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Federal Legislative Report 117-13

Delivered via email: September 2, 2022

With Congress still in recess until after Labor Day, a review of recent federal public policy issues affecting K-12 education and employment follows. Points of interest include a back-to-school checklist for parents from the Department of Education and a Competitive Grant awarded to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). 
 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL CHECKLIST FOR PARENTS

Last week, the Department of Education (ED) released a back-to-school checklist for parents and families to help caregivers engage with local school districts about how they are supporting students as they recover from the impacts of the pandemic.  
An ED news release states “This checklist elevates key evidence-based practices for supporting students’ learning and mental health, and ensuring the safety of students and staff, which districts are encouraged to implement using American Rescue Plan (ARP) and other COVID relief funds.” Also included are examples of how states and school districts across the country are using ARP funds to support students and to staff schools. 


COMPETITIVE GRANT AWARDED TO ISBE

The Department of Education (ED) recently announced 11 awards totaling over $29 million to 10 state educational agencies (SEAs) under the 2022 Competitive Grants for State Assessments (CGSA) program. ISBE was awarded $3 million for its Transición Early High School Spanish Language Arts Assessment project. The Department hopes to encourage high quality, innovative, and authentic assessments that advance teaching and learning and continue state efforts to provide timely and meaningful information to all involved. The funded proposals will support multilingual learners and students with disabilities, improve the utility and instructional relevance of assessment results, and develop local capacity to design and implement performance-based assessments. Read the full news release on the Department of Education website.  
 
This Federal Legislative Report was written with assistance from the Consortium of State School Boards Associations.