Since the start of the year, America’s public education system has become a national punching bag, from dangerous cuts to important teacher training grants and research initiatives, to alarming interventions in schools’ efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, to an abrupt end to essential school mental health funding. Now, congressional leaders are pushing for a vast new voucher program, arguing that — although all evidence points to the contrary — it’s necessary to provide another option for students stuck in failing public schools.

To be sure, too many students — particularly students of color and those from low-income backgrounds — aren’t being served well in their public schools, and it would be negligent to ignore their needs. But there is proof that the federal government needs to be providing more funding, not stripping it away from students who need the most support.

Advocates and school system leaders should be uplifting the places that are supporting academic growth for all students. That’s why we’re highlighting bright spots in districts to show that with proper funding, schools can better serve their students.

An EdTrust review of research from the Education Recovery Scorecard found 119 districts that serve at least 1,000 students succeeded in raising reading and math scores, specifically for Black students, Latino students, or students from low-income backgrounds above pre-pandemic levels. This research uses NAEP and statewide assessment data, to put unique state testing data from 43 states on the same scale, allowing for comparisons between Springfield, Massachusetts, and Springfield, Missouri, that would otherwise be impossible.

How did these districts not only recover but exceed their pre-pandemic achievement levels? In part, by using federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funding to implement practices that support student learning.

Research has shown that federal pandemic relief dollars aided the academic recovery for students. Particularly, ESSER funds aided recovery in higher poverty districts, where achievement in both math and reading was boosted by the equivalent of an extra 18 days of learning. Not surprisingly, it mattered how districts spent their ESSER funds. Student achievement grew more in districts that spent more on academic interventions such as high-impact tutoring, extended learning time, implementation of high-quality instructional materials and curriculum, literacy and math specialists, and mental health supports.

Case studies conducted by the Education Recovery Scorecard researchers show how some districts successfully used ESSER funds to support students of color and students from low-income backgrounds to address unfinished learning.

Take for example Ector County Independent School District, which serves Odessa, Texas. The district serves over 33,000 students, with a student population that is 81% Latino, 75% from low-income backgrounds, and 29% multilingual learners.

For Latino students, scores improved by over 20% of a grade level in reading and over 33% of a grade level in math, compared to where they were in 2019. In other words, Latino students in Ector increased their scores by the equivalent of roughly 36 days of learning in reading and 59 days of learning in math. For students from low-income backgrounds, scores improved by 41% and 62% of a grade level (74 and 112 days of learning) in math and reading, respectively. The school district used ESSER funds to provide one-to-one tutoring for 6,000 students identified as needing additional support based on their state assessment data and teacher report.

Then there’s Natchitoches Parish School District in Louisiana, which is a smaller district of under 5,000 students, where the student population is 59% Black and 91% from low-income backgrounds. Despite still scoring below the country overall, Natchitoches is scoring better than it ever has in the last 15 years. Black students and students from low-income backgrounds improved both math and reading scores to above district pre-pandemic levels. For Black students, scores improved by 1.23 and 0.56 of a grade level (221 and 101 days of learning) in reading and math, respectively. For students from low-income backgrounds, scores improved by more than one grade level in math and reading (1.71 and 1.06 grade levels or 308 and 191 days of learning, respectively). The district used ESSER funds to make significant investments in their teacher workforce, including placing “master teachers” in every school, creating collaborative systems to share best practices, reorganize teacher support structures at the district level, and implement a data tracking system to monitor student progress at an individual level.

It is important to note that in both Ector County and Natchitoches Parish, math and reading performance levels are below the 2019 national averages. In Ector County, scores had been steadily declining between 2009 and 2016, and in Natchitoches, scores have been trending downward since 2011. These trends match overall NAEP performance trends across the country, which saw math and reading scores peak around 2013 followed by a continuous decline that was then exacerbated by the pandemic. Nevertheless, we highlight these districts because of the post-pandemic (2022-2024) growth in test scores. When many districts are struggling to make up for unfinished learning caused by the pandemic, every fraction of a grade level increase in scores is meaningful. And that growth was possible with the help of ESSER funds.

Although it’s clear that federal ESSER funds were essential in helping school districts, especially high poverty school districts, recover from the unprecedented challenges students and educators faced as a result of the pandemic, this ongoing recovery is at risk. The U.S. Department of Education abruptly cancelled the last remaining ESSER funds promised to states, potentially upending ongoing promising practices that support students (a decision that was challenged in court by 16 states and Washington, D.C.). Additionally, the unprecedented mass layoffs and contract cancellations at the Department of Education threaten the future of NAEP and other data and research efforts that inform educators, parents, policymakers, and advocates on what students need to succeed academically.

In this time of uncertainty, it is even more important to pay attention to the bright spots in our education system. By sharing best practices, advocates can not only show that it’s possible to improve results for students but can make the case for state and local leaders to implement evidence-based practices, backed by federal aid, to share best practices and make the case for ongoing federal support. As state budgets shrink, we must reimagine public education and find new ways to allocate equitable funding to students in need. This data shows there are success stories to learn from. The districts highlighted here show that it’s possible for states and districts to improve NAEP math and reading scores. State and local school system leaders and advocates must commit to ongoing investments in proven policies and programs to support all students.