f Education Sciences) Use of ARP Funds: Provides an update (8/31/21) by IES director Mark Schneider on how ED’s IES is using $100-million appropriated through the American Rescue Plan [ARP] to invest in research grants, gather data through the School Pulse, and make sure the information IES generates about accelerating learning is translated into forms that are useful, usable, and used.
The Road to Learning Recovery: Announces appropriation of $100-million in American Rescue Plan [ARP] to conduct research related to learning losses caused by COVID-19. The Institute of Education Sciences [IES] at the US Department of Education was ordered by President Biden (March 2021) to administer surveys to identify school and instructional changes in response to the pandemic, identify and disseminate effective practices; invest in innovative approaches (e.g. artificial intelligence) to deal with learning loss and close longstanding achievement gaps; and focus certain investments on particularly hard-hit student populations (e.g. students in special education, in foster care, and students who are homeless).
U.S. Department of Education Launches Best Practices Clearinghouse to Highlight Innovative Practices for Reopening Schools and Campuses (4/30/21): Announces the U.S. Department of Education (ED) launch of the Safer Schools and Campuses Best Practices Clearinghouse, a website that highlights the innovative work underway nationwide in continuing to reopen K-12 schools, early childhood centers and postsecondary institutions. Through the Clearinghouse, the Department is providing examples of how schools and other educational institutions can safely reopen as communities continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Department of Education Announces American Rescue Plan Funds for All 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia to Help Schools Reopen (3/31/21): Announced the amount of American Recovery Plan [ARP] Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief [ESSER] funding that each State, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia will receive “to support their efforts to reopen K-12 schools safely this month and equitably expand opportunity for students who need it most.” The announcement coincided with the Department of Health and Human Services' announcement that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will provide $10 billion to states to support COVID-19 screening testing for K-12 teachers, staff, and students in schools. Additional information, including an ARP ESSER Fact Sheet and allocation tables, can be found at https://oese.ed.gov/american-rescue-plan-elementary-and-secondary-school-emergency-relief.
ED COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools: Presents the first volume in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) COVID-19 Handbook, a series intended to support the education community as schools reopen. This series provides tools to aid educators in implementing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance by addressing common challenges and providing practical examples. This series is updated as additional scientific evidence becomes available, including evidence related to new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. This handbook does not have the force or effect of law and is not binding in any way (except where statutory or regulatory requirements are referenced).
COVID-19 Handbook Volume 2: Roadmap to Reopening Safely and Meeting All Students' Needs: Presents the second volume in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) COVID-19 Handbook. This volume provides additional strategies for safely reopening all of America's schools and to promote educational equity by addressing opportunity gaps that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. To access the accompanying 4/9/21 press release click here.
COVID-19 Handbook Volume 3: Strategies for Safe Operation and Addressing the Impact of COVID-19 on Higher Education Students, Faculty, and Staff: Presents the third volume in the U.S. Department of Education (ED) COVID-19 Handbook. This volume pr