Student Support and Academic Enrichment - Title IV, Part A

Authorized in December 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) introduced a new formula grant under Title IV, Part A with a wide range of allowable uses. Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants are intended to improve students' academic achievement by increasing the capacity of States, LEAs, schools, and local communities to:

  1. provide all students with access to a well-rounded education,
  2. improve school conditions for student learning, and 
  3. improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital literacy of all students. ESEA section 4101

Title IV, Part A funds may be used to provide supplemental activities in one or more of the following content areas:

Possible uses of funds includes: 

  • Improving access to foreign language instruction, arts, and music education; 
  • Supporting social emotional learning (SEL) programs and interventions; 
  • Supporting college and career counseling, including providing information on opportunities for financial aid through the early FAFSA; 
  • Providing programming to improve instruction and student engagement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), including computer science, and increasing access to these subjects for underrepresented groups; 
  • Promoting access to accelerated learning opportunities including Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs, dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high schools; and 
  • Strengthening instruction in American history, civics, economics, geography, government education, and environmental education.

ESEA section 4107

Possible uses of funds include:

  • Promoting community and parent involvement in schools; 
  • Providing school-based mental health services and counseling; 
  • Promoting supportive school climates to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and promoting supportive school discipline; 
  • Establishing or improving dropout prevention; 
  • Supporting re-entry programs and transition services for justice involved youth; 
  • Implementing programs that support a healthy, active lifestyle (nutritional and physical education); 
  • Implementing systems and practices to prevent bullying and harassment; and 
  • Developing relationship building skills to help improve safety through the recognition and prevention of coercion, violence, or abuse. 

ESEA Section 4108

Possible uses of funds include:

  • Supporting high-quality professional development for educators, school leaders, and administrators to personalize learning and improve academic achievement; 
  • Building technological capacity and infrastructure; 
  • Carrying out innovative blended learning projects; 
  • Providing students in rural, remote, and underserved areas with the resources to benefit from high-quality digital learning opportunities; and 
  • Delivering specialized or rigorous academic courses and curricula using technology, including digital learning technologies and assistive technology. 

ESEA section 4109

How are Student Support and Academic Enrichment funds allocated to Local Education Agencies (LEAs)?

Title IV, Part A (Title IV-A) allocations for LEAs are calculated by formula and are based on an LEA's prior year’s Title I, Part A allocation. State Education Agencies (SEAs) are required to ensure no LEA receives an allocation less than $10,000 (minus any required Maintenance of Effort reductions), and must ratably reduce LEAs accordingly to ensure the minimum amount requirement is met. 

To be eligible to receive an allocation under the Title IV-A Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program, an LEA must have received a new Title I, Part A allocation in the prior school year.

LEAs and consortia with an original allocation of $30,000 or more must expend Title IV-A funds as follows: 

  • no less than 20% of funds for activities to support well-rounded educational opportunities; 
  • no less than 20% of funds for activities to support safe and healthy students; and 
  • a portion of funds for activities to support the effective use of technology. 

LEAs and Consortia with an allocation less than $30,000 may choose to spend funds in one, or more than one, content area.

LEAs may choose to submit an application as part of a consortium. LEAs seeking to use this option must contact RIDE’s fiscal office and complete a Title IV, Part A Consortium Agreement.

After conducting a needs assessment and beginning private school consultation, LEAs can take into consideration all the unique needs of students and teachers, then make a decision about transferring funds. 

  • Funds can be transferred from Title II to Title IV-A. 
  • Funds can be transferred to Titles I-A, II and III. 

Title IV-A Coordinators are encouraged to work with their fiscal counterparts to learn more about transferability.

Bipartisan Safer Communities Act: Stronger Connections Grant 

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), signed into law on June 25, 2022, authorized $1 billion in funding to support states for safer communities and healthier outcomes through activities that are allowable under the safe and healthy students section of Title IV, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Educations Act (ESEA).  

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) received $4.8 million in funding for a three-year performance period. RIDE must distribute at least 95% of these funds to high-needs LEAs through a competitive grant process through a competitive grant process. 4% of funds will be used to design and implement statewide supports, with the remaining 1 % available for administration of the grant.  

RIDE anticipates awarding between 9 and 23 grants, with awards up to $500,000. 

Allowable Activities 

Activities must align to one or more of the BSCA strategies and be allowable under Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant, Section 4108 of ESEA. Applicants may also refer to the US Department of Education’s BSCA Stronger Connections Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions (2023) for additional guidance, including question B-9. 

Period of Performance 

The grant period is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2026. Grants will be awarded by the summer of 2023 for fiscal years FY24, FY25, FY26.  If selected for an award, LEAs will be required to upload their annual budget into AcceleGrants and provide quarterly expenditure reports and reimbursement requests.  

Subgrantees must spend all funds by June 30, 2026. 

Application Deadline 

Completed applications are due to the RI Department of Education by June 4, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. 

Email completed applications to Stephanie.Enos@ride.ri.gov.  

Timetable 

Date (subject to change) 

Activity/Action 

Informational/Technical Session 

May 4, 2023 

Proposal Due Date 

June 4, 2023   at 4:00 PM 

Announcement of Awards 

Week of June 19th  

Year Two Activities and Budget Due 

May 15, 2024 

Year Three Activities and Budget Due 

May 15, 2025 

October 30, 2023 

Deadline for all Programmatic and Fiscal Reports 

Stronger Connections Grant Resources 

The following guidance has been created to assist LEAs with the proposal submission process. 

Stronger Connections Grant - RFP (includes overview, application checklist, application templates and sample score sheet) 

Stronger Connections Grant – Year One Budget Template 

Stronger Connections Grant - Info Session Slides 

Stronger Connections Grant - Info Session Recording [MP4, 86MB]

Stronger Connections Grant - US Department of Education NRGs 

Stronger Connections Grant FAQ Update 5.23.23

Inquiries 

This is a competitive grant. Staff will not be able to address individual questions, to ensure that no one has an undue advantage.  

LEAs were given the opportunity to ask questions during the May 4, 2023 information session. A recording of the session is posted on the RIDE website with the grant materials.   

Questions may be sent to stephanie.enos@ride.ri.gov. Responses will be sent to superintendents in eligible LEAs, and posted in updated FAQs.

Student Support and Academic Enrichment Competitive Grants

FY22 Title IV-A State Grant Recipients

The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) is pleased to announce the recipients of the FY22 Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Competitive State Grants: 

  • Beacon Charter School 
  • Central Falls School District 
  • Chariho Regional School District 
  • Cranston Public Schools 
  • Greene Charter School 
  • Newport Public Schools 
  • Pawtucket School Department 
  • Scituate School Department 
  • Smithfield Public Schools 
  • Warwick Public Schools 
  • West Warwick Public Schools 
  • Woonsocket School Department 

LEAs are using their funds to maximize the school day or provide summer programming that supports one or more of the following goals in the RI State ESSA Plan: increasing reading proficiency, increasing math proficiency, increasing STEM proficiency, increasing graduation rates or closing opportunity gaps. Programs include: an arts acceleration program; math, literacy and STEM camps; credit recovery programs; high dosage tutoring; and social emotional learning supports. 

This year's applications far exceeded the total amount of funds available, with four times as many LEAs applying this year. RIDE would like to thank all those who applied and congratulate this year's recipients.

The Rhode Island Department of Education solicited applications for the FY21 Title IV, Part A (Title IV-A) Personalized Learning Grants. Selected LEAs received a Title IV-A allocation for the 2020-2021 school year of up to $50,000 to design, expand and/or implement strategies that increase student access to personalized, rigorous learning experiences for K-12 students in one of the Title IV-A content areas: well-rounded education, safe and healthy students and effective use of technology. Funds were intended to focus on supplemental programs and activities that expand student access to personalized learning experiences. 

The Rhode Island Department of Education is pleased to announce the winners of the FY21 Title IV, Part A Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants: 

  • Central Falls Public Schools 
  • Charette Charter School 
  • Newport Public Schools 
  • The Learning Community Charter School 
  • Warwick Public Schools 
  • West Warwick Public Schools

Access the following US Department of Education resources to learn more about the Title IV-A federal program requirements and allowable uses of funds:

RI Department of Education's Accelegrants Document Library

Visit the document library for State resources including the Title IV-A Annual Funding Application resources and the Rhode Island Department of Education Title IV-A FAQs.