Contract Closed

National Implementation Study of Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV, Part A)

NCEE

Program: Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Evaluation topic(s): Behavior and Attendance , Literacy , Mathematics , School Improvement , Technology

Award amount: $1,926,886

Awardee:

Abt Associates, Inc.

Year: 2019

Duration: 5 years 8 months (06/01/2019 - 02/10/2025)

Project type:

Implementation Study

Contract number: ED-PEP-16-A-0003/91990019F0334

Background

Changes to education law in 2015 consolidated several programs to give states and districts greater flexibility in how they use federal funds. The resulting Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program (Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)) tries to maintain the different purposes of the original programs by prioritizing and requiring spending in three broad areas: (1) providing students with a well-rounded education, (2) ensuring a positive school environment, and (3) improving and personalizing learning through technology. The new law also requires districts to consult with stakeholders, distribute Title IV-A funds to high-need schools and, in certain instances, to conduct comprehensive needs assessments and use evidence from research to pick strategies to fund. This evaluation assesses how this new program was carried out across the country, particularly the ways in which it supports school systems as they seek to recover from the coronavirus pandemic during the 2021–2022 school year.

Project Activities

Research question

Did districts take advantage of key Title IV-A flexibilities, as intended by ESSA?
What activities were emphasized the most within the three content areas of Title IV-A?
To what extent were the funding decisions and patterns of spending consistent with the intent of targeting funds to those with the greatest needs?
What were the key benefits and challenges around Title IV-A implementation that districts experienced?

Structured Abstract

Design

The study is descriptive. It is based on a survey of Title IV-A coordinators from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and a nationally representative survey of Title IV-A coordinators in 1,100 school districts.