AJE is excited to share this updated from ED Review from the U.S. Department of Education!

This week, the Department announced approval of seven American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund state plans — Arkansas, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, and the District of Columbia — and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to those jurisdictions.  The plans detail how states are currently using and intend to use ARP ESSER funds to safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and classrooms and address the needs of students, including by equitably expanding opportunity for students disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

Earlier this year, the Department distributed two-thirds of ARP ESSER funds, totaling $81 billion, to all 50 states and the District of Columbia.  The remaining third is being made available to states once plans are approved.  The approval of the seven state plans resulted in the release of nearly $6 billion in ARP ESSER funds.  This follows the release of $12 billion in ARP ESSER funds to these jurisdictions.

Among the highlights of the approved state plans:

The District of Columbia’s Out of School Time grants enable community-based organizations to provide summer learning programs for students, designed to improve academic performance via evidence-based interventions.

In other ARP news:

The Department released more than $3 billon in ARP funds to states to support infants, toddlers, children, and youth with disabilities (state-by-state allocations).  This new funding will help more than 7.9 million served under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act(IDEA).  The agency also released a fact sheet describing how ARP IDEA funds may be used by states.

To help support the needs of students experiencing homelessness, the Department is inviting states to complete an application for their share of the second disbursement of $800 million in ARP funds under the Homeless Children and Youth Fund.  In April, the agency released the initial $200 million to states.  This additional $600 million will be available to states and districts before the beginning of the 2021-22 school year (state-by-state allocations).

PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS:

Also last week, across two Facebook pages, two Twitter accounts, Flickr, and YouTube, the Department highlighted this year’s cohort of U.S. Presidential Scholars.  Scholar profiles, presented in videos by region and state (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8), feature student photos (with many wearing their medallions) and words of inspiration.  A final video leads with remarks by the Secretary, followed by all 161 Scholar profiles.  Furthermore, the Scholars in the Arts collaborated virtually, creating a multi-disciplinary video montage: Salute to the Presidential Scholars.  Congratulations 2021 Scholars!