COVID-19 upended K-12 schools. Will $17 million in federal funds help NC students?
North Carolina will get more than $17.6 million in federal funds for efforts to help K-12 students get through the disruption caused by COVID-19, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday while traveling in the state.
North Carolina is one of 11 states to receive the new grants, which will total more than $180 million.
According to a release from the U.S. Department of Education, the money is from the Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant program and is to be used to created new ways for students to continue learning in ways that meet their needs. Awards range from $6 million to $20 million.
“Ensuring every student can continue to learn during the coronavirus pandemic requires innovation from local education leaders and a laser-like focus on doing what’s right for students,” DeVos said in the statement. “This grant will help states adapt and overcome challenges to strengthen education both now and for the longer term.
“If we’ve learned anything from this pandemic, it’s that the antiquated one-size-fits-all approach to education is no longer tenable and education going forward must be more adaptable and student-centered. I want to congratulate today’s awardees for making the needed effort to rethink education on behalf of their students.”
In North Carolina, the grant will fund a three-year initiative called “Light the Way,” which will combine remote and in-person learning, according to a statement. It will be aimed at stabilizing or improving student achievement during disruptions to regular school, to better prepare teachers for digital-age instruction and to strengthen preparedness by schools and communities for events that may interrupt student learning, such as the pandemic.
The effort will have statewide components but focus primarily on 45 of the state’s most rural and economically disadvantaged communities. It will provide training for teachers, and resources for students and parents.
“I appreciate the hard work of the staff at DPI to make this grant possible so that we can meet our students’ instructional needs,” said State Superintendent Mark Johnson. “These funds will go a long way to making sure that students and teachers in North Carolina are prepared despite the disruptions that could affect normal instruction and learning.”
The state’s “Light the Way” blended instructional model will use grant funds to build teacher capacity through a high-quality professional development certification process, provide new standards-aligned virtual course content that focuses on grades kindergarten through eighth grade with a particular focus on both online and off-line learning options to reinforce equity of access. The effort aims also to provide mobile-friendly learning resources and technical assistance for parents.
The Rethink K-12 Education Models grant competition was announced in late April, and any state educational agency could apply. The program called for projects that would: make sure families have the technology needed for remote learning; provide statewide access to classes that students might not have in their districts; and make sure students are learning material that will help them find successful careers.
According to the release, applications were evaluated by a panel of independent reviewers, with projects from states with the highest coronavirus burdens receiving funding priority.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 5:28 PM.
