Investing in Community Change

Aligning Resources with Results: President's FY 2013 Budget Proposal

2012-02-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

On Monday, President Obama released his FY 2013 Budget. Each year, the president’s budget plays an important role in the national budget process as it outlines the president’s policy priorities and recommendations for federal spending. Proposing major funding in areas such as education, healthcare, workforce training and community revitalization, President Obama has demonstrated his commitment to helping our nation’s most vulnerable children, families and communities succeed in the midst of a difficult economic climate. Congress now has the opportunity to review the President’s proposed budget and recommend changes before drafting the Congressional Budget Resolution, which will become the nation’s FY 2013 budget. The FY 2013 will go into effect in October 2012.

As Congress prepares to review the president’s proposed budget, it is important to keep in mind that communities can play a major role in advocating for policies and programs that improve the well-being of residents. In our new publication, Aligning Resources with Results: How Communities and Policymakers Collaborated to Create a National Program, we highlight the collaboration between community organizations in Philadelphia with state and local policymakers. The initiative, the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, provided funding for 88 fresh-food retail projects in 34 Pennsylvania counties, creating or preserving more than 5,000 jobs and improving access to healthy food for more than half a million Pennsylvania residents. The success of this collaboration led to a national budget initiative, the National Healthy Food Financing Initiative, aimed at improving the health of children across the country by providing access to fresh food. The President’s FY 2013 budget has proposed $25 million from the Department of Treasury and $10 million from the Department of Health and Human Services in funding for the National Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

For more information about the federal budget process, please review our “Federal Budget Blog Series.” CSSP’s Policy for Results blog also has information and links to resources about the federal budget.

Stay tuned to our blog for more updates on and analyses of the President’s Proposed FY 2013 Budget.

10 States to Receive NCLB Waivers

2012-02-09T12:39:00.000-05:00

The Obama Administration will announce today the ten states that will receive No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers. These waivers are the administration’s response to the need to reform NCLB – a policy that Education Secretary Arne Duncan said “drives down standards, weakens accountability, causes narrowing of the curriculum and labels too many schools as failing,” according to a statement released by the Department of Education (DOE). These waivers will provide states with flexibility from NCLB and its guidelines so long as the states adopt and have plans to implement college and career-ready standards. In addition, states must also create plans that address teacher and principal development and evaluation using information beyond test scores, such as student and parent feedback. The ten states that have received flexibility are:

Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Indiana
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Minnesota
New Jersey
Oklahoma
Tennessee

According to DOE, the administration is working with New Mexico, the eleventh state that requested flexibility, to adjust the state’s plans. This month, DOE will begin reviewing waiver requests from 28 additional states.

Stay tuned to our blog for updates about NCLB.

In the News: Racial (In)Equity

2012-02-08T12:23:00.002-05:00

The Urban Institute recently graded (A through F) the 100 largest metropolitan regions in terms of racial equity. Five categories were used to determine each community’s grade:

1. Residential segregation

2. Neighborhood income gap

3. School test score gap

4. Employment gap

5. Home ownership gap

The grades are available on two interactive maps, one that illustrates the Black-White Opportunity Gap and another that does the same for the Latino-White Gap. Roll your mouse over the map to learn the score of the metropolitan region that interests you most. You can also adjust the maps’ scoring system to emphasize the gap of greatest importance to your interests or work. For example, if you are only interested in the school test score gap, change the box in the lower right corner to read:

Residential Segregation:
Neighborhood Income:
School Test Scores:
Employment:
Home ownership:

Total:100

The map will automatically recompute the scores and display new rankings.

It is important to note that African American and Latino families have experienced centuries of systemic and institutional racism that has prevented many from achieving their full potential. Even in “A” communities, the average African American attends lower-performing schools, lives in a lower-income neighborhood and is more likely to be unemployed and less likely to own their home than the average White. These gaps are two-three times wider in the “F” metropolitan regions.

As evidenced by Urban Institute’s data and analysis, African American and Latino communities face disproportionate access to quality education, housing and employment opportunities. Many of you work tirelessly to improve the lives of all, while focusing especially on increasing opportunity in minority communities. While great strides have been made in recent decades, racial disparities continue to exist and much work remains to be done.

CSSP is committed to promoting racial equity and opportunities for all families. Visit www.cssp.org for more information about this work.

Community-Police Partnership Grants Announced

2012-02-08T12:14:00.000-05:00

The MetLife Foundation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation have partnered to promote neighborhood safety through the Community-Police Partnership Grant. In its 11th year, this grant recognizes that community-police partnerships are an integral part of promoting community safety and revitalization. Community residents know their neighborhoods best and, as a result, play a critical role in developing safety initiatives and addressing the unique needs present in their communities. The Community-Police Partnership Grant includes 2 distinct award categories:

Neighborhood Revitalization Awards: These awards will recognize community-police partnerships that have worked together to reduce crime by redeveloping the physical landscape of communities. Examples of revitalization plans include real estate development, new or expanded businesses and renovated community facilities. One $30,000 grant and four $20,000 grants will be awarded.

Special Strategy Awards: These awards will recognize community safety initiatives that provide solutions to one or more of the following:

Applied Technology
Aesthetics and Greenspace Improvement
Diversity Inclusion and Integration
Drug Market Disruption
Gang Prevention and Youth Safety
Seniors and Safety

Eligible applicants include: community-based groups, city agencies (police/sheriff’s departments) or nonprofits. Applications are due March 11, 2012. Awards are expected to range from $15,000 to $30,000.

For more information about the grant, as well as case studies highlighting previous winners, please click here.

2012 TIGER Grants Available

2012-02-08T11:51:00.003-05:00

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the availability of $500 for the fourth round of TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Grants. There has been overwhelming demand for TIGER grants in the previous three rounds of the program, with a total of $2.6 million funding 172 transportation infrastructure projects in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

As in previous years, the TIGER program is designed to fund transportation infrastructure projects that will have a significant impact nationally and/or regionally. Projects may include surface infrastructure, such as highway or bridge projects, as well as marine port projects. DOT has made railway infrastructure a priority and is therefore allocating $100 million of the 2012 TIGER funding available for high speed and intercity passenger railway projects. In addition, $120 million is available for rural infrastructure projects.

Grant applications will be evaluated on the overall impact that a project will have on 1) improving and/or creating environmentally sustainable transportation infrastructure, 2) sparking job creation and, 3) increasing access to transportation options, including public transit, for people across the nation.

Eligible applicants include state, local and tribal governments, transit agencies, port authorities and metropolitan planning organizations. Pre-applications are due February 20th and final applications are due March 19th. Awards are expected to vary between $10 million and $200 million. To view the Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), please click here.

Family Engagement in Early Childhood Resource Guide

2012-02-03T16:24:00.000-05:00

The Harvard Family Research Project has released Family Engagement in Early Childhood: A Resource Guide for Early Learning Challenge Recipients. This resource guide is intended to provide the recently announced Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant recipients with a list of resources and tools that will support their efforts to design and implement a family engagement strategy.

As stipulated in the 2011 RTT-ELC competition, grantee states are responsible for increasing access to quality early-learning programs by creating quality standards, developing data and accountability systems, and informing, engaging and supporting families that are involved in early-learning programs. The resource guide includes information about various topics related to family engagement strategies, including:

Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Standards for Family Engagement
Training Early Childhood Educators on Family Engagement
Promoting Family Support and Engagement Statewide
Sharing Data with Families
Creating Programs that Engage Families

This focus on family support and engagement is aligned with CSSP’s Strengthening Families approach, which encourages early-learning professionals and policymakers alike to build strong relationships with parents. This collaboration and parental involvement can help to ensure that parents and early-learning professionals work together to make important decisions that will result in optimal outcomes for children.

To review the Family Engagement in Early Childhood Resource Guide, click here.

CFED's 2012 Assets & Opportunity Scorecard

2012-02-03T12:06:00.001-05:00

Lastmonth, the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) released its 2012 Assets and Opportunity Scorecard,which measures the fiscal health and security of our nation’s residents. In addition to highlighting key state andnational findings, the Scorecardpresents information about an array of policies and programs that states canimplement to help families build assets and work towards financial security.

Inthe midst of economic uncertainty, it is not surprising that many families andcommunities are struggling to make ends meet, which has resulted in an officialpoverty rate of 15.1% - the highest rate our nation has seen in recent decades. However, the Scorecard suggests that the official poverty rate – the percentageof people with insufficient income to cover their daily expenses – does notaccount for the millions of families that lack the assets and savings needed tomeet their longer term needs. Accordingto the Scorecard, roughly 27% ofhouseholds are living in “asset poverty,” which is defined as “not having the savings or other assets(e.g., a house, car or business) needed to cover basic expenses for threemonths if a layoff or other emergency leads to loss of income.” The Scorecardfurther explores the financial health of families by measuring “liquid assetpoverty,” which is defined as “not havingsufficient liquid assets (e.g., bank accounts and other financial assets) tolive at the poverty level for three months in the absence of income.” According to this measure, roughly 43% ofhouseholds are “liquid asset poor” and have little savings or cash available touse in case of emergencies.

Thesestatistics highlight the bleak situation that many families find themselvesfacing, particularly families of color. Roughly 44% of households of color are “asset poor” and 65% are “liquidasset poor.” With little assets or savings, families cannot save for futureexpenses or build financial security.

TheScorecard illustrates what is neededfor families to build financial security over time and suggests differentprograms and policies that can support this effort. Their suggestions include increasing accessto financial education in schools and communities and providing families withaccess to quality financial services.

Formore information about the Scorecard,please click here.

To learn more about asset-building tools and programs in your community, please click here.

Drug Free Communities Grants Announced

2012-01-26T13:59:00.002-05:00

TheSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announcedthe availability of $3.75 million in grants for the DrugFree Communities Support Program (DFC). Recognizing that local problems require local solutions, this programfunds efforts to strengthen community coalitions working to combat substanceuse among youth. A community-focusedinitiative, the DFC encourages participation from community groups, nonprofits,local government, schools and residents invested in the reduction of substanceuse among youth. By helping communitiesidentify the unique factors that may increase the risk of substance abuse inthe community, the DFC program intends promote factors that minimize the riskof substance abuse among youth and adults. At a time when youth substance use is of concern, recent evaluation datasuggests that DFC-funded communities have decreased rates of youth substanceuse.

EligibleDFC applicants include community-based coalitions focused on addressing youthsubstance use. These coalitions mustrepresent a broad spectrum of residents and include representatives from thefollowing categories: youth, the business sector, law enforcement, schools andhealthcare. For a complete list of requiredcoalition members, as well as detailed information about the applicationprocess, please click here.

SAMHSAexpects to award up to 30 grants in the amount of $125,000. Awards may be renewed for up to 5 years andcoalitions must provide a one-to-one grant match. Applications are due March 22, 2012.

Latino Families and Home Visiting Webinar

2012-01-26T12:49:00.001-05:00

The Pew Center on the States is hosting a webinar, Engaging Latino Families in Home Visiting Programs, on February 7, 2012 from 3-4pm EST. The webinar highlight best practices in engaging Latino families in home visiting programs. Panelists will share various models, approaches and tools for serving this population. Specifically, topics will include strategies for recruiting and retaining families in the program, specific training for home visitors, program and curriculum adaptation, and research on Latino families’ participation and outcomes. Register for the webinar here.

Panelists:

Glendelia Zavala, Chief Program Officer, AVANCE
Carla Mowell, Director of the Texas HIPPY Center, University of North Texas
Madeline I. Cruz, RN, MS, IBCLC, Nurse Home Visitor, Nurse-Family Partnership

For more information on Home Visiting

List of 2011 High-Scoring Promise Neighborhoods Applicants Released

2012-01-26T12:31:00.000-05:00

The Department of Education recently released information on the high-scoring applicants (80 points or higher) in the 2011 competition. The list is organized by grant time - implementation and planning - as well as Absolute Priority (e.g. Rural and Tribal communities). Project abstracts are also available. DOE indicates that peer reviewer scores and comments will be sent at the end of January 2012.

Innovative Strategy to Reduce Hunger- Spotlight on the First Nonprofit Grocery Store

2012-01-23T17:31:00.006-05:00

As part of the Spotlight on Community Change series, we highlight an innovative anti-hunger and community development strategy: Chester Community Food Center.

Chester, Pennsylvania is one of the hungriest communities in the United States. According to a report by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), 31% of Pennsylvania’s first congressional district, of which Chester is a part, cannot access and/or afford sufficient food. There has not been a grocery store within city limits for the past 10 years and at least 30% of the population is too poor to own a car, making it incredibly difficult for residents to access healthy food. Chester’s roughly 34,000 residents also endure the negative effects of concentrated poverty: over 50% live below 200% of the Federal Line and 15% are unemployed. Not surprisingly, the overweight/ obesity rate for Chester’s children is twice that of those living in the rest of Delaware County, where poverty is less common and grocery stores are more plentiful.

In an effort to address Chester’s destitution, Philabundance, a hunger relief agency in Delaware Valley, is spearheading a project to create Chester Community Food Center, the first nonprofit grocery store in the United States. This project could not come at a more urgent time. The recent national economic crisis has resulted in increased hunger and decreased donations to community organizations that serve the neediest individuals, making development of a more financially sustainable model of emergency food delivery vital.

The Chester Community Food Center will combat hunger and high unemployment without putting further strain on the already strapped emergency food system. The center’s primary roles include:

1. Grocery store: Fresh fruits and vegetables, among other goods, will be sold at the lowest possible price. In contrast, traditional groceries set prices with the goal of making a high profit.

2. Sustainable food pantry: some items will be available free of charge

3. Convenient venue for SNAP outreach: SNAP, also known as Food Stamps, is an underutilized federal benefit. Those who qualify and enroll will be able to use their SNAP benefits at the food center.

4. Valuable asset to Chester’s local economy: The store is anticipated to create 20-25 new jobs.

The food center, which is still in early planning stages, received a major boost recently from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which funds activities and research dedicated to improving public health. United States Congressman Bob Brady, who represents Chester and parts of Philadelphia, has also helped raise start-up funds. Since food will be priced to cover costs, Philabundance hopes the center will eventually be self-sustaining.

By providing healthy food at a low cost in a community currently lacking nutritious food options, Chester’s proposed food center will address both affordability and access. Philabundance describes their initiative as “a new kind of solution that addresses food insecurity and food access inequality while providing choice, dignity and respect,” central tenants of CSSP’s Constituents Co-Invested in Change work.

Hunger is a national issue. As recent reports by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA; Household Food Security in the United States in 2010) and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC; two reports: Food Hardship in America- 2010 and A Half Empty Plate) prove, domestic hunger is not limited to Chester. Hunger resulting from an inability to access and afford sufficient food for one’s family, officially termed food hardship by FRAC and food insecurity or very low food security by the USDA, is a problem throughout the United States. FRAC’s national data show that 18% of Americans experienced food hardship in 2010. The USDA’s extremely conservative methodology (homeless individuals, for example, are not included in their sample) characterizes 14.5% of Americans as food insecure.

Hunger is both more common and more problematic in households with children. The USDA reports that 20.2% of households with children are food insecure, as compared to 11.7% of households without children. Similarly, FRAC has shown that households with children were more likely to report an inability to access affordable fresh fruits and vegetables, a circumstance correlated with poor health, high stress, obesity, food hardship and poverty. Lifelong negative effects of childhood hunger include developmental delays, stunted physical growth, decreased academic performance and educational attainment and harmful behavioral, social and mental health consequences.

In response, President Obama and his administration have pledged to end childhood hunger by 2015. As part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move Campaign, the Departments of Treasury, Health and Human Services and Agriculture have jointly committed to promoting increased access to nutritious food, especially in food deserts. The three Departments have created 19 grant opportunities for local community partnerships addressing food access problems.

In addition to Philabundance’s Chester Community Food Center, local anti-hunger organizations might consider these innovative strategies to promote access to nutritious, affordable food:

Public-private partnerships to encourage and finance development of grocery stores in underserved communities: Fresh Food Financing Initiative

Mobile food carts that sell fresh fruits and vegetables in urban and rural food deserts: New York City

SNAP outreach campaigns in communities of high need: Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger

Resident Engagement: CSSP's Atlanta Customer Satisfaction Work and Miriam's Kitchen, which is launching a new, client-informed advocacy campaign

Urban farming: Growing Power and Greener Partners

Education: Urban Nutrition Initiative

Resources for Workforce Innovation Fund Applicants

2012-01-23T17:02:00.001-05:00

CLASP has created a resource page for those seeking to apply for funding through the Workforce Innovation Fund. This resource page includes:

Examples of promising state- and local-level models that align with the goals of the Workforce Innovation Fund and help create pathways to postsecondary and economic success for low-skilled adults and youth;
a toolkit that can help states develop a braided funding strategy for their proposed grant activities; and
links to official guidance and grant application materials that will help build a strong application.

Visit the resource page here.

Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood: Creating Accountable Partnerships

2012-01-23T15:58:00.000-05:00

In November 2011, the Center for the Study ofSocial Policy (CSSP) released anew tool for communities: “Making a Difference In Your Neighborhood: A Handbook for Using Community Decision-Making to Improve the Lives of Children, Youth and Families.” Based onCSSP’s work in communities throughout the past two decades, this handbookprovides communities with the “how to” guidance that is needed to begincommunity change efforts. In the next few months, we will provide a briefoverview of each of the handbook’s chapters and highlight the information thatwe believe is critical to building communities that improve outcomes forchildren and families.

This week, we spotlight Chapter 2: CreatingAccountable Partnerships.

As communitiesbegin to develop a resultsagenda, it is critical to acknowledge that each member of the community bringsa wealth of skills, relationships and experiences that will inform andstrengthen your community change efforts. Individuals - including local government officials, school boardmembers, faith leaders, business leaders and nonprofit leaders - and localagencies and organizations all have access to the knowledge and resourcesnecessary to implement effective community change strategies.

Engaging theseindividuals and agencies as partners can take on many forms, with some members/agenciescreating formal working relationships and others creating more informal relationships. Ultimately, there should be a group of corepartners that is dedicated to the identified results agenda. This core partnership will likely initiatemany of the community change efforts and play a large role in creating newpartnerships by using their networks to engage residents and other stakeholders.

It is important to structure partnerships in amanner that promotes shared leadership, transparency and inclusivedecision-making to ensure that all members of the community have a voice andthat the partnership's work remains focused and accountable to the resultsagenda. As partners develop a sharedagreement around specific roles and responsibilities, it may be helpful toconsider the following questions:

How can each partner contribute?
How will we make decisions?
What kind of staff/volunteer supportdo we need?
How will core partners and thebroader community work together?
How will we sustain the involvementof neighborhood residents?
How will we monitor and evaluate ourprogress towards achieving results?

For more information about creating accountable partnerships, including assessment tools and strategies for effective collaboration, please view the Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood Handbook.

To learn more about CSSP’s work incommunities, please click here.

New White House Toolkit for Community Partnerships

2012-01-20T17:56:00.000-05:00

The White House Council for Community Solutions recently released a new toolkit for communities, the Community Collaboratives Toolbox. This resource provides case studies of community change initiatives across the country and guidance for communities on how to develop collaboratives that are focused on community-wde results. Four tools provided are:

“Building or Improving a Community Collaborative – Guidance by Life Cycle Stage”: Describes the five stages of a collaborative’s life, including case studies, a checklist of key activities, and common roadblocks for each stage
“Community Collaborative Assessment – A Diagnostic of Success Readiness”: Helps communities evaluate a collaborative’s readiness to implement its action plan in the community
“Community Collaboratives Learning Examples: Capacity, Structure, Data and Funding”: Provides examples from successful collaboratives on these four critical success factors.
“Community Collaboratives: The Next Generation of Community Participation”: Describes how to generate meaningful community participation, a critical element to community collaborative success.

2011 NeighborWorks America Training Institute

2012-01-20T15:30:00.002-05:00

InFebruary, NeighborWorks America is hosting its 2011 TrainingInstitute – a training opportunity for professionals dedicated to thedevelopment and revitalization of communities. This year’s training institute offers courses on several aspects ofcommunity development, including:

AffordableHousing
AssetDevelopment
Community/ResidentEngagement
CommunityLeadership
EconomicDevelopment

This Training Institute is a great opportunity for community leaders to gain skills and knowledge around specific aspects of community development and to network with leaders and professionals from communities throughout the nation.

TheNeighborWorks Training Institute will be held in Los Angeles February 27 –March 2, 2012. For more informationabout the Institute, including how to register, please click here.

For acomplete list of courses, please click here.

Department of Labor Announces Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Program Grants

2012-01-20T14:22:00.001-05:00

TheDepartment of Labor (DOL) has announced the availability of $20 million ingrants for the Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Program. With more than 700,000 individuals releasedfrom justice facilities each year, DOL recognizes that employment is a criticalcomponent of assisting former offenders avoid future incarceration andsuccessfully re-enter their communities. These grants will provide high-poverty, high-crime communities with funding for various support services, including: job training, employment preparation, mentoring and assistance that links former offenders to key services, such as substance abuse treatment.

Thisannouncement if the fifth in a series of Reintegration of Ex-Offenders Programgrants. DOL expects to award 17 grantsof approximately $1.2 million to nonprofit organizations that provideemployment-focused support services for former offenders. For more specific information about thegrant, including eligibility criteria, please click here.

Grantapplications are due March 13, 2012.

2011 Promise Neighborhood Grantee Comments, Scores and Application Materials Released

2012-01-19T13:28:00.000-05:00

The Department of Education (DOE) recently released the scores and comments for all the 2011 Promise Neighborhood grantees. Additionally, the DOE Promise Neighborhoods Awards page includes the Memorandums of Understanding for all the grantees and the and continuum of solutions (the required Appendix F) for implementation grantees.

White House Launches Summer Jobs+ Initiative and Provides a Jobs Toolkit for Communities

2012-01-17T16:34:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, the White House announcedSummer Jobs+, an initiativechallenging businesses, nonprofits and the Federal government to create morethan 250,000 jobs for disconnected and low-income youth. Recognizing that our nation’s youth facesignificant rates of unemployment, this initiative is intended to help createpathways to employment, job training and support as youth gain the skillsnecessary to succeed in the labor market. According to the announcement, the government and the private sectorhave already committed to creating180,000 jobs and/or training opportunitiesfor the summer of 2012.

This announcement came as the White HouseCouncil for Community Solutions released a report highlighting the economicimpact of failing to help disconnected youth. The report suggests that roughly 17% of individuals between the ages of16-24 are “disconnected,” which is defined as youth who are neither enrolled inschool nor participating in the labor market. Without opportunities to gain job skills, disconnected youth are morelikely to have lower earnings, be incarcerated as adults, have poor healthoutcomes and rely on government support. The report suggests that, in 2011, taxpayers sustained $93billion in costs and lost revenue as a result of supporting youth disconnectedfrom school and jobs. In an effort tosupport economic growth and the well-being of youth, the White House is relyingon support from businesses, nonprofits and the government as they have thepower to create meaningful opportunities for youth.

In the next two months, the White House plansto launch the Summer Jobs+ Bank, an online search tool that will allow youth tosearch for job opportunities posted by participating employers.

In an effort to promote youth employment, theWhite House Council for Community Solutions also released a Connecting Youth& Business Toolkit for Employers. Specifically designed for businesses, this toolkit guides businessesthrough a process of supporting, training and employing disconnected youth intheir communities.

For more information about Summer Jobs+,including a list of committed partners, please click here.

Budget Series #3: A Look at the FY 2012 Budget Process

2012-01-11T14:17:00.004-05:00

In our final post on the federal budget, we would like to reflect on the FY 2012 budget process and highlight key funding decisions that impact communities throughout the nation. Using the steps outlined in our recent Federal Budget Basics post, we’ve summarized the important events of the FY 2012 budget process and key funding decisions.

President Obama Submits FY 2012 Budget

The FY 2012 budget process began when President Obama submitted his budget to Congress in February 2011. As the President’s opportunity to highlight funding priorities in the midst of economic uncertainty, President Obama’s proposed budget called for cuts to discretionary spending, as well as a five-year freeze on “non-security discretionary spending.” However, the proposed budget did highlight significant investments in education, workforce development and community-based programs. For example, President Obama requested $77.4 billion for the Department of Education, which included $150 million for the Promise Neighborhoods Initiative, and $380 million for the Workforce Innovation Fund. The President’s budget did not include spending changes for entitlement programs, such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

Congressional Budget Resolution

In the midst of economic hardship and concern about the federal government’s spending limits, the House and Senate were unable to pass a FY 2012 budget resolution by the April 15deadline. Instead, Congress focused its efforts on the Budget Control Act, which was enacted in August 2011 and allowed the government to continue functioning by raising the amount of debt the government can accrue, known as “the debt ceiling.” In addition to raising the debt ceiling, the Budget Control Act established the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction – known as the “Super Committee” – which was charged with developing legislation that would reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion. The committee was unable to identify potential spending cuts, which triggered automatic “sequestration,” meaning that $1.2 trillion in cuts will be made over the next ten years across all discretionary programs beginning in FY 2013. Essentially, $109.3 billion in cuts will be made each year beginning in FY 2013.

With FY 2012 quickly approaching in the fall, congressional subcommittees were unable to agree on appropriations by October 1, 2011 – the beginning of FY 2012 - leaving the government without a budget and at risk of a potential shutdown. As a result,Continuing Resolutions were passed on September 30 and October 5, providing funding for the government at FY 2011 levels.

After several months of debate on discretionary programs, congressional subcommittees were able to agree on the spending levels that align with the Budget Control Act. On November 18, 2011,Congress passed funding appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture,Commerce, Justice, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. The remaining agencies – including the Departments of Education, Labor and Health and Human Services – were funded in appropriations that were passed on December 16, 2011.

Below you will a find a description of how a few of the federal programs that are of interest to communities fared during the FY 2012 budget process.

Community Programs

Choice Neighborhoods will receive $120 million in funding – an increase of $100 million from FY 2011– to continue transforming high-poverty communities into mixed-income neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the Sustainable Communities program was not funded for FY 2012 after receiving $99 million in FY 2011.

Education

21^stCentury Community Learning Centers will receive $1.15 billion in funding –a decrease of roughly $2 million – to continue providing academic enrichment and other after-school programs to students in high-poverty, low-performing schools.
Promise Neighborhoods will receive $60 million in funding– double the amount received in 2011 – to continue creating cradle-to-career pipelines of support designed to improve outcomes for students in low-income communities.
Pell Grants will receive $22.8 billion in funding, allowing low-income college students to receive up to $5,550 in grants during the 2012-2013 academic year. While the maximum grant award available remains the same as FY 2011, fewer students will remain eligible for the award as the qualifying income level and the number of semesters a student may receive the award were both decreased.
The Striving Readers Program will receive $183 million in funding after being entirely unfunded in FY 2011. This program will support local literacy and educational development programs.

Health

Community Health Centers will maintain their $2.72 billion in funding to continue providing necessary health care to more than 60 million Americans. In addition, this funding may be used by the Department of Health and Human Services to build new or expand existing health centers.
Healthy Food Financing Initiative will receive $32 million in joint funding from the Departments of the Treasury and Health and Human Services to ensure that low-income communities have access to healthy food.

Workforce Development

YouthBuild will receive $79.6 million in funding to continue providing essential education and job training to at-risk youth.

Transportation

Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant Program will remain funded at $500 million to improve transportation infrastructure throughout the nation.

2012 Federal Budget Resources

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Budget Vocabulary by Policy for Results
OMB Budget Homepage
Summary:Fiscal Year 2012 Final Consolidation Appropriations Bill (December 2011)
Summary:Fiscal Year 2012 “Mini-Bus” (November 2011)

We understand that the federal budget process is confusing and welcome your questions! Post your questions in the comments section.

Budget Series #2: Understanding How Entitlement & Discretionary Funding Can Impact Your Community

2012-01-11T14:12:00.004-05:00

Blog 2 of our federal budget series describes two key categories of the budget. Understanding the differences between these two types of funds can empower you and your communities to advocate for additional money or fully access existing resources.

1. Entitlement

Entitlement programs provide resources according to need-based eligibility, rather than providing a set amount of funds. Federal spending on entitlements is required by law and an eligible person can never be turned away because the program has “run out.” While the annual federal budget can change the laws that govern spending on these programs (e.g. alter eligibility requirements or allocation size), the federal budget does not establish an amount to be spent on entitlement programs.

Examples: Social Security, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP; also known as “Food Stamps”), Medicaid, Medicare, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

Relevant advocacy: Community-based organizations can engage in three advocacy activities relevant to entitlements:

1. Promote entitlement enrollment among eligible populations by:

Organizing creative public announcements to increase awareness of the programs; For example: billboards and bus advertisements

Placing trained volunteers in accessible locations, including community centers, schools, libraries and the waiting rooms of free clinics, to assist clients through complicated application processes.

2. Advocate for easier application procedures and work with government officials to identify and reduce inefficient and burdensome paperwork

3. Campaign for changes to the laws that govern entitlements. For example, advocates may call upon policy makers to increase the monthly amount of SNAP benefits by demonstrating that current allocations cannot enable recipients to purchase a healthful diet. Community organizations that argued for expanded Medicaid eligibility that would insure a greater percentage of the Federal Poverty Line won a major victory with passage of the Affordable Care Act.

2. Discretionary

Discretionary spending is optional, changes from year to year and demonstrates federal priorities. While these priorities are initially described in the President’s annual budget request, Congress’ budget resolution outlines the final amounts allocated to each federal Department (e.g. The Department of Education). Federal agencies award their funds to states, programs, community organizations or another grantee based on need, merit, population size, or some combination of factors. Resources may not be available to everyone who qualifies for the program; eligible applicants can be turned away because the program has “run out.”

Discretionary grantees have a responsibility to use their resources wisely, both for the purpose of efficiency within their own programming and to ensure continued financial support for such efforts the following year. President Obama’s administration has emphasized Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative programs, which are funded by competitively awarded, discretionary grants and include place-based programs like Promise Neighborhoods. The Center for the Study of Social Policy’s recently published Handbook offers useful tips on how to organize and manage place-based initiatives such that results are maximized.

Examples: Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF; commonly thought of as “welfare”), most spending on education, the environment, housing/ homelessness services, infrastructure, etc.

Relevant advocacy: Community organizations should use the methodology explained above to ensure that all available resources are allocated to eligible applicants and that program design targets the appropriate populations. However, if the set amount of funds that defines discretionary programs proves insufficient, grassroots organizations can mobilize communities to advocate for more resources to support the programs they need most. Researchers can contribute scientific evidence to these grassroots campaigns.

A campaign of working families could make a powerful appeal to state and local governments to use TANF funds differently or to Congress for increased funds to the program. Economists could supplement their advocacy by explaining that providing adequate resources to the poor has a large multiplier effect on the local economy, thereby helping everyone. Human development experts could point out the benefits of a stable home environment on early childhood development.

Since most Department of Education dollars are discretionary, school children could be mobilized to advocate generally for more dollars for education, an argument that can also be supported by a diverse array of researchers.

Note: In a recession, discretionary programs and services tend to lose resources and provide less of a buffer against further economic despair than entitlements. For example, while SNAP enrollment increased substantially during the recent recession, providing invaluable assistance to families suffering from unemployment or decreased wages, TANF lost money and provided less assistance to fewer families even though need was far greater.

Click here for more Federal Budget Vocabulary

We understand that the federal budget can be extremely confusing. Please post your questions in the comments section!

Budget Series #1: Federal Budget Basics

2012-01-11T13:53:00.005-05:00

The federal budget, developed annually by the Executive and Legislative branches, has a huge impact on the programs, services and infrastructure that impact all communities. An understanding of the budget process and language can help programs advocate for needed funds effectively.What follows is a summary of the budget process, using Promise Neighborhoods and Fiscal Year 2012 to illustrate how this process applies to an example program.

1. The President’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) submits a detailed budget request to Congress by the first Monday in February (if the budget request is for Fiscal Year 2012, it is submitted to Congress in February, 2011). This document is important because it demonstrates the President’s priorities.

President Obama’s commitment to the Promise Neighborhoods program was shown by his proposed allocation of $150 million for Promise Neighborhoods in Fiscal Year 2012.

2. Congress reviews and responds to the President’s budget request in 3 stages:

a. To inform their final product, which is called the Congressional budget resolution, the House and Senate’s respective Budget Committees hold hearings to question Administration officials about relevant aspects of the President’s budget request.

Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius might have each been questioned about the $150 million requested for Promise Neighborhoods, among other programs and services that they oversee.

b. The two budget resolutions (one for the House and one for the Senate) are brought to their respective floors where they are debated, amended and eventually passed. The resolutions need only a simple majority to pass and cannot be held up by the Senate filibuster.

The Senate resolution allocated $60 million to Promise Neighborhoods for Fiscal Year 2012, while the House resolution zeroed out the program.

c. A House-Senate conference reconciles the two resolutions into a final conference report. Both chambers vote on this final budget resolution, which also requires a simple majority to pass and cannot be held up by a Senate filibuster. The passed budget resolution is law; it does not go to the President for his signature or veto.

Congress’ final resolution funds Promise Neighborhoods at $60 million for Fiscal Year 2012.

Step 2 is supposed to be completed every year by April 15^th in preparation for the Fiscal Year’s start in October, however, the budget resolution is often delayed.

The Fiscal Year 2012 budget resolution should have been passed by April15, 2011 so that the 2012 Fiscal Year could go into effect October 2011. Since Congress had not agreed on a final resolution by October 2011, the 2012 Fiscal Year started with a continuing resolution based on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget.

Steps 2b and 2c provide a vital opportunity for community members and organizations to use qualitative and quantitative research, including researcher’s data and powerful stories presented by residents, to inform policymakers of their program’s value.

Promise Neighborhoods Institute, in partnership with Promise Neighborhood grantees across the country,organized a Congressional Briefing, conducted Capitol Hill site visits, and wrote a Policy Brief requested by Congressional staff.

3. Federal agencies, such as the Department of Education, carefully determine how they will spend their allocated funds and begin to act by, for example, releasing Request for Proposals (RFPs) for states or community agencies to apply for resources. Congress enforces the budget throughout the fiscal year.

The Department of Education has not yet released information on how they will spend the $60 million in Promise Neighborhoods’ Fiscal Year 2012 budget,so it is impossible to know application guidelines for prospective Promise Neighborhoods, how many projects will be funded or what level of funding Promise Neighborhoods will receive.

For Fiscal Year 2011, the Department of Education used the $30 million allocated to Promise Neighborhoods to fund 5 Implementation grants and 15 Planning grants. These 20 grantees will receive funds beginning January 2012.

2012 Federal Budget Resources

Introduction to the Federal Budget Process by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Budget Vocabulary by Policy for Results
OMB Budget Homepage

We understand that the federal budget process is confusing and welcome your questions! Post your questions in the comments section.

HUD Announces 2012 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant

2012-01-10T18:04:00.000-05:00

TheDepartment of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has announced the availabilityof $110 million for the FY 2012 Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant. As an “implementation” award, this grant isdesigned to assist communities that have completed a comprehensive localplanning process and are ready to implement an initiative that aims to:

Transformdistressed public housing into energy efficient, mixed-income housing
Supportpositive outcomes related to residents’ health, safety, employment andeducation
Transformneighborhoods into communities of opportunity that provide access tohigh-quality services

Thisgrant is designed for public housing entities in severely distressedneighborhoods. Eligible applicantsinclude public housing authorities, local governments, nonprofits andfor-profit developers that apply with a public entity. For more specific details on the grantapplication process, please click here.

Applicationsare due April 10^th, 2012.

HUD Awards $3.6 Million in Choice Neighborhood Planning Grants

2012-01-10T11:31:00.001-05:00

The Departmentof Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded $3.6 million in Choice Neighborhood Planning Grantsto 13 communities across the nation. Theawarded communities are:

CincinnatiMetropolitan Housing Authority (Cincinnati, OH)
CuyahogaMetropolitan Housing Authority (Cleveland, OH)
ColumbusMetropolitan Housing Authority/Ohio State University/City of Columbus/NationalChurch Residencies (Columbus, OH)
HousingAuthority of the City of Little Rock (Little Rock, AR)
Housing Authorityof the City of Meridian (Meridian, MS)
Opa-LockaCommunity Development Corporation (Opa-Locka, FL)
RockfordHousing Authority (Rockford, IL)
HousingAuthority of the County of Sacramento (Sacramento, CA)
HousingAuthority of Savannah (Savannah, GA)
City of Springfield/SpringfieldHousing Authority (Springfield, MA)
SuffolkRedevelopment and Housing Authority (Suffolk, VA)
District ofColumbia Housing Authority/Kenilworth Parkside Resident Management Corporation (Washington,DC)
HousingAuthority of the City of Wilson/City of Wilson (Wilson, NC)

As part of theNeighborhood Revitalization Initiative(NRI), the Choice Neighborhoods program aims to transform high-povertycommunities into mixed-income neighborhoods by linking affordable housing,transportation, education and community safety programs. HUD reviewed 71 applications for the FY 2011Planning Grants.

After a lengthy FY 2012budget process, Congress appropriated $120 million for the Choice Neighborhoods– a substantial increase from the $65 million allocated during FY 2011. With increased funding, Choice Neighborhoodsand other NRI programs, such as Promise Neighborhoods, arelikely to continue transforming distressed communities throughout the nation.

Workforce Innovation Funding Available

2012-01-04T17:42:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has announced the availability of $98.5 million in funding for the Workforce Innovation Fund. The Workforce Innovation Fund is to support innovative strategies, policies and systems reforms that can improve the effectiveness of workforce development programs. The grant also seeks to support greater coordination in the delivery of workforce services. Consequently, DOL will work closely with the Departments of Education and Health and Human services to administer the grants.

Approximately 20-30 grants will be given with amounts ranging from $1-12 million. Eligible applicants include state workforce agencies, local workforce investment boards and institutions eligible to apply for WIA section 166 grants. Grants are due on March 22, 2012.

For more information, the full solicitation and a pre-recorded prospective applicant webinar are available online here.

New Federal Guidance on Student Data Sharing Regulations, FERPA

2012-01-04T15:16:00.001-05:00

In early December, the Department of Education released new Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. These changes became effective January 3, 2012, and are a significant step forward in embodying the spirit of collaboration that many community partnerships are taking on to improve educational outcomes for children. The purpose of FERPA is to protect the privacy of students’ education records and afford parents and students the right to inspect and review education records and consent to the disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII) from the records. Generally, PII cannot be disclosed without consent; except for the audit, evaluation or enforcement of federal legal requirements of federal or state supported education programs.

The Forum for Youth Investment offers an analysis of the data sharing revisions to FERPA. As the Forum notes, two significant changes are the revised definitions of “authorized representative” and “education program.” Before, an “authorized representative” (allowed to share PII) was interpreted to only be those under the direct control of a state or local educational authority; however, the new regulations allow state and local education authorities to share PII with other government agencies as long those agencies are involved in a federal- or state- supported education program. Further, “education program” is not just those programs that principally provide education (e.g. schools), but now also include early childhood education, post-secondary education, special education, job training and adult education.

These changes can have a significant impact moving forward, particularly as many local communities and states are working to create interagency longitudinal databases to better track and evaluate the success of students and the programs that are created to support them.

The revised regulations can be found here.

Investing in Innovation (i3) Finalists Secure $18 Million in Matching Funds

2012-01-03T14:51:00.000-05:00

The 23 finalists in the Investingin Innovation (i3) grant competition have secured$18 million in private donations. Withonly four weeks between the announcement of finalists and the deadline forprivate donations, all 23 finalists acquired the donations needed to meet the grant’smatching requirement and are officially eligible to receive part of the $150million in i3 grants. This financialsupport from foundations, philanthropists, corporations and individuals willaid each of the i3 grantees as they strive to create innovative strategies thatwill improve student achievement.

For a complete list of applicants and their matching funds,please click here.

With over 600 applications for the FY 2011 grantcompetition, the i3 program has sparked incredible interest throughout thecountry. Congress recently passed a spendingbill for FY 2012 that provides another $150 for the program.

For more information on in i3 program, please click here.

Department of Education Announces Race to the Top Round Three Grantees

2012-01-03T12:18:00.001-05:00

The Department of Education (DOE) recently announced thatseven states will receive a share of $200 million as part of roundthree of the Race to the Top (RTT) initiative. The winners are:

Arizona
Colorado
Illinois
Kentucky
Louisiana
New Jersey
Pennsylvania

As finalists in round two of RTT, these seven states wereinvited to apply for round three funding after demonstrating their commitment tothe RTT’s goals, including: improving academic standards, turning aroundpersistently low-performing schools and implementing science, technology,engineering and mathematics (STEM) education into broader reform efforts. These round three winners bring the total numberof states implementing RTT initiatives to 22.

For more information about Race to the Top, please click here.

Upcoming Webinar: Strengthening Families and the Early Development Instrument

2012-01-03T11:20:00.001-05:00

CSSP’s Strengthening Familiesteam and United Way Worldwide arehosting a webinar on the Early Development Instrument (EDI) – a valuable toolthat provides policymakers with information about the development of childrenin their communities.

Across the country, states, localities and programs areusing the Strengthening Families framework to build protectivefactors that promote optimal child development. To support this work, the EDI helps communities track child development and school readiness. As a population-based measure, the EDI reportsdevelopment data by school and geographic area, providing policymakers andstakeholders with local information on the strengths and vulnerabilities ofchildren. The EDI data is used tomobilize and engage local leaders around a data‐driven and action‐orientedprocess to inform local planning and improvement activities focused on theneeds of young children in the context of their community. The EDI data helpsearly childhood coalitions look back to assess how to better support schoolreadiness and to look forward to plan programs and improve systems that willhelp children succeed in the early elementary grades and beyond.

The webinar – Usingthe Early Development Instrument (EDI) and Strengthening Families to PromoteOptimal Child Development – is scheduled for Thursday, January 12^th from 2pm-3pm (EST). To register for the webinar, please click here.

For more information about CSSP’sStrengthening Families initiative, please click here.

HUD to Award 3 to 5 Grants to Study Housing and Health

2011-12-20T09:22:00.002-05:00

In recognition of the important connections between housing and health, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will fund research that examines the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of current or proposed efforts to promote healthy, environmental lifestyles through housing, particularly affordable housing managed by HUD. This initiative, Healthy Homes Technical Studies Program, supports HUD’s 2010- 2015 Strategic Goal to use housing as a platform for wellness. HUD expects to award three to five $300,000 to $700,000 cooperative agreements to academic, non-profit and for-profit institutions located in the United States, local governments and federally recognized Native American tribes.

Consistent with CSSP’s guidelines for effective community change, HUD requires researchers to incorporate meaningful community engagement into studies with significant resident interaction.

Research should be conclusive and applicable to on-the-ground work. Applications are due January 31, 2012. For more information on the application process, please click here.

Obama Administration Announces 2011 Promise Neighborhood Grantees

2011-12-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

Afterreviewing over 200applications, the Obama Administration has awarded 20 Promise Neighborhood Grants. Five organizations will receive the firstround of implementation grants, while another 15 organizations will receive thesecond round of planning grants. The grantees are:

Implementation Grantees

Westminster Foundation(Buffalo, N.Y.)
Northside AchievementZone (Minneapolis, Minn.)
Berea College (Clay,Jackson, and Owsley Counties, Ky.)
United Way of SanAntonio & Bexar County, Inc. (San Antonio, Texas)
California StateUniversity – East Bay (Hayward, Calif.)

Planning Grantees

Mission EconomicDevelopment Agency (San Francisco)
Reading and Beyond(Fresno, Calif.)
Mercer University(Macon, Ga.)
Community Action Projectof Tulsa (Tulsa, Okla.)
Elmezzi Foundation (NewYork)
South Bay CommunityServices (Chula Vista, Calif.)
Black Family Development(Detroit, Mich.)
Children Youth andFamily Services (Charlottesville, Va.)
CAMBA (New York)
SGA Youth and FamilyServices (Chicago)
Ohio University(Glouster, Ohio)
Meriden Children’s First(Meriden, Conn.)
Martha O’Bryan Center(Nashville, Tenn.)
Catholic Charities ofAlbany (Hudson, N.Y.)
Campo Band of MissionIndians (Campo, Calif.)

Aspart of the Obama Administration’s NeighborhoodRevitalization Initiative, today’s awards support the administration’sfocus on developing place-based strategies that revitalize neighborhoods. The 2011 Promise Neighborhood implementationgrantees will receive up to $6 million to implement their cradle-to-career servicesthat aim to improve the academic achievement and development of youth. In addition, the implementation grantees willbe eligible to receive funding from the Department of Justice to enhance theirpublic safety programs. The 15 planning grantees will receive $500,000 to begindeveloping revitalization strategies.

Today’sawards mark the second round of Promise Neighborhood grants. In 2010, a total of $10 million in planninggrants was awarded to 21communities. Between the 2010 and2011 awards, a total of 18 states and the District of Columbia now have PromiseNeighborhood strategies in place or in development. The Promise Neighborhood will likely be inplace in 2012 as Congress recently approved $60 million for the program.

Formore information about the Promise Neighborhood program and the 2011 grantees,please click here.

Stayedtuned to our blog for updates on the Promise Neighborhoods Program and theNeighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Grants Awarded

2011-12-16T18:08:00.006-05:00

The Department of Education has awarded Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) Grants to nine states. The awarded states include:
• California
• Delaware
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Minnesota
• North Carolina
• Ohio
• Rhode Island
• Washington

A dual initiative between the Departments of Education (DOE) and Health and Human Services (HHS), the RTT-ELC program is intended to increase access to high-quality early education and close the school readiness gap by raising standards, improving training for early learning providers and building evaluation systems that promote effective practices. Programs like RTT-ELC are a critical first step in ensuring that children are on track to enter school with the skills necessary to succeed. Each state will receive a grant award from the $500 million RTT-ELC fund, with awards expected to range from $50 million to $100 million. Final budgets will be created after the grantees, DOE and HHS have the opportunity to finalize RTT-ELC plans. For more information about the RTT-ELC grantees, please click here.

Department of Transportation Announces TIGER III Grantees Ahead of Schedule

2011-12-15T14:33:00.003-05:00

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has awarded a total of $511 million to 46 transportation projects across the nation as part of the TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) grant program. According to DOT, a total of 848 project applications were received from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington D.C. With an overwhelming demand for TIGER funding, President Obama directed DOT to expedite the grant review process in November in an effort to stimulate the job creation and announce winners before the end of 2011 – much earlier than the anticipated spring 2012 announcement.

Today’s awards are the third in a series of TIGER grants, which were first implemented in 2009. TIGER grants are awarded to transportation projects that have national and regional impacts by improving existing transportation infrastructure, stimulating economic growth and promoting safe and environmentally sustainable transportations systems. Potential projects include: highway or bridge construction, public transportation initiatives, passenger and freight projects and port infrastructure investments.

According to DOT, today’s grant awards will fund various transportation initiatives in 33 states across the country. Specifically:

Roughly $150 million will support projects in rural areas
Roughly 48% of the total funding will support road and bridge projects
Three grants were awarded to tribal governments to create jobs and address the critical transportation needs near Indian reservations

For a list of the TIGER III grantees, please click here.

The Importance of Youth Engagement

2011-12-14T12:36:00.002-05:00

As communities know, resident engagement strategies that foster leadership and empower residents to take community action are a critical component of successful community changes initiatives. In an effort to build vibrant communities that provide opportunities for all residents, communities must consider how to actively engage local youth. A new report from the Center for the Study of Social Policy highlights the importance of youth civic engagement and provides policymakers with recommendations on how to craft policies that ultimately promote youth civic engagement.

CSSP’s report suggests that youth who have opportunities to connect with their communities are less likely to engage in negative behaviors, such as substance abuse, delinquency and dropping out of high school. However, youth today appear much less invested in civic engagement opportunities. A recent report from Corporation for National and Community Service suggests that, when compared to Millennials (born 1982 and after), older adults (65 and older) and Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are the most civically engaged demographic groups in America, with members consistently voting, volunteering in local organizations and servicing as members of community-based boards of civic groups.

As youth transition to adulthood, it is important to consider the many ways that communities can promote youth engagement. Developing youth voter registration activities and ensuring that youth have access to healthcare, support services and opportunities to provide feedback to community leaders and/or policymakers, for example, can create meaningful and welcoming structures that acknowledge youth voice. Youth engagement can lead to several community benefits as well. For example, incorporating input from youth may impact community investments, allowing funding to be directed at programs that youth are invested in while avoiding expenditures that do not reflect the needs of youth.

Similarly, in an economic era with the lowest percentage of young adults employed in over a generation, it is imperative that youth have meaningful opportunities to build job skills and develop positive relationships and community networks as they begin their transitions to adulthood. Bridging these opportunities at a young age promotes positive youth development and increases the likelihood that youth will vote, volunteer and be valuable members of the community and the workforce as adults.

For more information on CSSP’s report on youth civic engagement, please click here.

Youth Engagement Resources:

Authentic Youth Civic Engagement: A Guide for Municipal Leaders, National League of Cities

Civic Engagement and the Transition to Adulthood, Future of Children

Civic Life in America, Corporation for National and Community Service

Family Engagement for High School SuccessToolkit, Harvard Family Research Project

The State of Young America, Dēmos and Young Invincibles

Afterschool Evaluation 101: How to Evaluate an Expanded Learning Program

2011-12-14T10:38:00.002-05:00

The Harvard Family Research Project (HFRP) has released Afterschool Evaluation 101: How to Evaluate an Expanded Learning Program, a “how to” toolkit that provides guidance on the development effective evaluation strategies. In recent months, expanded learning time programs have been a topic of much discussion in the field of education. As we’ve reported on our blog, new research highlights expanded learning time as a critical strategy in reducing the achievement gap, particularly for low-performing, high-poverty schools. In addition, the No Child Left Behind (NCLB)/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waivers may provide states with the flexibility needed to increase funding for expanded learning opportunities. As with any new program or initiative, it is critical that schools implementing expanded learning initiatives take the time to develop a comprehensive evaluation strategy in an effort to understand the program’s effectiveness and areas for improvement.

Afterschool Evaluation 101 is a useful toolkit that guides schools through the entire evaluation process, including detailed information on the purpose, development and implementation of effective evaluations. In defining the desired results of the program, for example, the toolkit stresses the importance of gathering insight from the families, students, teachers and community stakeholders that will ultimately be affected by the expanded learning opportunity. While the goal of one school’s program may be to simply increase student interest in school, another program may aim to improve student test scores. Engaging families and the community in the development of the program, as well as its evaluation, is a critical step in developing a program that meets the specific needs of the students and families residing in the community.

The toolkit also provides step-by-step information on how to analyze, understand and communicate the results of the evaluation with families and the greater community. Sharing evaluation data with key stakeholders can dramatically improve family and student engagement in the program and attract funders that may help sustain the program. The toolkit also lists several additional resources that schools and communities can use in developing related programs and evaluation strategies.

For more information about the Harvard Family Research Project and the Afterschool Evaluation 101 toolkit, please click here.

Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood: Developing a Results Agenda

2011-12-13T12:09:00.005-05:00

Last month, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) released a new tool for communities: “Making a Difference In Your Neighborhood: A Handbook for Using Community Decision-Making to Improve the Lives of Children, Youth and Families.” Based on CSSP’s work in communities throughout the past two decades, this handbook provides communities with the “how to” guidance that is needed to begin community change efforts. In the next few months, we will provide a brief overview of each of the handbook’s chapters and highlight the information that we believe is critical to building communities that improve outcomes for children and families.

This week, we spotlight Chapter 1: Developing a Results Agenda.

With communities throughout the country facing several struggles, such as limited access to support services, quality schools and healthcare, communities have started to embark on comprehensive change initiatives in an effort to ensure that all children and families have the opportunity to thrive. As communities begin to think about how to design a transformation strategy, it is important to develop a results agenda that defines the conditions of well-being that the community is seeking for its children and families. Identifying results first is important for several reasons. Developing a results agenda can help your community come together around shared goals, hold each other accountable to progress and performance, and develop strategic and targeted solutions to ensure that families have access to the supports, services and opportunities they need.

To truly grasp the results the entire community hopes to achieve, it is important to incorporate the opinions of all residents, including young people, elders, longtime residents, immigrants, public housing residents, residents that are active in neighborhood activities and those that are not. Reaching out to all community residents can help you understand the various struggles individual families are facing, the resources they currently use (or lack access to) and the specific solutions they think will address their needs and the needs of the community.

There are several different ways to engage the members of your community, including:

Story Circles
Neighborhood Surveys
Neighborhood Summits

For more information about developing a results agenda, including community assessment tools and strategies to gather resident input, please view the Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood handbook.

To learn more about CSSP’s work in communities, please click here.

Funders and Policymakers Increasingly Support Innovative Models to Address Housing and Health

2011-12-12T11:09:00.007-05:00

Where we live, work, learn and play has a significant effect on our health and well-being. Recently, in a commentary from Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius discussed how the Obama Administration is working together to address these interconnected needs.

As more funding and policy opportunities are developed to address the relationship between housing access and health outcomes, communities can use the growing wealth of research and best practices to both take full advantage of, and influence, these opportunities. Here are some of the ways that housing and health are connected:

1. Where you live affects your ability to access health-promoting resources, such as nutritious food, medical care, a safe environment and public transit.

“An apple a day may help keep the doctor away but that assumes you can find an apple in your neighborhood.” --Dr. James Marks in a 2009 Huffington Post article

Neighborhoods of concentrated poverty can fuel and exacerbate poor health and restrict the opportunities and mobility of residents. According to Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity’s Helping the Doubly Disadvantaged: The Role of Neighborhoods in Health, concentrated poverty and obesity/ diabetes rates have increased over the same time period, suggesting a correlation between deeply impoverished neighborhoods and poor health. Research on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Moving to Opportunity program, which relocated poor families from high-poverty to lower-poverty neighborhoods, found that rates of extreme obesity and diabetes among female participants declined as they moved into more resource-rich communities.

According to a report released by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, Segregated Spaces, Risky Places: The Effects of Racial Segregation on Health Inequalities, “segregation continues to be a predictor of significant health disparities.” For example, Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, where less than 20 percent of residents live in poverty and nearly 70 percent are white, is directly across the street from Washington Park, where 52 percent of residents are poor and approximately 98 percent are African American. Washington Park’s mortality rate is roughly 1.5 times that of Hyde Park.

In the same Huffington Post article quoted above, Dr. Marks writes, “as it relates to health, our zip code may be more important than our genetic code.” The Boston Public Health Commission has appropriately launched the "What's your health code?" campaign. Investments in neighborhood infrastructure, amenities and safety can improve the health of families.

2. Housing instability (often due to the lack of affordable housing) can cause extreme stress, harm child development and result in poor health outcomes for all family members.

Families who spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing often cannot afford other basic necessities, such as healthy and adequate food, safe and developmentally appropriate childcare and healthcare.

In Affordable Housing as a Platform for Improving Family Well-Being: Federal Funding and Policy Opportunities we discuss how affordable housing access and well-being outcomes are connected. For cities with high rates of homelessness, this is particularly problematic. According to a new report released by DC Alliance of Youth Advocates, youth homelessness is on the rise in the District of Columbia. Research has shown that homeless children are more likely to develop mental and emotional health issues and developmental delays than children with a stable home. Homeless individuals of all ages access hospital emergency departments more frequently and stay in hospitals longer than housed individuals in similar health.

3. Housing can serve as a platform for cross-sector, place-based services

Linear models of service provision may require a homeless person to combat addiction, secure employment, or otherwise demonstrate “housing readiness” before they are placed in a stable home. In contrast, permanent supportive housing provides individualized and flexible workforce training, job search assistance, medical care, substance abuse treatment and mental health services, while ensuring housing stability. The latter model operates under the belief that housing is a primary need and it is impossible to expect a homeless person to get a job or overcome addiction.

Although permanent supportive housing may require initial investment, long-term pay-off is substantial and often mitigates program costs. A diverse array of studies and programs, analyzed in Ending Chronic Homelessness: Cost-Effective Opportunities for Interagency Collaboration, demonstrate the success of permanent supportive housing. For example, one study found that 88 percent of those enrolled in a New York City Pathways to Housing permanent supportive housing program remained housed after 5 years, as compared to just 47 percent of the individuals in a linear residential treatment program.

The benefits of permanent supportive housing are not limited to homeless populations. In Affordable Housing as a Platform for Improving Family Well-Being: Federal Funding and Policy Opportunities, CSSP acknowledges the important role of stable housing as a means for connecting people to services and resources, including quality healthcare and grocery stores. PolicyforResults’ section on promoting affordable housing provides policy recommendations and best practices of how to support interagency partnerships and co-location of housing and services.

For example, in Vermont, the Support and Services at Home (SASH) program, highlighted in a series of case studies compiled for the recent How Housing Matters Conference, supports the health of elderly and disabled residents who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare. Diverse funding streams include Medicaid and Medicare (public) and various private foundations. To expedite implementation and minimize costs, SASH services are integrated into preexisting affordable multifamily housing developments. Due to the pilot’s success, SASH has been fully integrated into Vermont’s statewide healthcare reform plan, Blueprint for Health, where it is expected to save $40 million in Medicare costs by the fifth year of implementation.

Fortunately, policymakers and funders increasingly support the important connections between housing and health:

Through Choice Neighborhoods, Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants, Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) II and Community Challenge Planning Grants, the Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama is funding innovative, cross-sector initiatives to improve neighborhood resources and infrastructure and promote healthy residents. Additionally, the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative (NRI), piloted by President Obama’s administration, represents a unique commitment from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, Justice, Health and Human Services and Treasury, as well as the White House Domestic Policy Council and the White House Office of Urban Affairs to revitalize disinvested communities through interdepartmental collaboration and resident engagement.

A number of private foundations also fund and support (through technical assistance and communities of practice) innovative, cross-sector, place-based neighborhood revitalization and health improvement efforts:

Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies: Place Matters: 16 Place Matters teams throughout the country are working to improve health in their communities by addressing social determinants of health, including education, employment and housing. In recognition of each community’s unique needs and characteristics, the Place Matters projects vary significantly.
The California Endowment: Building Healthy Communities: Through a generous 10 year grant, 14 sites in California are working to increase school attendance and access to quality healthcare and decrease youth violence and childhood obesity

For more on what policymakers can do to support affordable housing, see PolicyforResults’ coverage of this topic.

For more information, see also PolicyLink Center for Health and Place

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Is your community addressing place-based health disparities?

Share your story in the comments section!

HUD and GreatSchools Partner to Provide Education Resources For Parents

2011-12-09T16:17:00.002-05:00

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and GreatSchools have partnered to support parents and families residing in public housing (or receiving housing vouchers) make informed decisions about school placements. By providing information about local school performance to parents and families, the HUD/GreatSchools partnership hopes to help families locate both quality housing and schools for their children.

GreatSchools, a national nonprofit organization, manages a resources website that provides performance information on over 200,000 public, private and charter schools throughout the nation. The information provided includes test scores and the availability of extracurricular activities both in the school and in the community. In addition to reporting performance information, the resource website also includes links to enrichment worksheets, homework help and college preparation materials. Supplemental materials also include parent factsheets, which outline important steps in choosing a quality school for children, and information on how parents can be more involved with their local schools. HUD authorities will ensure that both the GreatSchools website and easy-to-understand informational materials are made available to HUD-assisted families on the HUD website, in resident newsletters, at resident meetings and during the annual voucher recertification process.

This partnership is a key resource that will promote parent engagement, as well as provide parents the opportunity to make critical decisions about the quality of education their children receive.

HHS Awards $14 Million for School-Based Health Centers

2011-12-09T15:41:00.001-05:00

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded $14 million to 45 school-based health centers throughout the nation. Made possible by the Affordable Care Act, the funds awarded this week are the second in a series of awards that will allow already exciting health care centers to expand their capacity and modernize their facilities.

School-based health centers are a critical component of quality healthcare for children and adolescents, particularly those that have chronic health conditions. In addition to providing primary care, school-based health centers generally provide mental health care, substance abuse counseling, dental health, and health education services. The $14 million awarded this week will allow an additional 53,000 children in 29 states to receive school-based healthcare, in addition to fostering job growth in areas of construction, renovation and equipment. For a complete list of grantees, please click here.

For more information on how your community can benefit from opportunities in the Affordable Care Act, please review CSSP’s “Affordable Care Act Funding Opportunities.”

For more information on school-based health centers, please click here.

Generations United Report Highlights the Needs of Multigenerational Families

2011-12-08T18:06:00.005-05:00

This week, Generations United released Family Matters: Multigenerational Families in a Volatile Economy. The report highlights the recent increase of Americans living in multigenerational households and provides practical recommendations for policymakers, funders and employers as they play a critical role in supporting the well-being of families.

According to the report, a multigenerational home is defined as “one that contains three or more parent-child generations.” A recent nationwide survey found that roughly one in six Americans lives in a multigenerational household – a 10% increase since the economic recession in 2007. In fact, 66% of respondents currently residing in a multigenerational household reported that the economic climate was a factor in their decision to reside with family members. There are undoubtedly several benefits to living in multigenerational homes. For example, 82% of survey respondents reported that multigenerational households have improved relationships among family members. Similarly, multigenerational households had a poverty rate of 11.5% in 2009 compared to 14.6% non-generational households. However, multigenerational households also face significant challenges. For example, many families are responsible for covering the medical expenses of older family members who lack quality healthcare.

The report suggests that, although our economic state is likely to improve, the number of multigenerational households may only continue to increase as baby boomers begin to retire. According to the report, ensuring that families have access to affordable housing and access to quality healthcare can be a critical first step as communities consider how to meet the needs of multigenerational families.

For more information about Generations United and access to the report, click here.

Webinar to Help States Clarify NCLB/ESEA Waiver Flexibility

2011-12-05T14:21:00.002-05:00

In recent weeks, states have been preparing to submit their No Child Left Behind (NCLB)/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waiver requests. With 11 requests already submitted and 28 anticipated in February, the Forum for Youth Investment has scheduled a webinar to help states understand how these waivers may impact expanded learning time opportunities.

As we’ve reported on our blog, states have the option to submit waiver requests on 10 key NCLB/ESEA provisions so long as they submit comprehensive proposals that address college and career readiness standards, accountability systems and teacher and principal effectiveness. In addition to the 10 mandatory waivers, there is an “optional waiver” that would allow schools to use funding for 21^st Century Community Learning Centers – an after-school initiative – to support expanded learning opportunities during the school day. As states consider applying for this additional flexibility, this webinar will address how states can implement this flexibility in a manner that balances the need for both quality after-school programming and expanded learning opportunities during the school day.

The Forum for Youth Investment, along with several partners, will address this issue in a webinar titled Will Expanded Learning Time = Better Outcomes? on Thursday, December 8^th at 3pm (EST). To register, please click here.

HUD Releases Web Tool To Support Community Development Initiatives

2011-11-29T11:15:00.006-05:00

In an effort to support community development initiatives, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has created a new web tool highlighting proposed development strategies in communities and neighborhoods throughout the country. Recognizing that comprehensive community change initiatives require support from the entire community, including businesses, corporations, foundations and other fiscal partners, the new tool is intended to provide local partners with access to strategies, proposals and other key information critical to the creation of partnerships that can sustain community transformation efforts. Specifically, the new tool contains grant applications from HUD initiatives, such as the Choice Neighborhoods program, that users can review to learn about the robust development strategies that communities are trying to implement. With access to contact information, partnership maps and local funders, potential new partners and investors can review the specific needs of these initiatives and how partner participation can increase the impact on the community.

In 2011, HUD received more than 150 applications for the Choice Neighborhoods program. Despite strong applications from several communities, HUD was able to award only 22 grants. In a time when the demand for community change initiatives has outpaced available funding from HUD and other competitive grant programs, this tool in an innovative strategy that can boost public/private partnerships and philanthropic support for community development initiatives.

Currently, the new tool contains the grant applications from the 2011 Choice Neighborhood grantees, as well as the applicants that submitted competitive applications. HUD plans to include applications from the recently-announced Sustainable Communities initiative in the coming months.

To view this new tool, please click here.

"Family Engagement for High School Success" Toolkit Targets At-Risk Students

2011-11-23T13:02:00.005-05:00

The Harvard Family Research Project, in collaboration with United Way Worldwide, has released The Family Engagement for High School Success Toolkit. Based on research from 15 pilot sites throughout the nation, this toolkit is designed for community organizations striving to develop family and community engagement strategy focused on academic success. Although the tools and guidance presented in the toolkit can be used to inform a general family engagement framework, this toolkit specifically explores how family engagement strategies can improve academic outcomes for students there are at risk of dropping out of high school.

Research consistently indicates that family engagement is a critical component academic achievement, particularly for low-income students that are more likely to live in under-resourced neighborhoods. For students that are at-risk of dropping out of high school, attending a school that values family input, understands the social and cultural contexts of families in the community and successfully leverages community resources can dramatically impact a student’s decision to remain in school and value academic achievement.

The toolkit is divided into two sections and highlights examples from the 15 pilot programs to describe what the planning and implementation process look like in actual communities.

Part 1 addresses the planning that is involved in developing a “family engagement for high school success” initiative, including:

Using local data to inform your program goals and develop desired results
Identifying community partners that can promote and support program goals
Engaging families, students and school personnel in identifying the obstacles and community-specific needs
Developing a plan that uses data to measure progress, improve program functioning and communicate with schools, families and the community

Part 2 of the handbook focuses in the first year of implementing the family engagement strategy, which involves continued efforts to engage community partners, develop data collection systems and effectively launch outreach strategies that will engage families and students.

For more information about the Harvard Family Research Project and the toolkit, please click here.

"Spotlight On The States" Tool Highlights State Poverty Data

2011-11-22T16:47:00.004-05:00

The Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity has released “Spotlight on the States” – an interactive map tool that compiles data, research, news and policy information for each of the 50 states. The data for each state includes:

State poverty data and statistics, including unemployment and information on housing
State policy data, including a list of state taxes and asset-building policies and programs
State-specific reports and news articles on poverty and opportunity

This resource is intended to provide up-to-date information for community residents, advocates, researchers and policymakers striving to improve the well-being of children and families in their states and communities.

2011 Sustainable Communities Grants Awarded

2011-11-22T15:49:00.001-05:00

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today announced the recipients of the 2011 Sustainable Communities Grants which total over $97 million. Twenty seven communities and organizations will receive Community Challenge grants and 29 regional areas will receive Regional Planning grants.

A partnership between HUD, the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Sustainable Communities grants will support planning efforts intended to expand housing choices, integrate transportation, workforce and infrastructure investments and address several community revitalization initiatives, including: 1) economic competitiveness, 2) social equity, inclusion and access to opportunity, 3) energy use and climate change, and 4) public health and environmental impact. Two grants were available: The Regional Planning Grants will support large metropolitan and multi-jurisdictional planning efforts while the Community Challenge Planning grants will address single jurisdictions and more localized planning. Both grants must utilize the Sustainable Communities' six Livability Principles as a guide for long-term development initiatives.

More information about the grantees can be found in HUD's official announcement of the awards.

2012 National Summit On Quality in Home Visiting Programs

2011-11-22T15:24:00.000-05:00

The 2012 National Summit on Quality in Home Visiting Programs will be held in Washington, D.C. on February 15-16, 2012. The summit will build off of the success of the first summit (held in 2011) in creating a venue for the exchange of ideas around research, policy and practice. Visit http://www.homevisitingsummit.org/ to see the full agenda and to register.

$200 Million for Round Three of Race to the Top

2011-11-22T10:26:00.003-05:00

Last week, the Department of Education announced that the nine Race to the Top (RTT) round two finalists are invited to submit applications for round three. With $200 million available, states will be competing for awards that are expected to range from $12 million to $49 million, depending on the size of the state. These nine states – Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and South Carolina – did not win grants during the first two rounds of RTT. However, they have demonstrated capacity and commitment around comprehensive education reform and, as a result, will work with the DOE to implement their proposed initiatives.

These states will be required to apply to two parts. First, they must submit a “portfolio of assurances” demonstrating their commitment to RTT’s goals of: raising academic standards, building cradle to career data systems, improving teacher evaluation systems and turning around persistently lowest-performing schools. Next, states will submit a detailed implementation plan, including a budget, explaining how their reform proposals will have a broader impact in science, technology, engineering & mathematics (STEM) education.

Part one of the application is due November 22^nd, followed by part two on December 16^th. Awards are expected to be announced in late December.

NOVEMBER 28th UPDATE:

The Department of Education has announced that only seven states applied for round three funding. According to the announcement, South Carolina did not submit an application and California submitted an incomplete application.

11 States Submit NCLB/ESEA Waiver Requests

2011-11-21T17:09:00.003-05:00

Last week, the Department of Education announced that 11 states have submitted formal requests for waivers from No Child Left Behind (NCLB)/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provisions. These waivers, which were announced in September, will provide states with flexibility in meeting NCLB/ESEA standards so long as the states develop plans that aim to improve student achievement while Congress continues to work on ESEA reauthorization. Specifically, states must develop plans that address three key areas:

Transition to college and career ready standards and assessments
Developing systems of differentiated recognition, accountability and support
Evaluating and supporting teacher and principal effectiveness.

For more information about these three areas, please click here. The 11 formal requests, as well as a list of the December 2011 peer reviewers, can be found here

In addition to the 11 states that have submitted formal requests, 28 additional states have identified their intent to seek flexibility for the February 2011 round of reviews.

CSSP Releases "Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood" Handbook

2011-11-15T10:36:00.007-05:00

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) has released Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood: A Handbook for Using Community Decision-Making to Improve the Lives of Children, Youth and Families. In response to requests for more practice-oriented and strategy-focused information, we hope this handbook will provide communities with the “how to” guidance that is needed to take the first step in community change efforts.

Based on CSSP’s work in communities throughout the past 20 years, this handbook highlights communities across the nation and the specific steps they have taken to drive change and improve the well-being of all residents. The handbook provides practical recommendations and tools that community leaders, residents and stakeholders can use to challenge inequities, improve the well-being of children and families and build the capacity necessary to transform their communities into a places of opportunity. To guide community transformation efforts, this handbook explores the key components of the community-decision-making process, which includes:

Developing an inclusive results agenda
Supporting community stakeholders and investors as accountable partners
Using timely, relevant and reliable data to assess the community’s needs and progress
Creating an action plan that is aligned with the community’s needs and vision
Ensuring that community change strategies are sustainable and can create lasting impact

CSSP looks forward to hearing about how your community uses this guide to create and sustain more equitable opportunities for children, families and all residents. You can share your stories and provide feedback about this handbook and other existing tools by e-mailing us at communitychange@cssp.org.

For more information about the Community Change work at the Center for the Study of Social Policy, please click here.

Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant Awards Announced

2011-11-14T11:46:00.002-05:00

The Department of Education has announced the 23 finalists in the second round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition. Selected from over 600 applications, the 23 finalists represent individual school districts, groups of districts and nonprofit partnerships focused on developing innovative strategies that address various educational initiatives, including supporting effective teachers and turning around persistently low-performing schools. Each award is contingent on the applicant’s ability to secure a private match of a portion of their grant total, which may range from 5 to 15 percent based on the grant proposal.

This year’s i3 grant competition offered $150 in total funding – only 25% of the nearly $650 million available in 2010 – and included an emphasis on improving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, as well as increasing graduation rates in rural areas. The largest grant was awarded to Old Dominion University Research Foundation, which received $25 million in a “scale-up” grant to provide high-need middle school students with access to quality math courses. In addition to “scale-up” grants, 5 “validation” grants were awarded, which will support efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of existing programs, and 17 “development” grants were awarded, which will support the evaluation of new practices and programs. One such “development” grant was received by The Ounce of Prevention Fund, which has partnered with Chicago Public Schools to implement and evaluate a professional development initiative that will improve classroom instruction and school leadership in early-education programs.

For more information, including a complete list of finalists, please click here.

New Website with Tools for Using Neighborhood Data to Advance Change

2011-11-11T22:25:00.000-05:00

The National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) just launched a new resource website. NNIP is a collaborative effort between the Urban Institute and local partners to help build the capacity of communities to collect data on neighborhood conditions. Information on the website includes examples of how NNIP partners are using neighborhood data (and national sources of neighborhood data such as the American Community Survey) to address community issues and lessons learned from cross-site projects that NNIP has been involved in. Visit the new website here.

Last year, as part of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute, CSSP helped to organize and host a webinar, Gathering and Using Data for Needs Assessment and Segmentation Analysis, to help communities think through how to collect the data needed to meet requirements of the Promise Neighborhood grant. Those who are working to think through how to use and collect data to improve neighborhood conditions and outcomes can listen to the full recording of the webinar here.

Toolkit Provides Strategies to Improve Student Attendance

2011-11-11T17:08:00.002-05:00

Attendance Works has developed a toolkit to help city leaders and communities address chronic absenteeism among students – a seemingly basic, yet critical, step in a student’s academic success. According to the toolkit, chronic absence is defined as missing 10 percent of schools days. Nearly one in 10 kindergarten students misses a month of school each year, which can dramatically impact a student’s ability to fully comprehend key concepts. Data from the toolkit suggests that, on average, students who were chronically absent from school during their kindergarten and first grade years scored roughly 100 points below their peers on third-grade reading tests. Studies also suggest that, at older ages, chronic absenteeism becomes a strong predictor of high school dropout rates. The stakes are even higher for low-income children, who are four times as likely to be absent from school and tend to enter school underprepared when compared to their peers.

In an effort to address chronic absenteeism among students, Attendance Works toolkit provides city leaders and community residents with case studies of cities that have effectively reduced student absences, tools that can be used analyze attendance data and 5 specific strategies that can be used to engage schools, community residents and families in improving student attendance rates. These strategies include:

Get, share and monitor chronic absence data. Partnering with schools to gather attendance information and sharing it with the community can help to identify the problem and its solutions.
Make student attendance a community priority. Developing community task forces and educating residents and families about this issue can ensure that the community is informed about the consequences of absenteeism and the relationship between attendance and academic success.
Partner with schools and city funded agencies to nurture a culture of attendance. City leaders have the capacity to build public awareness campaigns, direct funding towards schools and programs that require additional resources to address chronic absenteeism and develop programs or volunteer initiatives that can target students struggling with attendance.
Identify and address systemic barriers to school attendance. City leaders, schools and families can use data to identify barriers and develop solutions that meet the unique needs of students and families in the community.
Advocate for stronger policies and public investments. Developing school policies and standards of data collection can ensure that chronic absenteeism remains an important issue and receives support.

For more information about the Attendance Work and access to their toolkit, please click here.

Brookings Report: The Re-Emergence of Concentrated Poverty

2011-11-11T16:00:00.012-05:00

The Brookings Institute has released a new report capturing the recent increases in concentrated poverty in the United States. Based on data from the recent census report, Brookings reports that the total number of Americans living in poverty has increased by 12.3 million since 2000. After several years of economic growth in the 1990s, the economic recession has thrown many communities into a state of distress. The population of extreme-poverty neighborhoods – those neighborhoods where 40% or more of the residents live below the poverty line – has experienced an increase of 2.2 million people since 2000. Specifically, the population of extreme-poverty neighborhoods nearly doubled in Midwestern metropolitan areas, as well as in suburban areas throughout the nation.

As the nation struggles with increasing poverty rates and an ailing economy, increases in concentrated poverty, or extreme-poverty neighborhoods, are particularly concerning as the lead to a several obstacles for residents and entire communities. As the report suggests, the struggles of residents in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty are compounded by the struggles of an entire neighborhoods, including high crime rates and limited access to transportation, quality education and healthcare. While urban and suburban residents in these neighborhoods face immense challenges, residents in suburban areas facing extreme poverty may face greater struggles as these areas may lack the support services and systems that are often concentrated in urban areas.

This data, in addition to similar reports, continues to highlight the need for community-based programs that aim to improve the well-being of residents by building the capacity of an entire neighborhood. Many of the programs outlined in the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, for example, address the complex challenges of concentrated poverty by building economic capacity, providing access to healthy food and healthcare programs, improving the mobility of residents through transportation infrastructure and investing in education and social support programs.

For more information about the report, including access to an interactive map that allows you review specific data for the 100 largest metro areas in the United States (similar to the one below), please click here.

Promise Neighborhood - Detailed Applicant Data Released

2011-11-08T22:07:00.001-05:00

The Department of Education (DOE) has released detailed information about the 2011 Promise Neighborhood applications. The data provides specific information about each of the 199 Planning Grant applicants and the 35 Implementation Grant applicants, including: the type of applicant, the absolute priorities addressed, the target schools, the partnering agencies and a brief description about the proposed Promise Neighborhood project. Each of the project descriptions outlines the immense need for cradle-to-career pipelines in the applicant communities, as well as the planning and implementation strategies.

To access the data, please click here.

The Promise Neighborhood grant awards are expected to be announced in mid-December. Please stay tuned to our blog for updates about the Promise Neighborhood program.

Community Development Financial Institution Fund Announces $123 million in Grants

2011-11-08T18:11:00.004-05:00

The U.S. Department of Treasury has announced the availability of $123 million for the 2012 Community Development Financial Institutions Program (CDFI), which provides affordable financial services and promotes financial stability in low-income communities. This funding provides substantial support for local asset-building initiatives – a strategy that has recently received significant attention as a critical tool in neighborhood revitalization efforts. The proposed $123 million is part of CDFI’s FY 2012 funding and is still subject to appropriations, meaning that the availability of funding may substantially decrease. Still, the CDFI Fund has announced the official “Notice of Funding Available” (NOFA) and is encouraging interested Community Development Financial Institutions to begin the application process.

As stated in the announcement, this funding opportunity allows CDFIs to apply for either financial assistance (FA) or technical assistance (TA). Financial assistance must be used to fund a CDFI’s efforts to promote economic and financial capacity in distressed communities by providing local residents with access to credit, savings accounts and other financial services and products that would otherwise not be available. Similarly, financial assistance may be used to help local businesses developing the financing necessary to provide access to nutritious food, which is part of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative. CDFIs may also apply for technical assistance grants, which would support a CDFI’s efforts to become fully certified in providing community-based financial services. For more specific information about this grant opportunity, as well as CDFI certification guidelines, please click here.

The CDFI Fund will be hosting a series of webinars, as well as application workshops, to guide potential applicants through the application process. You can find a list of dates and times here. CDFI applications that align with a community’s overall revitalization strategy will receive priority in the grant review process. Applications are due January 11^th, 2012.

Stay tuned for future updates about how CDFI appropriations may affect this initiative.

CFED Provides Financial Access Tools on New "Bank On" Website

2011-11-04T14:08:00.007-04:00

The Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED) and its national partners have launched a new Bank On website – an online database of resources and tools that can be used to promote financial stability and asset-building for families and entire communities. According to the FDIC, nearly 8% of households in the U.S. do not have bank accounts and roughly 18% of households are underbanked, meaning that individuals may have a single bank account through costly financial services. The statistics for minority families are particularly bleak - approximately 54% of black families and 43% of Latino families are either unbanked or underbanked.

To ensure that communities have access to quality financial services, Bank On programs have been developed in communities throughout the nation to reduce barriers to quality financial services by providing low-income and underbanked families with free bank accounts and financial education. In an effort to promote the importance of financial education and asset building, the new website includes several new resources, including:

“Research Your Community” Tool: This interactive tool provides information about a community’s access to quality financial services, as well as the estimated number of households that are unbanked or underbanked.
Directory of Bank On Programs: This can be used to help locate Bank On programs in or near your community.
“Start A Bank On Program” Guides: These guides provides material resources and step-by-step guidance on how to develop a Bank On Program in your community, including guidance on building partnerships with local governments, community organizations and financial institutions.

For more information about the Bank On program, visit joinbankon.org

For more information about the importance of building, as well as a list of resources, please click here.

150 Communities Pledge to Increase Grade-Level Reading Proficiency

2011-11-01T12:36:00.005-04:00

The National Civic League and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading have partnered to support 150 communities throughout the nation that are participating in the 2012 All-America City Grade Level competition. Each of the participating communities has pledged their commitment to developing a comprehensive and sustainable plan that will increase reading proficiency for all students by the end of 3^rd grade. Communities will tackle reading proficiency by addressing the following:

School Readiness: Ensuring that children enter school ready to learn
School Attendance: Increasing student attendance rates
Summer Learning: Helping students to retain information over the summer and enter the school year on grade-level

As participants in the 2012 All-America City Grade Level competition, each community will be part of the Grade-Level Reading Network, which will provide access to technical assistance opportunities, experts, funders, policymakers and evidence-based models that have demonstrated success in increasing reading proficiency. Recognizing that improving academic outcomes require support from the entire community, final awards will be based on the community’s efforts to engage parents, acquire cross-sector support from private, public and civic groups throughout the community, and address the specific issues that local children and families face.

A select number of finalists will be chosen to participate in a final round of competition in June. For more information about the All-America City Grade-Level Competition, please click here.

Additional Resources:

Report Highlights the Importance of Expanded Learning Time, CSSP

White House Releases Guidance for No Child Left Behind Waivers, CSSP

A Handbook for Engaging Families and Communities in Education Reform, CSSP

Report Highlights the Integration of Sustainable Communities in Education, CSSP

Race to the Top, Early Learning Challenge, CSSP

Take Your Time: Why States Should Use Education Waivers to Increase Learning Time, Center for American Progress

Thanks for your feedback on our blog!

2011-11-01T11:42:00.007-04:00

The Center for the Study of Social Policy recently conducted a survey to learn about blog readers’ experiences with Investing in Community Change. Thank you to all those who responded! The majority of survey respondents rated the blog’s usefulness a 4 or 5 on a 5 point scale. In an effort to receive continuous feedback from you, increase transparency, and encourage dialogue, we have enabled comments on this and all blog posts. We encourage you to use the comments section to connect with colleagues across the country, share your innovative ideas, and tell us how we can best serve you.

Thank you for telling others about our blog!

One-third of survey respondents learned of the ICC blog through a “friend, colleague, [or] constituent” (Figure 1) and sixteen respondents have “shared information [from the blog] with colleagues, clients, constituents, etc.,” by far the most popular response to any question (Figure 2).

Figure 1: How did you find out about the blog? Please check all that apply.

Figure 2: How have you used the information provided on the blog? Please check all that apply.

Issues of Interest

As shown in Figure 2, roughly one-quarter of survey respondents applied for funding as a result of information learned through the blog. Four respondents noted that the blog provides “current,” “timely,” “up to date” information that covers “the latest movements.” Readers’ trust that the blog delivers current and relevant information may be a factor in their reliance on Investing in Community Change when seeking funding opportunities and other information vital to their work. One respondent noted that “the information [provided by blog posts] helps us plan actions in our community.” Respondents also noted an appreciation for blog coverage of the following issues: family engagement, community transformation, children’s services, early care and education.

In an effort to maximize the usefulness of the blog, question six asked respondents to suggest additional issues or types of information they would like to see highlighted. Three respondents requested more coverage of early childhood issues, including school readiness and informal care arrangements. Three respondents highlighted the importance of equity, two of whom explicitly mentioned race/ institutional racism. Four respondents expressed an interest in more practice-oriented/ how-to style blog posts, including those that offer “advocacy tips” and “outreach strategies;” as well as information on “how to inspire our community;” “how to weave/align all these strategies together for equitable neighborhood development;” “building strong partnerships and collaborations;” and “collaboration models.” These respondents and other blog readers may find the information in the soon-to-be-released Making a Difference in Your Neighborhood: A Handbook for Using Community Decision-Making to Improve the Lives of Children, Youth and Families incredibly useful, especially Chapter 2: Creating Accountable Partnerships. Once available, we will provide a link to this Guide right here on the blog.

Remember that you can always use the category links on the side bar of the blog to quickly navigate to the issues that interest you most. Categories range from Early Learning and Education to Health and Wellness, Affordable Housing, Sustainable Communities and much more!

We hope to continue hearing from you!

We are dedicated to providing the most current and useful information to promote and assist your efforts to revitalize and strengthen communities, empower residents and improve the lives of the most vulnerable children and families. If there is any way that we can improve our blog, please send us an e-mail at communitychange@cssp.org or leave us a comment. Thanks!

Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Applications Submitted

2011-11-01T11:06:00.003-04:00

In October, 35 states submitted applications to the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC) grant competition. A joint initiative supported by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, RTT-ELC is a $500 million grant initiative that aims to eradicate the school readiness gap between low-income children and their peers by improving and providing access to high-quality early-childhood learning programs.

To learn more about the RTT-ELC, as well as the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s efforts to align their Strengthening Families framework with early-learning improvement initiatives, please click here.

Grants awards are expected to range from $50 million to $100 million and will be announced in mid-December. Stay tuned to our blog for future updates.

Half In Ten Releases "Strategies to Cut Poverty and Expand Economic Growth" Report

2011-10-26T12:54:00.005-04:00

Today, the Half In Ten Campaign released Restoring Shared Prosperity: Strategies to Cut Poverty and Expand Economic Growth. Highlighting the alarming number of people in poverty in the United States – the largest number ever recorded – the report captures the struggles that many Americans face and provides a critical analysis of the policies and practices that may ultimately lift millions of Americans out of poverty and provide opportunities for economic self-sufficiency.

The report illustrates several grim findings about the well-being of American families, including:

Poverty rates for households headed by a single mother drop from 40.7% to 14% when the mother has full-time, year-round employment.
African Americans and Latinos are more than five times more likely than whites to not have a checking or savings account, which are imperative to helping families build assets and economic stability.
Between 1979 and 2007, overall direct expenditures by the federal government on education, training, and employment services fell by half, from 8.8% to 4.3%.

A partnership between the Center for American Progress Action Fund, the Coalition on Human Needs, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Half In Ten is dedicated building the political and public will necessary to cut the nation’s poverty in half in 10 years. In effort to meet that goal, the report identifies three critical action categories – creating quality jobs, strengthening families and communities, and promoting economic security and opportunity. Each of these action areas is imperative to the economic well-being of all Americans and has several key indicators, which can be used to gauge the nation’s efforts to cut poverty in half. For example, measuring the economic security of communities can be illustrated by the percentage of unemployed individuals receiving unemployment insurance or the percentage of a population with access to banking services.

The report devotes significant attention to the importance of investing in community-based efforts that bridge resources from various government agencies as a means to create good jobs and promote economic security. Acknowledging that low-income communities and residents are often marginalized from access to healthcare, quality schools, jobs and other imperative support services, the report emphasizes the need to continue investing in comprehensive, community-focused programs like Promise Neighborhoods and Community Schools.

For more information about Half in Ten and the report, please click here.

A Look at the i3 Applicants

2011-10-25T15:27:00.000-04:00

The Department of Education recently released data on the applicants applying for the 2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) grants. Last year, 1,698 applicants applied for the $650 million of available funding. This year, with a smaller pool of $150 million available, the number of 2011 applicants has also decreased to 587. Applications came from every state and the District of Columbia and were concentrated in large states, including California, New York and Texas. Twenty-eight percent of the applications focus on projects to promote science, technology, engineering, and math (also known as STEM); while the rest of the applications are spread almost evenly amongst the other priorities of supporting effective teachers and principals, implementing high quality standards and assessments, turning around low-performing schools and improving achievement and graduation rates in rural districts. Eighty-one percent of applicants are pursuing a development grant. For a closer look at the 2011 applicants and a comparison with last year, see the EdWeek analysis.

For more information on the applicants, please also visit the DOE data page here.

Update on Promise Neighborhoods Funding and Legislation

2011-10-25T15:02:00.000-04:00

The efforts to get Promise Neighborhoods into a reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) continue. Recently, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved a bi-partisan bill to include Promise Neighborhoods in ESEA by authorizing five-year, renewable grants to help communities scale up their services and sustain their programs. This bill will now head to the senate floor. There are still some hurdles to overcome before ESEA will be reauthorized; in the meantime, we are also continuing to work with our partners as part of the Promise Neighborhoods Institute to ensure funding for Promise Neighborhoods through DOE. Current Senate appropriations markup have authorized $60 million for the Promise Neighborhoods initiative in FY 2012. That's double the FY 2011 funding! We will continue to keep you updated as the budget process moves forward.

Coalition for Community Schools to Host Webinar Series

2011-10-25T14:15:00.005-04:00

The Coalition for Community Schools is hosting a series of webinars entitled Scaling Up School and Community Partnerships: The Community Schools Strategy. Based on the vision that schools can provide support and opportunities for all residents, the community schools strategy involves creating partnerships between the school and local resources to meet the needs of students and the families. Partnerships with resources that focus on academics, health, social services and community engagement ensures that families and residents have access to a range of services that promote the healthy development of children and their families.

The Scaling Up School and Community Partnerships webinar series is designed broad audiences that may be just beginning the planning conversation or already in the process of implementing a community schools strategy, including: parents, school staff, social service providers, government leaders and potential funders. Specifically, these webinars will guide communities through the process of planning, implementing and sustaining a community schools strategy, as well as how this strategy can be scaled to integrate a network of schools in a single attendance area. For more information, please click here.

The webinar schedule is as follows:

November 2^nd

Session 1: A school, an intermediary, a community: What does a scaled up system of community schools look like? (Register here)

November 16^th

Session 2: Getting going: Deciding to scale up (Register here)

November 30^th

Session 3: Develop an operation framework and planning for scale up (Register here)

December 14^th

Session 4: Scale up for sustainability and implementation (Register here)

For more information and resources about community schools, please click here.

White House Releases "Creating Pathways to Opportunity" Report

2011-10-18T12:09:00.008-04:00

Last week, The White House released “Creating Pathways to Opportunity” – a report highlighting the Obama Administration’s efforts to expand and create economic stability and security for all citizens, particularly those that have faced immense struggle in the wake of the economic recession. Drastic decreases in median family income throughout the past decade, combined with high unemployment as a result of the recession, forced 2.6 million Americans into poverty between 2009 and 2010, leaving the United States with the highest number of people in poverty rate in ever recorded. In response, this report highlights the Obama Administration’s comprehensive set of initiatives and programs aimed at addressing the needs of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens and communities.

The report devotes particular attention to low-income communities, stating that more than 10 million Americans now live in communities of concentrated poverty, with poverty levels at 40% and higher. The report captures the Obama Administration’s set of interconnected solutions, such as the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, that aim to revitalize and strengthen low-income communities by addressing all facets of community life, including: education, transportation, affordable housing and resident health. With over $126 million invested in the Choice Neighborhoods program and over $40 million invested in Promise Neighborhoods, the Obama Administration intends to continue utilizing place-based strategies that transform distressed communities into communities of opportunity.

In addition to these large place-based strategies, the report highlights specific initiatives that can help communities build several capacities needed to address resident needs, including:

Project Rebuild: As part of the American Jobs Act, President Obama has proposed that $15 billion be used to help local governments purchase and rebuild foreclosed homes, which will help stimulate job growth and revitalize distressed communities.

Healthy Food Financing Initiative: The Obama Administration estimates that more than 1500 stores will be built or expanded over the next five years to help eliminate “food desserts” and increase access to healthy foods in communities that lack quality options.

Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Initiative: $119 million has been invested to promote healthy relationships and help families gain economic self-sufficiency.

The Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge: $500 million has been invested to help states align their policies and resources in developing of high-quality early learning programs.

The Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Program: $39 million in grants from the Department of Labor will aid more than 3,500 low-income, non-custodial parents and ex-offenders gain jobs skills and employment experience.

Strong Cities, Strong Communities: This initiative will bridge federal and local stakeholders to spark economic growth in distressed communities.

Other Initiatives the report highlights include:

$180 million in programs focused on preventing teen pregnancy and the associated risk factors.

11 billion in funding to support health centers, which ensures provides new jobs for residents and ensures that communities have access to a medical home.

More than $8 billion to increase Internet access across the country, allowing residents to more easily access critical information.

The expansion of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which kept more than 3.9 million individuals above the poverty line in 2010.

New Web Resource Focuses on Social Innovation

2011-10-17T13:42:00.000-04:00

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) has now launched a new online resource, Scaling What Works, as part of a multi-year initiative to expand the number of grantmakers and public sector funders that are working together to support high-performing nonprofits. Scaling What Works will provide information and resources about grantmaking practices that are supporting social impact. The website will also include important information about organizations receiving Social Innovation Fund grants and the grantmakers that are supporting them. Many GEO-member grantmakers are supporting the Social Innovation Fund through match dollars and encouraging their current grantees to apply for Social Innovation Fund subgrants. Knowing who these key funders are will be important for any community interested in opportunities to scale social impact locally.

Forum for Youth Investment to Host Webinar on Building Partnerships

2011-10-14T13:05:00.005-04:00

As communities face complex struggles and challenges, building partnerships at local, state and national levels can mobilize local resources that meet the complex needs of communities, such as education, healthcare and affordable housing. In their efforts to promote positive youth development and strong communities, the Forum for Youth Investment will host a webinar entitled "Broader Partnerships 101" on Tuesday, October 25th from 3pm-4pm (EST). This webinar is a great opportunity for communities, government leaders and other stakeholders to gain an understanding of the basic capacities needed to create and maintain effective partnership that can leverage the resources necessary to achieve positive outcomes for communities.

For more information about the Forum for Youth Investment and to register for this webinar, please click here.

To learn more about the importance of building partnerships:

- Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative

- Service Coordination to Achieve Results in Promise Neighborhoods, CSSP

- Choice Neighborhoods

- Engaging Families and Communities in Education Reform

Report Highlights the Importance of Expanded Learning Time

2011-10-13T12:28:00.020-04:00

The National Center for Time and Learning has released “Time Well Spent: Eight Powerful Practices of Successful, Expanded-Time Schools.” In the midst of the education reform debate, this report illustrates how expanding the school day can be a powerful strategy in reducing the achievement gap, particularly for low-performing, high-poverty schools. The report is based on six years of research with schools in the process of developing and implementing expanded school days and specifically highlights the positive outcomes that 30 schools across the nation have achieved.

The report suggests that expanding the school day would provide critical enrichment opportunities for both teachers and students, as well as opportunities for schools to develop a general culture of high expectations and success for students and families in the community. Additional time, for example, may enable teachers to address the individual needs of each student, analyze student data, collaborate with colleagues to receive feedback and improve instructional practices, and expand curricula to include more social arts and social studies instead of the routinely tested subjects of English and Math.

As seen in the image below, there are four “interlocking gears” of successful expanded learning time:

To drive these gears into motion, the report suggests key practices and strategies that have guided expanded-time initiatives within current schools and can be implemented in schools nationwide. These practices are divided into three categories: 1) Optimizing time for student learning, 2) Helping students thrive in school and beyond, and 3) Dedicating time to improve teacher effectiveness.

In response to this report, the Center for American Progress has highlighted how schools can utilize the recently-announced No Child Left Behind (NCLB)/Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) waivers to implement expanded learning time initiatives. States choosing to apply for these waivers must develop comprehensive plans that address college and career readiness standards, accountability systems and teacher/principal evaluation effectiveness. As states develop accountability standards, they must utilize “turnaround principles,” which includes implementing expanded learning time, to address the needs of the lowest performing schools. Specifically, states that receive a waiver will be allowed to direct funds from the 21^st Century Community Learning Center program – an after-school initiative – to actual school-day expansion.

As of October 12th, 39 states - including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico - have submitted the "intent to apply" for these waivers. The "intent to apply" is non-binding and states that have not yet submitted this intent are still eligible to apply by the November and February deadlines. For more information, please click here.

For more information about the NCLB/ESEA waivers:

White House Releases Guidance for No Child Left Behind Waivers, CSSP

What ESEA Flexibility Means for Students, Teachers and Parents, Department of Education

Eight Questions You Should Ask About Education Waivers, Center for American Progress

Take Your Time: Why States Should Use Education Waivers to Increase Learning Time, Center for American Progress

HUD Grants to Provide Jobs for Low-Income Residents

2011-10-12T17:23:00.002-04:00

The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded $600,000 in grants to increase the employment and economic self-sufficiency of low-income individuals and public housing residents. With 85 applications from across the nation, only 12 grants worth $50,000 were awarded to housing authorities, cities and states that struggle with high unemployment rates. Specifically, the funding will be used to hire a Section 3 Program Coordinator, who is responsible for connecting public housing residents to HUD-funded employment, contracted employment with local businesses and job training opportunities.

As the recently released poverty data suggests, families continue to face great challenge in the midst of a struggling economy. This grant will provide low-income communities with a critical resource as it jumpstarts employment and connects residents with the opportunities necessary to begin building assets, including employment experience, financial savings and community resources.

A list of grantees can be found here.

Several initiatives provide asset-building programs for low-income and public housing residents and entire communities. These programs include:

Resident Opportunities and Self-Sufficiency Coordinators Program

Public Housing Self-Sufficiency Program

Strong Cities, Strong Communities

General Asset Building Resources (CSSP)

Promise Neighborhoods Institute Provides Free Access to Data System

2011-10-12T16:08:00.002-04:00

Last week, the Promise Neighborhoods Institute (PNI) announced plans to provide its 38 network members with free access to ETO Software – a data system that will allow the sites to collect, coordinate and communicate the results of their Promise Neighborhood efforts. This data system will enable communities to track and analyze data in real time, which will allow communities to make informed decisions about their daily work and long-term goals. This data system will also be linked to the recently implemented Promise Scorecard, a tool that enables Promise Neighborhoods to track and analyze data in organized formats that can be easily shared with funders and stakeholders.

The Promise Neighborhood Network Communities that will have initial access to the ETO Software include 21 communities that received a 2010 Promise Neighborhood Planning Grant from the Department of Education, as well as 17 communities that were high-scoring Planning Grant applicants. PNI intends to increase access to this data system as more communities are awarded Promise Neighborhoods grants. Together, the ETO Software and the Results Scorecard will ensure that communities have access to their data and are held accountable to the Promise Neighborhood results framework.

According to PNI, free access to the ETO Software will save communities more than $1 million each year. These savings will allow communities to direct more money towards programs, resources and infrastructure projects that are needed achieve positive results for youth and families.

The Promise Neighborhoods Institute is a partnership between the Harlem Children’s Zone, The Center for the Study of Social Policy and PolicyLink. For more information, please click here.

HHS Awards Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood Grants

2011-10-06T15:23:00.002-04:00

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced $119 in grants to more than 120 community organizations that provide programming aimed at promoting parenting, healthy relationships, and economic stability as part of the “Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood” initiative. Nearly $60 million of the total award will support healthy marriage programs, which include marriage education, divorce reduction, relationship skills, parenting skills, conflict resolution and financial management. More than $59 million was specifically awarded to organizations that promote responsible fatherhood. These grants will support case management and other programs that help low-income fathers gain economic stability and employment while also establishing strong relationships with their children. In addition, this funding will be used to support the Community-Centered Responsible Fatherhood Ex-Prisoner Re-entry Pilot Project, which will provide pre- and post-incarceration support for fathers striving to build economic self-sufficiency, improve their parenting skills and avoid recidivism.

A list of the grantees can be found here.

Summary of Promise Neighborhood Grant Applicants Released

2011-10-05T10:03:00.013-04:00

This week, the Department of Education released a detailed summary of the Promise Neighborhood grant applications submitted in September. The summary indicates that a total of 234 applications were submitted – a number that is significantly smaller than the 662 applicants that submitted the “Intent to Apply” in July. Applications were received from 43 states, as well as Puerto Rico and American Samoa. As anticipated, there was strong interest in the Planning Grant with199 applications submitted and 35 Implementation Grant applications submitted. As illustrated in the chart below, the majority of applications in both categories were submitted by nonprofit organizations.

A majority of the applications submitted are likely from more urban and suburban areas – only 32 applications addressed Absolute Priority 2 (rural communities) and 12 addressed Absolute Priority 3 (tribal communities). This year, applicants were able to identify up to two Competitive Preference Priorities. As indicated below, an overwhelming majority of applicants in both the Planning and Implementation categories included a plan to create a Comprehensive Early Leaning Network.

Grant awards are expected to be announced in December. The DOE expects to award as many as 10 Planning Grants in amounts up to $500,000 and 4-6 Implementation Grants ranging from $4-6 million. The DOE’s summary of grant applications, which contains the charts found above, can be accessed by clicking here.

Engaging Communities to Improve Resident Health

2011-10-03T13:28:00.011-04:00

In recent weeks, reports from the US Census Bureau have highlighted the bleak conditions in many communities. With the national poverty rate at an all-time high of 15.1%, it is not surprising that healthcare coverage has declined to an all-time low. According to the recently released 2010 Current Population Survey, the United States has the highest number and percentage of uninsured citizens ever reported. Minorities face particular hardship when it comes to health coverage. While 15.4% of Whites were left uninsured in 2010, nearly 21% of Black and 31% of Hispanics were left without coverage.

Although a vital aspect of healthcare, insurance coverage is only one aspect of quality healthcare. In addition to a lack of insurance coverage, research suggests residential segregation and poverty rates also contribute to growing health inequalities. A recent report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies suggests that the racial composition and, most notably, poverty levels of neighborhoods ultimately affect the health of individuals. The damaging effects of these disparities are evidenced by high rates of poor health outcomes for people of color or with low incomes. Impoverished communities often face many challenges, including limited access to public transportation, a lack of grocery stories with nutritious food options and little access to good jobs or social services, such as community health centers. Residents without these essential supports are more likely to struggle with obesity, asthma and other forms of chronic health conditions.

Improving the health of individuals and communities is a challenge that requires comprehensive solutions and significant attention to various issues, such as transportation, access to primary health centers, education and policies that may prohibit access to healthy food options. In response to increasing health disparities, many organizations – including the Federal government – have implemented programs and provided resources that communities can use in addressing health disparities.

The PolicyLink Center for Health and Place, for example, has developed several tools that communities can use in advocating for improved access to nutritious food. These tools provide guidance on how communities can attract quality food retailers or advocate for improvements in the quality of food already in local stores, for example. Similarly, increasing access to community health centers that offer both primary and preventative health services is a critical component of resident health. In response to this need, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced over $10 million in Affordable Care Act grants to support 129 organizations across the nation striving to become community health centers. Many of the awarded organizations are already community-based health centers that plan to use the grant to provide more comprehensive primary care services and/or expand services to the larger community. According Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, these new health centers will provide access to healthcare for millions of individuals while also sparking economic growth by creating a source of local employment in communities. An additional HHS initiative – The Community Transformation Grants – seeks to reduce health disparities by addressing the physical, social and emotional needs of residents, as well as providing quality preventative services in the context of local community needs.

Additional Resources:

PolicyforResults.org, USDA Unveils New Food Desert Locator

PolicyLink, Healthy Food, Healthy Communities

The Department of Health and Human Services, About the Healthy Food Financing Initiative

PolicyLink, Health and Place Tool Group

Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Community Transformation Grants

Center for the Study of Social Policy, The Opportunities for Communities in the Affordable Care Act provides a summary of the existing and upcoming funding provisions from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that can have an impact on local community change efforts

Education Department Awards GEAR UP Grants to Support Pathways to College

2011-10-03T11:51:00.003-04:00

Sixty-six grants were awarded under the Department of Education's Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant program. These awards, totaling $ 177.4 million, will help to ensure that students are well-prepared for post-secondary education. Two types of grants were awarded: $77.3 million for 19 state grants and $100.1 million for 47 partnership grants in 24 states. Grantees serve an entire group of students, usually beginning no later than seventh grade, and follow them throughout high school. State grants include both a required activities component, such as educating students about college and financial aid, providing support through the application process and increasing students' participation in more academically rigorous courses, and a scholarship component requiring the state to maintain a post-secondary education financial assistance program for GEAR UP students. Partnership projects had to include at least one low-income middle school, one college or university, and two community or business organizations. Partners have to work together to provide students and their families with needed support services such as tutoring, mentoring and college preparation and financial aid.

This grant is a huge opportunity for those communities looking to build a cradle to college to career pipeline for children in their neighborhood. For more information about the GEAR UP program, please visit the GEAR UP page on DOE's website. Click here to see the list of new grantees.

HHS Announces Awards for Improving Primary Care Access in Communities

2011-09-30T10:59:00.002-04:00

Today the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced awards to over 900 community health centers and community-based organizations to enhance the quality and coordination of health care services across the country. Authorized by the Affordable Care Act, $47 million was awarded in every state to help improve quality and access to services and to support better primary care and behavioral health services for people with mental and substance abuse disorders. This includes $32 million administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support 904 community health centers in achieving recognition as a patient-centered medical home as well as $15 million in grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for improving services for individuals with mental and substance use disorders.

A list of grantees receiving Health Center Quality Improvement and Patient Centered Medical Home Supplemental Funding from HRSA is available here.

A list of grantees receiving Primary and Behavioral Health Integration awards from SAMHSA is available here.

Education Department Makes Public Peer Reviewer Guidance for NCLB Waivers

2011-09-29T17:04:00.004-04:00

We recently highlighted the Department of Education's decision and guidance for state's on waiving certain requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. States, if they choose, would apply for these waivers by submitting a plan that addresses three key principles: implementing state-wide standards, developing differentiated accountability systems, and evaluating teacher/principal effectiveness. As we mentioned, the Department of Education (DOE) will use a peer review process for making decisions on any requests for flexibility on NCLB requirements. DOE has now made public its guidance to the reviewers that will help to evaluate state requests.

As DOE explains, it will use a review process that will include both external peer reviewers and staff reviewers to evaluate requests according to the three principles DOE outlined in the waiver guidance. States will have an opportunity, if necessary, to clarify its plans for peer and staff reviewers and to answer any questions reviewers may have. All feedback from the peer reviewers will then be sent to the DOE Secretary who will make the final decision.

Those planning to work with their state to develop a waiver proposal should look closely at questions and criteria that reviewers will be required to check all waiver requests against. The reviewers' guidance can be found here.

Community Transformation Grant Awards Announced

2011-09-29T11:47:00.002-04:00

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced grant awards of $103 million to 61 states and communities through the Community Transformation Grants (CTG). Created by the Affordable Care Act, the CTG program provides an opportunity for communities to support intensive approaches to reduce risk factors responsible for the leading causes of death and disability in the nation such as diabetes and heart disease. The purpose of the initiative is to create healthier communities by focusing on capacity building and implementation of broad, evidence-based and practice-based policy, environmental, programmatic, and infrastructure changes in five strategic areas: Tobacco Free Living, Active Living and Healthy Eating, High Impact Quality Clinical and Other Preventive Services, Social and Emotional Wellness and Healthy and Safe Physical Environment. Grantees will also focus on achieving health equity and reducing health disparities; successful applicants had to identify population subgroups experiencing health disparities and identify specific outcomes to narrow the gaps.

Thirty-five grantees received implementation grants ranging from $500,000 to $10 million and 26 grantees received capacity Building grants ranging from $147,000 to $500,000. Awards went to grantees in 36 states, including seven tribal organizations and one territory. Grants are expected to run for five years. A full list of the funded states and communities can be found here.

In addition, HHS announced earlier this month $4.2 million in funding awards to seven national networks of community-based organizations. As part of the National Dissemination and Support Initiative of the Community Transformation Grants (CTG) program, these networks are to engage community members in identifying solutions to improve health with effective community-based prevention strategies that can be modeled in multiple locations. This funding was divided into two categories, dissemination and acceleration. Dissemination grantees will support, disseminate and amplify the evidence-based strategies of the CTG program nationally. Four dissemination awards went to the American Public Health Association; the Asian Pacific Partners for Empowerment, Advocacy and Leadership; the Community Anti-Drug Coalition; and the National Farm to School Network at Occidental College. Acceleration awards are intended to help spread CTG work across the country and in particular to help reach rural areas and areas with health disparities. Three acceleration awards went to the American Lung Association, the National REACH Coalition and the YMCA of the USA.

For more information, see the CDC's CTG page.