Follow the Money (III) - A Look at Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Providers in Los Angeles County

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James

A third report in the “Follow the Money” series examines how Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) funding affects local expanded learning providers across Los Angeles County. It reviews program context and the early years’ successes and challenges, drawing on anonymized interviews with large and small providers. The brief highlights provider perspectives on meeting community needs, managing rapid growth, and the need for stronger evidence and measurement amid broader uncertainty in school funding.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Background

Educational context in Los Angeles County

ELO-P program overview and goals

Key Takeaways

A Look at the Expanded Learning Providers

Follow the Money (III) A Look at Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Providers in Los Angeles County By Jurnee Louder and Patrick Murphy ™ ® This brief is the third in a series investigating the impact of the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program (ELO-P) in Los Angeles (LA) County, which receives over $1 billion of the total state allocated funds alone. The first brief in the series outlined the program and the distribution of funds for county school districts and charter schools. The second brief described how those funds were being allocated based on reporting in district plans. This brief focuses on the impact of ELO-P funding on local expanded learning providers. This brief begins by providing context for ELO-P and the role of local expanded learning providers. It then summarizes the successes and challenges for local providers in the initial years of the program. The brief concludes with recommendations to help policy makers and administrators better understand ELO-P as it exists at this early stage, potential improvements that would bring the program closer to its objectives, and suggestions for future research. Background LA County is not only the most populous county in California, but also in the entire United States, with over 9.7 million people.1 Furthermore, there are nearly 1.1 million children in thenon-charter public school system.2 While all counties must make decisions about resource distribution, LA County is charged with a uniquely difficult responsibility of serving many students and a large number with complex needs. Across the county, 72% of students are unduplicated pupils (unduplicated pupil percentage or UPP), meaning they are eligible for free or reduced-price meals, are English learners, or are foster youth.3 In addition, LA County is incredibly diverse, with 86% of students being students of color.4 A quick snapshot of educational outcomes shows that students across the county need more support. Like many in California (and across the country), LA County’s students are struggling to meet academic achievement milestones. In 2023-24, 45% of 3rd grade students met or exceeded standards in English Language arts/literacy,5 32% of 5th graders met or exceeded standards in science,6 and 32% of 8th graders met or exceeded standards in mathematics.7 Furthermore, achievement gaps are typically substantial for unduplicated pupils and students of color. However, test scores are just one lens of student success. When looking at other school climate indicators, there is a more complete picture of areas where students need more support. For example, only 78% of students were not chronically absent from school in LA County in 2023-24—a bit below the statewide average of 80%.8 Additionally, only 55% of students surveyed said they felt connected to their school.9 Not only does chronic absenteeism impact feelings of school connectedness and vice versa, they also significantly impact the more traditional measures of achievement, like test scores. Therefore, building success for the students in LA County will require a whole-child approach and for state leaders to consider different points of intervention. Following the pandemic—when achievement gaps widened—and on the heels of multi-year advocacy from a vast network of education constituents—Governor Gavin Newsom ushered in the ELO-P. The ELO-P provides statewide funding to local educational agencies (LEAs)10 for before-school, after-school, intersession, and summer programs for students in transitional kindergarten (TK) through sixth grade. LEAs can partner with community-based organizations to design and implement expanded learning programs. In this brief, these organizations will be referred to as expanded learning providers (ELPs) or simply providers. This funding makes California a nationwide leader in the expanded learning space and is expected to help address long-standing student achievement gaps. With the relative newness of EL

FAQs

What is the purpose of this third “Follow the Money” brief?

To investigate the impact of ELO-P funding in Los Angeles County, focusing specifically on how it affects local expanded learning providers.

How were providers’ perspectives gathered for the report?

Providers across the county were asked to participate in anonymized interviews, representing both large and small organizations.

What themes did providers consistently raise?

Providers emphasized tailoring programming to community needs, managing issues from rapid growth, and strengthening efforts to measure and document their impact.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by James