As an important component of our support to states, CCSSO provides resources and technical assistance to help maximize the impact of federal funds through effective state policies and practices. This page collects materials CCSSO has created and shared with our state members.
Webinars in the State Leadership in Federal Programs webinar series are collected here and address key federal programs and issues such as the federal budget and appropriations process, school meals programs, Medicaid in schools, and state strategies for serving students experiencing homelessness. Please contact Peter.Zamora@CCSSO.org if you have questions or require support.
CCSSO Memo on ESSER Time and Effort (January 2022)
This memo was created to assist states and their subgrantees with federal documentation requirements for ESSER personnel expenses, also known as “time and effort” records. It explains the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) guidance on issues like semi-annual certifications and personnel activity. Explore the resource here.
CCSSO Memo on Using ESSER Funds for School Construction (December 2021)
CCSSO developed this memo to assist states in supporting the use of ESSER funds for school facilities. It details federal rules and regulations that apply to ESSER state and local funds and cites the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) guidance and technical assistance throughout. Explore the resource here.
CCSSO Memo on ESSER Funds for COVID Leave (October 2021)
CCSSO created this document to address questions about using ESSER funds to pay for COVID-related staff leave. With support from the Federal Education Group, PLLC, this document lays out considerations to help states analyze the allowability of such costs. This is not legal advice; if you have additional questions, please consult your legal counsel. Explore the resource here.
CCSSO COVID-19 Relief Fact Sheet for K-12 Education (updated with ARP March 2021)
CCSSO’s COVID-19 Relief Funding Fact Sheet was developed to help state education leaders and stakeholders better understand the availability of ESSER and GEER funding provided in the three separate COVID-19 relief laws (CARES, CRRSA, and ARPA). The document provides a high-level summary of the primary K-12 funding streams and implementation provisions. Explore the resource here.
Considerations for State Administration of the EANS Program (February 2021)
Congress created a new program to provide services for non-public schools in the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA). This program, known as Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS), is administered by state educational agencies (SEAs) and is different from the typical process for providing services to private schools, known as equitable services. This document outlines some considerations for SEAs deciding how best to implement the EANS program. Explore the resource here.
Consolidation of ESEA and Other Select State Administrative Funds: (Updated February 2021)
Explore the resource here.
Commonly Asked Questions about Allowable ESSER and GEER Activities (February 2021)
This document outlines information and considerations about using ESSER and GEER funds for additional pay, transportation, high-quality instructional materials and curricula, real property or modular classrooms, construction and renovations, and addressing budget shortfalls. Explore the resource here.
CRRSA ESSER and GEER Maintenance of Effort Requirements (January 2021)
The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was enacted on December 27, 2020. CRRSA provides significant new funding for the GEER and ESSER fund programs originally created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). To receive this supplemental relief funding, states must assure they will maintain a certain level of state spending on education. This is known as a maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement and is summarized in this resource.
CRRSA ESSER (“ESSER II”) Funding Distribution and Grants Management Requirements (January 2021)
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) on December 27, 2020. CRRSA authorizes significant new money for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) fund program originally authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). This document outlines how states must distribute and use this money. Explore the resource here.
Restart & Recovery: ESEA & COVID-19 State Strategies for Supporting Local Educational Agencies in Confronting the Effects of the Pandemic (October 2020)
This document discusses ways states can support local educational agencies (LEAs) in responding to COVID-19 by helping them adapt Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs and spending to new and evolving needs. Explore the resource here.
Restart & Recovery: IDEA & COVID-19 State Strategies for Supporting Local Educational Agencies in Confronting the Effects of the Pandemic (October 2020)
IDEA-funded special education services can be delivered in a variety of settings including inside general education classrooms, if appropriate given a student’s needs, and by a variety of personnel (like classroom teachers, content specialists, or special educators) if appropriately prepared and trained. IDEA funds can be used to provide interventions and other supports to students with disabilities even if those same interventions and supports are provided to other students through other funding sources. IDEA funds can be used for many activities to improve outcomes for students with disabilities, including coordinated efforts to improve outcomes for all students. For example, IDEA can contribute to initiatives like designing new learning environments to meet the needs of diverse learners in the same setting, training all teachers on strategies for addressing learning gaps experienced by students with disabilities as a result of extended school closures, redesigning school schedules to provide extra instruction to students with disabilities to address service disruptions during extended school closures and virtual learning, and more. LEAs need state help to take advantage of IDEA’s full range of service and spending options. States can help LEAs by addressing misperceptions and clearly communicating local spending and program options under IDEA. Explore the resource here.
Restart & Recovery: Federal Funds & COVID-19 a System Workbook for States (October 2020)
The purpose of this workbook is to help states analyze the systems they use to oversee and manage Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs to determine what adjustments might be needed to maximize local spending options in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Explore the resource here.
Brief Background and Short-Term Implementation Checklist for K-12 CARES Act Funding (April 2020)
This resource is a brief summary of K-12 CARES Act funding and a short-term checklist of issues for SEAs to consider about receiving, awarding, and managing CARES Act funding. Explore the resource here.
A Guide to State Educational Agency Oversight Responsibilities under ESSA: The Role of the State in the Local Implementation of ESSA Programs (March 2017)
This guide describes the oversight responsibilities state educational agencies (SEAs) have in ESSA programs, how those responsibilities affect ESSA implementation at the local level, and how SEAs can promote more effective uses of funds to benefit students. Ultimately, how an SEA carries out its oversight responsibilities has a strong influence on the services LEAs provide to students. This guide is divided into two parts. Part I provides an overview of the SEA’s oversight role in ESSA programs and discusses the importance of developing a strategic vision for how the SEA will approach oversight. Part II highlights thirteen oversight responsibilities SEAs have under federal law, describes how SEA oversight activities influence LEA implementation of ESSA programs, and provides examples of possible oversight activities SEAs might carry out in different situations. Explore the resource here.
Summary of Significant Spending and Fiscal Rules in the Every Student Succeeds Act (February 2016)
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) makes important changes to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). This summary focuses on significant changes to spending and related fiscal rules under Title I, Part A (including 1003 and 1003A), Title II, Part A, Title III, Part A, Title IV, Part A, and Title VIII (general provisions). Explore the resource here.
Decision Guide for Implementing ESSA: State Considerations for Effective Grant Programs (November 2016)
This guide builds on an earlier publication called Maximizing ESSA Formula Funds for Students: State Readiness Self-Assessment,1 which helps SEAs analyze the extent to which their policies and practices in three areas are aligned to state priorities: (1) state spending policies for federal funds, (2) the state-developed application, planning and budget tools districts must submit to receive ESSA funds, and (3) paperwork reduction opportunities. While that publication focuses broadly on state policy and practice, this guide provides more specific information about implementing ESSA’s non-accountability requirements. This paper also draws on CCSSO’s Summary of Significant Spending and Fiscal Rules in the Every Student Succeeds Act.2. Explore the resource here.
Maximizing Federal Education Funds for Student Achievement: A Toolkit for States Seeking to Enhance Flexibility and Reduce Burden (November 2013)
CCSSO, in partnership with the Federal Education Group, provides this toolkit for states that want to reexamine the way they, and their school districts, spend federal K-12 formula grants to support student achievement. While the specific steps each state will take will vary, there is a core set of practices or considerations states may wish to consider when undertaking this work. This executive summary provides a brief overview of these core practices and considerations. Substantive themes that may be addressed follow in the body of the toolkit. Explore the resource here.
For examples of how states are leveraging federal emergency relief funds to improve education for all students, click here.
