The chart book is a summary of data compiled so far on how states, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHE) are using federal emergency aid. It is intended to provide a national perspective. Otherwise, each school district or IHE is a story unto itself based on its own circumstances and context. There is no single, comprehensive source nationally that answers three important questions of states, school districts, and IHEs related to federal emergency aid for education:
- how much funding did they receive;
- how do they intend to use the funding (i.e., what are the dollar amounts associated with each purpose); and,
- on what did they actually spend the funds.
All data sources provide only partial answers. For this reason, it requires piecing together multiple sources to gain insight. The various sources include surveys and samples, annual reporting, and the tracking of budget and legislative actions.