EANS funding can be a difference-maker when you allocate those funds toward resources that allow your schools to accelerate their students’ learning, make up lost learning time that resulted from COVID-19, and address social-emotional learning.

Before we get into some of the most impactful ways to spend your EANS dollars, here’s a brief overview of EANS funding.

What Is EANS?

The EANS (Emergency Assistance to Non-Public Schools) program is broken into two allocations:

  • EANS I is $2.75 billion allocated to non-public elementary and secondary schools as part of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER II) fund under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act (Dec 2020). EANS I funding is prioritized to those non-public schools that enroll low-income students and are most impacted by COVID-19. Reimbursements for allowable expenses incurred since March 13, 2020 are permitted.
  • EANS II is a second round of an additional $2.75 allocated as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act (March 2021). Under EANS II, a State Education Agency (SEA) provides services or assistance to non-public schools that enroll a significant percentage of children from low-income families and are most impacted by COVID-19. Reimbursements are not allowed under EANS II.

For more information on EANS funding, watch Catapult Learning’s EANS-focused webinars and visit our EANS FAQs page. The U.S. Department of Education’s EANS FAQ page is a helpful resource as well.

How You Can Responsibly Spend Your Schools’ EANS Funds

If you have already applied for or have received your EANS funding, it’s time to decide how to best allocate those dollars in order to make the biggest impact on your schools. Of course, each school has different priorities and needs to address, and EANS funds can be used on a wide range of programs and services; plus, every state and school will receive varied amounts of funding, so there’s no true blanket answer to the question of “How should I spend my EANS funds?” But if you’re looking for ways to address and improve education in the classroom, there are several accelerated learning programs from which most schools can greatly benefit from EANS funding.

  •  High-Dosage Tutoring and Intervention

Desired outcome: To accelerate learning in literacy and math for all K-12 students through frequent, intensive, small-group or 1:1 instruction.

COVID-19 has left millions of students behind in school, and research has shown that intensive supplemental learning closes the learning gaps much more quickly than through simple remediation. Literacy and math intervention programs are an effective way to narrow those gaps—when coupled with a tutoring program, learning becomes even more efficient and effective.

How Catapult Learning can help: Our reading/literacy and math interventions and High-Dosage Tutoring programs use highly structured, intensive instruction in small groups to reinforce grade-level content and support struggling learners so they can quickly close learning gaps.

  • Social-Emotional Learning and Support

Desired outcome: To expand students’ 21st century skills in critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and empathy—all necessary for success in college, careers, and beyond.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) has taken on more importance and relevance than ever before and ensuring the emotional and mental well-being of your students and their families—especially during this pandemic age—is a top priority for schools across the country. Research shows that an education that promotes SEL positively impacts academic performance, healthy relationships, mental wellness, and more. Using a portion of your EANS funding on SEL programming can, therefore, make a significant difference in your classrooms.

How Catapult Learning can help: Our SEL programming is based on the understanding that the best learning emerges because of supportive relationships that make learning challenging, engaging, and meaningful. Our programs, with focuses on Counseling, Family Engagement, and Professional Development, teach students the critical skills they need for future success.

  • Coaching and Professional Development

Desired outcome: To support educators and promote behaviors intended to increase and successfully maintain student achievement.

Now is the time to restart and reimagine school. Whether you’re looking to build teacher capacity within the classroom, help instructors grow through coaching, create a more positive classroom environment, increase the leadership capacity and empowerment of principals and administrators, or improve overall school outcomes, investing a portion of your EANS funding in professional development services and programs can pay dividends down the road.

How Catapult Learning can help: Through our research-based Professional Development and Coaching services, we can support your school communities in the most critical areas of need, all with a focus on creating equitable, rigorous, safe, and supportive learning environments that meet the needs of all learners.

  • Summer Learning

Desired outcome: To address the academic, social, and emotional needs of your students and their families during the summer, through robust educational opportunities and engaging activities, while preparing them for the fall.

Summer learning programs have shown to be an effective way to mitigate supplement the school year or summer learning loss, so students are prepared to start the new school year on track. These programs offer parents the opportunity to keep their child engaged in school and to receive the academic, social, and emotional support that may otherwise not be available at a time when schools are closed.

How Catapult Learning can help: Our turnkey Summer Journey learning programs are designed not only to mitigate summer and COVID learning loss, but also to support students and their families throughout the summer months. Summer Journey incorporates elements such as SEL learning, STEM learning, literacy and math intervention, enrichment, and family support to create a holistic program that sets children up for success.

Perhaps most beneficial to schools is that all of our accelerated learning programs—academic intervention, High-Dosage Tutoring and accelerated learning, SEL learning, Professional Development and Coaching, and Summer Learning—can be tailored to your schools’ specific needs. This ensures that your EANS funding is addressing your schools’ particular areas of opportunity.

EANS funds are immensely valuable and beneficial…when spent responsibly. With many needs to address but only so many dollars to spend, the challenge of spending on the right programs and services is a considerable one. Catapult Learning is here to help.

Our EANS funding experts are ready to assist you in getting the most out of your EANS dollars by addressing your school’s most critical needs and personalizing our services to fit those needs.

Learn more about Catapult Learning’s Accelerated Learning Programs by downloading our flyer here: