Local Educational Agencies’ Uses of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds for Technology

This report presents the results of our survey on LEA experiences with using ESSER funds to purchase educational technology to continue student instruction during the coronavirus. The survey identified (1) types of educational technology that LEAs purchased with their ESSER funds, (2) challenges that LEAs experienced when using ESSER funds for educational technology, and (3) impact the educational technology had on student learning. The survey found that LEAs nationwide generally reported using ESSER funds to purchase educational technology to continue student instruction due to the coronavirus. They purchased instructional software that offered teachers flexibility when creating remote learning environments and technology-related training that was both a challenge and an unexpected opportunity to improve teacher and student use of technology. LEAs reported their experiences with educational technology purchased using ESSER funds to resolve or mitigate challenges they faced while continuing student instruction during the coronavirus. LEAs nationwide generally reported experiencing lost instructional time and using ESSER-funded technology to address the academic impact that their student populations experienced during the coronavirus.