A new survey demonstrates a critical need for continued federal investment in a fund that helps schools address the non-academic needs having a dramatic influence on student learning and achievement.
The Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) program is designed as a flexible funding block grant and is flexible enough that schools can use it for a variety of needs.
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SSAE provides funds for districts to invest in activities across three broad “buckets”: improving access to a well-rounded curriculum, efforts to support safe and healthy students, and activities to increase the effective use of technology.
AASA surveyed school districts regarding their use of the $1.2 billion SSAE funding to uncover trends and top education leader concerns.
Across the investment categories, safe and healthy students a top priority:
- When asked to describe how school district leaders were prioritizing investment between the individual buckets of ESSA Title IV-A, safe and healthy students emerged as the top priority (65 percent of respondents indicating it was “extremely important”); followed by well-rounded education (52 percent of respondents indicating it was “extremely important”); and education technology (31 percent of respondents indicating it was “extremely important”).
- When asked to look to the future and rate the importance of continued investment in the three buckets, respondents prioritized continued investment in safe and healthy students, with 70 percent responding “extremely important” compared to 59 percent for well-rounded education and 38 percent for education technology.
Within the investment categories, the important nuance of SSAE emerges. Respondents were asked to expand on the specific programmatic investments they made within each of the three broad “buckets” of use. The top five responses in each category are as follows:
Well-rounded educational opportunities:
1. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (49 percent)
2. social-emotional learning (40 percent)
3. other (19 percent)
4. music/arts (19 percent)
5. accelerated learning programs such as AP/IB/CIE (18 percent)
Safe and healthy students:
1. safe and supportive learning environments (47.9 percent)
2. positive behavioral interventions (38.3 percent)
3. school-based health/mental health services (31.7 percent)
4. trauma-informed classroom management (23.6 percent)
5. crisis management/conflict resolution (22.8 percent)
Effective use of technology:
1. teacher professional development/skill development/collaboration
(44 percent)
2. buy digital devices (29 percent)
3. not using the funds to support the effective use of technology (25 percent)
4. implement blended learning strategies (20 percent)
5. implement personalized learning pathways for students (14 percent)
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