ESSER Opportunities
Turn intentions into results
What are Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds going to accomplish for students? How can ESSER resources build the foundation for longer-term sustainable success?
Targeted use of ESSER funding has the potential to catalyze innovation and improve school effectiveness.
Transform schools using CTAC’s ESSER targeted services
CTAC collaborates with schools and districts to rapidly build capacity, tackle complex issues, and achieve results for students. CTAC assists schools and districts to use funding strategically and to transform, not just recover, learning in their schools.
Accelerate learning now, while planning for sustainability in the long-term
CTAC’s services focus on key ESSER objectives: improving student learning and enhancing educator effectiveness. We’ve highlighted the following services for meeting the needs of students and teachers right now, while planning deliberately for sustainable change in the long-term.
Districts can design schools where students learn more. There are common elements that the most effective schools share.
CTAC assists schools to put in place the conditions that lead to student success. Schools that champion student aspirations and accomplishments are able to:
CTAC helps schools and districts use school design to accelerate learning and achieve dramatic results for students. CTAC uses design methods proven successful in the education, community development and corporate sectors. We focus on addressing the causes, not the symptoms, of school underperformance. Our services are intentionally collaborative; we engage the broader school community and promote local innovation.
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
CTAC assists schools to put in place the conditions that lead to student success. Schools that champion student aspirations and accomplishments are able to:
- Unify the school community around a shared purpose and criteria for success
- Personalize learning by using student voice to inform instruction
- Engage teachers in a professional culture that advances excellence in instruction
- Provide students with captivating curricular content
- Cultivate caring relationships among students and between students and adults
- Ensure families are equal partners in fulfilling the school’s mission
CTAC helps schools and districts use school design to accelerate learning and achieve dramatic results for students. CTAC uses design methods proven successful in the education, community development and corporate sectors. We focus on addressing the causes, not the symptoms, of school underperformance. Our services are intentionally collaborative; we engage the broader school community and promote local innovation.
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
- Build a constituency for needed changes at the schools
- Identify the most promising practices emerging from the pandemic
- Enhance staff ability to understand student data and plan new strategies
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
- Provide equitable, accelerated learning for students
- Ensure high-quality curriculum and instruction for all students
- Build capacity in teachers and staff to implement high-leverage teaching practices
- Link decisions and budgetary allocations to their impact on teaching and learning
Engaged students learn more. Key to accelerating learning is providing students with captivating curricular content and effective pedagogy to make learning come alive.
CTAC provides 52 PreK-5 STEM curriculum units that are field-tested and adaptable to every state’s standards. These integrated STEM units ensure that all students, including those previously underrepresented in STEM—girls, students of color and low-income students—now have access to a robust STEM curriculum.
Integrated STEM is a powerful vehicle for accelerating learning. Integrated STEM engages students, leads to content mastery, and bridges the achievement gap.
Through integrated STEM, students learn multiple content areas deeply and in concert. Integrated STEM blends science, math, engineering design principles, computational thinking, and reading skills. Students work to solve engineering design challenges with real-world applications—setting the stage in elementary school for STEM learning at the secondary level and future college and career success.
CTAC assists schools and districts to:
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
Long-term Benefits
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
CTAC provides 52 PreK-5 STEM curriculum units that are field-tested and adaptable to every state’s standards. These integrated STEM units ensure that all students, including those previously underrepresented in STEM—girls, students of color and low-income students—now have access to a robust STEM curriculum.
Integrated STEM is a powerful vehicle for accelerating learning. Integrated STEM engages students, leads to content mastery, and bridges the achievement gap.
Through integrated STEM, students learn multiple content areas deeply and in concert. Integrated STEM blends science, math, engineering design principles, computational thinking, and reading skills. Students work to solve engineering design challenges with real-world applications—setting the stage in elementary school for STEM learning at the secondary level and future college and career success.
CTAC assists schools and districts to:
- Align and implement a proven integrated curricula to fit school and district needs
- Build the capabilities of teachers to lead deep STEM learning experiences
- Streamline planning and strengthen collaboration among teachers
- Utilize STEM as a powerful tool for equity
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
- Provide access to a robust, integrated STEM curriculum for all students
- Enhance teacher’s ability to provide engaging, relevant content to students
- Develop principals’ STEM instructional leadership skills
- Advance English language learning within a STEM environment
Long-term Benefits
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
- Provide student-centered, inquiry-based instruction for all students
- Ensure high-quality STEM experiences with real-world application
- Increase student achievement in math, science and English
Students learn more from effective educators. The stakes have never been higher for attracting, developing, and retaining excellent educators. Finding and developing top educators is fundamental to school and district success.
CTAC helps districts become more effective and competitive in attracting and retaining teachers and leaders. We have extensive experience in developing comprehensive human capital management systems. CTAC offers a range of talent development services including:
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
Long-term Benefits
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
CTAC helps districts become more effective and competitive in attracting and retaining teachers and leaders. We have extensive experience in developing comprehensive human capital management systems. CTAC offers a range of talent development services including:
- Targeting professional development to meet the needs of educators
- Designing and implementing Grow Your Own pipelines to develop in-house talent
- Strategically staffing schools for learning acceleration
- Training and supporting new hires for effectiveness, retention and career growth
Immediate Impact
Districts and schools are able to:
- Respond to staffing needs with sustainable solutions
- Implement responsive talent development strategies
- Plan strategically for attracting and retaining teachers in hard-to-staff positions
- Develop and deliver targeted professional development for every phase of educators’ careers
Long-term Benefits
Districts and schools have the sustained ability to:
- Build a robust pool of highly-qualified educators for key positions
- Develop flexible staffing models to meet schools’ changing needs
- Retain and support educators through strong career pathways