Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to reconsider the approach and delivery of public education. With a large infusion of one-time federal relief aid and a depth of need among students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic that the system is still trying to understand, state and local education leaders will need to plan for both (1) short-term investments to accelerate learning and address student well-being and (2) long-term structural changes to the education system.

This opportunity for transformational change in education requires early planning and ongoing monitoring of investments to gauge whether they are having their intended impact. Education leaders will want to consider how to use one-time funding strategically in a way that fuels ongoing improvement in student outcomes for years to come.

This brief provides an overview of three strategies for planning for sustainability, or long-term improvements in local and state education systems, when investing one-time federal funds.