The Learning Communities for School Success Program (LCSSP) is authorized by California Education Code (EC) sections 33430–33436 for the coordination and administration of grants and assistance to LEAs in the implementation of the K–12 education portion of Proposition 47.
The goals of the LCSSP are to support evidence-based, non-punitive programs and practices aimed at keeping the state's most vulnerable pupils in school. These programs and practices must complement or enhance the actions and services identified to meet the LEA's goals as provided in their LCAP, regardless if the LEA is applying alone or part of a consortium.
The proposed grant is not expected to address the needs of all students, nor is it expected to address the needs of all students in each of the numerically significant pupil subgroups at the school. The proposed grant should clearly identify actions and services specified in the LEA's LCAP (regardless if the LEA is applying alone or part of a consortium) and describe how the LCSSP grant will complement and enhance the LEA's efforts to address its identified needs and challenges.
An LEA/consortium that receives a grant shall use the grant funds for planning, implementation, and evaluation of activities in support of evidence-based, nonpunitive programs and practices to keep the state's most vulnerable pupils in school. These activities shall complement or enhance the actions and services identified to meet the LEA's goals (regardless if the LEA is applying alone or part of a consortium), as identified in its LCAP pursuant to EC sections 47606.5, 52060, or 52066, as applicable.
These activities may include, but are not limited to, all of the following:
- Establishing a community school, as defined in EC Section 33435. Community school” means a public school that participates in a community-based effort to coordinate and integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-based organizations and public and private partnerships with one or more community partners for the delivery of community services that may be provided at a school site to pupils, families, and community members.
- Implementing activities or programs to improve attendance and reduce chronic absenteeism, including, but not limited to, early warning systems or early intervention programs.
- Implementing restorative practices, restorative justice models, or other programs to improve retention rates, reduce suspensions and other school removals, and reduce the referral of pupils to law enforcement agencies.
- Implementing activities that advance social-emotional learning, positive behavior interventions and supports, culturally responsive practices, and trauma-informed strategies.
- Establishing partnerships with community-based organizations or other relevant entities to support the implementation of evidence-based, nonpunitive approaches to further the goals of the program.
- Adding or increasing staff within an LEA whose primary purpose is to address ongoing chronic attendance problems, including, but not necessarily limited to, conducting outreach to families and children currently, or at risk of becoming, chronically truant.
- Establishing programs or activities addressing significant community-wide crime problem by implementing interventions addressing the negative impact of the high crime rate on students.
All eligible LEAs may apply for an LCSSP grant. In selecting grant recipients, statute requires that priority be given to an LEA that meets any of the following criteria:
- Has a high rate1 of chronic absenteeism, out-of-school suspension, or school dropout for (1) the general pupil population, or (2) for a numerically significant pupil subgroup as identified in the LEA's LCAP.
- Is in a community with a crime rate that exceeds the state average as reported on the State of California Department of Justice's OpenJustice web page at https://openjustice.doj.ca.gov/exploration/crime-statistics.
- Has a significant representation of foster youth among its pupil enrollment.
- Where all schools within an LEA are not included in the grant, eligibility will be based on districtwide data rather than on only the participating schools.
A scoring methodology will be used to identify districts with the greatest need. This group of districts will receive additional support throughout the application process.
Funding for previous cohorts may be found here: https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r8/fundresults2017-20.asp