How the New Funding Bill Affects SEL in Schools | By: Jordan Posamentier On Friday, March 23, the omnibus spending bill was signed into law. It provides $1.1 billion in funding for fiscal year 2018 for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant (SSAEG) program, which is Title IV-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This figure represents a 250% funding increase over last year’s inadequate level of $400 million and should allow the program to operate as a formula grant program, as Congress mandated in the law. Due to last year’s low funding level, many districts lacked access to Title IV-A funds. They were faced with difficult tradeoffs, like whether to fund school counseling services or advanced placement programs instead. This renewed level of funding allows school districts to have increased flexibility in determining how to invest in and support programs that support safe and healthy students, a well-rounded academic curriculum, and an effective educational technology program. In other words, these funds can be used to purchase social-emotional learning (SEL) materials, including our SEL curriculum, the Second Step Program. Funding Resources for SEL Our research-based curricula—including the Second Step Social-Emotional Learning Program for Early Learning through Middle School, Bullying Prevention Unit, and Child Protection Unit—all meet federal funding eligibility standards and other state and local grant requirements. Districts, schools, and individual educators are encouraged to use these resources to help secure funds to purchase and implement the Second Step Program. Read More For additional information about the Omnibus bill, visit EdWeek’s blog post from March 23.