Leading Education Researchers, Advocates Announce New Hub to Spotlight Strong Uses of Federal Relief Funds and Practices in K-12 Pandemic Recovery

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Collaborative for Student Success, in partnership with The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) and the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, launched EduRecoveryHub.org, a one-stop online resource that showcases emerging practices in schools supported with federal recovery funds that can be replicated around the country.

The nation has a one-time opportunity to learn from the disruptions in public schools brought about by COVID-19 and focus recovery efforts and resources on delivering high-quality instruction and supports for students to accelerate learning and meet their social and emotional needs.  

EduRecoveryHub displays state-by-state recovery information that provides insight into the smart investments in schools that best serve students, families and educators to ensure all schools recover stronger and every student benefits.

To help spotlight strong practices worthy of emulation, EduRecoveryHub will feature expert analysis from a diversity of viewpoints and perspectives. A panel of national and state-based organizations and experts serving or representing parents, school and district leaders, classroom educators, and the civil rights community will review and comment on specific practices they support in school recovery. Shortly after launch, the site will include an open invitation so that other organizations and experts can weigh in as well.

"The federal government has provided $189 billion in resources for states and localities targeted to education recovery. If unchecked and unsupported, states risk bending to the pressure of forces more concerned with political expediency and ideology than sound policy that helps students," said Jim Cowen, Executive Director of the Collaborative for Student Success. "Parents, educators, administrators and policymakers deserve credible information about effective policies and practices that are using these funds to accelerate student learning."

EduRecoveryHub provides easy access to state relief spending plans, and allows viewers to explore emerging practices alongside expert reviews and stay up-to-date on the latest K-12 recovery news and efforts. It also serves as a convening space to highlight advocacy efforts and to share the work of others focused on education recovery.

Examples featured on EduRecoveryHub range from innovative ways to address student mental health needs to work being done to accelerate academic learning. By spotlighting these examples, and the experts who support expansion of these efforts, the Hub will help inform use of relief funding across the country.

"As difficult as pandemic learning has been, our research has shown many bright spots: schools and educators who have gone above and beyond by making powerful connections with students, finding creative ways to deliver personalized learning, and working with community partners to ensure students are healthy and ready to learn," said Robin Lake, Director of CRPE. "But many of these efforts are ad hoc. The unprecedented federal investment will allow school systems to sustain and scale innovative, effective approaches—if they pay attention to what we know has worked."

"The federal investment represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for school districts to help students re-engage in school, get back on track in reading and math, and earn sufficient credits to graduate ready for college or career," said Chad Aldeman, Policy Director of Edunomics Lab. "In the wake of the pandemic, we are seeing districts use funds in new ways to address challenges and improve student outcomes. These savvy, nimble investments may catch on in other communities and help propel students forward."

The EduRecoveryHub is not intended to be the final arbiter on what constitutes exemplars worthy of emulation and the lifting up of a practice on the site does not constitute an endorsement of a state or district's full recovery efforts. It was intentionally designed to be interactive in order to solicit feedback and increase transparency. 

The EduRecoveryHub will be frequently updated with resources, practices, expert commentary and news to capture ongoing efforts across America to spark progress and improvements in school systems.

About Our Organizations

The Collaborative for Student Success works with national, state and local partners to advance policies and practices that help ensure all students are prepared for success in school, college and career.

Edunomics Lab is a Georgetown University research center dedicated to exploring and modeling complex education finance decisions to inform policy and practice. Established in 2012 at the McCourt School of Public Policy, the center is nationally recognized as a leader in the field of education finance. Edunomics Lab develops strategic financial leadership in the education sector through its one-of-a-kind Certificate in Education Finance.

The Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) is a research organization where transformative ideas are rigorously examined and tested, and research informs action. CRPE's current focus broadly reflects four priority areas: students and families, systems, innovations, and the politics of change. From that foundation, CRPE works to understand what it will take for public education to meet the needs of every student, in order to inform meaningful changes in policy and practice.

SOURCE Collaborative for Student Success