To support schools and districts in addressing the impact of COVID-19, Congress has provided financial support through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Funds are allocated to each state in the same proportion as their Title I, Part A grants. In March 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act included $13 billion in ESSER funds. In December 2020, an additional $54 billion for ESSER II was allocated through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. The American Rescue Plan (ARP) authorized another $122 billion for ESSER III (also called “ARP ESSER”) in March 2021.
Districts have the flexibility to use the ESSER funds on any "activity authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.” Additionally, ESSER II and III legislation specifies that funds can be used to address learning loss. Your ESSER funds can be used for:
The ARP requires states to submit a plan for their ESSER funding to the U.S. Department of Education. Find the submitted plans here.
The Department of Education requires annual performance reports for ESSER grantees (also EANS and GEER); details can be found here.
The rich data from i-Ready Assessment empowers teachers with a deeper knowledge of their students’ needs and unfinished learning. It pinpoints students’ strengths and knowledge gaps at the sub-skill level. i-Ready’s growth measures provide a detailed portrait of student growth and chart a path to grade-level proficiency for every student.
i-Ready Personalized Instruction delivers powerful online lessons that motivate students on their paths to proficiency and growth. Driven by insights from the i-Ready Diagnostic, i-Ready’s online K–8 lessons in Reading and Mathematics provide tailored instruction that meets students where they are in their journey and encourages them as they develop new skills.
Our comprehensive core mathematics program, i-Ready Classroom Mathematics, makes mathematics accessible to all students and is highly rated by EdReports. Through a blend of purposeful print and digital components, the program increases student engagement and builds confidence.
A reading comprehension program for Grades 3–5, Magnetic Reading has the goal of helping every student become a skilled and confident reader. Through rich, engaging texts and lively classroom discourse, Magnetic Reading helps students build confidence and master critical reading skills.
Students have the opportunity to shine when they are challenged by rigorous yet reachable instruction in the classroom. Ready was designed to give K–8 students of all levels that opportunity with accessible, engaging instruction. With our research-based program, educators receive the guidance and tools they need to help meet the needs of all learners, while strengthening their instructional practice.
With this digital collection of standards-based resources for Grades K–8, teachers get the tools they need to introduce new concepts, reteach standards, or help students learn prerequisite skills from earlier grades—and meet the needs of all learners. Teacher Toolbox is a wonderful complement to i-Ready or Ready, or it is available for use as a standalone classroom tool.
Authored by reading expert Dr. Anita Archer, this systematic, research-based intervention program accelerates instruction for struggling readers in Grades 3–12 by equipping them with the tools necessary to decode with confidence. PHONICS for Reading also ties seamlessly into i-Ready Assessment data, enabling educators to identify the population of students in need and the level of support each student requires.
BRIGANCE provides industry-leading tools, including developmental screeners, assessment tools and inventories, and instructional materials for Special Education, Early Childhood, and Head Start professionals.
Our professional development courses infuse proven instructional practices to drive student growth, supporting educators as they accelerate learning for all students. We offer onsite and digital learning options and a powerful network of support for our educator partners.
Learn how ESSER funds can help address the challenges of pandemic-related unfinished learning.
Explore funding options and how you can use them in your school or district.
Is there a difference? Learn why we prefer to use the latter in most of our content.
Applying for funding to implement a Curriculum Associates program? The Grants team is here to assist you with:
