Nationwide, public schools are receiving an unprecedented influx in federal funds to address the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the course of three rounds, Alabama schools will receive a grand total of $3.14 billion dollars, an unparalleled figure. This is a moonshot moment for our state’s public education system to increase academic outcomes for all students and address long-standing inequities. It will be critical that we spend these funds in a targeted, data-driven, and student-centered way.
COVID School Spending is our new blog series exploring topics related to COVID-19 federal funds for schools. We will be sharing evidence-based best practices and resources, highlighting how districts are using these funds across Alabama, elevating advice from policy experts, and much more!
COVID School Spending: A Series on Investing for Student Success
Outlines how each of the different rounds of federal COVID school relief funds can be used (ESSER I, ESSER II, ARP)
Summarizing Alabama’s State ARP Plan
Breaks down the different ways the Alabama State Department of Education is spending their allocation of American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds
New Federal Funding to Expand Internet Access
Explains what the Emergency Connectivity Fund is for schools and how they can apply to receive funding.
How to Read Your District’s ARP Plan
Explains where and how advocates can access their district’s ARP ESSER plans.
Using COVID Relief for Student Recovery: Data and Assessments
Explores best practices related to data-driven instruction and how COVID relief can be invested in assessments to help teachers know where to start in order to get students back on track.
Using COVID Relief for Student Recovery: High-Quality Instructional Materials
Explores how COVID funds can be invested in purchasing high-quality instructional materials, which can make a huge impact on student achievement.
Using COVID Relief for Student Recovery: High-Dosage Tutoring
Explores the best practices and non-negotiables of high-impact tutoring, which has shown promising results for addressing learning loss.
How to Use the A+ COVID School Spending Tracker
Explains how to use our newest COVID tool to access information on how state & local leaders are spending their COVID recovery funds.