In order to maximize the potential opportunities that EANS funding offers, schools must carefully consider the most appropriate tools and services to directly address the specific needs of their students and faculties. Atlas can help address your school’s post-pandemic mapping and learning needs.
When Congress signed the American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law in 2021, another $2.75 billion was added to the Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) program, supplementing the $2.75 billion already set aside for non-public schools through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. This round of funding, referred to as EANS II or ARP EANS, specifically aims to aid non-public schools that are most impacted by COVID-19 and enroll a significant percentage of students from low-income families.
As non-public schools have navigated their respective states’ eligibility requirements and application processes, the question of how to best utilize these funds remains. From investing in educational technology to purchasing sanitation supplies, schools are able to fund a diverse breadth of needs while adhering to federal guidelines for allowable EANS expenses.
Addressing accelerated learning is one such need facing today’s educators. Both rounds of EANS funding highlight the importance of ameliorating the effects of interrupted learning, or learning loss, experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Two potential responses to these challenges, revamping curricula to incorporate accelerated learning strategies into instructional plans and purchasing professional development to assist educators in meeting the challenges presented by interrupted learning, are both eligible uses of EANS funding.
Did you know that EANS funds can be used to purchase Atlas, our curriculum mapping system, or professional development packages? Our dedicated team of professionals can support your school in developing or refining a guaranteed and viable curriculum to address post-pandemic learning challenges.
A few ways schools are adapting Atlas
With Atlas, schools can easily restructure or add new categories to their units, such as “Accelerated Learning Strategies” or “Resources and Technology Integration” to ensure that learning loss and other challenges in the wake of remote and hybrid learning are being addressed in the forefront of their curricula. Schools are also prioritizing standards within units to support focusing the learning on critical standards. When schools choose to redevelop their instructional plans using Atlas, they also benefit from the ease of collaboration in a centralized space, allowing educators to compare accelerated learning strategies across subjects and grade levels.
Professional Development done four ways
Creating PD plans to meet the different needs of educators is critical to success. Atlas has an expert team of facilitators that work with leaders to design PD packages that allow for educator agency while meeting the overall goals of the school. Topics can vary as can the mode:
- Onsite PD for hands on collaborative time
- Virtual PD for short sessions that grow and adapt over time
- Coaching hours allow small groups to dive into their specific questions and needs
- Asynchronous courses allow individuals to compete their learning on their own time
Eligible schools will be able to use the first and second rounds of EANS funding until September 30, 2023, and September 30, 2024, respectively.
Eligible services or assistance a non-public school may receive under EANS include:
- Redeveloping instructional plans, including curriculum development, for remote or hybrid learning, or to address learning loss.
- Initiating and maintaining education and support services or assistance for remote or hybrid learning or to address learning loss.
- Educational technology (including hardware, software, connectivity, assistive technology, and adaptive equipment) to assist students, educators, and other staff with remote or hybrid learning.
- Supplies to sanitize, disinfect, and clean school facilities.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Improving ventilation systems, including windows or portable air purification systems.
- Training and professional development for staff on sanitization, the use of PPE, and minimizing the spread of infectious diseases.
- Physical barriers to facilitate social distancing.
- Other materials, supplies, or equipment recommended by the CDC for reopening and operation of school facilities to effectively maintain health and safety.
- Expanding capacity to administer coronavirus testing to effectively monitor and suppress the virus.
- Leasing sites or spaces to ensure safe social distancing.
- Reasonable transportation costs.
References
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary & Secondary Education. (2021, September 17). Frequently Asked Questions: Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools (EANS) Program. Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools. Retrieved from https://oese.ed.gov/files/2021/09/Final-EANS-FAQ-Update-9.17.21.pdf
Resources
CRRSA EANS (EANS I) Awards by State
ARP EANS (EANS II) Awards by State
The Education Stabilization Fund (ESF) Transparency Portal tracks the spending of the U.S. Department of Education’s COVID-19 recovery funds by state.
