Official USDOE guidance on ESSA Student Support and Enrichment Grants
The arts are now recognized as "official uses" in official USDOE guidance on Every Student Succeeds Act Student Support and Enrichment Grants and contribute to a well-rounded education! We'll stay tuned to how this guidance is resolved in actual legislation and state-level plans for 2017, and hope you will too.
Newly authorized under subpart 1 of Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is intended to help meet these goals by increasing the capacity of State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), schools, and local communities to: 1) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, 2) improve school conditions for student learning, and 3) improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. In this guidance document, the U.S. Department of Education provides key information on the provisions of the new SSAE program including a discussion of the allowable uses of funds, role of the SEA, fiscal responsibilities, and the local application requirements. In addition, the guidance provides examples of several innovative activities that demonstrate some of the SSAE program allowable uses of funds. It is important to note that SSAE funds may not be sufficient to independently fund many of these innovative activities. This guidance discusses leveraging other state and local resources in combination with the SSAE grant funds to achieve the goals of SSAE programs and activities. Finally, the Appendix provides resources, tools, and additional innovative strategies to support effective implementation of the SSAE program to improve outcomes for all students.
Read the full guidance document here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/essa/essassaegrantguid10212016.pdf