports
Excel document; please enable macros
Here are links to all all important forms.
This document will help you monitor spend down: 21sst CCLC Projection Workbook
For NYCDOE District Grantees
For 21st CCLC District grantees only, CBOs and partners should reference the NYCDOE’s Fiscal and Operations Manual for 21st CCLC created by the Office of Community Schools.
Evaluation
Evaluation
In New York, 21st CCLCs are mandated to have an independent evaluator. It is recommended that evaluators obtain NYCDOE Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval and parental consent. Evaluators are expected to provide support in the following areas:
- Help scope out goals and objectives
- Join Quality Self Assessment meetings
- Analyze program data to assess whether the program is achieving objectives
- Submit Annual Performance Report
- Sustainability strategy and recommendations
NYCDOE Data Policies & Practices
The New York City Department of Education has very strict policies regarding the distribution of individual level student data. According to Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 “no part of a student’s educational record, however created, may be divulged with personally identifiable information to any person, organization, or agency in any manner unless there is… informed written consent by the parent or eligible student.”
To help evaluators and community partners access data required for the APR and other research, use the Student Data and Evaluation Consent form.
In addition to obtaining parental consent, evaluators and community based organizations wishing to do any form of research involving individual-level data are required to have DOE Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Here are links to all the applicable information about doing research in New York City Public Schools and applying for DOE IRB approval: Conducting Research in New York City Public Schools, Proposal Guidelines
Evaluators who obtain parental consent to do research and who have DOE IRB approval are granted access to individual data. The specific data evaluators need to access should be outlined explicitly in the IRB Research Proposal. This can include both data required for the APRs and additional data that can be used for research that goes beyond the scope of the APRs.
Please note that evaluators and community partners are required to obtain DOE IRB approval and parental consent if they want to conduct surveys, focus groups, or interviews with students and/or staff.
Statewide Evaluator
The Statewide evaluator is Evaluation Services, who is responsible for:
- Measure the extent to which NYSED achieves its management objectives of the 21st CCLC program
- Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of the statewide Resource Centers
- Conduct field analysis through periodic site visits to grantees
- Work cooperatively with local evaluators to collect statewide data
- Provide programmatic and evaluative recommendations and support to the resource centers, grantees and NYSED
Annual Performance Report (APR)
The federal Department of Education stipulates that all 21st Century grant recipients must submit an Annual Performance Report (APR) through a website called 21APR. The US DOE uses 21APR to assess best practices and make data driven decisions. Failure to complete this report may affect funding. For additional details, please visit the 21APR Data Guide
The APRs are designed to indicate whether each 21st CCLC is meeting its objectives. The reports include the following information:
- Report card grades – first and last semester grades in ELA and Math
- State assessment scores
- Center operations
- Activities
For more information, please review materials from New York State’s 2st Century technical assistance center.
Quality Self-Assessment (QSA)
Quality Self-Assessment (QSA)
The New York State Network for Youth Success provides the Quality Self Assessment tool, which is required of all 21st Century programs. The QSA Tool provides an evidence-based instrument for continuous program improvement. This self-assessment tool provides an opportunity for program leaders and key staff, in collaboration with other stakeholders, to utilize a common set of standards to assess, plan, design and execute strategies for ongoing program improvement. The QSA provides an assessment on these 10 essential elements of high quality expanded learning programs:
- Environment and Climate
- Administrative and Organization
- Relationships
- Staffing and Professional Development
- Programming and Activities
- Linkages Between the School Day and After School Programs
- Youth Participation and Engagement
- Parent, Family and Community Partnerships
- Program Sustainability and Growth
- Measuring Outcomes and Evaluation
Best Practices on the QSA:
- Each school must have two Advisory QSA Self-assessment meetings per year as stipulated in the grant. (Suggested months are November and May).
- Mid year (good for course correction)
- May / June (good for reflection and planning)
- All stakeholders should be present at the meetings.
- Evaluators will also be available to assist.
- The site coordinator selects the date and time for assessment and allocates 2 hrs for the meeting.
- Schools can choose to do the QSA in its entirety or select elements based upon their needs.
- The site coordinator notifies all CBO partners about the date and time of the meeting, and which elements from the QSA they should prepare in advance.
- Depending on which elements are selected, parents, parent coordinators, students, teachers, custodians, and/or attendance specialists should be invited to the meeting.
- Combine everyone’s individual score to create one final score.
- Create an action plan, a timeline for completion, and assign responsibilities.
In collaboration with other staff and stakeholders, the self assessment leader determines:
- who will be engaged in the process and when it will take place
- who will facilitate discussions
- how data and findings will be compiled and shared
- helps to ensure the self-assessment process leads to planning and program improvement
A facilitator should engage all stakeholders and create an atmosphere that is safe, comfortable, and empowering. A good facilitator:
- Provides opportunities for everyone to contribute ideas and suggestions.
- Actively listens and connects ideas and themes as they emerge.
- Is prepared to answer questions about policies and procedures.
- Avoids personalizing what is shared in the process.
- Remains non–judgmental.
- Helps bring consensus and closure to discussions.
- Share, Communicate, Follow-up, and Take Action
Site Monitoring Visit
Site Monitoring Visit
Representatives from the TARC or NY State Education Department are required to conduct at least one site monitoring visit to ensure all grantees are in compliance and implementing programs with integrity to their original grant application.
To prepare for this report, please review the Site Monitoring tool and visit report.
Sustainability
Sustainability
Program sustainability capacity is defined as the ability to maintain programming and its benefits over time. Since the 21st CCLC is a five year grant, NY State requires that programs strategize sustainability throughout the grant cycle. NY State have many tools, webinars and presentations available to support this process. In particular, the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool created by the Center for Public Health Systems Science provides a comprehensive assessment of:
- Environmental Support
- Funding Stability
- Partnerships
- Organizational Capacity
- Program Evaluation
- Program Adaptation
- Communications
- Strategic Planning
It’s important to implement a structured process for this important component of the grant.
