ESSER II Explained and Applied

>>> [UPDATE] Leveraging ESSER III to Advance Education in Your District

What has happened with ESSER up to this point?

• March 2020 - Congress passed the CARES Act, which included $13.2 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER Fund).
• December 2020 - The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (CRRSA) was passed into law, providing an additional $54.3 billion for the ESSER II Fund.  
• January 2021 - The Department of Education sent letters to state Commissioners indicating the allocation of the additional $54.3 billion in ESSER II funds for K-12 schools.

How will ESSER funds be distributed?

ESSER II funds will be distributed according to the same process as the original ESSER funds with 90% flowing to local education agencies based on the Title I formula and 10% reserved for state-level activities. Like the original ESSER dollars, only 0.5% of the total state award may be used for administration activities.

View the ESSER Webinar and get ahead in 2022

What are the allowable uses of ESSER II funds?

• Any allowable activity under ESEA, IDEA, Adult Education, Perkins CTE;
• Coordination of COVID preparedness and response efforts;
• Providing principals and others school leaders with the resources necessary to address the needs of their individual schools;
• Planning for long-term closures;
• Addressing the unique needs of special populations;
• Purchasing educational technology (including hardware, software, and connectivity;
• Providing summer learning and supplemental afterschool programs (including online learning);
• Providing mental health services;
• Implementing evidence-based activities to meet the comprehensive needs of students
• New in ESSER II: Addressing learning loss among students, including through assessment, evidence-based activities, parent engagement, tracking attendance, and improving student engagement; or
• New in ESSER II: Other activities necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of services in schools through facility repairs and improvements. Fund our solutions with ESSER.

What is the timeline for determining the use of ESSER II funds?

In a letter to the state chiefs on January 26, Ruth Ryder the Deputy Assistant Secretary extended the February 1 deadline for states to submit their amendment plans. In that letter, she indicated that additional guidance would be forthcoming. Most states are planning to finalize their plans by mid-March, however a new deadline has not yet been established by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE).

Our solutions can be funded through ESSER to help your district maintain a high-quality learning environment to mitigate learning loss as a result of COVID-19.

• Embarc (formerly BYOC) is a robust curriculum management platform that aligns with state and national standards so you can assess academic progress, identify gaps in learning, and ensure student progress toward mastery.
• With Cardonex, you can maximize the use of staffing capability to account for teacher shortages, ensure students are enrolled in the courses they need to be successful, and keep class sizes balanced for a safe and optimal instructional experience.
• TestHound integrates with your student information systems, as well as Special Education and English Language Learner programs, so you can track student testing and performance history, as well as ensure students get the right testing accommodations every time.

The team at Education Advanced stands ready to help you sort through the daunting task of matching your educational needs and available funding to our solutions.  

>>> Click here to speak with an expert who will work with you to improve equity for your students, increase efficiency for your staff, and demonstrate how your return on investment will sustain your district for years to come.

>>> Download the ESSER II funding matrix here.

We exist to build a better future for your schools.

Cardonex – Master Scheduling and Staffing Solution

• Student Benefits
  • Accommodate a wide variety of learning levels with equitable access to courses.  
  • Maximize instructional time for all students with a flexible, dynamic master schedule.  
  • Improve instruction through balanced class sizes and optimized rosters.
• Staff Benefits
  • Reduce the effort required to build best-in-class master schedules.  
  • Produce a balanced master schedule and staffing plan before the first day of school.  
  • Provide students and staff with a stable back-to-school experience.  
• District Benefits
  • Reduce staffing costs by maximizing existing staff capability and facility capacity.  
  • Make data-driven staffing decisions based on existing and trending student course requirements.  
  • Reinvest time and cost savings to improve education quality.

TestHound – Test Enablement Technology

• Student Benefits
  • Improve equity by centralizing the most current information from student information systems, as well as Special Education and English Language Learner programs.
  • Ensure all students receive the correct test with the correct accommodations.  
  • Easily verify that secondary students have met assessment requirements for graduation.
• Staff Benefits
  • Reduce the effort required from testing coordinators and counselors to coordinate and enable student assessments.  
  • Save time with automatically generated materials control forms, room rosters, labels for test booklets, master schedules, and attendance forms.
  • Reclaim time to spend with students and gain peace of mind with efficiently and accurately coordinated assessments.  
• District Benefits
  • Eliminate costly testing irregularities associated with incorrect student accommodations and inventory management errors.  
  • Reduce stress and increase efficiency with automatically generated state-mandated documentation.  
  • Improve the student testing experience through accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.

Embarc (formerly BYOC) - The Framework for K-12 Success

• Student Benefits
  • Increase confidence with an accessible, transparent curriculum for parents and community.  
  • Reduce stress by providing a single location for students to view assignments, links, assessments, and discussion.  
  • Provide easy access with curriculum accessible by any web browser.
• Staff Benefits
  • Reduce effort by eliminating the need to create curriculum from scratch each year.  
  • Save time by providing easy access to curriculum and resources in one location.  
  • Increase collaboration by sharing best practices and resources in a centralized repository.
• District Benefits
  • Ensure students receive a coordinated educational experience with a unified curriculum management platform.  
  • Develop a transparent curriculum that guarantees ongoing and systematic growth.  
  • Monitor the planning and delivery of instruction and track standards alignment to ensure student progress toward mastery.

Resources

• https://educationadvanced.com/resources/blog/five-education-issues-that-matter-in-2021/  
• https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/secretary-devos-quickly-makes-available-additional-54-billion-covid-relief-aid-k-12-students-teachers-and-schools?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
• https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/elementary-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
• https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/01/Final_ESSERII_Factsheet_1.5.21.pdf
• http://opi.mt.gov/Portals/182/COVID-19/ESSER%20II%20Guidance%20Document%201-11.pdf?ver=2021-01-19-131043-680  
• https://www.cde.state.co.us/caresact/esser2  
• https://covid-relief-data.ed.gov/
• https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/01/State-Plan-Addendum-Extension-Letter-01-26-2021-1.pdf
• https://oese.ed.gov/guidance/