The COVID School Spending Series
Over $3 billion is coming to Alabama schools from the three rounds of federal funding in order to address the challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools and districts have an unprecedented amount of money at their disposal to improve student outcomes, and we are keeping families, communities, and decision-makers up-to-date on best practices and tracking district spending priorities with this new series. Click the links below to reach each installment.
Part 1: 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)
Part 2: 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
Part 3: New Federal Funding to Expand Internet Access - Explains what the Emergency Connectivity Fund is for schools and how they can apply to receive funding
Part 4: How to Read Your District’s ARP Plan - Explains how to find and interpret your local school district's plan for spending their share of the $2 billion in federal COVID relief from the American Rescue Plan. Includes informational video
Part 5: Using COVID Relief for Student Recovery: Data-Driven Instruction & Assessments - Explains the importance of using data to learn where students are post-COVID school closures and how to catch them up
Part 6: Using COVID Relief for Student Recovery: High-Quality Instructional Materials - Explains the importance of investing in and equipping teachers with high-quality instructional materials in the classroom to accelerate learning post-COVID