Resources for ARRA Funds

According to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), states accepting American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds are required to use these funds to encourage progress in four key areas of school reform: (1) adopting rigorous standards that prepare students for success in college and the workforce; (2) recruiting and retaining effective teachers, especially in classrooms where they're needed most; (3) turning around low-performing schools; and (4) building data systems to track student achievement and teacher effectiveness. (See www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/06/06082009.html)

The Appalachia Regional Comprehensive Center (ARCC) has compiled some key resources to assist states and districts in effectively utilizing ARRA funds.

ED provides information related to ARRA in education, including documents, presentations, and webcasts.
www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/index.html

As states and districts make decisions about how best to utilize ARRA funds, they can link to a variety of helpful resources produced by ED and its grantees.
www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/recovery/publications.html

A new online interactive mapping tool, Using ARRA Funds to Improve Teacher Effectiveness and Equitable Distribution, is intended to guide conversations between regional comprehensive center and state education agency staff on the effective use of ARRA funds to improve teacher effectiveness and equitable distribution. This site works best using Internet Explorer or Safari.
www.tqsource.org/arra

Knowledge Alliance, a nonprofit, nonpartisan strategic alliance of education organizations, provides links to ARRA resources provided by its member organizations.
www.knowledgeall.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=87&Itemid=33