THE COALITION TO ADVANCE FUTURE STUDENT SUCCESS
ESSER Impact, Success
and Reflections
Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent injection of federal emergency relief funds to help K-12 education recover from the impacts of the pandemic were once-in-a-generation events. Never before had students, educators, schools, districts and states faced the specific combination of challenges presented by the pandemic — or had such a tremendous opportunity to transform the U.S. school system for the benefit of all students.
To react quickly, assess the most pressing needs and invest the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding most effectively, education leaders and organizations needed to come together, share information and learn from each other.
In response, the Coalition to Advance Future Student Success was formed in early 2021 with 12 leading education organizations as members and an additional 37 advisory partners. From 2021-2024, the Coalition met regularly to discuss strategies, identify promising practices and coordinate efforts to reach transformative goals. Among its achievements, the Coalition elevated the impact of ESSER fund investments at the national level and dispatched timely updates to more than 300 subscribers from influential education organizations, including officials from the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies. The Coalition sunset in 2024 and this site captures some of its work.
Vision
Leverage the current moment to bring about greater
equity, better learning environments and improved
outcomes for all students in the U.S.
Theory Of Action
If we as leading national education organizations work together — from the capitol to the classroom — to ensure the equitable, impactful investment of historical federal funding over the next three years, then we as a Coalition can leverage this moment to transform long-term outcomes for all students, particularly those who have been historically underserved and disproportionately impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Framework
Developed collaboratively by the Coalition, a 10-point framework provided consistent guidance for member organizations as they worked to help schools recover from pandemic-era closings and effects. The framework included objectives such as student and staff physical and mental health and wellbeing, addressing COVID learning gaps and recruiting and retaining a talented educator workforce. Download the full framework here.
Members
The Coalition included leaders involved in advancing public education, from practitioners in the classroom to the state capitol.
together for 3 years
partner organizations
74% attendance rate
meetings held
newsletter published with a
66% open rate, far exceeding the
industry average of 40%
Impact Showcase in May 2023
to Impact: Keeping What Works
Summit in March 2024
and Advisory members
Annual Landscape Analysis Ensured Alignment with Member Priorities
As the Coalition was forming in early 2021, the group conducted a Landscape Analysis, which surveyed Coalition and Advisory members to better understand the work the organizations were already doing to invest ESSER funds in schools. The survey ensured member priorities and the Coalition’s 10-point framework were aligned.
Over the next three years, the analysis was conducted every spring to learn how priorities were developing as the needs of schools shifted and to see how the Coalition could improve its work and goals to best serve the collective. While different needs rose to the top, the analysis revealed the same three top priorities year over year; those priorities included physical and mental health and wellbeing, addressing COVID learning gaps and recruiting and retaining a talented educator workforce.
In fall 2022, the Coalition hosted a series of focus groups to concentrate its work in these three priority areas — and the additional area of ensuring high-quality curriculum and instruction. The goal of the focus groups was to identify ways to best support members in these areas. Three common means of support emerged: storytelling, sustainability and streamlining information.
Newsletter Provided Crucial Information Quickly
To disseminate crucial information quickly and efficiently to nationally influential education organizations and leaders, the Coalition developed the Coalition in Action monthly newsletter, which provided featured resources, announcements and elevated stories of ESSER investments’ impact to help schools address pressing issues. Monthly topics included how states were keeping schools safe for in-person learning, how COVID relief funds could be used to provide transition support for student’s lives after graduation and strategies to address student attendance and engagement, among many others.
The Coalition published 23 issues of the newsletter, which was shared with more than 300 subscribers from influential education organizations, including officials from the U.S. Department of Education and other federal agencies. Coalition in Action boasted a 66% open rate and 23% click rate, far exceeding the industry’s average 40% open rate and 3% click rate for nonprofits.
Website Was a Central Location for Member Engagement and Resources
To ensure all member organizations — and anyone engaged in building a stronger education system — had a central place to access the Coalition’s work and resources, a dedicated website was launched in August 2022. The site provided timely information about ESSER impacts and shared the work of Coalition members. It included a resource library, blog series, newsletters and multimedia page with more than 11,000 page views during the span of the project.
As part of the website, the group launched the Coalition Perspectives blog to feature voices of Coalition members and their insights and perspectives on leveraging COVID-19 relief funds. Posts included topics such as how schools were supporting student wellbeing and a three-part series on the transformational impact of ESSER investments.
Online Resource Library Facilitated Shared Learning
As the pandemic progressed and ESSER funds began to be implemented, education leaders were looking for information about how states were using funds, what was working and what obstacles were arising. The Coalition’s 12 member organizations and 37 Advisory Group partners were creating materials that addressed these questions based on what they were experiencing in their states and among their constituents.
To ensure this information was disseminated quickly and equitably, the Coalition created a Resource Library on the website that could be accessed by anyone. It was a central location that provided stakeholders with an easy way to search materials by framework topic area. The library contains more than 100 resources, including everything from how states are using federal relief funding to scale high-impact tutoring to education data and information systems supports for state leaders.
The Coalition Shared What It Learned Nationally
The Coalition published resources and participated in conferences across the country to share what it learned and inform future action.
Tapping into Federal COVID-Relief Funding & Medicaid to Support Schools and the Wellbeing of Students, published in March 2023 in partnership with the Healthy Schools Campaign and the National Center for School Mental Health to share guidance about how states can utilize federal relief funding to expand school Medicaid to support student mental health, including recommendations for coordination across agencies.
How Traditional U.S. Department of Education Grants Can Help Sustain ESSER Activities, published in August 2023 in partnership with the Federal Education Group, PLLC to help state and district leaders identify strategies and pathways to sustain high-impact investments, as well as a companion video and slide deck.
The work of the Coalition was presented at conferences, including CCSSO’s Annual Policy Forum in November 2021, CCCSO’s Legislative Conference in March 2023, the National Education Association School Rescue Fund coordinators meeting in May 2023 and The RESTART Network Virtual National Symposium: Learnings from Research and Practice to Increase Student Engagement in October 2023.
The Coalition Engaged Federal Partners
The Coalition consistently engaged with federal partners to provide additional information on funding uses, demonstrate impact and expand how ESSER dollars could be used to benefit students.
Featured Assistant Secretary of the Education Department’s Office of Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development Roberto Rodríguez at the ESSER Summit in
March 2024.
Engaged U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona shortly after the launch of the Coalition to understand the priorities of the U.S. Department of Education and overall goals and objectives the administration had for ESSER funding.
Hosted senior leaders of the National Assessment Governing Board at an Advisory Group meeting to discuss National Assessment of Education Progress
(NAEP) results.
Hosted representatives from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Education Department at CCSSO’s 2023 Legislative Conference in a session focused on leveraging ESSER investments to support school-based Medicaid.
Featured then-Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary James Lane from the Education Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the ESSER Impact Showcase.
How ESSER Investments Are Having an Impact
The Coalition is proud to share a three-state video series on how federal relief funds are making an impact on students and educators in school communities, and how leaders are sustaining those efforts. Click here to see more.
High-Impact Investments in Wellbeing: Henry County, Georgia
High-Impact Investments in the Educator Pipeline: The Nevada Forward Apprenticeship Program
High-Impact Investments in Academic Recovery: Experiential Learning Credit Recovery in Saint Paul
High-Impact Investments in Academic Recovery: Northfield Community Schools
In March 2024, the Coalition convened almost 300 educators, leaders and stakeholders for the Coalition ESSER Summit. See highlights from the event, which was an opportunity to publicly share stories of impact and plans for sustainability from all levels of the education system. Click here to see more.
The Coalition to Advance Future Student Success’ ESSER Summit: Opening Remarks
State Partnership to Sustain High-Impact Investments
Sustaining High-Impact Investments: School and Classroom Level
Members on the Value of the Coalition
In these short videos, leaders describe how they have benefitted from being a member of the Coalition.
Leaders of the Coalition to Advance Future Student Success: Council of the Great City Schools
Leaders of the Coalition to Advance Future Student Success: Chiefs for Change
Leaders of the Coalition to Advance Future Student Success: Council of Chief State School Officers
Thank You!
In its final year, the Coalition shifted its focus from implementation and use of funds to sustainability planning, specifically around how to continue high-impact activities beyond September 2024. While unprecedented events precipitated the Coalition’s formation, the value of the collaboration and connection became clear.
By working together, education leaders were able to leverage a historic moment to pursue greater equity, better learning environments and improved outcomes for all students in the U.S. CCSSO is deeply grateful for all of the hard work of Coalition members, the assistance of Advisory Group members and the support of funders who made the work possible.
Click here to view more work of the Coalition
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