CARES Impact Study

Examining Georgia school districts'
use of federal COVID relief funds

Project Overview

     The federal COVID-19 relief packages provide needed resources to Georgia’s public school districts, enabling them to substantially mitigate transmission risk of the virus and address student needs that have emerged in this year of disruption and uncertainty. These funds also create an opportunity to take steps to reimagine areas of K-12 education and better serve students beyond the immediate challenges created by the pandemic.

     The Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education is undertaking a multi-year, multi-strand research project to capture districts’ use of these funds. It will generate knowledge to support effective practice and policy at the school, district, and state levels that can be applied as districts’ work unfolds and to future initiatives. With a public dissemination and robust stakeholder engagement component, the project also aims to cultivate shared learning about and public support for public education in Georgia.

For inquiries about the survey, please email us at CARESStudy@gpee.org

Project Goals

Generate actionable knowledge that supports student success

  • Understand how districts use federal relief funds and the impact they have on district practice and, where feasible, students.
  • Identify best practices and lessons learned about student support strategies deployed by districts, which can be used by practitioners and local and state policymakers to inform decisions about strategic action and investments.

Facilitate application of emerging knowledge in district/state policy

  • Provide shared learnings, cultivate cross-district information exchange, and encourage adoption of successful student-centered practices across districts by bringing education and civic leaders together through meetings with stakeholders in rural and suburban/urban communities.
  • Develop and disseminate recommendations based on findings to inform policy decisions by state and local education leaders.

Bolster public support for public education

  • Identify and share compelling stories from Georgia schools about the pandemic’s impact on students and how educators are meeting their needs.
  • Create and deploy tools to disseminate emerging learnings targeted to multiple stakeholders.