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Exploring the Relationship between Illinois Districts' ESSER Spending and Student Achievement

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Title: Exploring the Relationship between Illinois Districts' ESSER Spending and Student Achievement
Language: English
Authors: Sarah Cashdollar, Mariana Barragan Torres, Meg Bates, Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)
Source: Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, Discovery Partners Institute. 2024.
Availability: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, State of Illinois for Discovery Partners Institute. 200 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60304. Tel: 217-766-6779; e-mail: IWERC@mx.uillinois.edu; Web site: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 60
Publication Date: 2024
Sponsoring Agency: Chicago Community Trust
Steans Family Foundation (SFF)
Joyce Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Numerical/Quantitative Data
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: School Districts, Federal Aid, Elementary Secondary Education, Emergency Programs, Grants, COVID-19, Pandemics, Scores, Low Achievement, High Achievement, Achievement Gains, Resource Allocation, School District Spending, Decision Making, Program Implementation
Geographic Terms: Illinois
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
Abstract: This report provides a first look at how Illinois school districts' uses of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds were related to their test score outcomes in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data on districts' ESSER expenditures as of November 2023, the authors analyze test score trends across districts that received different amounts of ESSER funds and across districts that spent ESSER funds in different ways. From these analyses, the key findings are as follows: (1) After receiving ESSER funding, low-achieving districts recovered at a similar pace compared to high-achieving districts, on average. (a) Districts with lower pre-pandemic achievement and greater pandemic-related learning loss were allocated and spent more ESSER funds. (b) Elementary and middle grades students in districts that were allocated more ESSER funding recovered slightly more quickly from school year 2020-21 (SY21) test score lows than students in higher-achieving districts that were allocated less. High school students in districts that were allocated more ESSER funding experienced similar losses (i.e. lack of recovery) compared to higher-achieving districts that were allocated less. (2) No broad categories of expenditures districts made with ESSER funds (e.g., instructional salaries, construction services, etc.) were statistically significantly related to test score outcomes. The findings show that the infusion of funding from ESSER may have prevented pandemic-related achievement disparities between districts from widening further. However, it is unclear whether or how district choices about what to spend on mattered. The authors offer several interpretations of the null findings related to the time horizon of this study, the nature of the ESSER policy and its implementation, and data limitations. In particular, the authors did not have data on how districts implemented the programs, services, and other interventions that they funded with their ESSER grants or the quality of their implementation, which may have been key to whether or not interventions succeeded. As districts spend the remainder of ESSER funds and decide on spending priorities moving forward, they must continue to make choices without clear evidence on which broad categories of spending are most likely to improve student achievement.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED671678
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
CustomLinks:
  – Url: https://eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=ED671678
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  Data: Exploring the Relationship between Illinois Districts' ESSER Spending and Student Achievement
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sarah+Cashdollar%22">Sarah Cashdollar</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mariana+Barragan+Torres%22">Mariana Barragan Torres</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Meg+Bates%22">Meg Bates</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Illinois+Workforce+and+Education+Research+Collaborative+%28IWERC%29%22">Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Illinois+Workforce+and+Education+Research+Collaborative%2C+Discovery+Partners+Institute%22"><i>Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, Discovery Partners Institute</i></searchLink>. 2024.
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  Data: Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, State of Illinois for Discovery Partners Institute. 200 South Wacker Drive, 20th Floor, Chicago, IL 60304. Tel: 217-766-6779; e-mail: IWERC@mx.uillinois.edu; Web site: https://dpi.uillinois.edu/applied-research/iwerc/
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  Data: N
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  Data: 60
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2024
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  Data: Chicago Community Trust<br />Steans Family Foundation (SFF)<br />Joyce Foundation
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  Data: Reports - Research<br />Numerical/Quantitative Data
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Label: Descriptors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+Districts%22">School Districts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Federal+Aid%22">Federal Aid</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+Secondary+Education%22">Elementary Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emergency+Programs%22">Emergency Programs</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grants%22">Grants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22COVID-19%22">COVID-19</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Pandemics%22">Pandemics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scores%22">Scores</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Low+Achievement%22">Low Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Achievement%22">High Achievement</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Achievement+Gains%22">Achievement Gains</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Resource+Allocation%22">Resource Allocation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22School+District+Spending%22">School District Spending</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Decision+Making%22">Decision Making</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Program+Implementation%22">Program Implementation</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Illinois%22">Illinois</searchLink>
– Name: SubjectThesaurus
  Label: Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Elementary+and+Secondary+School+Emergency+Relief+Fund%22">Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This report provides a first look at how Illinois school districts' uses of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds were related to their test score outcomes in the years following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data on districts' ESSER expenditures as of November 2023, the authors analyze test score trends across districts that received different amounts of ESSER funds and across districts that spent ESSER funds in different ways. From these analyses, the key findings are as follows: (1) After receiving ESSER funding, low-achieving districts recovered at a similar pace compared to high-achieving districts, on average. (a) Districts with lower pre-pandemic achievement and greater pandemic-related learning loss were allocated and spent more ESSER funds. (b) Elementary and middle grades students in districts that were allocated more ESSER funding recovered slightly more quickly from school year 2020-21 (SY21) test score lows than students in higher-achieving districts that were allocated less. High school students in districts that were allocated more ESSER funding experienced similar losses (i.e. lack of recovery) compared to higher-achieving districts that were allocated less. (2) No broad categories of expenditures districts made with ESSER funds (e.g., instructional salaries, construction services, etc.) were statistically significantly related to test score outcomes. The findings show that the infusion of funding from ESSER may have prevented pandemic-related achievement disparities between districts from widening further. However, it is unclear whether or how district choices about what to spend on mattered. The authors offer several interpretations of the null findings related to the time horizon of this study, the nature of the ESSER policy and its implementation, and data limitations. In particular, the authors did not have data on how districts implemented the programs, services, and other interventions that they funded with their ESSER grants or the quality of their implementation, which may have been key to whether or not interventions succeeded. As districts spend the remainder of ESSER funds and decide on spending priorities moving forward, they must continue to make choices without clear evidence on which broad categories of spending are most likely to improve student achievement.
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  Data: 2025
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  Data: ED671678
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=ED671678
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 60
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: School Districts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Aid
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Emergency Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: COVID-19
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Pandemics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Scores
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Low Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Achievement
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Achievement Gains
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Resource Allocation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: School District Spending
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Program Implementation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Illinois
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Exploring the Relationship between Illinois Districts' ESSER Spending and Student Achievement
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            NameFull: Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative (IWERC)
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            NameFull: Sarah Cashdollar
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            NameFull: Mariana Barragan Torres
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            NameFull: Meg Bates
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            – D: 01
              M: 09
              Type: published
              Y: 2024
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Illinois Workforce and Education Research Collaborative, Discovery Partners Institute
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