For part two of our three-part blog series on the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program, we’re looking at the requirements around use of funds. Several states have already started to release districts’ 2017-18 Title IV, Part A allocations. The funds can be used for three categories of allowable activities:
1. Well-rounded educational opportunities
2. Safe and healthy students
3. Effective use of technology
If a district receives less than $30,000, the funds are flexible to use within these three categories. If a district’s allocation is greater than $30,000, then additional requirements apply.
Well-Rounded Education:
Section 4107 of SSAE is focused on improving access to well-rounded educational opportunities. If a district receives more than $30,000 in SSAE funds, at least 20% must be spent on activities that support student access to well-rounded educational opportunities.
Activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities include:
- Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
- Music and arts
- Foreign language instruction
- Accelerated learning programs (AP, IB)
- High school redesign (dual/concurrent enrollment, early college high schools)
- American history, civics, economics, geography, social studies, or government education
- College and career counseling
- Environmental education
- Programs that integrate multiple disciplines, such as arts and mathematics
Questions to discuss with your planning committee:
- What percent of SSAE funds will we focus on well-rounded education? 20% is the minimum for awards over $30,000.
- Is there a particular category of allowable activities that is a high priority to our district?
- Is there a student subgroup we need to focus on, such as female students, minorities, English learners, students with disabilities, or economically disadvantaged students?
- For our chosen focus area(s), what data needs to be gathered for our needs assessment?
Download our complete SSAE planning guide.
Safe & Healthy Students:
Section 4108 of SSAE is focused on improving school conditions for student learning. If a district receives more than $30,000 in SSAE funds, at least 20% must be spent on activities that create safe and supportive schools and improve students’ physical and mental health.
Activities to support safe and healthy students include:
- Safe and supportive learning environments
- Anti-bullying programs
- Relationship-building skills
- Drop-out prevention
- Sexual abuse prevention
- Reducing exclusionary discipline
- Suicide prevention
- Violence prevention and conflict resolution
- Culturally responsive teaching
- Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
- Pay for Success initiatives
Students’ physical and mental health:
- Drug prevention
- School-based health and mental health services
- Nutritional education
- Chronic disease management
- Physical activities
Questions to discuss with your planning committee:
- What percent of SSAE funds will we focus on safe/healthy students? 20% is the minimum for awards over $30,000.
- Is there a particular category of allowable activities that is a high priority to our district?
- What types of training for school personnel has been well-received related to preventing suicide, violence, drug abuse, bullying, human trafficking, etc?
- For our chosen focus area(s), what data needs to be gathered for our needs assessment?
Download our complete SSAE planning guide.
Technology:
Section 4109 of SSAE is focused on effective use of technology. A portion of the funds can be used to increase access to personalized, rigorous learning experiences supported by technology. No more than 15% of Section 4109 funds can be used for technology infrastructure.
Activities to support increasing the effective use of technology can include:
- Professional development related to technology
- Personalized learning
- High-quality digital learning resources
- Blended learning
- Increase engagement of EL students
- Hardware
- Specialized or rigorous online academic courses
- Assistive technology
Questions to discuss with your planning committee:
- To what extent will our SSAE project focus on technology?
- Is there a particular category of allowable activities that is a high priority to our district?
- What types of professional development have worked well in the past for increasing the effective use of technology?
- What is our current capability to provide a personalized sequence of instructional content and skill development for individual students?
- What innovative strategies could be employed for personalizing learning for our students?
- How will individual student data be used to determine progress toward mastery of college- and career-ready standards or graduation requirements?
- Do our high-need students need certain accommodations to help ensure that they are engaged and on track, including students with disabilities and English learners?
- Do we have the hardware/infrastructure necessary to deploy our technology vision?
- For our chosen focus area(s), what data needs to be gathered for our needs assessment?
Questions on the SSAE Grant?
Contact our Pearson Grant Experts for a free consultation at grantexperts@pearson.com or visit our SSAE overview website www.savvas.com/ssae to learn more.
