Happy February! For those of you at NAESPA last week, it was nice to see so many of you in person. I feel these meetings are so valuable for not only the content shared, but feeling connected with our grantees and partners. The Department presented 10 sessions, including important content on addressing educator shortages, the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections and Mental Health Provider Grants, and resource equity.
This month’s newsletter theme is “Accelerate Learning and Raise the Bar.” If you haven’t noticed, we have highlighted the Department’s Raise the Bar Literacy and Math Series over the last few monthly newsletters. The final session is Feb. 9 and is focused on putting policy to practice. I encourage all of you to attend. The Raise the Bar series has focused not only on mitigating learning loss, but also accelerating academic recovery. Our technical assistance centers have many resources on the topic, and a great place to start is with A Guide to Accelerated Learning.
Speaking of Raise the Bar, on Jan. 24, Secretary Cardona launched “Raise the Bar: Lead the World.” In a speech at the Department, the Secretary laid out the Department’s focus for the year, building off his priorities to promote academic excellence for every learner and better prepare our nation for global competitiveness. The Secretary noted, “Education opens doors. As a student, as a teacher, school principal, and as a parent, I’ve seen firsthand the way it transforms lives. That’s why, when we talk about the future of education, I could not believe more strongly that we have to Raise the Bar. We have what it takes to lead the world in education, but it will take the collective will to challenge complacency and status quo in education and focus on substance, not sensationalism. Working together, I know we can do it.”
In January, I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Matt Soldner on Meeting Students’ Social, Emotional, and Academic Needs for an Institute of Education Sciences (IES) webinar. The session is part of three-part series highlighting the Department’s evidence work. The first session focused on Supporting a Diverse and Talented Educator Workforce to Strengthen Student Learning. The final session on Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. ET will focus on Increasing Postsecondary Value for Learners through Evidence-Building. You can still register for the session.
Finally, our Lessons from the Field Webinar series had the first of a two-part webinar series discussing Fentanyl and its significant dangers. The overwhelming attendance at this webinar – over 1,600 – highlights the growing problem we face in the field. If you missed the webinar, it’s available to view. In addition, the second session in the series will be on Feb. 8 at 3 p,m, ET and will focus on education and prevention methods used by others in the field. Registration is open.
Thank you all for your continued efforts to “Raise the Bar” for all students, especially those who are underserved or disadvantaged.
Ruth Ryder
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Teaching and Learning Resource Collection
The Comprehensive Center Network Teaching and Learning Resource Collection contains resources from OESE’s Comprehensive Center Network on a broad range of instructional methods, curriculum materials, and tools that may be used to support learning at school, home, and in the community. Notably, the National Comprehensive Center and its Accelerated Learning Work Group created A Guide to Accelerated Learning. This introductory guide offers descriptions, resources, and examples of state educational agencies (SEAs) implementing accelerated learning in their programs.
Learn more about the Accelerated Learning Work Group in the CC Network blog, The Accelerated Learning Work Group Discusses Literacy and Math, and access related products:
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Literacy Leads, Learning Follows, Students Succeed: Advice for Grades 1-3 Literacy Leaders: This guide, developed by the National Comprehensive Center, is part of a series of online multimedia resources that provide advice for literacy leadership teams. In addition to information about instructional priorities, the guide includes suggestions for planning efficient use of instructional time, relieving the burden on teachers, centralizing support for parents, and engaging community resources. Links to evidence-based resources are provided throughout the text.
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Literacy Leads, Content Follows, Students Thrive: Advice for Grades 4–8 Literacy Leaders: The guide, developed by the National Comprehensive Center Literacy Work Group, provides guidance to help teachers adapt to working in multiple modes with increased flexibility and inventiveness while focusing instruction on the essential literacy skills needed to learn subject area content. Resources with evidence-based practices are linked throughout the document, providing “one stop” access to seminal documents.
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Feb. 9 is the final session for Raise the Bar Literacy and Math Series to address academic recovery
In October 2022, as part of the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing efforts to support students’ academic recovery, the Department announced a five-part learning series focused on strategies and programs to boost student literacy and math outcomes.
The Oct. 26 kickoff event was a continued call to action for practitioners, education leaders, and policymakers to leverage the extraordinary levels of federal resources to mitigate learning loss and accelerate academic recovery. The event highlighted bright spots of states and districts advancing policies and programs to boost math and literacy outcomes.
The second session, on Nov. 10, highlighted concrete practices and research on rigorous instruction for all students. Several Department-funded technical assistance centers made presentations on resources aligned with the session’s topic, Best Practices and Research on Rigorous Instruction for all Students in Literacy and Mathematics.
The third session, on Dec. 8, centered on increasing support for students beyond the classroom, including best practices and research in after-school and summer programming, tutoring and mentoring, and parent partnerships.
The fourth session, on Jan. 12, offered promising practices to address teacher shortages, including building a better teacher preparation system in New Mexico, evidence-based strategies to retain teachers and address shortages in New Jersey and Missouri, and key policy levers to boost the diversity of the educator workforce.
The fifth and final session will be on Feb. 9 and is titled, “Highlighting the Best Examples of Putting Policy into Practice.” It will center on sustained, cohesive efforts to improve educational practice. You can still register for this session.
In all of the sessions, the Department sought to build engagement from the field; identify collaboration opportunities among research, practice, and funding; and lift best practices and resources for practitioners and policymakers to take action to address learning loss and academic recovery. Keep an eye on the Best Practices Clearinghouse for continued updates of new resources.
Read the full press release for more information.
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What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guides
Access all of the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guides, which are listed in chronological order, by date of release. A practice guide is a publication that presents recommendations for educators to address challenges in their classrooms and schools. The National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (NCEE) at the Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) has developed a number of practice guides that are based on reviews of research, the experiences of practitioners, and the expert opinions of a panel of nationally recognized experts.
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Meet Department Staff Member Kortne Edogun-Ticey
Learn more about Kortne Edogun-Ticey, senior advisor in OESE and lead staff member for the Raise the Bar series.
- How long have you been at the Department?
I’ve served at the Department since August 2022.
- What do you most enjoy about working at the Department?
What I enjoy most is being a part of an agency and administration that so closely aligns with my values. There are a number of positive things I could share, but few things compare to being rooted in purpose. I am proud to contribute to the Department’s efforts to foster educational excellence and equitable access for all.
- How do you hope people will use the materials from Raise the Bar?
The Raise the Bar: Literacy and Math series convenes around the best practices in the science of learning; the series offers insights from expert practitioners and researchers, highlights the outstanding work that districts and states are doing, and gives practical advice for leveraging federal funds. I hope people will leverage the series to hear about what’s working well, consider how the promising practices relate to their context, and choose at least one next step. I’m a strong believer in the value of harnessing the strength of the collective, and this series showcases the innovation and tenacity of the education field.
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On Dec 1, 2022, the Department held a call with all of its federally funded Technical Assistance (TA) Centers. The purpose was to share resources and strategies on the topic of “Evaluating Academic Recovery Efforts for Continuous Improvement.” Below, find a list of links to resources developed by ED’s TA Centers that are aligned with the Call’s topic.
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Strategies for funding grow your own programs
As many of our nation’s schools face a shortage of teachers, particularly a shortage of teachers who represent the racial, cultural, and linguistic background of our students, one strategy that holds promise for strengthening and diversifying the educator workforce are grow your own (GYO) programs. Access a multimedia package, Cultivating Teacher Talent Through Grow Your Own Programs, that was developed from a 2022 series of three webinar sessions conveniently broken down into key insights, real-world examples, and expert-given advice that can help state and local educational agencies design, implement, and evaluate their own GYO programs.
The CCNetwork’s Strengthening and Diversifying the Educator Workforce Work Group is hosting a topically aligned four-part professional learning series on GYO programs this year:
Learn more about the series. The session recordings will be made available on the CCNetwork website.
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Webinar on the Role of Industry Intermediaries in Expanding Registered Apprenticeship in In-Demand Sectors: Focus on Teacher Apprenticeship and Hospitality Apprenticeships
Registered Apprenticeship (RA) Industry Intermediaries are integral stakeholders in the Department of Labor’s (DOL) effort to expand the number of RA opportunities across industries throughout the U.S. In fact, DOL is currently partnering with 16 Industry Intermediary contractors to expand Registered Apprenticeships across high-demand industries, including the care economy, health care, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, IT, and hospitality.
View the webinar recording from Jan. 24 to learn more about how Industry Intermediaries can play a key role in expanding and diversifying Registered Apprenticeship, hear about successful Industry Intermediary models, as well as how Industry Intermediaries can help address teacher shortages and provide continued support for the post-pandemic recovery taking place in other industries critical to the U.S. economy, including hospitality.
You can access the resources mentioned during the webinar using the links below:
Featured Resources
Other Resources
Sample Work Process Schedules
Watch for future partnership opportunities, funding announcements, and other information shared about these new sector initiatives on the Apprenticeship.gov website and other DOL communication channels. If there are any questions, please be sure to visit the Apprenticeship.gov Contact Us webpage.
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Bipartisan Safer Communities Act webinar series
View the “Building Stronger Connections” webinar series supporting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) Stronger Connections Grant Program. Learn more on the BSCA webpage. The first webinar, “Building Stronger Connections: Engaging Families and Communities,” was held on Nov. 30, 2022. Learn more about the session and view the webinar recording.
The second session, “Building Stronger Connections: Selecting High-Quality Evidence-based Strategies for Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Schools Part I,” was held on Dec. 14, 2022. The webinar recording is available to view.
The third session was held on Jan. 18 and was titled “Building Stronger Connections: Selecting High-Quality Evidenced-based Strategies for Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Schools Part II.” The webinar recording is available to view.
The fourth session, “Building Stronger Connections: Professional Development and Training for All School Staff on Strategies for Safe, Healthy, and Supportive Schools,” was held on Jan. 26 and you can register to view the recording on demand.
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New awards for Full-Service Community Schools
The Department recently announced $63 million in new five-year Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) grants to support 42 LEAs, nonprofits, or other public or private organizations and institutions of higher education working to expand existing community schools or establish new programs in eight states and territories, including Alabama, Alaska, Louisiana, Maryland, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Puerto Rico.
FSCS grants are funded by the Department to provide support for the planning, implementation, and operation of full-service community schools that improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for children attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural schools. Grantees partner with schools, students, and families to integrate student supports, expand and enrich learning time, actively engage with families and communities, and practice collaborative leadership.
Read more about the new grants, funded for a period of five years.
New awards for Promise Neighborhoods
The Department has announced new awards for the 2022 Promise Neighborhoods (PN) program grant competition. PN grants provide coordinated support services and programs to students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their education, from early childhood through their careers. For FY 2022, four new grants totaling $23 million will focus on the implementation of services in neighborhoods that have never received support through the program. These services include high-quality early childhood education; high-quality, in-school and out-of-school time opportunities; and support for student transitions at each point in their academic careers, among others supports. Additionally, two existing grantees will receive a total of $4 million to expand services and scale results in their communities.
Read more about the new grants, funded for a period of five years.
New awards for Education Innovation and Research
The Department recently announced $160 million in new grant awards through the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. This year’s cohort of grantees is comprised of 28 entities that include SEAs, LEAs, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations across the U.S. Through the EIR program, grantees will design, scale, and validate programs that can help solve education’s most pressing problems. Most importantly, they’ll be working to address the continuing impacts of the COVID19 pandemic. Learn more about the EIR program and see the full list of grantees.
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Public Health and STEM at CDC
Join the Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to view this archived session about their STEM-related resources for students, teachers, and early career professionals. CDC’s goal is to help educators bring public health to the classroom to foster educational excellence and inspire the next generation of STEM learners to pursue public health careers.
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Regional Education Laboratory Highlight: Raising the Bar Resources – The Community Math Night Facilitators Toolkit
The RELs have developed (and are developing) a host of evidence-based resources to address learning loss, support academic recovery, and improve teaching practice. Many of these incorporate practices are outlined in What Works Clearinghouse practice guides.
At the after-session to Session 4 of the “Raising the Bar” series, REL Appalachia shared their Community Math Night tool kit. This tool kit was designed to engage educators, children, and family members in learning and talking about mathematics, helping family members participate in their child’s learning and support their child’s academic success (and includes the infographic shared earlier in this newsletter). These trainings focus on the importance of engaging families in math education, the power of positive mindsets, and hands-on practice with interactive math games that teachers facilitate during their Community Math Night events. REL Appalachia staff have virtually hosted community math nights with elementary and middle schools in Kentucky and West Virginia.
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Impact Aid 7002 and 7003 FY 2024 late application deadline reminder
Does your district apply for Impact Aid Funding?
The deadline to submit applications for FY 2024 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 3 for a late submission. Late applications completed between Feb. 1 and April 3 incur a 10% penalty. Applications submitted after April 3 (60 days from the deadline) are ineligible for funding for FY 2024.
Visit the Impact Aid portal to get started right away, using our helpful instructions, tips, videos, and resource documents.
Need Help?
You can submit questions from inside the application system when you need help, 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 would like to recognize the 50th anniversary of the National Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE) 1973 Inaugural Report to Congress. We continue to offer meaningful technical assistance and webinars that impact your work. Please don’t hesitate to send us a message and let us know how we can better support your success.
We welcome you to stay connected via our OIE webpage and follow us on Twitter @OIEIndianEd!
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OIE formula grant updates
- The OIE Formula notice inviting applications (NIA) was published in the Federal Register in the middle of January. It highlighted the Electronic Application System for Indian Education (EASIE) Part I opening in early February, as well as several other key dates and deadlines. Potential new applicants should contact OIE.EASIE@ed.gov for more information about the process and requirements. Please monitor your email for upcoming FY 2023 EASIE application technical assistance opportunities in February and throughout the rest of the spring.
- The Formula Team also held an Indian Parent Committee (IPC) Engagement Session on Jan. 11. You can access the recording, transcript, question and answer log on our EASIE Communities website and Department website.
- The OIE Formula Team recently launched a new OIE EASIE Facebook group (screenshot above), and existing Title VI (A) grantees can submit a request to join it. OIE created a U.S. OIE Title VI (A) Formula Group for applicants and grantees to access, and the goal of this group is to allow the EASIE community to communicate with each other as peers and share information. Note that this group is not meant to replace the EASIE Partner Support Center (PSC). All EASIE policy and technical inquiries should be sent to PSC via phone or email.
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Discretionary grants update
Discretionary Grants in Action: OIE joins the Department in addressing academic recovery efforts, but it also takes on the role of addressing cultural persistence efforts through the work of its unique grant programs. Our Native Youth Community Projects (NYCP) and Native American Language (NAL@ED) grants in particular support several grantees working to revitalize and reclaim language that faced near-extinction as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, a NAL@ED grantee shares that, as a result of the fatal pandemic, fewer than 6% of the remaining total tribal population is able to communicate fluently in their language. It is imperative that, as we continue to support academic recovery efforts, we include the efforts needed to support cultural persistence and preservation for our Indigenous people.
Notice of proposed priorities: State Tribal Education Partnership Program
On Dec. 28, 2022, OIE published proposed priorities, requirements, and definitions regarding a future competition of our State Tribal Education Partnership Program (STEP) program to the Federal Register, and the public was able to submit comments through Jan. 27. The final notice of established priorities will be published later this month.
The purposes of the STEP program are to (1) Promote increased collaboration between tribal education agencies (TEAs), SEAs, and LEAs that serve students from the affected tribes; and (2) build the capacity of TEAs to conduct certain administrative functions under certain ESEA formula grant programs for eligible schools, as determined by the TEA, SEA, and LEA.
OIE discretionary technical assistance (TA) office hours take place the last Thursday of each month from 1 to 2 p.m. ET. Office hours provide a safe space for grantees to share challenges and successes. Because of this trust and mutual respect, office hours are well attended. Registration for office hours are on each program’s individual webpage. For example, scroll down the sidebar of the Demonstration Grants webpage to find the registration link.
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FY 2023 Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) program and highlights from previous CIG cohort
The Office of Migrant Education (OME) plans to publish a notice inviting applications in the Federal Register for the FY 2023 Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grants (CIG) program. Through this program, the Department provides financial incentives to SEAs to participate in high quality consortia that improve the interstate or intrastate coordination of migrant education programs by addressing key needs of migratory children who have their education interrupted. Applications will be judged competitively, but award amounts are determined based on a formula established in the program’s regulations.
In FY 2022, which was the last year of the three-year period of funding for the previous cohort of CIG awardees, 39 SEAs participated in four different consortia. As an example, one of the four consortia currently funded is the Instructional Services for Out-of-School and Secondary Youth (iSOSY), which seeks to improve the educational attainment of migratory out-of-school youth and secondary youth at-risk of dropping out and experiencing substantial barriers to academic participation. To learn more about the accomplishments, activities, and resources developed during the last year of the iSOSY consortium, please visit iSOSY’s website.
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21st Century Community Learning Centers Summer Symposium announcement
OESE is pleased to announce the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program 2023 Summer Symposium. This event, hosted by OESE’s Office of School Support and Accountability, will convene in-person July 19-20, in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Summer Symposium features presentations on successful strategies that states and their subgrantees can use to implement and manage a 21st CCLC program. Attendees will hear from nationally recognized speakers during plenary sessions and work closely with education experts and peers during interactive workshops. State and subgrantee staff will gain valuable perspectives on after-school issues and receive important updates about the 21st CCLC program.
This year’s theme is “Celebrating 21st CCLC Resilience: Yesterday, Today, and Beyond.” Ideas for building on individual and collective strengths are woven throughout each of the following symposium strands:
- Changemakers: Youth Tell Their Stories
- College and Career Ready: Fully Present and Future Focused
- Great Leaders Track: Recognizing and Cultivating Others’ Potential
- Howdy, Partners: Families, Schools, and Communities Circle the Wagons for Students
- Human-Centered and Personalized Learning Approaches
- Life Experience Counts: Voices From the Field
- Lighting the Flame: The Power of Interdisciplinary Connections
- Positive Learning Environments: Physical, Social, and Emotional Considerations
Please share the above information with your out-of-school time colleagues. Additional Summer Symposium details, including logistics information and registration, will be available this spring. Meanwhile, if you have questions about the Summer Symposium, please contact Dr. La’ Shawndra Scroggins at Shawn.Scroggins@ed.gov.
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SRSA Grant Application Opening Soon
The Rural Education Achievement Program (REAP) is gearing up for its annual application for the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) grant. In February, each SRSA-eligible LEA projected to receive an award will be invited via email to complete the online application through MAX Survey. The application should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete, and the REAP team will provide technical assistance in the form of webinars to support eligible LEAs as they apply. To check your LEA’s eligibility, please view the FY 2023 Master Eligibility Spreadsheet. For additional information on the SRSA application, visit the Applicant Information webpage or email reap@ed.gov. We encourage eligible LEAs to apply as soon as possible!
Additionally, members of the REAP team were in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Feb. 3 for the NAESPA conference to give a presentation, Understanding and Leveraging the Rural Education Achievement Program.
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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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