News Briefs | FYI
August 22, 2022
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ED program will help expand out-of-school time programs
To support President Joe Biden’s call in July for schools to use American Rescue Plan funds to support summer learning and afterschool programs, the U.S. Department of Education is announcing the Engage Every Student Initiative. The Initiative will help communities utilize American Rescue Plan funds alongside other state and local funds to ensure that every child who wants a spot in a high-quality out-of-school time program has one.
“Quality out-of-school time programs have always supported students’ academic, social and emotional growth, but as we recover from the pandemic, these opportunities have never mattered more,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We need bold action, especially for low-income students and students of color who have historically struggled to access quality afterschool programs and rich summer learning experiences.”
The U.S. Department of Education is announcing a public-private partnership with five coordinating organizations: the Afterschool Alliance, The National Comprehensive Center, the National League of Cities, The National Summer Learning Association, and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, who will work with more than 20 allied organizations to ensure that students have access to these critical learning and development opportunities year-round.
The Initiative will encourage and support schools, districts, local elected officials, local government agencies, community-based organizations, states and others connected to out-of-school time efforts to take up ED’s call to action on universal access, and to encourage the utilization of American Rescue Plan resources in addition to other federal, state and local resources to support access to out-of-school time as an evidence-based strategy to support student recovery from lost instructional time during the pandemic.
The national partners will provide coordinated support by organizing the technical assistance offerings in one centralized, readily available location to navigate for those who are not familiar with particular interventions or programs.
This announcement builds on the more than two decades of work to grow the 21st Century Community Learning Center Initiative that began in 1997. Now through the American Rescue Plan funds, schools and districts are further able to expand access to out-of-school time programs that support student learning and have lasting, positive impacts on youth development. The department has announced new resources to support out-of-school time including a $3 million-$4 million dollar contract that will be awarded in fiscal year 2023 to provide best practices in program implementation and a new tool from the Institute of Education Sciences to support states, districts or programs in building and using evidence to implement afterschool and summer learning programs.
For additional information about the U.S. Education Department’s out-of-school time work visit www.ed.gov/ost.
Report looks at absenteeism crisis across all states
Two years after the pandemic shifted millions of students to distance learning, most states have resumed requiring daily attendance taking across all modes of learning, according to a new analysis by the national Attendance Works initiative.
The report “Monitoring Who is Missing Too Much School” underlines the reality that chronic absenteeism has blossomed into a full-scale crisis. The number of students missing 10 percent or more of school days has doubled, or in some cases tripled, in many places. Historically disadvantaged groups are affected the most.
“Although there are skyrocketing rates of chronic absence in communities throughout the country, now is not the time to shy away from monitoring and publicly releasing student attendance data,” said Hedy Chang, Attendance Works executive director and founder, in a press release.
While a previous policy scan in 2021 revealed only 31 states and the District of Columbia required daily attendance, the new analysis shows that the number of states that have reinstated daily attendance taking has grown, and most now require daily attendance taking across all modes of learning (in person and distance). Chronic absence data is more publicly available than ever before, according to the analysis, with the majority of states, including California, publishing chronic absence data for the 2020-21 school year. Many provide data broken down by school, district, ethnicity and special needs.
The brief shows how several states are moving forward with new practices. The public release of real-time data can assist states and districts to see which programs are working, and to intervene before students fall too far behind.
FYI
State board seeks to place educators on IQC
The California State Board of Education will be appointing five members from currently practicing teachers and/or leaders with experience and expertise in English language arts/English language development, health/physical education, mathematics, and science, and one student member to serve a one-year term on the Instructional Quality Commission. Any student who is a California resident enrolled in a public high school for a minimum of two consecutive years and will be a senior in good standing for the 2023–24 school year is eligible to apply. The student member application information is available at https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/cc/ab/iqc-recruitlettersm.asp. The deadline for submittal of the application and all required documents is noon on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Information about the IQC can be found on the CDE IQC web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/cc/cd/.
SBE seeks to fill advisory group
The California State Board of Education is currently seeking applicants to fill positions on the California Practitioners Advisory Group to provide input to the SBE on ongoing efforts to establish a single, coherent local, state, and federal accountability system. The advisory committee serves as the state’s committee of practitioners under federal Title I requirements. Applicants must currently meet one of the following practitioner categories: superintendent or other administrator (COE), education researcher, representative of private school children. The SBE office will accept applications that are received by 5 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022. Find information at www.cde.ca.gov/be/cc/ab/cpag-invitation.asp.
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