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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009:
Using ARRA Funds to Drive High School Improvement

Standards/Assessment | Data Use | Teacher Effectiveness | Turnaround High Schools
Title I School Improvement Grants (SIG) Resources | Other Resources | Main ARRA Page

Education funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)* create a unique opportunity to accelerate high school improvement.

ARRA identifies four core areas of focus that are intended to help the nation realize that opportunity: (1) adopting rigorous college- and career-ready standards and high-quality assessments; (2) establishing data systems and using data for improvement; (3) increasing teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution of effective teachers; and (4) turning around the lowest-performing schools.

ARRA includes a $4.35 billion Race to the Top Fund. The funding criteria proposed by the Department of Education challenges states to create comprehensive strategies for addressing the four central areas of reform that will drive school improvement, with specific attention given to adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace.

To help school administrators, policy makers, educators and other interested stakeholders understand the provisions of ARRA and how to use the appropriated funds, the National High School Center has prepared the following two documents:

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Opportunities for High School Improvement
This document provides information about ARRA such as deadlines and descriptions related to the new funding opportunities.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: Opportunities for High School Improvement Summary Table
This summary table highlights suggestions made by the Department of Education on ways in which the funds appropriated under ARRA may be spent. Additionally, it provides best practices and resources related to these suggestions that will be helpful to stakeholders at the state, district and school levels who are undertaking high school improvement initiatives.

For further access to resources organized around the four core focus areas, click on the links below to view pages that contain resources that can help states and districts in their planning on how to use ARRA funding so that it has the greatest impact on high school improvement (or view the summary of resources in one document):

Standards/Assessment | Data Use | Teacher Effectiveness | Turnaround High Schools

 

*ARRA provides billions of dollars to strengthen education through the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF); Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); Pell Grants; Federal Work-Study; and other programs.  It also provides support for adults with disabilities through the Vocational Rehabilitation State Grants program and the Independent Living programs authorized under the Rehabilitation Act.