Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes

From Fragmented Grants to a Coherent State Investment Strategy in Colorado
How can states move from managing separate grant programs to directing resources through a coherent strategy tied to student needs and outcomes? The Colorado Department of Education will share how it analyzed 31 competitive grant programs across seven units and 17 offices and found that nearly 30 percent of districts—most of them rural—were not accessing available opportunities. Colorado used grant participation data, stakeholder input, and state policy priorities to redesign its investment approach. As an early step, the department consolidated six funding streams into a formula-based model intended to streamline access, reduce administrative burden, and strengthen accountability. Participants will learn strategies for reviewing a grant portfolio, aligning investments with priorities, and building support for difficult funding changes. 

From Red Tape to Results: Using a Unified Planning Tool to Align Funding and State Priorities in Arkansas
Districts are better positioned to focus on student outcomes when planning and reporting requirements are organized around priorities rather than separate funding streams. Arkansas will share how it created the AR App, a unified tool that consolidated 17 federal and state applications and plans into one district planning process. The application asks districts to address concrete implementation questions tied to state priorities, while giving the Arkansas Department of Education annual data on local choices and areas where additional support may be needed. Arkansas will also describe how regional cooperatives support district planning and implementation. Participants will learn how a unified planning and funding tool can reduce administrative burden, promote federal flexibility, strengthen alignment, and help states monitor implementation over time.