The U.S. Department of Education has approved the Lamont administration”™s plan for use of the $110 million the state is receiving from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
The funding was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden earlier this year as part of the ongoing efforts to assist in recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The state”™s plan, developed by the Office of the Governor and the Connecticut State Department of Education (DOE), provides a comprehensive vision for maximizing both short-term and long-term investments of the federal funding with an emphasis on promoting renewal, reducing opportunity gaps, accelerating learning, and advancing equity.
The investments, as presented in the State Set-Aside Plan Executive Summary, will maximize both the short-term and the lasting impact of the federal funding by creating a “parachute” that will help the education community land safely following the pandemic while collecting the evidence to support continued funding for strategies that work.
“Our administration will continue working with school districts to ensure that we can maintain these efforts and every student has access to the educational opportunities they deserve,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. I appreciate President Biden for approving this funding, and Connecticut”™s Congressional delegation for their advocacy to ensure that our schools have access to these critical resources.”
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been striving to make the investments necessary to help our school communities meet their areas of greatest need, especially for those students disproportionately affected by the pandemic,” Connecticut DOE Commissioner Charlene Russell-Tucker said. “This historic level of funding allows us, as one educational community, to be bold and innovative as we forge our path to a transformative and equitable recovery.”
“Federal pandemic relief funds have been fueling Connecticut”™s strong recovery ”“ helping our students catch up on lost learning this summer after a tough 2020 school year, and getting our local schools geared up for in-classroom learning this fall,” the members of Connecticut”™s Congressional delegation in a joint statement.
The approved plan outlines an investment in a variety of evidence-based initiatives designed for a transformative and equitable recovery. Initiatives include:
- A statewide K-8 model curricula.
- Extended access to online/digital platforms that accelerate learning and provide credit recovery.
- Expanded access to high-quality, innovative summer enrichment and afterschool programs.
- Additional supports for students with disabilities and English learners.
- College and career advising resources for high needs high school students.
- Comprehensive supports for youth in the criminal justice system.
- Subgrants to local education agencies to facilitate high-dosage tutoring.
The plan also makes a significant investment in educator support, recruitment, and retention to ensure all educators have the professional and personal support necessary to guide students in the years following Covid-19.
In addition, the state DOE said it remains dedicated to providing support for the implementation of the $995 million in federal relief funds allocated to districts. District plans for those funds were due to the state by Aug. 16 and are currently being reviewed.
