With many students returning to school with pandemic-related trauma, building strong relationships and support is more important than ever. ESSER funds give districts and schools the opportunity to respond to these intensified needs by strengthening structures for social-emotional development and support.
Our downloadable guide offers guidance to districts leaders looking to use ESSER dollars to sustainably fund structures for social-emotional support. It also includes concrete examples of staffing and scheduling models that leaders can implement today and continuously improve over time.
Research shows that dedicated, explicit social-emotional learning opportunities and instruction have a demonstrated positive impact on students, often boosting academic performance. To be most effective, leaders should integrate social-emotional learning into academic instruction during the school day.
Strategic ways to invest ESSER dollars in social-emotional development and support include:
In the 2015-16 school year, Arlington Woods Elementary used the opportunity for greater autonomy over scheduling to create designated time for social-emotional learning. Find out what they learned and how to support this kind of instruction.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, CMSD worked with their community partners to meet family needs in new ways, including expanding access to mental health services, food, clothing, and rent assistance, in an effort to help students impacted most by remote learning. Click through this presentation to see how they achieved this goal.
Check out this guide that The Aspen Institute, ERS, and other partners created to help principals and school leadership teams see how social-emotional learning can enhance academic performance, and learn how to weave social-emotional development into every aspect of school.
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