To address gaps in learning, educators should resist the desire to rush to cover content from both previous grade levels and the current year. Without strategic selection of the prerequisite content and skills needed for current grade-level content, the pace required to address multiple years of learning would inevitably result in shallow engagement with the content, low standards for understanding, and low cognitive demand of many students. The following activities can support this principle.

Key for tables: Y = Yes, likely to be an allowable use of these funds; N = No, unlikely to be an allowable use of these funds

1. Review and strengthen the LEA’s tiered system of support.

2. Increase the depth of instruction, not just the breadth. Facilitate teacher teams, through common planning time and/or stipends, to review curriculum to:

• Ensure it is tightly aligned with grade-level standards.
• Identify opportunities to integrate multiple content standards within a given unit.
• Examine Prerequisite Concepts and Skills to determine where to invest time and effort.
• Ensure it is engaging, relevant, and connected to real-world issues.
• Adjust pacing guides to allow for additional learning time and use of challenging tasks that motivate students to persist in problem solving and “constructive struggle.”

3. Differentiate instruction/targeted acceleration supports:

• Develop individual learning plans to meet individual students’ needs, especially those from higher need populations, such as English language learners and migrant/homeless students.
• Examine staff’s capacity to meet the linguistic needs of English language learners and provide training and/or additional staff as necessary.  Sponsor certified teachers through a bilingual endorsement program.?
• Hire bilingual teacher assistants and help them to earn their teacher certification with a bilingual/bicultural endorsement.

4. Provide teacher professional development on effective, research-based intervention strategies, such as phonics-based reading programs; focus on supporting students with the greatest learning needs.

5. Revise school schedules to allow for more individualized instruction or greater time for in-depth teaching of particular subjects or skills.

6. Provide for the acquisition and use of educational technology and instructional materials, both at school and at home. Provide spaces at school sites to ensure connectivity for students experiencing homelessness

7. Offer early college high school, dual or concurrent enrollment programs, or other courses designed to help students achieve success in postsecondary education.

8. Develop and staff high-quality early learning programs.

9. Provide tutoring, supplemental instruction, and other educational supports through before- and after-school, mentoring, and summer programs.

10. Find students who may have left/aged out of high school during the pandemic without graduating and provide them with educational supports to achieve a GED or diploma. Build and/or connect students with career- and job-skills based programs.

11. Strengthen a school’s/LEA’s career and technical education (CTE) programs:

• Provide academically based job training for high school and college-aged students.
• Build partnerships with businesses to support CTE in out-of-school time settings.
• Ensure that students have the technology needed at school, in job sites, and at home to develop high-quality job skills.
• Build connections with community organizations and businesses to give students real-world experiences and internships.

12. Help staff find, obtain, and effectively utilize standards-based materials, supplies and kits as well as other enrichment opportunities that convey academic lessons in fun and engaging ways. Where appropriate, provide materials to engage students in their native languages or in other ways that help English language learners make stronger content connections.

Although this resource discusses Federal laws and regulations, it is intended solely to provide general information and does not constitute legal advice. This guidance provides a general overview of allowable activities, but whether or not a particular cost can be supported with Federal funds depends on the underlying facts and circumstances and State and Federal rules (e.g. New Jersey Treasury Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Uniform Grant Guidelines, respectively). Therefore, an activity listed in this resource may not be allowable in all circumstances, and conversely, an activity not listed in this resource may be allowable. This guide was created to demonstrate how programs, strategies, or initiatives may be supported with Federal funds. Please note a school or local education agency is under no obligation to use its Federal funds for those programs or activities highlighted in this guide.