Contract Canceled

Evaluation of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Connections Program

NCEE Evaluation Division K-12 Studies

Program: Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Evaluation topic(s): Behavior and Attendance , Parent Engagement , School Improvement , Technology

Award amount: $464,131

Awardee:

Abt Associates, Inc.

Year: 2023

Duration: 2 years (02/01/2023 - 02/10/2025)

Project type:

Implementation Study

Contract number: 91990019F0334

Background

Recent school shootings and lingering effects from the pandemic have sparked renewed concerns about school safety and student well-being. In response, Congress passed the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) of 2022 and provided $1 billion in funding for the Stronger Connections Grant Program (BSCA-SC) to supplement other efforts intended to make schools safer and more supportive for learning. Through BSCA-SC, states competitively award subgrants to high-need districts to help them prevent unhealthy behavior like bullying, drug use, and forms of school-based violence; to improve students' physical, mental, and behavioral health; and to strengthen relationships between educators, students, families, and communities. BSCA-SC includes some requirements for state education agencies and districts but also allows them substantial flexibility, including which activities they prioritize in using program funds. This evaluation assessed how states carried out this grant program in its first year and whether the characteristics of states' competitions and their definitions of high need aligned with federal program intentions.

Project Activities

Research question

Did states distribute Stronger Connections (BSCA-SC) grant funds to districts quickly, in keeping with the urgency with which BSCA was signed into law?
To what extent did states define high-need districts in ways the Department recommended versus using their own criteria?
Did states set key priorities for districts' use of BSCA-SC subgrant funds that emphasized certain strategies over others?
What challenges did states face in carrying out BSCA-SC's requirements and the Department's recommendations?

Structured Abstract

Design

The study was descriptive. It was based on a survey of state Title IV-A program coordinators from the 48 contiguous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska administered in early 2024. These 50 state educational agencies were required by the BSCA legislation to award competitive BSCA-SC subgrants to high-need districts.