Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Centers to Advance Educational Opportunity
The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced $46 million in new grants to establish dedicated technical assistance centers through the Comprehensive Centers program to support state and local educational agencies (LEAs) in advancing resource equity in schools, accelerating academic recovery, strengthening the educator workforce, promoting early school success, and supporting English and multilingual learners.
The Comprehensive Centers program provides a national network of support for states, districts, and schools to promote student achievement, increase performance among schools designated for improvement under the Federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and equip education leaders with evidence and tools to address emerging challenges facing K-12 schools. The Department is newly awarding funds for one National Center; 14 Regional Centers covering geographic areas of the U.S. aligned to the Department’s Regional Educational Laboratories; and four Content Centers reflecting key priorities from a public input rulemaking earlier this year. Together, these 19 centers form the Comprehensive Center Network and help states and LEAs improve educational opportunities and outcomes for all students, close opportunity and achievement gaps, and improve the quality of instruction, particularly for groups of students who are most underserved, including students from low-income backgrounds and students attending schools in need of additional supports.
“Our state and local educational agencies are on the frontlines of making sure our nation’s students have well-funded, quality education—and the Comprehensive Center Network has long provided critical technical assistance that helps districts and schools raise the bar for student success. I’m proud that the grants announced will establish new, dedicated centers that focus on the Department’s key priorities: promoting early school success; strengthening and diversifying the educator workforce and addressing critical educator shortages; supporting English learners and multilingualism, and achieving resource equity in schools,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “These centers demonstrate what we know to be true: when we work together across district, local, state, and federal levels, we keep raising the bar higher for all students.”
The four newly established Content Centers will coordinate and align services with the National Center, Regional Centers, and other federally funded providers in the following areas:
- The Center on Fiscal Equity will support states and LEAs in strengthening equitable and adequate resource allocation strategies, including the allocation of state and local resources; improving the quality and transparency of fiscal data at the school level; and using resources more strategically to improve academic achievement. This Center will also support states and districts in using formula funds to blend and braid federal, state, and local funds to sustain high-impact interventions started or expanded during the pandemic by using American Rescue Plan funds.
- The Center on Strengthening and Supporting the Educator Workforce will build on the Department’s efforts to improve educator recruitment and retention and increase educator diversity, including through increased compensation and improved working conditions; expanded high-quality and affordable educator pathways including high-quality residencies, Grow Your Own programs, and registered apprenticeship programs for teachers; enhanced opportunities for teacher leadership and career advancement; and ongoing professional learning at the start of and throughout educators’ careers.
- The Center for Early School Success will support states and LEAs in implementing comprehensive and aligned preschool through third-grade early learning systems; supporting effective transitions to kindergarten; partnering with parents and families on everyday school attendance; and supporting developmentally informed and evidence-based instructional practices in social and emotional development, early literacy, and math.
- The Center for English Learners and Multilingualism will support states and LEAs in addressing the linguistic, academic, cognitive, social, emotional, and cultural strengths and needs of English learners beginning with early language acquisition and literacy development; and increasing access to high-quality language programs, advanced coursework, and career-connected learning so that they, along with all students, have the opportunity to become multilingual, multiliterate, and multicultural.
The National Center will provide high-quality, high-impact technical assistance and capacity-building services focused on implementation challenges faced by states and LEAs related to teaching and learning, as well as emerging education topics of national importance.
Read the full release on the Department’s website.
Tags: federal issues, funding
