NCLR
NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA
WHITE PAPER
Title I The recently-enacted No Child Left Behind Act includes considerable changes to the Title I program, which provides funds to states to help them raise the academic achievement of all students, particularly disadvantaged children. The new Title I includes ambitious new accountability and assessment provisions that require sufficient funds in order to support state and school district efforts to help students meet challenging academic benchmarks. The Act specifically requires schools to improve the achievement of LEP and minority students. In the President’s budget, Title I received an increase of $1 billion for FY 2003, despite an "ineffective" designation in the assessment. According to the budget, reading scores among disadvantaged students on national tests have remained stagnant. Dramatic changes enacted this year focus on accountability reforms designed specifically to improve program performance.
21st Century Community Learning Centers These funds support formula grants to states, which award subgrants to centers providing academic and related services for youth and other members of the community during afterschool, weekend, and summer hours. Changes to the 21st Century program contained in the No Child Left Behind Act make community-based organizations (CBOs) eligible to apply for program funds. These CBO-run programs can complement school-based efforts to close the achievement gap that exists between disadvantaged students and their peers. One year ago, NCLR requested an increase in funding for the 21st Century program from $845.6 million in FY 2001 to $1 billion in FY 2002. While the Administration’s FY 2002 budget contained no increase, funding was ultimately increased to $1 billion through the appropriations process. The Administration’s FY 2003 budget level funds the program at the FY 2002 level of $1 billion.
National Council of La Raza ■ March 2002 ■ 8