Happy February, everyone. This month, we are celebrating the two-year anniversary of this newsletter. I remember clearly, two years ago, when we rolled out the newsletter. I was in the middle of announcing the launch of the newsletter at the National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (NAESPA) gathering and a member in the audience informed us all that they had just received it. It was a perfect coincidence – either that or my team was reading my mind!
This newsletter had been a priority of mine since I arrived in OESE. I wanted to communicate to external stakeholders what we do here in OESE, as well as share the important resources developed by my staff, our partners, and grantees. This is no small undertaking, so I want to thank the staff who spend countless hours designing the themes, collecting the resources, and publishing this monthly newsletter. We are already planning our content for March, April, and beyond. As always, please let us know if you have feedback by emailing OESENewsletter@ed.gov, and please continue to share it with other potential subscribers! You can also find archived issues on this website.
This month, our theme is supporting learning through the use of relief funds and the Office of State and Grantee Relations’ (SGR) administration of emergency relief funds. This newsletter offers an opportunity to get to know SGR and their new director. It also includes resources on how to use relief funds to address teacher and school staff shortages and how to address the pandemic’s impact on students and provides a Maintenance of Equity Tool. We continue to highlight the most up-to-date resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well.
Also, note that in a recent major address at the Department, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona laid out his vision for continued recovery through the pandemic and his priorities for broader investments in America’s education system to ensure that all students can succeed and thrive.
I hope to see some of you at the NAESPA meeting! The Department is presenting some great sessions, and we are excited to have this opportunity.
Ruth Ryder
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The Office of State and Grantee Relations (SGR) administers several of the programs authorized under the Education Stabilization Fund, including the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES); the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA); and the American Rescue Plan (ARP). This represents an investment of over $263 billion into state and institutional COVID-19 recovery and rebuilding efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19’s impacts on education for our nation’s students. SGR is the main point of contact for states as they administer three emergency relief funds: (1) the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund, (2) the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund, and (3) the Emergency Assistance to Non-public Schools (EANS) Fund.
Information about the programs the SGR administers can be found on this website.
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Meet Department Staff Member Laura Jimenez
Learn more about Laura Jimenez, director of the Office of State and Grantee Relations. She comes to the Department with more than 20 years in education, most recently having served as the director of standards and accountability at the Center for American Progress. Her work there focused on advancing policies that would improve the quality of all K-12 public schools.
How long have you been at the Department?
- I started back at the U.S. Department of Education in December 2021, after having been at the Department from 2010 to 2014.
What do you most enjoy about working at the Department?
- The amazing staff at the Department are incredible experts and colleagues and the best part about working at ED!
What is one thing you’d like to see happen for SGR’s work in the next year?
- Continue to grow our team so that we can provide the best service possible to grantees.
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On April 4, the Department will join other federal agencies and transition to using Unique Entity Identifiers (UEIs) for grant recipients and applicant organizations, rather than DUNS numbers. UEI is administered through SAM.gov (System for Award Management).
Organizations that have already registered a DUNS with SAM.gov have now been assigned a UEI in that system.
Entities that do not have a registered DUNS in SAM.gov should ensure that they are registered well before the switch takes place. Organizations should initiate the process with SAM.gov no later than March 1, as it may take some time for registration to be completed.
For detailed information about this change, please refer to the fact sheet found here: UEI Transition Fact Sheet.
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Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Increases COVID-19 Testing in Schools to Keep Students Safe and Schools Open
The White House released a fact sheet discussing the administration’s commitments to increase COVID-19 testing in schools to keep students safe and schools open.
2022: Staying in School In-Person & Updated CDC Guidance
The Department recently released guidance titled 2022: Staying In School In-Person. This document discusses four important strategies to keep students and staff safe, healthy, and ready for in-person learning. The strategies are to help students get vaccinated, implement test-to-stay practices and provide screening testing, collaborate with local health departments, and monitor community spread. Also of note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its guidance on quarantine and isolation.
Information and Vaccination Location Tool for Elementary School Children
The CDC has officially recommended that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNtech pediatric vaccine. Click here for facts on COVID-19 vaccines for children and teens and to locate a Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11. To learn more about getting vaccinated or standing up a vaccine clinic for your school or community, visit www.vaccines.gov.
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What to Do If a Child Becomes Sick or Receives a New COVID-19 Diagnosis at Your Child Care Program & COVID-19 Data Dashboard
The CDC updated this flowchart to inform school staff and child care programs on what to do if a child becomes sick or receives a new COVID-19 diagnosis while in school. Additionally, the Department of Education, in collaboration with the CDC, launched a COVID-19 data dashboard to help the public keep track of the impact of COVID-19 on K-12 schools. Data will be updated each week. Where possible, the information is presented geographically so that educators and families can understand the impact of COVID in their communities.
CDC Isolation and Quarantine Guidance
This updated guidance by the CDC recommends shortening the recommended time for isolation for individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 and its variants.
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ARP ESSER State Plans Update
As of late 2021, the Department has approved all 52 American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) state plans. These plans reflect states’ commitment to ensuring that funds are meeting the needs of students during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly by keeping schools safe and open and by addressing the impact of lost instructional time. States are using funds to invest in evidence-based practices designed to expand equity, to accelerate instruction, and to provide critical mental health and social-emotional resources. The Department will continue to work with states to make sure that students, particularly those students most impacted by the pandemic, are reengaged and supported in the years to come.
For more information, please visit the state plans website, which includes a highlights document for each state ARP ESSER plan approved by the Department.
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The American Rescue Plan Act Partnership, Assistance, Transformation, and Heightened Support Resource for States
The Department and the National Comprehensive Center recently published the American Rescue Plan Act Partnership, Assistance, Transformation, and Heightened Support (ARP PATHS) Resource for States to help states share their progress as they deploy $122 billion in American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) funds. This tool invites states to describe the strategies they are implementing that could serve as promising practices for other states and the nation in ensuring that ARP ESSER funds are used appropriately and effectively as intended by the law to support safe in-person instruction; address the effects of lost instructional time due to COVID-19; and meet the social, emotional, mental health, and academic needs of students. Read the Department’s press release on this website.
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American Rescue Plan Funds and Other Federal Supports to Address State and Local Teacher & School Staff Labor Shortages
On Oct. 27 and 28, 2021, the U.S. Departments of Education and the Treasury offered two presentations on using American Rescue Plan funds:
During the presentations, the following resources were provided:
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Dear Colleague Letter from Secretary Cardona
In a recent Dear Colleague Letter, Secretary Cardona outlined (1) evidence-based and promising short- and long-term strategies for addressing teacher and staff shortages that may be funded through ARP ESSER, and (2) examples of how ARP and past relief funding already are being used to attract and retain teachers and staff.
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The Education Grant Assistance E-Learning Series
This Education Grant Assistance E-Learning Series by the Region 3 Comprehensive Center is an interactive resource specifically designed to assist the writers of the Federal Consolidated Grant Application. However, it is also widely applicable to education grant projects of any kind. The three modules in the series are:
- Module 1: Plan – Conducting a Comprehensive Needs Assessment
- Module 2: Do – Project Implementation
- Module 3: Study & Act – Monitoring and Evaluating Education Grant Projects
Module content addresses a wide range of topics, such as conducting needs assessments, choosing evidence-based practices, communicating with stakeholders, developing a theory of action and outcome statements, and creating a project evaluation. The e-learning modules are available on demand and on almost any device.
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Growing up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention
The Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Department of Justice have updated the guide, Growing Up Drug Free: A Parent’s Guide to Substance Use Prevention (2021), to help parents raise children who understand the risks of substance use. It includes an overview of substance use among children, youth, and young adults; descriptions of some substances young people may use; a look at risk factors that may make children, youth, and young adults try alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs, and protective factors that help offset those risks; suggestions for how to talk to young people about alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, tailored to their age group; and tips on what to do if you suspect your child is using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. The guide is available in both Spanish and English.
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Virtual Learning Opportunities from the Student Engagement and Attendance Center
The Student Engagement and Attendance Center (SEAC) is excited to launch two new virtual learning series opportunities.
In January, the SEAC launched its second Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Learning Network focused on supporting SEA and LEA partners in improving student attendance and engagement. The P2P Network will provide an opportunity for participants to gather for a series of peer learning sessions on a variety of topics, including the current state of chronic absenteeism, disaggregating attendance data, and equitable SEL efforts to support engagement, among others. Participants will engage with both peers and national subject matter experts on promising practices in these topical areas and engage with peers focused on locally identified questions of practice.
This month, the SEAC launched the Building Systemic Supports for Better Attendance series. Intended for SEAs and select partners, the series will provide participants with an opportunity to learn more about strategies to address chronic absenteeism and to engage students and families. More specifically, it will focus on these issues as they intersect with three topics: (1) multitiered systems of support, (2) youth and family engagement, and (3) truancy.
To learn more about these activities or the SEAC’s other technical assistance offerings, please email the SEAC at SEACenter@insightpolicyresearch.com or visit the SEAC’s website.
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Fortifying the Work: Towards Anti-Oppressive Practices for Early Career Teachers
The Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) offer a wide range of universal resources to support strengthening family, community, and partner connections in public schools.
On Thursday, Feb. 10 from 3-4 p.m. ET, the Midwest and Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP Center: EAC Region III) will host an interactive virtual coffeehouse. During this call, educators from the MAP Center’s 13-state region will discuss implications, considerations, and strategies for driving and sustaining more culturally responsive pedagogical practices. To join, click here.
Visit this site to find your regional EAC.
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2022 State Nominations for Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools Due February 18
State education authorities may submit early learning, school, district, and postsecondary institution nominees for the Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools (ED-GRS) award between now and Feb. 18. The Department will announce the 2022 selectees on Earth Day. Public health conditions permitting, honorees will be invited to send representatives to a recognition ceremony in Washington, D.C., in the summer.
The aim of ED-GRS is to inspire early learning centers, schools, districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs) to strive for 21st century excellence by highlighting promising school sustainability practices and resources that all can employ. To that end, the award recognizes early learning centers, schools, districts, and IHEs that:
- reduce environmental impact and costs;
- improve the health and wellness of schools, students, and staff; and
- provide effective environmental and sustainability education.
Combined progress in all three of these areas, known as Pillars, serves as the basis for recognition. State education authorities can find award criteria and other state implementation guidance on the ED website and may contact U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools staff for more information.
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Regional Education Laboratory (REL) Tool: Using Decision Trees to Inform Education Decisions
Educators need the ability to use available data to identify students who might benefit from extra support in the months and years before issues fully materialize. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis is a statistical modeling approach that uses quantitative data to predict future outcomes by generating decision trees.
REL Appalachia has developed a guide to CART analysis that can be used by data analysts and research directors at local and state educational agencies to generate actionable findings to inform decisions. Data analysts with intermediate statistical software programming experience can use the guide to learn how to conduct a CART analysis and support research directors in local and state educational agencies and other educators in applying the results. Research directors can use the guide to learn how results of CART analyses can inform education decisions.
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Impact Aid 7002 and 7003 FY 2023 Late Application Deadline Reminder
Does your district apply for Impact Aid Funding?
The deadline to submit applications for FY 2023 Section 7002 (payments for federal property) and Section 7003 (payments for federally connected children) was Jan. 31.
If your district missed the deadline, you may apply by April 1 for a late submission. Late applications completed between Feb. 1 and April 1 incur a 10% penalty. Applications submitted after April 1 (60 days from the deadline) are ineligible for funding for FY 2023.
Visit our portal at https://impactaid.ed.gov to use our helpful instructions, tips, videos, and resource documents, including how to take advantage of the Supplemental Impact Aid Flexibility Act this year.
Need Help?
You can submit questions from inside the application system, phone our Help Desk at 202-260-3858, or send an email to Impact.Aid@ed.gov.
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Message from the Office of Indian Education Director
This February, the Office of Indian Education (OIE) is putting a particular focus on the delivery of customer service to our grantee community. We are proud to continue our investments in technical assistance and flexibilities that have a meaningful impact on your work. Please don’t hesitate to send us a message and let us know how we can better support your success.
Don’t forget to connect with us via our webpage and follow us on Twitter @OIEIndianEd for routine updates.
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Indian Education Formula Grants to Local Educational Agencies: Applications for New Awards
OIE’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 Title VI (Part A) Formula Grants Application Part I opens on Monday, Feb. 7. The full FY 22 Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) was posted to the Federal Register on this page.
The OIE Formula Team is currently drafting the annual GPRA report from grantees’ FY19 Annual Performance Reports. The GPRA report will be posted on our https://easie.grads360.org/ website upon completion.
All recent technical assistance information can be found on our http://easie.grads360.org website.
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On Dec. 20, 2021, the Department released the 2022 application for the Statewide Family Engagement Centers program, underscoring the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to ensuring parents and families play a critical role in informing and supporting their children’s education and academic success. The program will provide financial support to organizations that offer technical assistance and training to state educational agencies and school districts in the implementation of effective family engagement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement. Statewide organizations or consortia are invited to apply for funds to establish Statewide Family Engagement Centers that (1) carry out parent education and family engagement in education programs, and (2) provide comprehensive training and technical assistance to states, districts, and schools identified by states and districts, organizations that support family-school partnerships, and other such programs. The Department will provide up to $5 million for an estimated 5-7 new grants, with an estimated first-year grant award of $500,000 to $1 million per grantee. Grantees will receive annual grant funds over a period of five years.
Applications for the second round of funding are due on Feb. 17. Winners will be selected and awards will be made by September. Application information about the Statewide Family Engagement Centers program is available on this website.
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Alaska Native Education Program FY 2022 Competition
On Jan. 12, the Department issued a notice inviting applications for the Alaska Native Education Program (ANEP). The purpose of ANEP is to support projects that meet the unique educational needs of Alaska Natives and to support supplemental education programs to benefit Alaska Natives. The Department expects to award approximately 48 three-year grants, estimated at $750,000 annually. Applications are due March 14. For more information about this grant opportunity, please contact Almita Reed at OESE.ASKANEP@ed.gov.
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Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) Grant Application Opening Soon
It is SRSA grant season! Each SRSA-eligible local educational agency (LEA) will be invited to complete the SRSA application through MAX.gov Survey in order to receive a fiscal year (FY) 2022 SRSA grant. The application should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete. An eligible LEA will receive an email invitation to access the SRSA application in mid-February.
If you are interested to know whether your LEA is eligible for an SRSA grant, please view the FY 2022 Master Eligibility Spreadsheet and locate the row of data specific to your LEA on the “SRSA” tab. Column K indicates whether your LEA is eligible and Column AH indicates the estimated allocation your LEA would receive through the FY 2022 SRSA grant. Only an LEA that is eligible for SRSA and projected to receive funding through the SRSA program will receive an application to apply.
Columns AB and AC indicate the name of the individual at each LEA who will receive a link to the SRSA application. The link may be forwarded to others at the LEA to complete the application. For assistance on completing the application, please visit the REAP website’s Resources and Applicant Information pages. Please reach out to REAP@ed.gov if you have any questions about the application.
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This newsletter may reference and contain links to external sources. The opinions expressed in these sources do not reflect the views, positions, or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, nor should their inclusion be considered an endorsement of any organization.
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