Funding Resources

Multiple sources of funding are available to help school districts purchase instructional materials and supports, including professional development.

More than ever, students need support in bridging knowledge gaps while also engaging with grade-level content. Funding is available to help educators looking for the right materials and support to meet this moment—no matter where learning takes place this year.

Federal Funding (including ESSA—Every Student Succeeds Act)

The following federal funding sources are available to help educators fund purchases of instructional materials and support.

Districts can use Title I, Part A funds for the purchase of instructional materials as well as professional development to support the implementation of those materials. Under the 2020 CARES Act (see below), districts can ask to waive the requirement that at least 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-priced lunch for Title I funds to be used schoolwide.
Districts can use Title II, Part A funds for professional development to support the implementation of instructional materials.

ESSA Evidence

The Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy conducted a Tier II Evidence for ESSA research evaluation of the short-term impact of implementing Wit & Wisdom on students’ reading outcomes in Kindergarten through Grade 3 as measured by students’ Text Reading and Comprehension (TRC) scores, and in Grades 4 and 5 as measured by students’ state test scores. Contact us for a summary of the findings.

2020 CARES Act

The 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act provides two funding sources that schools can use to purchase instructional materials and educational supports. These funds are available through September 30, 2022.

Schools and districts can use the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund to purchase education technology and instructional materials. Each state received a share of the $3 billion relief fund, which governors can use at their discretion to provide emergency grants to K–12 schools, higher education, and additional education-related entities. More information about this fund is available here.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER) offers formula grants to states and is distributed based on their share of Title I, Part A funds of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Funds from these formula grants are intended to support planning for long-term school closures and remote learning. States, districts, and schools have significant latitude in how they spend these funds to best support students and mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on their educational experience. More information about this fund and other ways schools can use the funds is available here.

CRRSA Act

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, enacted on December 27, 2020, provides two funding sources that schools can use to purchase instructional materials and educational supports. These funds are available through September 30, 2023.

Schools and districts can use the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund for education-related pandemic assistance. Each state received a share of this $4.1 billion relief fund. In a change from how the CARES Act allocates funding, the fund this time set aside $2.75 billion for private schools. With this funding already allocated to private schools, local education agencies no longer need to provide equitable services to non-public schools with the CRRSA Act funds.
The Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund offers formula grants to states and is distributed based on their share of Title I, Part A funds of ESEA. Funds from these formula grants are intended to address learning loss, among other allowable uses. States, districts, and schools have significant latitude in how they spend these funds to address learning loss and prepare schools for reopening.

What’s new in ESSER II?

ESSER II adds a new emphasis on “addressing learning loss among students, including low-income students, children with disabilities, English learners, racial and ethnic minorities, students experiencing homelessness, and children and youth in foster care, of the local educational agency.” “Addressing learning loss” is a new allowable use of funds and the law requires states to report how the agency uses the funds to measure and address learning loss among students disproportionately affected by the coronavirus and school closure. Local education agencies are not required to provide equitable services to non-public schools under ESSER II. ESSER II funds must be tracked separately from ESSER funds. More information about the differences between the CARES Act and the CRRSA Act are available here.

American Rescue Plan Act

The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act, signed into law on March 11, 2021, provides additional federal funds to states and districts, including $122 billion for K–12 education under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. These funds are available through September 30, 2024. Additional information about the ARP is available in this US Department of Education press release.

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
This fund provides money to states and school districts to help them reopen schools safely for in-person learning, keep schools open, and address the academic, social, and emotional impact of COVID-19 on students

This US Department of Education Fact Sheet offers additional information about the ARP Act of 2021 and ARP ESSER Funds, and compares the funding provided by the ESSER Fund under the 2020 CARES Act, the ESSER II Fund under the 2021 CRRSA Act, and the ARP ESSER Fund.

State use of funds

States must subgrant at least 90 percent of their ESSER allocation to local educational agencies (LEAs). The funds to LEAs are allocated based on their share of funding received under Title I, Part A of ESEA for fiscal year 2020.

Of the 10 percent of funds the state can retain, 5 percent must be used for the implementation of evidence-based interventions to address learning loss, which can include summer learning, extended school day programming, afterschool programs, or extended school year programming; 1 percent must be used for evidence-based summer enrichment programs; and 1 percent must be used for evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs.

Local educational agency use of funds

Of the total amount of ESSER funding each LEA receives, the LEA must reserve at least 20 percent to address learning loss through the implementation of evidence-based interventions. These interventions must respond to the social, emotional, and academic needs of students and attend to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented students.

LEAs can use the remaining ESSER funds broadly on a range of activities to address COVID-19-related needs, including activities authorized by ESEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, and the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act.

Existing District Funds

In many cases, districts provide funds for curriculum purchases. In addition to the traditional budget allocation for instructional materials, however, funding for curriculum may also be available in library and technology budgets.

Great-Minds---School-District

DonorsChoose.org

Teachers may use DonorsChoose.org to help fund the purchase of texts for Wit & Wisdom, an English language arts curriculum from Great Minds for Kindergarten through Grade 8 students. Teachers simply select Wit & Wisdom texts from the AKJ Education catalog on DonorsChoose.org when creating their project requests. DonorsChoose.org gives public school teachers a vehicle for requesting materials and experiences for their students. Donors have funded more than 1.4 million projects since 2000, the vast majority at schools in communities with limited resources. Teachers request books more than any other resource.

Foundation and corporate funding

Foundations and corporations often provide financial support for education. In many cases, they stipulate that the funds be focused on a particular curricular area—STEM, early literacy, etc. Such financial support may be awarded at state, district, or school level, or within particular communities.

FUNDING

Sources and products

Funding Source

Products

Existing district funds

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments, Eureka Math² professional development

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math Affirm, Eureka Math Equip, Eureka Math in Sync, and Eureka Math professional development

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials, PhD Science in Sync, and PhD Science professional development

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, Wit & Wisdom Affirm, and Wit & Wisdom professional development

Geodes: Geodes texts

Federal funding

Title I, Part A

Eureka Math2: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math Affirm, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math in Sync

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom Affirm, and Wit & Wisdom in Sync

Geodes: Geodes texts

Federal funding
Title II, Part A

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math²professional development

Eureka Math: Eureka Math professional development

PhD Science: PhD Science professional development

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom professional development

2020 CARES Act

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math Affirm, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math in Sync

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, and Wit & Wisdom Affirm

Geodes: Geodes texts

2020 CARES Act

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math in Sync, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math Affirm

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, and Wit & Wisdom Affirm

CRRSA Act

Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math Affirm, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math in Sync

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, and Wit & Wisdom Affirm

Geodes: Geodes texts

CRRSA Act

Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² curricular materials, Eureka Math²Great Minds Digital Platform, Eureka Math² Equip and premium assessments

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math in Sync, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math Affirm

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, and Wit & Wisdom Affirm

American Rescue Plan Act

Eureka Math²: Eureka Math² Great Minds Digital Platform

Eureka Math: Eureka Math curricular materials, Eureka Math Affirm, Eureka Math Equip, and Eureka Math in Sync

PhD Science: PhD Science curricular materials and PhD Science in Sync

Wit & Wisdom: Wit & Wisdom curricular materials, Wit & Wisdom in Sync, and Wit & Wisdom Affirm

Geodes: Geodes texts

DonorsChoose.org

Wit & Wisdom: Core texts and Volume of Reading texts

Foundation and corporate funding

Will vary based on funding provided by foundation or corporation.

Overview

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Professional Learning

Family Engagement

Overview

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Professional Learning

Family Engagement

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Professional Learning

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Overview

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Professional Learning

Family Engagement

Blog

Webinars

Case Studies

Research

RESOURCES

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Funding

Case Studies

Research

Instructional Resources

TRENDING TOPICS

Knowledge-Building

The Science of Reading

Lesson Design

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Background Knowledge

Dyslexia

Professional Learning

EVENTS

National Charter School Conference

Conference for the Advancement of Mathematics Teaching (CAMT)

Michigan Council of Teachers of Math

Funding Resources

Federal Funding (including ESSA—Every Student Succeeds Act)

ESSA Evidence

Federal Funding Title I, Part A

Federal Funding Title II, Part A

2020 CARES Act

CRRSA Act

What’s new in ESSER II?

American Rescue Plan Act

Existing District Funds

DonorsChoose.org

Foundation and corporate funding

Sources and products

Let us help you navigate multiple funding sources.

every child is capable of greatness