Key Points
Back to top- Given the effectiveness of SEL, many districts planned to invest their ARP/ESSER funds to sustain or launch SEL initiatives.
- At the state level, at least one district in every state planned to invest in students’ SEL.
- The substantial planned investment in students’ SEL through ARP/ESSER III illustrates a collective recognition of the vital role that SEL plays in education to support students’ academic success, mental health, and recovery from the pandemic.
On September 30, 2024, states and districts across the country faced an urgent challenge that has been looming for years: the end of funding provided through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). As students grappled with the academic, social, and emotional challenges of the COVID pandemic and its aftermath, this funding was critical, in many cases providing support for social and emotional learning (SEL) initiatives that served as a lifeline.
In the wake of the ARP deadline, many educators and administrators are left wondering: What will happen to the initiatives they launched with this funding? How can they ensure their students still receive the support that was so critical during the pandemic—and continues to be critical? Now is the time to look back at how districts planned to use these funds and how they can continue to offer these kinds of support.
Fast Facts on ARP and SEL
Back to top- The American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021 made it imperative that state and district leaders safely reopen schools and prioritize federal funding to meet the educational needs of students.
- The education funding provided through the ARP’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund III (ESSER III) constituted the largest ever federal investment in K-12 education, with $122 billion aimed at safely reopening schools while addressing students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs.
- Under the ARP/ESSER III guidelines, states and districts were required to allocate a minimum of 5 percent and 20 percent of their funds, respectively, to address learning loss through evidence-based interventions that respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs.
- Social and emotional learning, an effective evidence-based approach to supporting child and youth mental health and well-being, is an initiative that many states and districts invested ESSER funds in as a means to provide much-needed support. A 2023 meta-analysis found that students participating in SEL at schools had higher levels of “school functioning,” including grades, test scores, attendance, homework completion, and engagement.
How Districts Planned to Use ARP/ESSER III Funds to Support Students’ Social and Emotional Needs
Back to topGiven the effectiveness of SEL, many districts planned to invest their ARP/ESSER funds to sustain or launch SEL initiatives. This was one finding of data collected by Burbio, which compiled and analyzed over 7,000 of the required district ARP/ESSER III spending plans that outline how each district intended to spend pandemic relief funding.
In total, 1,605 districts indicated they would invest in students’ SEL in their ARP/ESSER III plans, representing nearly a quarter of all districts. Collectively, this amounts to a projected spending of over $665 million on supporting students’ SEL through training, materials, programs, and curricula. Notably, addressing student SEL ranked as the 16th most common spending category out of 153 identified by Burbio, which includes a host of needs, from tutoring to air filtration.
What’s particularly encouraging is that this commitment to students’ SEL transcends geographic boundaries. Whether in rural, town, suburban, or city settings, the intention to invest in SEL was fairly uniform across district types. The percentage of districts planning to allocate funds for students’ SEL ranged from 17 percent in rural districts to 23 percent in urban areas (see Figure 1).
Figure 1.
A Closer Look at State-Level Investments
Back to topAt least one district in every state planned to invest in students’ SEL. The range of districts committing to SEL spending varied widely, from one percent in some states to an impressive 93 percent in others (excluding Hawaii, whose single school district planned spending on SEL). Beyond the direct investment in students’ SEL, many districts also recognized the importance of related initiatives. Categories like Behavioral/Mental Health (ranked 19th), Counseling and Mentorship (55th), and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (71st) ranked highly among district plans.
Altogether, approximately 43 percent of districts indicated they would allocate ARP/ESSER III funds to at least one SEL or SEL-related category to support the needs of students. By state, this ranged from 20 percent of districts in Wisconsin to 91 percent of districts in Montana (see Figure 2).
Figure 2
Implications for the Future
Back to topThe substantial planned investment in students’ SEL through ARP/ESSER III represents a significant step forward for student well-being across the nation. It illustrates a collective recognition of the vital role that SEL plays in education to support students’ academic success, mental health, and recovery from the pandemic.
Students’ social and emotional well-being remains vital to academic learning, so moving forward, it is essential for states and districts to strategize on how to continue supporting students’ SEL without the safety net of emergency federal funding. Advocacy from educators, parents, and education groups for increased federal K-12 education funding in annual appropriations and for state investments will be crucial to ensure that these vital programs do not fall by the wayside.
ARP/ESSER III funding provided a unique opportunity for educators to prioritize meeting the holistic needs of students—a step that has far-reaching and encouraging implications for students’ futures. As we look ahead, it is imperative that this momentum continues, ensuring that every student has access to the support they need to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
NOTE ABOUT THE DATA: The above analysis is based solely on ARP/ESSER III plans, as reviewed and analyzed by Burbio, rather than actual spending. Additionally, the data and projections represent a sample of 7,023 school districts that make up nearly 84 percent of the country’s K-12 enrollment. CASEL is currently diving deeper to understand what actual ARP/ESSER III spending on SEL looked like in a variety of districts, and will soon publish a brief as part of our ongoing Bright Spots: SEL and the American Rescue Plan Act series.
Asher Miller, CASEL’s policy specialist, is a Chicagoland native who recently earned a masters in education policy and analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prior to joining CASEL, Asher served as a Senior Impact Coach at Umoja Student Development Corporation, working to implement and foster SEL and restorative practices in several Chicago Public Schools.
Related Posts:
- To Fulfill the Promise of Brown, Meaningful School Integration Requires SEL
- How Can States Prepare Students for the Future? The “Portrait of the Graduate” Helps Set the Vision
- What Has Changed Since 2007? A Contemporary Meta-Analysis of Universal School-Based SEL Interventions
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