1. Expanded Learning Opportunities (ELO) Council Proposed Consolidated Recommendations Based on Preliminary Committee Recommendations July 25, 2014 1

2. Statutory ELO Quality Standards Guiding Principle: ELO programs should be held to a set of quality standards that ensures child safety and that promotes research- based best program practices that address the whole child Committee Recommendations T1.1. Authorize TEA or another organization to conduct surveys and collect existing data including the availability of hours or programs being offered, the impact of ELO on juvenile crime, and other key indicators. T1.2. Adopt safety standards based on the TXPOST quality guidelines. T2.1. Request that the Legislature define a common set of characteristics related to high-quality staffing, programming, and academic outcomes for ELO programs. T2.2. Authorize or create a centralized agency to support standards for ELO programs, collect data, pursue funding opportunities, implement professional development, and develop a database of resources for after school and summer program administrators. T12.10. Authorize TEA to set minimum standards that a provider must meet in order to receive state and federal funding. T14.3. Request that the Legislature define a common set of characteristics related to high-quality staffing, programming, character building, and social-emotional outcomes for ELO programs. T17.6. Ensure healthy lifestyles are a focus of ELO programming by recommending healthy habits are modeled, both through providing healthy meals and/or snacks and recommending exercise be a component of ELO programs. Consolidated Recommendations Authorize TEA to support and implement statutory standards for ELO programs, collect data to improve program quality, pursue and manage funding opportunities, develop and implement professional development, and create and maintain a database of resources for ELO administrators. Statutory standards should serve as eligibility requirements for state funding and be based on draft standards developed by TXPOST and address: Minimum requirements for funding Staff and student safety Staff and provider certifications Staff quality for non-certified positions Program quality Student academic performance Character building outcomes Social-emotional outcomes Exercise components Nutrition/healthy snacks

3. Professional Development and Certification Guiding Principle: Highly-qualified ELO staff is critical to ensure that the state has a significant pool of trained certified workers to provide high-quality ELO programming for Texas children and youth served in publically funded programs Committee Recommendations T12.11. Direct the TEA to work with the Texas Association of Community Colleges and the Texas Higher Education Coordinator Board to develop ELO certificate programs for ELO staff and providers. T12.12. Direct the TEA and the State Board of Education to incorporate ELO certification opportunities in appropriate secondary curricula, including CTE courses, as a type of endorsement. Consolidated Recommendations Develop certificate programs for ELO staff and providers and to incorporate ELO certification opportunities in appropriate secondary curricula, including CTE courses, as a type of endorsement.

4. Web-based Training and Program Resources Guiding Principle: Training opportunities and programming resources for ELO providers should align with quality standards and best practices, meet the needs of employers in each region, and be widely accessible in all regions of the state Committee Recommendations T5.3. Build capacities of existing networks and create networks where they don't exist in order to strengthen practice and coordinate existing networks across regions. T7.6. Authorize TEA or another appropriate entity to conduct an economic impact analysis, based on existing research and student outcomes, of the educational, social, and economic benefits of high-quality ELO programs for producing a highly educated workforce and attracting and retaining businesses in our state. T8.8. Authorize TEA to support TXPOST in creating an online portal with relevant research and resources for ELO programming. T10.10. Use available information and data to identify the interpersonal skills that employers have identified as important for employees to have. T14.4. Develop a database of best practices and recommended programs for academic growth, character development, and social skills training. T14.5. Create systems for collecting and tracking data related to high-quality program characteristics. Consolidated Recommendations TEA should support the development and maintenance of ELO- specific online resources and training materials regarding: ELO program standards and best practices Relevant research and resources Interpersonal skills for employees Increasing access and addressing gaps in ELO programming Workforce-based programming Developing business partnerships Best practices for developing academic growth Best practices for character and interpersonal/social skills development Characteristics of high-quality programs

5. Data Driven Programs Guiding Principle: ELO program data should be collected and analyzed on the state level in order to: identify available services and gaps for children and youth who are most in need; evaluate program impact; and continually approve the quality of all publically funded ELO programs Committee Recommendations T1.1. Authorize TEA or another organization to conduct surveys and collect existing data including the availability of hours or programs being offered, the impact of ELO on juvenile crime, and other key indicators. T2.2. Authorize or create a centralized agency to support standards for ELO programs, collect data, pursue funding opportunities, implement professional development, and develop a database of resources for after school and summer program administrators. T6.6. Study the feasibility of rerouting buses to accommodate later day students using the traditional model, and private sector partnerships. T6.7. Collect data to identify what the unmet needs are for ELO programs across the region bearing in mind that each region has diverse needs. T7.6. Authorize TEA or another appropriate entity to conduct an economic impact analysis, based on existing research and student outcomes, of the educational, social, and economic benefits of high- quality ELO programs for producing a highly educated workforce and attracting and retaining businesses in our state. T10.10. Use available information and data to identify the interpersonal skills that employers have identified as important for employees to have. T14.5. Create systems for collecting and tracking data related to high- quality program characteristics. T18.13. Examine existing models of extended day/ year school programs that provide successful impacts on student achievement. Consolidated Recommendations Authorize TEA or another appropriate organization to collect and make available data on: Program hours of operation Number of programs being offered Impact of ELO on juvenile crime Key indicators of student safety during out of school time Feasibility of rerouting buses for ELO Unmet needs by education service center region Underserved districts Interpersonal skills that employers identify as important Workforce development Economic impact of ELO programs Models for extended day/extended year programs Evaluation of ELO programs using the quality standards

6. Funding and Incentives Committee Recommendations T3.1. Identify and resolve to serve underserved districts. Appropriate public funding and leverage other non-public revenue for ELO programming to target school districts with 50% or more of students on free- and reduced-price lunch who are not currently served by existing programs. Allow this funding to supplement other federal, state, and local sources that can be used for ELO programming. T3.5. Require school districts to allow qualified ELO programs access to school facilities when school buildings are normally available. T11.9. Direct TEA to work with appropriate state institutions to identify potential new and existing state funding streams that could support ELO programs in perpetuity. T6.8. Incentivize the provision of services and resources to ELO programs that address the identified gap in availability of quality programming in each region. T6.9. Support ELO programming and partnerships that exposes youth to post-secondary opportunities and technical/vocational skill development. T12.10. Authorize TEA to set minimum standards that a provider must meet in order to receive state and federal funding. T17.6. Ensure healthy lifestyles are a focus of ELO programming by recommending healthy habits are modeled, both through providing healthy meals and/or snacks and recommending exercise be a component of ELO programs. T18.14. Establish a pilot competitive grant program for extended day/year schools to develop model/best practice schools and determine efficacy of model. Consolidated Recommendations Identify existing and new funding streams, including non-public revenue, to support new and supplemental programs that target the most underserved districts. Funding for ELO programs should allow and support programs that: Meet minimum state standards Address identified gaps Leverage non-public revenue Target students not currently served by ELO Expose youth to post-secondary opportunities and technical/vocational skills Provide science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education Provide free-of-charge access to school facilities when school buildings are normally available Provide healthy meals and/or snacks Include exercise as a component Pilot extended day/year models Guiding Principle: A state funding stream will strategically increase ELO access in each region of the state, incentivize development and implementation of the highest quality programs, strategically address workforce development and student success, build ELO capacity to serve more children and youth who are most in need of publically funded ELO programming, and ultimately build sustainability by strengthening partnerships between districts and the business community and other non-public funding sources

7. State Level Leadership, Coordination, and Flexible Policies Committee Recommendations T5. 5. Require that leadership from TEA, DFPS, TWC, and TJJD and other relevant state institutions periodically meet to align policies and practices to ensure that coordination of programming and access are better facilitated as a collective whole. T7.7. Direct TEA to host an annual ELO summit for statewide organizations, corporations, private foundations, state and local elected officials, and other interested parties to increase awareness of and familiarity with ELO programming, economic impact, and best practices and to solicit funding to address needs identified in the economic impact analysis. Consolidated Recommendations TEA should host an annual ELO summit for statewide agencies, organizations, corporations, employers, private foundations, state and local elected officials, existing networks, existing programs, and other interested parties to increase awareness of and familiarity with ELO programming, economic impact, and best practices. Guiding Principle: State-level leadership for policy development and network coordination are critical for increasing access and availability of high quality ELO programming T5.3. Build capacities of existing networks and create networks where they don't exist in order to strengthen practice and coordinate existing networks across regions. T5.4. Incentivize that regional ESCs create and support networks related to extended school time and day and expanded learning opportunities. T10.11. Incentivize partnerships with the business community to provide opportunities for youth to have programming that focuses on workforce development, which may include opportunities for internships based on the needs of the Texas labor market. Build the capacity of existing networks and create new networks where gaps exist with incentives for regional support networks, coordinated support networks that include philanthropic and community-based organizations, out of school and extended learning time, and partnerships with businesses for workforce development and internships. T3.4. Redefine the compensatory education statute to increase the flexibility of state compensatory education and Title I funding for ELO programming to include qualifying and non-qualifying students on a school wide basis and to allow for expenditures on transportation and other costs associated with ELO programming. Increase the flexibility of the state compensatory education (SCE) and Title I, Part A, funding to include all students on a school-wide basis for ELO programming and allow SCE expenditures for school-wide transportation and other costs associated with ELO programming.

8. State Level Leadership, Coordination, and Flexible Policies Committee Recommendations T18.12. Review local, state, and federal policies related to district flexibility, funding opportunities and funding sources for extended school day/year. Consolidated Recommendations Review local, state, and federal policies related to district flexibility, funding opportunities and funding sources for extended school day/year. Guiding Principle: State-level leadership for policy development and network coordination are critical for increasing access and availability of high quality ELO programming T3.3. Prohibit school districts from charging outside agencies usage fees for ELO programming and allow direct charges for services provided to the ELO provider to ensure that the maximum amount of resources impact student outcomes. T3.5. Require school districts to allow qualified ELO programs access to school facilities when school buildings are normally available. Require districts to allow qualified ELO programs access to school facilities when school buildings are normally available while also prohibiting school districts from charging usage fees to outside agencies for ELO programming and allowing direct charges for services provided to the ELO provider to ensure that the maximum amount of resources actually impact student outcomes. T3. 2. Authorize TEA to reexamine the formula for funding student transportation and communicate findings to the legislature with a recommendation to increase funding as appropriate to meet current needs. T3.4. Redefine the compensatory education statute to increase the flexibility of state compensatory education and Title I funding for ELO programming to include qualifying and non-qualifying students on a school wide basis and to allow for expenditures on transportation and other costs associated with ELO programming. T6.6. Study the feasibility of rerouting buses to accommodate later day students using the traditional model, and private sector partnerships. Authorize TEA to reexamine the formula for funding student transportation and communicate findings to the legislature with a recommendation to increase funding as appropriate to meet current needs.