TCLAS Decision 8 & SiSTEM

Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports (TCLAS) is a set of targeted support systems and additional state and federal funding aimed to enhance the Learning Acceleration Framework. Students across Texas have missed out on learning opportunities as a result of Covid and these programs are built to counteract time lost and help every child succeed - let's explore how!

What Exactly Does TCLAS Provide?

The Texas COVID Learning Acceleration Supports, or (TCLAS) for short, provides funding and support through a single, streamlined discretionary, non-competitive grant application that mimics the simplicity of a formula grant. There is no need for grant writers, making the funding accessible for administrators of all experience levels. Currently, there is over $1.4 available for schools to access services and support for students with 15 different TEA initiatives for a completely customizable learning experience. 

In this article, we will take a deep dive into Decision 8, which encourages Strong Summer Supports. 

Understanding The "Summer Slide"

Student achievement levels drop during the summer months, commonly referred to as the “summer slide”. The impact of summer slide can create a gap of up to three grade levels particularly impacting low-income students and families. These drops in student achievement have resulted from COVID, online learning, and adjusting from in-person to remote test-taking. Math courses, specifically, have seen dramatic drops in obtaining a satisfactory score (16% drop). This is a massive drop in learning that can be made up for during summer classes!

Why "Strong Summer Program"?

For schools that wish to implement Decision 8 Strong Summer Supports Programming, SiSTEM can help support utilizing half-day formula funding to the fullest. In order to quality, schools must have at least one grade level within the PreK-5 range, have 180 instructional days in the school year with 75,600 operational limits, be willing to add about 30 additional half-days, and host ADSY on separate days. SiSTEM will help support teachers as they deliver at least three hours of academic instruction and three hours of enrichment on ADSY days. 

Ready to take advantage of the grant money waiting for your school system? Apply for TCLAS and partner with SiSTEM Tutoring to help get your district back on track.