About 833,000 fewer students enrolled in public schools in fall 2021 than had been predicted, with the most surprising drops occurring in middle school, according to the latest data, foretelling a drop in the number of high school graduates and, subsequently, college freshmen.

"The ESSER money is a lot, but it's not as much as everybody thinks," says Bernard McCune, Denver Public School's associate chief of academics. "Everyone thinks that schools are just flush with money and they throw everything at schools without intentionality. What we've done is use ESSER as an opportunity to innovate."

States and school districts have now spent less than half of their Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, according to the latest federal data — and the rest of that money must be allocated or spent by September 2024, or it will be lost.

The practice by faculty and staff provides real-time feedback along with evidence-based interventions and strategies to support students.